How to handle people who have ignorant views on Tarot

RiverRunsDeep said:

It's that the thought of dealing with dumb stereotypes is simply too exhausting. Why bother explaining to someone who is determined not to "get it" anyway??

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I once tried to explain to my husband what got me interested in Tarot and halfway through I just thought, "Eh f*ck it his eyes just glazed over." He has no interest in sharing my excitement for it, and my sister just rolled her eyes at me when I told her so I didn't bring it up again after that. The two of them are the only people I ever considered opening up to. My family would consider it the work of the devil, and my husband's family would see it as superstitious nonsense. It doesn't bother me that I don't have anyone I can openly talk with, but what I'd really like to do is to be able to lay my decks out and enjoy the art, or even just play some solitaire on the kitchen table.

I think its quite comical that we have to hide this but sadly many of us do.

I am very selective and very very careful about who knows about my interest in tarot.

I don't share it with work colleagues, only very long term colleagues that became friends and only because they shared their own interest in tarot with me first.

I find I just judge to see who would be open to it and who wouldn't, but yes generally I do hide the fact.

I don't share my interest in tarot with many people. My husband finds it interesting and read some books about it himself, my mother thinks I'm crazy anyway (true) and I always have the art/Renaissance angle if I wish to explain what fascinates me (I'm an art historian, specialized on Renaissance art). But I don't try to explain myself. Only if someone asks.

If others have prejudices, that's their problem. I try not to be judgmental about the beliefs of others, but I can't expect others to return the favor. I also try not to gossip but I know that doesn't make others stop gossiping about me.

My tarot decks, books and all the rest are kept in our bedroom. Tarot is a quiet, private, introspective or interpersonal matter anyway and not something to discuss freely. Actually, there's not much about me that I discuss freely ;-) I'm quite a private person.

Some of my good friends know and ask for readings. But nobody in my world really shares my interest. I don't mind, that's what the Internet is for

I share my reading of the tarot with my immediate family. But not my christian aunts and cousins. I do not feel the need to share my tarot interests with anybody at all, due to me being a private kind of person.

When serious, I explain it as a psychological tool, to help me get the answers that are probably already within my psyche but are having trouble coming to my surface consciousness. The idea being that often the answers are already there, we just don't see them. That or I use the cards as inspirational guides.

I don't mind if people think the tarot is mumbo jumbo. I don't mind giving them the impression that it's light-hearted curious fun I engage in for myself. I won't be giving them readings anyway; if they ask, I will refuse. Even if I surprise myself on here by being pulled to interpret others' cards in the 'Your Readings' section!

Freyja of V said:

How have any you handled this if it came up?

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I don't hide that I read Tarot, but I don't shove it in the faces of people who are hostile, either. My mother already thinks I'm the Devil Incarnate: I don't see why I should share anything of my life at all with her. Why waste your breath mentioning it to such people? There are more alternatives than just the two extremes of mentioning it to everyone and actively hiding it.

Do any of you hide the fact that you read Tarot cards?

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Nope. The fundamentalist crazies around here have had upwards of thirty-five years to bar me inside my house and burn it to the ground, and they haven't done it yet. They haven't even smashed any windows, rather to my surprise. So why worry? Anything less than being burnt at the stake really doesn't matter in the larger scheme of things, and realistically how likely is it that they'll do that to you?

Has your reading Tarot caused any problems with friends/family members?

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No. Nor has the way I brush my teeth or the fact that I flake my fingernails, or the fact that I might just like rock'n'roll. What you do in your life is your own business. You don't have to advertise it, and you don't have to hide it. Just live your life without reference to them at all.

And if it does cause a problem, it's THEIR problem, not mine, so I really couldn't be bothered noticing it. I'm certainly not interested enough in other people's opinions to allow them to change me.

I don't share it unless I know the other person is into similar things. I see no reason to; I have no interest in reading for anyone I know save for two people (and I told those two) and I know at least one person who would at the very least make fun of me for it, so why bother going through that? It's easier not to say anything.

That said, if it ever comes up I can always say I use it as a writing aid. It's true, it's just not the only thing I do with it...

nisaba said:

No. Nor has the way I brush my teeth or the fact that I flake my fingernails, or the fact that I might just like rock'n'roll. What you do in your life is your own business. You don't have to advertise it, and you don't have to hide it. Just live your life without reference to them at all.

And if it does cause a problem, it's THEIR problem, not mine, so I really couldn't be bothered noticing it. I'm certainly not interested enough in other people's opinions to allow them to change me.

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Yes, this...

nisaba said:

I don't hide that I read Tarot, but I don't shove it in the faces of people who are hostile, either. My mother already thinks I'm the Devil Incarnate: I don't see why I should share anything of my life at all with her. Why waste your breath mentioning it to such people? There are more alternatives than just the two extremes of mentioning it to everyone and actively hiding it.

And if it does cause a problem, it's THEIR problem, not mine, so I really couldn't be bothered noticing it. I'm certainly not interested enough in other people's opinions to allow them to change me.

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Nisaba,
First, I am so sorry to hear about your mother. I am sooooo close to mine and I can't imagine it any other way. Now...my father...that's a different story.

I completely agree with you about, if they don't like it, it's their problem. I am like that with everything else in my life. And with my in-laws I do and say pretty much what I want. However, I know that this would not go over well with them and I don't feel it's worth it, to cause a situation or problem over it. They are my husband's family and respect HIM enough not to bring it up.

I don't feel the need to tell anyone in the family except my/his nieces. I am really close to them and I know they would think it's cool and would want me to read for them (they're in their 20s and older teens). That is what bothers me so much. I could care less about the rest of them. They don't care what I am interested in anyway.

Like I said in the first post, they are both religious and can be very judgemental. When my M-i-L and I once talked about my beliefs in God, because I don't believe (I am more agnostic than an athiest) she told me that she didn't think people who didnt believe in God have the compacity to love!! I couldn't believe my ears....so....I can't and don't love your son?? I will NEVER forget that.
And...that was when we were engaged.

That might give some clarity with who I am dealing with.
Thanks

a little surprised

I have been reading Tarot for a couple of years and in that time I frequented the hundreds, if not thousands of sites/blogs out there (including this one) and I have lots of books.

This lead me to believe that most Tarotist are not just reading for themselves. Not that they have a business per se, but that their friends and family know and they read for them and so on. I really thought people were more open about it.

What I am NOT surprised about is the religious factor, that I expected. Which is sad.

Many of you said "you don't advertise it" and I can definitely see that. But some of you said that if it came up, you wouldn't deny it. No offense, but in my 46 years, no one has ever brought up the subject of Tarot to me (with the exception of my mother and her friends who used to hire psychics for parties). So I don't think, personally, that I have to worry about that.

Thank you for your stories.
Fondly, Freyja