Against Tarot?

[Celtaur]

I've been in the presence of those who make statements coming from a critical and skeptical place, with a lot of disdainful inflections in their voice. Comments such as "The Tarot can't tell your future," or "I don't believe in a bunch of cards, only God knows," or "It's Evil, I don't want to have anything to do with it and nor should you. That's the Devils work." Obviously these positions are coming from a pre-judgmental idea of what the tarot is or is not. But how does one answer the question in a way that brings a more balanced idea of what the tarot is, that is acceptable enough to create a bridge of understanding? Although I am aware this may be difficult, as the discussion is often abruptly stopped when the skeptic doesn't want to hear another word on the subject and quickly changes the conversation.

Why does the Tarot have the reputation of being evil? Is it simply a matter of ignorance and that people have been conditioned to fear what they don't know or does it have a historical root that goes beyond the generality placed by religion?

I have found it to be quite discouraging when people are so adamant about being closed to cultures and ideas to wholly disregard anything and everything outside of their box of ideas.

Celebrating diversity is an important aspect of my world view, but I realize it is not everyone that does, and nor would I impose it to be. For if I were to do such, I would be in much the same boat as those who wish to convert people to their ideas. However, there must be ways that are useful in bridging the divide. Can Tarot act as a bridge in any way, or is it by its very form and function so specialized and niche, that it creates for itself a too distant island?

[Echo]

The position that Tarot is evil, I think, dates back to some of the more narrow minded Christian perceptions. A wonderful, warmhearted and friendly lady of my aquaintance cut the friendship dead when she found I study the Mysteries .. and forbade her children to associate with mine. She is deeply involved in a community church and was appalled that I should be heading for absolute damnation for following the heart God gave me.

With others, I have agreed that the Tarot cannot predict the future or have any special powers at all. And I believe that is true. However, as a focus for one's own inner powers of perception, a key to unlock to vision of the soul, a way of bypassing conscious thought and accessing the inner levels of the psyche the whole question can be addressed at a different level.

Those who believe in the immortal soul may well accept that it can see further than we, and that linear time may be a construct of Man and not bind the soul within its constraints.

But unfortunately, there are many who are closed or even violently opposed, by fear, lack of knowledge, or upbringing, to any idea which takes them out of their comfort zone and challenges their perception of the way the world works.

[Brownbat]

But how does one answer the question in a way that brings a more balanced idea of what the tarot is, that is acceptable enough to create a bridge of understanding? Although I am aware this may be difficult, as the discussion is often abruptly stopped when the skeptic doesn't want to hear another word on the subject and quickly changes the conversation.

Celtaur--The best explanation I have seen is in the book Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-centered Religion by River and Joyce Higginbotham. They mention the success they've had opening skeptical minds by using the following image.

Picture a massive ice-berg which rises above the surface of the water in several places. We humans are like those portions of the ice-berg that appear above the water. They seem to be completely separate. But beneath the water, they are connected. That connection, for humans, is on a spiritual level.

Tools such as tarot are tapping into the spiritual connections that exist between us all. The skeptic is not saying merely that tarot and other spiritual techniques do not work, he is denying the spiritual connection, the "beneath the surface" reality. If we agreed with him that we are all completely separate beings, physically and spiritually, then we would agree with his conclusion that divination cannot work.

It is the skeptic's premise that we need to overcome, not merely his conclusion based on that premise, which, in fact, is quite consistent. Hope this helps.

Brownbat

[Celtaur]

I was possibly considering Tarot as an art form as acting as a bridge. People are often open to artwork in general.

I was recently at a voodoo lounge bar, and on the walls there was a few paintings of tarot cards. Now if the titles were not on the artwork frame I likely wouldn't have correlated the art to the tarot as it was a unique artists interpretation, if I were not familiar with tarot symbolism. I would have likely considered it to be interesting art.

For those who are against Tarot, I wonder if it is not just the method of using the tarot as often considered "telling the future," but the symbolism itself they are also uncomfortable with.

The tarot gets us to think, to wonder, and to look into our past, the universal archetypes of the journey of life. Beautiful, what could be more interesting than learning about all facets of life's mysteries and mythologies?... However that's my perspective, but not so easily digested by those classically "against the tarot."

If the paintings I saw, were not to have had labeled borders, I wonder if the symbolism itself would cause discomfort in those in general, or if as a form of art, could be that bridge I'm wondering about. I am not confident that it could though, because I have personally found those who are closed to questioning life's mysteries, upon being presented with the ideas the tarot presents, will do nothing less than turn the other way and run screaming, usually after they have made clear their opinion of how evil it is.

[Echo]

And yet, Celtaur, the tarot symbolism represents nothing except Life itself.. the possibilities and the pain, the beauties and the pitfalls. Perhaps there are those who fear life and cannot embrace it with open arms, and it is these who are closed to mystery.

[dpa]

The position that Tarot is evil, I think, dates back to some of the more narrow minded Christian perceptions.

I remember watching a documentary on exorcism and the pastor would have the client renounce tools and any knowledge of divination before starting the exorcism. The church has always frowned on anything that had to do with divination calling it the work of the devil. I personally disagree with it because history will teach us it was the early church that killed thousands if they would not convert which seemed more like the devils work. If God was all good and loving people would not have to be killed in order to be controlled into a direction that created more mental hindrances that today's religion has caused. The narrow minded religious perceptions has put fear into the heats and minds of people, religion needs to evolve and allot of the new age teachings that are coming out are providing a better solution for spiritual counseling and self help.

Their are spiritual teachings hidden in the tarot like a secret code. To understand the teachings would be like deciphering egyptian hieroglyphs. I personally see the Tarot as a study of truth in all areas of knowledge which starts from the self. I have even considered it being the actual book of thoth that is known through Egyptian mythology created in a way where the teaching are secret and only those who are open and committed will gain from its teachings of course this could be up for debate.

Using tarot to tell the future I would be more open to using tarot to understand the past and understand past patterns in order to have the idea what the future may hold. History naturally repeats it self we do this naturally in character through our daily rituals.

Consider this.... people who go to a fortune teller to have a reading done through tarot are given insights into the future if the client believes what the fortune teller has told them to be true it most likely will be true because the client believes what the fortune teller has told them. And the faith in the reading is manifested into reality. How I figure if a fortune teller can tell you your past with accuracy they will most likely be right about your future yet the future can it be foreseen??? or what we are told and what we believe is the manifestation of the future making the prediction true. It comes to the thought is our life already predetermined through God or do we really have free will to decide what is right what is wrong, what is true what is false. Do we believe what we are told because someone tells us it is so or do we follow our own heart, our own aspirations, and ambitions to manifest what we want to be true.

[Jay]

Just more closed minds, my friend.

They disbelieve anything that isn't handed to them as brain mush from someone at a pulpit. They are just so against even TRYING to learn anything outside of Sunday service.

Thank goodness there are many out there that want to keep the knowledge and wisdom of the world alive for the next generation.

[Echo]

If God was all good and loving people would not have to be killed in order to be controlled

I think this relates more to the fanaticism of a minority of mankind, rather than to the nature of God. And not just within the Christian religion.

Christianity gets pilloried as a religion by occultists on a regular basis, but as a personal faith it, I believe, is as valid as any other. Organised religion of all kinds can be led by political agendas and the leaders of religions are just people, subject to the same ego problems as any of us.

Many of the rules and views of Christianity date back to its beginnings, and may have been dictated by the politics of the time. It is nice to see a more liberal movement creeping in that encourages people to live their faith by their own conscience rather than a slavish adherance to outdated rules.

[Jay]

I think this relates more to the fanaticism of a minority of mankind, rather than to the nature of God. And not just within the Christian religion.

Christianity gets pilloried as a religion by occultists on a regular basis, but as a personal faith it, I believe, is as valid as any other. Organised religion of all kinds can be led by political agendas and the leaders of religions are just people, subject to the same ego problems as any of us.

Many of the rules and views of Christianity date back to its beginnings, and may have been dictated by the politics of the time. It is nice to see a more liberal movement creeping in that encourages people to live their faith by their own conscience rather than a slavish adherance to outdated rules.

agreed.

Christianity, as with other religions, is that of peace and loving. The New Testament is full of love, patience, understanding, acceptance.

As is the Quran, the Teraveda, the ICHing, etc

People abuse all religions for self gratification of some form.

Christianity is just the easiest target because it is the mainstream in North America and Western Europe

[MoonDance]

Being raised Reformed Presbyterian, I can tell you that anything that is "used" or"thought to" divine the future or used in any sort of ritualistic practices is considered the devils work or evil.

When my parents found my first set of Tarot cards (The Golden Dawn) when I was 10 yrs old, they sat me down and yelled at me for working with witch craft and "how could I go along with the devils work". I was turning my back on God and all of their teachings.

I in turn choose to argue with my family and their church about the expectation of what was evil and what was not. I also quoted history of the cards found in Egypt and in a nunary in Europe. But of course the cards in the nunary were of the saints, but they were used for much the same as Tarot cards are used. Meditation and prayer..etc

People of the Christian faith in which I have come into contact with ( I am from a very small town mind you) have no want to open their mind to anything but what they have been told by a pastor, elder, deacon, or other wise. I have introduced my mother's mind to openness over the years and am happy to say we have many great conversations now. It gives me hope that one day openmindness will be expectable.



Blessings
Nyla