using the tarot for in-depth daily guidance?

I'd like there to be beginner books, training etc. that is for non-christians. does not dwell on christian themes. I am not religious. Do not resonate with any religious path. I believe everyone's path is unique. I believe in Spirit. but I do not believe anyone has ownership of it.

When you compare old testament god to the the other gods, goddesses, of other religions (which I also do not believe in). old testament god is an arrogant god that throws all other gods and goddesses out. He claims he is the only god there is. omnipresent, etc. He makes Zeus look like a peon. He is misogynous god that makes man in his image and creates woman as afterthought from the man's rib. she not good enough to be created individually. He is a domineering, harsh god that punishes severely and often geared to blame women. Garden of Eden, people thrown out for eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Now first of all why would a god forbid this? and secondly who of us would not be tempted to eat of that tree? Rather harsh punishment to cast out into cruel world, for eating the fruit. and how about Lot's wife turned into pillar of salt when she disobeyed god by turning around and looking behind her. Rather extreme reaction of a god wouldn't you say, for something that might warrant a slap on the wrist? And then there is that whole saga of how the Jewish tribe wanted this god to live in their box. and he did not want to do this, but finally they convince him to move into their box and then claim ownership of this god, that they claim is the only god, and all powerful, etc. etc. and only way you can have access to him is through them. What a twisted myth. and the conventional, most used decks use this symbology, which is affront to me. as I now see that myth as very twisted and still dominating our culture, even in Tarot.

It seems like you're resentful of Christianity more than anything else. Yes, there is Abrahamic symbolism in the Tarot, but there's also a lot of pre-Christian symbolism, and the Tarot community is very good as far as avoiding dogma goes. You are more than welcome to explore the decks and reading styles that you find beneficial, and I haven't seen anyone on here tell you otherwise, let alone try to force Christian theological principles on you. However--and I keep coming back to this--you come across as dismissive of other people's beliefs and practices (most notably as demonstrated in your latest post about your issues with Christianity), and that's off-putting. No one in this community is trying to force you to read a certain way or hold certain beliefs, so I don't know where you're getting this perception of oppression.

I just wish that christian themed decks were not pushed as the best way to learn tarot. Abrahamic is old testament christianity. part of the bible. old testament is where most of the symbology comes from that is used in tarot. and the symbology has been used in twisted ways. so I do not understand why this symbology is so revered in Tarot, is so revered. and practiced. and upheld as the ideal. to me it feels the same as the bible is held up revered as superior to all, due to it having the one god, superior to all.

Just about every book written about tarot that discusses interpretations of the cards refers to the christian themes, almost all guidance for beginners stresses the importance of staring with one of those decks. I am stressed by this awareness. Also I realize I felt pushed by some of the reactions, responses. That my practices are not respected because so different than the way most people use tarot. I feel I am being judged inferior because I find daily practice helpful. So I became more defensive, because I felt attacked. I am loyal to the friends I have that are not visible, not necessarily human and I doubt that those who discount the value of sitting at the feet of trusted inner helper, have truly experienced this. I have experienced life both ways, going on my own way, and traveling with wise guide. I much prefer the second.

With my use of I Ching, I became aware of how easy it is to "fall asleep" and how hard it is stay mindful, awake. I got used to regularly checking in with the sage. Since switching to tarot, i realized I miss this regular check in but most tarot spreads do not support this. I don't use traditional spreads very much, as early on I discovered way to make my own spreads. But as i explored more tarot decks, books, I realized most spreads are either too short or cover extended period of time. And exploring the website, it seems common tarot practice is a couple of readings a year, so I posted this to get discussion going on. I was surprised that no one else values this, so I wondered if I value it more because of my experience with the I Ching, the translation I used encouraged regular use. I no longer use I Ching much, but still value, love the sage. It has made a huge difference in my life.

closerwalking said:

Just about every book written about tarot that discusses interpretations of the cards refers to the christian themes, almost all guidance for beginners stresses the importance of staring with one of those decks. I am stressed by this awareness. Also I realize I felt pushed by some of the reactions, responses. That my practices are not respected because so different than the way most people use tarot. I feel I am being judged inferior because I find daily practice helpful. So I became more defensive, because I felt attacked. I am loyal to the friends I have that are not visible, not necessarily human and I doubt that those who discount the value of sitting at the feet of trusted inner helper, have truly experienced this. I have experienced life both ways, going on my own way, and traveling with wise guide. I much prefer the second.

Click to expand...

Although some books do stress certain decks doesn't automatically mean someone will work with a non appealing deck; people make the decision for themselves & aren't forced to buy the decks. I'm not a fan of the RWS deck, so I choose not to own it & instead work with decks I feel I relate to - my choice. You remain ambiguous in regards to the decks you are chatting about, so we really can't understand your point.

Christianity can be a hot button issue for some, & it is for me quite a hot button issue, but I refuse to allow it to have control. Yes, while there is some Abrahamic symbology, there is also tons of symbology in the cards other than christian - if you choose to see it...

In no way am I judging you, in fact, your posts appear judgemental of others who choose not to hold to what may be for them a rigid practice in one form or another; & also come across as directive & dogmatic as the religion you despise. They also appear to diminish others thoughts or beliefs if they don't respond in a manner you feel comfortable with; such as being willing to be open with you about their spiritual beliefs & practices.

Christianity is your issue, not tarot. There are many decks without that kind of symbology - if you choose to search for them...

closerwalking said:

For those of you using the more traditional decks, how do you keep from getting tangled up in all the beliefs associated with them?

Click to expand...

It's an interesting question. For me, having a clear belief system of my own helps a lot. Actually, I have some ideas about the human 'story' and 'evolution', and they really help me to be free in my Tarot practice. I don't get tangled up in the beliefs associated with decks, and I don't feel in any way 'obliged' to strictly adhere to the deck's agenda - and, like JackofWands mentioned above, there might not even be such a thing as a deck without an agenda. I Ching, by the way, also has a whole set of beliefs attached to it, and maybe you'd feel different about it if you'd been raised in an appropriate culture.

And there's another fascinating thing. Most people seek out decks that resonate with them and avoid decks that don't, the latter include decks that leave you indifferent and decks that stir up negative feelings in you. Now those negative feelings might be good pointers to shady areas in our subconscious. I believe that exploring those shady areas and bringing them to light is an indispensable part of one's spiritual path, and for that reason decks that invoke hatred and repulsion in you are as valuable as those that resonate with you. This is a really intriguing idea. I think I'm going to actually try reading with decks that do that for me and see where it takes me.

Thanks for leaving lots of food for thought!

closerwalking said:

When you compare old testament god to the the other gods, goddesses, of other religions (which I also do not believe in). old testament god is an arrogant god that throws all other gods and goddesses out. He claims he is the only god there is. omnipresent, etc. He makes Zeus look like a peon. He is misogynous god that makes man in his image and creates woman as afterthought from the man's rib. she not good enough to be created individually. He is a domineering, harsh god that punishes severely and often geared to blame women. Garden of Eden, people thrown out for eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Now first of all why would a god forbid this? and secondly who of us would not be tempted to eat of that tree? Rather harsh punishment to cast out into cruel world, for eating the fruit. and how about Lot's wife turned into pillar of salt when she disobeyed god by turning around and looking behind her. Rather extreme reaction of a god wouldn't you say, for something that might warrant a slap on the wrist? And then there is that whole saga of how the Jewish tribe wanted this god to live in their box. and he did not want to do this, but finally they convince him to move into their box and then claim ownership of this god, that they claim is the only god, and all powerful, etc. etc. and only way you can have access to him is through them. What a twisted myth. and the conventional, most used decks use this symbology, which is affront to me. as I now see that myth as very twisted and still dominating our culture, even in Tarot.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry but all that shows is religious intolerance, exactly the thing you're going against. There are people on the forum who would be insulted by your flippant attitude toward their religion. Not only that, but your remarks betray a lack of knowledge of both the religious narrative as well as its interpretation.

But even putting all that aside, even your knowledge of Tarot symbols and history is lacking, as there is a lot more to the Rider-Waite than mere religious symbolism. There are decks that although they do use biblical symbols they do so only because they are familiar to most users but actually convey messages any mainstream Western religion would consider heresy. The Thoth is one example of this. Knowledge isn't a dirty word, and I recommend you learn a little about what you're so against. You lump all Tarot decks into one group when in fact there is very little many have in common.

You do not know the Truth, you know only your truth, and it is fact opinion. You can't expect to come down from the mountain like Moses and expect people to be in awe of your insights... engage, talk, find out others' views. You may be enlightened.

As to the question dancing_moon answered about beliefs, I use a deck that I found fits in with my humanistic beliefs, and enables me to become a better version of myself. It does not force me to adhere to any of its ideas but rather to develop ideas of my own. And it really isn't Christian and neither am I. I'm a Jewish Thelemite, one of those people who put God in a box. Of course, I'm also a socialist, a Taurus, an atheist and I dislike eggplant.

All our paths may be different, but we'll all eventually get there.
Our Ego must be quieted and then we can see where we are going (and hear the guidance from Spirit). Tarot and meditation help us connect to our real Self.
I purchased I Ching Wilhelm/Baynes a few months back. I began reading it and was unable to grasp it. I put it down for a bit. Maybe now is the time to pick it back up. Maybe not.

closerwalking said:

With my use of I Ching, I became aware of how easy it is to "fall asleep" and how hard it is stay mindful, awake.

Click to expand...

It's important to note here that you became aware of how easy it was for you to fall asleep. The way you've phrased this, it sounds as if you're accusing the rest of the world of having done so, and this is part of why people in this thread are saying that you sound disrespectful of others. It may just be a matter of phrasing, and may not be at all what you intended, but this sentence sounds like proselytizing.

exploring the website, it seems common tarot practice is a couple of readings a year, so I posted this to get discussion going on. I was surprised that no one else values this, so I wondered if I value it more because of my experience with the I Ching, the translation I used encouraged regular use. I no longer use I Ching much, but still value, love the sage. It has made a huge difference in my life.

Click to expand...

But other people do use the Tarot daily, or have in the past, and have posted in this thread to that effect (myself included).