I’m always amazed – although by now I really shouldn’t be – at how dogs manage to be relevant to every aspect of life. My life, anyway.

Take the tarot deck, for instance. This special 78-pack of cards has been shuffled and spread since the mid-15th century in Europe to play card games; in Rabelais’ Gargantua and Pantagruel, Gargantua plays a game called tarau. But from the late 18th century to the present, the tarot has been used by mystics for divination – to see the future – or as a map of spiritual and mental pathways (i.e. to understand and cope with the present).

The tarot has four suits, each suit numbering 14 cards, plus a 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool (pictured above). The trump cards and the Fool are known as “the major arcana.”

The Fool is depicted as a happy-go-lucky traveler, with all his worldly possessions in one small pack. He’s so filled with visions, questions, wonder and excitement that he doesn’t see the cliff he is likely to fall over! At his heel a small dog harries him – or tries to warn him of a possible mis-step. Will the Fool learn to watch where he’s going before it’s too late?

I identify with that foolhardy traveler. For most of my life, I’ve been that Fool, especially in matters of the heart. So not surprisingly, this very symbolic cardhas turned up in many of my tarot readings. I treat myself to an annual reading, as I’ve done for most of the last 19 years – ever since my very first consultation with the world-renowned psychic Frank Andrews.

Frank uses the tarot to help his clients understand the major events and circumstances of their lives. A reading with him is not so much about peering into the future, but about knowing thyself. It is a very empowering experience. I value all of the teacher-spirit-guides in my life, and I consider Frank to be one of the great masters.

And since I relate to the Fool, I also consider dogs to be my masters. Each one I’ve rescued, whether they stayed with me or went to another home, has taught me invaluable life lessons. Each has stopped me, in his or her unique way, from stepping off the cliff.

Frank has always been a dog lover too. Years ago, he had a pack of Papillons. These adorable little dogs were love machines who generously bestowed gentle French kisses on Frank’s clients, me included! Being mobbed by these sweet dogs was always a highlight of my visits to their owner.

Today, Frank lives with a small Border Collie named Boots. After the last Papillon passed away, he adopted this sweet rescued dog, the tiny runt of her litter. And true to her breed, Boots has blossomed into an amazingly intelligent, intuitive animal. Receiving attention from Boots is now the highlight of my visits to her owner. I suspect that, like Frank, she too has psychic ability.

So, what’s a session with Frank like? With humor and compassion, he will give you the scoop on what’s going on in your world by interpreting the tarot cards. His deck is impressively well-worn. “Many famous hands have shuffled those cards!” he’ll say with a laugh. And it’s true – many have, but Frank is too discreet to prognosticate and tell.

Certain celebrities won’t hesitate to discuss publicly how Frank has helped them. Actor Jason Alexander appeared not long ago on William Shatner’s talk show “Raw Nerve” to discuss how he and his wife coped with infertility before finding the doctor who helped them conceive their baby. Frank gave them a clue to the doctor’s name. Upon hearing his guest tell the story, Shatner commented, “I have chills – and it isn’t the air conditioning!” Out-of-this-world insights like that are quite common at a Frank Andrews consultation.

Have you ever had an eye-opening experience with the tarot? Please share your insights in the comments!