Do you keep your Tarot doing a secret?

Barleywine said:

You've obviously made your peace with it. Not something I could do, I'm too intolerant of intolerance.

Click to expand...

Not exactly. It gets under my skin. I feel we (as adults) should be free to practice our spirituality how we see fit in our own homes. Thankfully, that is the case for most, but not for some. I love my mother and don't want the fighting it would cause. But, if she were to find out, I think it would probably come down to my spiritual freedom and her moving out, sadly. Regarding my wife, I am trying to maintain a mutual level of respect in our differences. I simply don't use them openly or discuss this kind of stuff with her. I am hopeful that this won't always be the case between my wife and I. But my mother on the other hand....Nope...Not gonna happen.

Sent from my Alcatel_5056O using Tapatalk

nisaba said:

Do I hear the happy tinkle of stereotyping?

My clients have included scientists of various kinds, lawyers, architects, academics, surgeons, engineers ... The best reader I ever knew was a physicist who was also an atheist.

Click to expand...

Yes, nisaba, and it just sucks big time.

Unfortunately though, that's how office politics go. The bigger the corporation, the stiffer the competition, and the more one has to be careful in cultivating his image. Some people would be willing to use anything they can to undermine you and pull your reputation down, even a bit. It doesn't mean that one has to be as pure as Caesar's wife - unless extreme scandal is involved, one's personal life is off-limits. But the choiciest brickbats are related to your performance and perceived intellectual/mental superiority. If you always drop deadlines or move milestones or your budget/resource approximations are wildly off or you've got QA always breathing down your back, that's fair- it means you really have to hone your management skills. But one hugely competent developer I know was always joked about behind his back- all because we found out that he joined a paranormal society or something. It sounds somewhat petty, but if you're a group of people who want to go up the corporate ladder and there are very limited slots open and to an extent your skills and competencies and leadership potential are almost at par with each other - well in that case, the way you manage your personal brand might be the thing that makes or breaks you.

It's not always glum to be sure- once one reaches a certain level his reputation will certainly be intact against little potshots. If a high-level exec is found out to be casting runes at his spare time, I don't think anyone would bat an eyelash. It might still be used later against him, but I doubt it.

At this moment though, I'm young and haven't sufficiently proven myself, so I must still take all the necessary precautions. One day though.

I only have a couple of people I can talk to about it. We sometimes use each other as reading exchange practice. They're not exactly close friends though. Just people I met online that are in my area who are interested in the same thing.

Everyone else doesn't know about it. Although I do wonder if my mom knows now. I never said anything, but I sent her a picture of my scratching post (I was going to give her one similar to it) and my cards were still on the table. So she probably guessed. It isn't really that I keep it a secret from her, it's just something that has never come up. If she asked about them when I sent the picture, I would have told her. She never asked though.

Everyone else I keep it secret. Most of my friends are people who find this kind of stuff funny. I once made a joke about it being 11:11 and so everyone should make a wish. My one friend went into a long rant about why that was illogical and everything. I told her I was just making a silly joke because we'd all been quiet for so long, but she didn't care. She is one of those people who like to go on about how smart she is and everything. If she comes over, I hide my tarot cards, crystals and some other stuff I have that would be silly. I don't feel like sitting through a lecture about why I am an idiot for believing in this stuff.

The only other people I am close with are my co-workers but I don't feel right telling them. If I ever get in a relationship, I guess it would depend on the guy and what he believes in.

EmpyreanKnight said:

Yes, nisaba, and it just sucks big time.

Unfortunately though, that's how office politics go. The bigger the corporation, the stiffer the competition, and the more one has to be careful in cultivating his image.
...At this moment though, I'm young and haven't sufficiently proven myself, so I must still take all the necessary precautions. One day though.

Click to expand...

I have many Pagan friends exactly in your position. Though in London there is a lot of flexibility in views about what beliefs one follows - it really depends what social circles you are in - or find yourself in because of the job you do.
I luckily - am free to talk about being Pagan and practicing Tarot.
But I often meet clients who are amazed to discover for instance, that a Pagan could be anyone - including your Banker, Financial advisor or Radiologist who has just given you your Cancer treatment (to put it in the exact words one of my clients once said to me - with a very surprised and thoughtful expression: "I've never in my life met anyone who's said they are Pagan and practice Wicca...").
Ignorance and prejudice are still alive. In these cultures being ostracised or even sacked (in a roundabout way which is truthfully due to the establishments disapproval) is a very real threat.

sleepnheat said:

Not exactly. It gets under my skin. I feel we (as adults) should be free to practice our spirituality how we see fit in our own homes. Thankfully, that is the case for most, but not for some. I love my mother and don't want the fighting it would cause. But, if she were to find out, I think it would probably come down to my spiritual freedom and her moving out, sadly. Regarding my wife, I am trying to maintain a mutual level of respect in our differences. I simply don't use them openly or discuss this kind of stuff with her. I am hopeful that this won't always be the case between my wife and I. But my mother on the other hand....Nope...Not gonna happen.

Sent from my Alcatel_5056O using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Ahh. I'm sorry.
Perhaps - as some point, your wife may mellow and grow into a better understanding - as my husband has.

Hopefuldreamer said:

...If I ever get in a relationship, I guess it would depend on the guy and what he believes in.

Click to expand...

Choose the guy who's OK with it - before you get too embroiled in the relationship.
Easier said than done - I KNOW. But presently you have the freedom to find that out - before you have for example; 5 kids and your mother-in-law living with you - and you knowing, that you possibly have to live the rest of your partnered time hiding that part of yourself.

In my case, when I married my partner - I was still exploring and had not yet grown fully into my belief system. And it never occurred to me that it might be a problem for him, so I never even discussed it - until the day he saw that oracle card and got so upset (see my post #40). Sometimes what's really under the surface for each person doesn't become clear until much later - and that's because individuals themselves often don't know that they carry unconscious belief patterns. (and the comment "just stand up and be yourself and the whole world will be cured" - I see the sentiment. But - it's not always as simple as that).
The aftermath and hindsight - are so much more challenging.

Beancrew49 said:

Sometimes when you're in the midst of parenthood you are struggling so hard just to stay above water that you will do whatever it takes to get things done, which oftentimes results in stifling who the child needs to be. In many cases, it's something you almost have to do. But you can't see that unless you take a step back, which I would say is impossible when you have such a strong bond with your children, and such strong programming passed down by your own parents.

Click to expand...

"Almost have to." Hm.

What would you say to allowing your child to be placed, unwillingly, in a secure psychiatric ward, when there were being repeated suicide attempts ? Let the child succeed, because that is what the child wants ? And we weren't struggling at all at the time - there were no bones of contention of any kind - and she wasn't at all like me, incidentally. She was struggling.

I hated that decision so much I got the first traffic ticket of my LIFE for speeding, after I took her there.

I'm sorry - but you do not, cannot know. Whatever your higher self says. No-one outside any situation knows what it is like inside. If I restricted my children, it is rather remarkable that they have both turned out - all their lives - VERY different from me and from their father, and from each other. People always said you'd never know they were sisters. And today - they are so different that they find each other boring.

By the way - EVERY SINGLE PERSON HERE has been a child in the parent/child dynamic. That doesn't give any one of us "unique outside perspective" that rates above anyone else's.

By the way, too, there is at least one member here (not me) who has to keep it all secret from her spouse - but she is still very much herself. It can be done without compromising oneself, it really can. And as to the workplace, nisaba - while I agree that suggesting hi-tech workers are less woowoo than flower sellers is very wrong and stereotyping at it's - well, not worst, but - one person who used to come here found their presence here had been noted at work by someone googling their real name, and it got them into no end of trouble there.

EmpyreanKnight said:

At this moment though, I'm young and haven't sufficiently proven myself, so I must still take all the necessary precautions. One day though.

Click to expand...

I thought like that when I was younger, too, but I just reached a stage where I simply didn't care what anyone thought any more. And you know, if you're a bit apprehensive or defensive about it people *will* have a go, but if you genuinely don't give a flying pink carnation, then most people really won't bother. They'll simply go on automatic pilot and think "each to his own".

Like someone who fervently believes they can only drive red cars because no other colour is good enough, won't penalise their colleagues for having other coloured cars or even coming to work by public transport no matter how strong their views are on red cars.

nisaba said:

... but if you genuinely don't give a flying pink carnation, then most people really won't bother. They'll simply go on automatic pilot and think "each to his own"...

Click to expand...

Possibly - but not always. Sometimes - they might decide that you are misguided and
will not give up badgering you to "change your ways" to the point where your only recourse
might be to completely sever relations.
Then you have to make the decision - can you afford that? (in every sense of the word).

And if you share a house, nissy - bad things CAN happen at the hands of those who disapprove - as you know.

nisaba said:

I thought like that when I was younger, too, but I just reached a stage where I simply didn't care what anyone thought any more. And you know, if you're a bit apprehensive or defensive about it people *will* have a go, but if you genuinely don't give a flying pink carnation, then most people really won't bother. They'll simply go on automatic pilot and think "each to his own".

Click to expand...

There are many petty and vicious people in the business world who would like nothing better than to have "something on you" so they can drag you down and climb over you. If it means the difference between getting a promotion or being held back, I always preferred not to give them any ammunition. Some industries are so conformist that doing anything else is career suicide. I worked in an industry that initially drew much of its workforce from the military, so "buttoned-down" was the order of the day. Like Henry Kissinger said to Richard Nixon during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, it might be best to "keep any Walter Mitty tendencies under control."

Also, actually - I used to have a secretary who very VERY much disapproved. (She used to pray for me.) I have to say that while that rather annoyed me, I was sorry that although we liked each other, and had other interests in common, working with me did actually make her uncomfortable. I did rather wish she had never found out about it - she was perfectly nice about it all and never went for me or anything - but it did make me feel bad for her. Something simply about me made her working environment harder than it should have been - as it had NOTHING to do with work.