Tarot prejudice.

I remember IndigoRose. We butted heads a few times, but it was always in good spirit. But I digress. In any case, I don't see why religion and Tarot can't mix; I have a few gay friends who are also devout Orthodox Jews, and they make it work. It's all a question of how you look in the mirror.

However, I have found Atheists give me just as much flack, if not more, for my fields of interest. People are sometimes amused at my "childish" fascination with perceived fortune-telling; I have been accused of basing my entire life on what the cards say and of simply being gullible.

closrapexa said:

I remember IndigoRose. We butted heads a few times, but it was always in good spirit. But I digress. In any case, I don't see why religion and Tarot can't mix; I have a few gay friends who are also devout Orthodox Jews, and they make it work. It's all a question of how you look in the mirror.

However, I have found Atheists give me just as much flack, if not more, for my fields of interest. People are sometimes amused at my "childish" fascination with perceived fortune-telling; I have been accused of basing my entire life on what the cards say and of simply being gullible.

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You know - that's true. A lot of non-religious people ask me how I can believe in cards when I don't believe in other airy fairy things like god (their words, not mine !) And my own MOTHER (rot her) can't see why I don't believe in god when I do believe in cards...

I dunno--I guess this whole thing, at least to me anyway, could be summed up by a phrase from the old TV show Touched By An Angel. 'You're getting God confused with religion!'

My best friend is a devout Catholic. He knows I read cards--hell, he bought me a few decks as well as many of the occult books on my shelves. Perhaps it's because the Church actually has quite a magical tradition, though it falls under rumour more than anything. I just won't read for him because I see him every day and I can't be objective. This has nothing to do with prejudice. *shrug*

I've had sitters who scoffed and then I gave them an accurate reading. They either became converts or I scared the hell out of them and they never came back. *sigh* The ones that became converts I warned that everything here needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

I haven't really run into the Bible-thumpers, thank God. Then again, they usually don't tend to run in my social circles anyway.

Maybe I've just been lucky, I don't know. It probably helps I got my first deck from my mother. She bought it and never used it, then gave it to me when I showed an interest in it. I grew up in a fairly open-minded family that way.

Considering the TdM and the Waite decks are CRAWLING with Christian symbolism, it is all a bit odd anyway.

But yes, Mags. Tarot has a bad reputation in some circles. So does religion. So does gambling. So does practically everything.

And ?

Just be secure in your own beliefs and practices. They are yours, and no-one else's.

Moderator note:

One post and a few replies to it were removed, as that post clearly went over the line.

I have left the other comments and opinions, but just wish to remind all that members come from many parts of the belief spectrum. I acknowledge the reality of what MagsStardustBlack encountered, but ask members to not use that reality as a weapon to turn against others. Tarot is not, as has been mentioned, a belief system in itself. Call it what you will, a practice, a tool, a doorway, but it isn't a religion.

Regards,
Alta
Moderator

closrapexa said:

In any case, I don't see why religion and Tarot can't mix; I have a few gay friends who are also devout Orthodox Jews, and they make it work. It's all a question of how you look in the mirror.

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I realize that's a rhetorical statement but I do think there's an element of control involved in some belief systems and a self-created hierarchy in order to maintain that control.

closrapexa said:

However, I have found Atheists give me just as much flack, if not more, for my fields of interest. People are sometimes amused at my "childish" fascination with perceived fortune-telling; I have been accused of basing my entire life on what the cards say and of simply being gullible.

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I've had much the same experience with atheists. However, they do have their weak spots.

I'm not advocating a believe in anything in particular. I have my belief system (*chag sameach pesach btw) and I'm comfortable there. Tarot gives me an outlet that's both creative and social, both of which I need and find useful.

I have had people reel back in horror on learning that I used tarot, and the one that surprised me most was a Reiki practitioner. You would have sworn she was staring into the fires of Hell, looking at me. Mostly though I get amusement or mild contempt. I don't think I have ever met anyone who was strongly religious, of any persuasion so haven't run into a really strong reaction. Sounds as if your friend, Mags, was actually fairly polite about it.

RunningWild said:

I realize that's a rhetorical statement but I do think there's an element of control involved in some belief systems and a self-created hierarchy in order to maintain that control.

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Yes, because by definition religion is a political and social initiatory structure revolving around faith. The element of control is gained when the logos is kept to a very small number of people. But it doesn't have to be this way. It should be remembered that in our times, the great religions of the world are in a sorry state of standstill and although popular perception is that it was always like this, it is far from the case. Islam was once the light of the world, the most enlightened, scientific and forward thinking society. Christianity had its Renaissance during which some of the most important societal changes in human history were made, examined and then reexamined. Judaism, too, had its Golden Age during which the Law was analyzed and modernized, philosophical treatises were written and Kabbaliatic mysticism reached its apex. And those are just three of many.

Since those times, however, as changes in society began to accelerate, the religious institutions began to wall themselves into fortresses of never-changing dogma and a perceived sense of tradition, that didn't actually exist. The faster society changes and the religious institutions are needed less and less as people find their own conduits to the divine, like Tarot; the stiffer the opposition of the power structure. That, I guess, is the real source of opposition to Tarot and other forms of divination.

Of course, by conduit to the divine I don't mean I talk to God in every reading. I divine with Tarot, I don't tell my fortune, and where it all comes from is beyond the scope of a shaved monkey like myself.

RunningWild said:

I'm not advocating a believe in anything in particular. I have my belief system (sameach pesach btw) and I'm comfortable there. Tarot gives me an outlet that's both creative and social, both of which I need and find useful.

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It is actually pesach sameach, but the sentiment is appreciated. Happy Passover.

closrapexa said:

It is actually pesach sameach, but the sentiment is appreciated. Happy Passover.

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...and I knew that already too I'm such the American that my adjectives just have to come before my nouns.

I grew up in a family that you might call a christian totalitarianism. That is, my parents defined what we should believe, period. The idea of tarot always intrigued me, so during college I guiltily bought my first deck. I once offhandedly brought the subject of tarot up with my younger brother, to get a feel for what his reaction might be, and he muttered something about maybe being able to summon demons with them (how ridiculous - way higher on the superstition scale than the cards themselves, IMHO). I politely changed the subject.

It seems to me that tarot cards do have an "image," and most people who don't know anything about them have this vague association with the occult, which scares some people.