What is Tarophia?

Tarophia is a tarot site where you ask a question, choose a crystal, shuffle the deck and get a Celtic Cross reading from an oracle, told in acts as the cards are turned. The cards are the original 1909 illustrations from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot. For quick questions, there's also a free Yes or No reading, no sign-up needed.

The idea is simple: a tarot reading that takes its time, as if by candlelight. Not an instant-answer machine.

How does a reading work?

A full reading follows the ritual of a real consultation, in five steps:

1. Your question. Tell the oracle what you want to understand. The more personal the question, in your own words, the more the reading will speak to you.
2. The crystal. Three unnamed stones appear, and you pick the one you feel drawn to. Only then does the oracle tell you which one it is. The crystal sets the tone of the reading and lights up the medallion on the back of your cards.
3. The shuffle and the cut. You shuffle and cut the deck. The ten Celtic Cross cards are genuinely drawn, one by one, from the pile you choose.
4. The reading, in acts. The oracle turns the cards a few at a time and tells your reading in three acts: first the knot you're caught in, then its roots and timing, and finally the path ahead. Along the way it asks you a question, and your answer shapes what comes next.
5. The astrolabe. At the end, your reading is kept in an astrolabe, with the ten cards, the connections between them and the answer to your question, so you can come back to it whenever you like.

Who is the oracle?

The oracle is the character who guides your reading: a veiled figure who listens to your question and reads the cards. Each reading is written with artificial intelligence, based on the traditional meanings of the cards, the Celtic Cross positions and our own notes on every card. The AI doesn't predict the future: it interprets the symbols that came up for your question, the way a tarot reader would.

Yes or No works differently: it doesn't use AI at all. The answer comes from the card you pick and what's written about it.

Where do the cards come from?

The cards are Pamela Colman Smith's original illustrations for the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, published in 1909 and now in the public domain. It's the most widely used tarot deck in the world, and the same one you'll find in the Library, where each of the 78 cards has its own book, covering its meaning in love, at work and in every position of the Celtic Cross.

Why the Celtic Cross?

The Celtic Cross is the most complete spread in classic tarot: ten cards that show where you are now, what's standing in your way, the root of the situation, the recent past, the near future, your own attitude, the people around you, your hopes and fears, and where it's all heading. It's the spread for questions that need the full picture, not just a yes or a no.

What's free?

Yes or No is free and doesn't need an account: keep your question in mind, shuffle and pick one of five cards. For the Celtic Cross, you sign in with Google or an email code, and the first act of one reading each month is free.

What happens to my question?

Your readings are kept in your account, and only you can see them. You can delete them at any time under "My readings". To write your reading, your question and the cards are sent to an AI service, without your name or email address. You'll find the details in our privacy policy.

Where should I start?

If your question needs the full picture, try the Celtic Cross. If it can be answered with a yes or a no, draw a card in Yes or No. And if you'd like to get to know the cards first, the Library is open.