In the closet?

[canid]

I have to hide it from my mom because she's paranoid schizophrenic. I don't want her coming after me with a hatchet. The pyre she had going in the back yard when I was 17 didn't work (I refused to walk into it) & that episode was over tarot. I'm a quick learner.

The only other people I hide it from are a couple of friends who are very fundamentalist Christians & I know it would jeopardize our friendship.

 

[Lain_82]

mmm.... my parents know, as make no effort to hide my cards or my tarot journal. My dad laughs when he sees them and gives me an "are you serious?" look, but that's about as far as he goes.
My boyfriend does not believe in any of this, but he knows about me reading Tarot and he's very understanding. (I don't think I could be with him if he wasn't)

And my friends (at leat the closer ones) know too, and they get ocasional readings once in a while, except one I have to hide from because she gets obssessed and wants me to read for her every day.

As for the rest of my family... most of them are becoming Christians, I can think of a couple of ants who will burn me at the stake if they knew. And my grandma, being a fanatic, has burned all of my grandpa's books on hinduism and meditation, and sees me like a spawn of the devil at times because I made the HUUUUUUGE mistake of bringing my cards over to her house one day. It wasn't pretty.

So, in conclusion: the people I care about know about me being interested in Tarot. The others, I couldn't care one way or the other, if they think I need to get an exorcism then... well... I don't, so bear with it.

 

[Onyx]

This is a very inyeresting topic for me. I know that my family knew I was interested in Tarot in college (15 years ago). I now I don't know they all have any idea that I am into tarot now.

I know what they think about all thing "occult" and I just haven't bothered to bring it up again.

A funny thing happened not to long ago though that makes me think that they know. I was house sitting for my parents on their vacation. I took a deck with me over to study. Well I didn't notice that I had left the LWB. My dad had no trouble knowing whose it was but never said anything about it when he returned it.

In the end some know, some don't. I am quiet about it but I don't hie it either.

Onyx.

 

[jaled]

I'm mostly in the closet about my love for tarot. Only a few people know I read (my family and one or two friends)--or those who happen to actually read the interests section on Facebook.

I don't even know why I don't tell people, fear possibly? I have been interested in the cards since I was 12 or 13 when my mom gave me my first deck but I have never actually "come out" except to a few people in my life (same with my Pagan-ness. I just let Facebook do the talking ).

Does everyone in your life know about your interest in the tarot? If you have told people, what kinds of reactions have you gotten? If you haven't told people, why?

I'm interested in Tarot since January 2009 because I had some astonising experiences related to it.

The reactions have been from amazement to laughs because I was skeptcal about religion and occultism. I keep studying Tarot because it seems I will need years to polish its fine arts.

Kind regards!

 

[214red]

In the same way ... do we need to make sure everyone around us knows we read Tarot?

the answer was yes for me as tarot started a ball rolling and now i am doing trance mediumship, this means spirituality is very obviously in my life, and i got tired about lying about the courses i was doing so that people wouldnt know.

i am not ashamed of what i do, why hide it. I am open about most things to my friends, its not a dark dirty secret i have to hide. If i was in the closet i would have to seperate my friends at gatherings etc

Why would i do that?

 

[Calliope]

This begs the question ... what's the difference between "being in the closet" and "not making a point of shouting from the rooftops"?

Heterosexual people assume that homosexual people should really tell them.

I was reading in a cafe called Pentacles Cafe for a couple of years earlier this decade, run by a middle-aged woman. One day it came up that I was gay, and she looked disappointed and said "You should have told me."

Hmm. Well, I never really thought about it like that. I never really have had to ask anyone or "chastise" anyone for not telling me. I figure it is their business, not mine, just like it is my business whom I am attracted to or whatnot.

In the same way ... do we need to make sure everyone around us knows we read Tarot?

Do you know who amongst your friends may have a stamp collection, or might do a bit of secretive birdwatching? You'll know stuff like that about some people, but won't feel betrayed by people who haven't thought to tell you.

When you put it like that, no. However, stamp collecting doesn't have a stigma of occultism or devil worship attached to it. No matter how silly the accusation, it's still a common misconception.

A few people who I have spoken to about it weren't all that shocked because, as one person described it when he asked me about astrology, "You're into all that witchy stuff, you should know." I don't broadcast my interests, but at the same time the things I wear and the way I view things puts me out there, I suppose, and until that comment I thought was "in the closet" so to speak.

I am not in the closet as a Tarotista. There are, however, heaps of people I haven't bothered to tell. It's not hidden from them, I just haven't bothered to tell them. And many of them are in my own family, most members of which live in different regions to me. It doesn't mean I'm hiding it, I just haven't got all agonised about "breaking it to them" or "finding the right time" and doing the full confession. After all, if my brother told me he actually liked swimming (I have no idea whether he does or not), would I be shocked? I know he cycles, I have no idea whether he thinks immersion in water is fun or horrible or somewhere in between. So what? And in the same vein, why does *everyone* need to be told about my involvement with Tarot? I share it with people who may be interested. <shrug>

nisaba, you have given me a lot to think about, thank you. I can see now that I am not "in the closet" per se, but maybe just "this is me and you don't really need to know about it because well, it's MINE." Thank you!

I have to hide it from my mom because she's paranoid schizophrenic. I don't want her coming after me with a hatchet. The pyre she had going in the back yard when I was 17 didn't work (I refused to walk into it) & that episode was over tarot. I'm a quick learner.

The only other people I hide it from are a couple of friends who are very fundamentalist Christians & I know it would jeopardize our friendship.

Whoa. That's...sheesh. But I have to admit, I did LOL at the "I refused to walk into it" part. Did she actually ask you to walk into it, if you don't mind my asking?

 

[Lilija]

In Nisaba's terms, I think of being "in the closet" as someone's covering it up, whether by omission or downright dishonesty about what they're doing. If you have to keep your tarot reading, homosexuality, stamp collecting, or whatever under wraps, due to your peers, your living situation, or personal reasons, then you are, the way I see it, officially "in the closet". And, there's nothing wrong with that, for the record.

If the subject is breached, and you are able to answer with confidence and honesty, then you're out. No matter if every single person you come in contact with knows about it, or just a few people, if you're honest with folks that care to dig deeper, then you're out. Not all of us need to throw a party, and announce that we're tarot readers, or wear our spiritual or sexual alignments on our sleeve.

In my case, happened over a long span of years, very slowly and organically. Tarot is as naturally part of me as my green eyes, there for everyone to see, but still not everyone does. I could no more lie about my eye color, than my spirituality, and Tarot is a big part of that.. Many people in my life still do not know, or bother to dig deeper, and find out.

 

[Briar Rose]

I've always been nonchalant about it. I haven't gotten too many bad reactions about it. A JW and a Chrsitian freaked, but I was more freaked out by their beliefs. As long as I don't force it on people, I don't see them making a big deal about it.

Right now the choices I am making are having people in my life that have the same or similiar interests as me. Less problems, less drama.

 

[canid]

Did she ever make a point of sitting me down and divulging the shocking information that she actually preferred to sleep with men? No. She took it for granted. And likewise, I take it for granted that people kn owe I'm a lesbian and most if not all the people around me are, too (I'm deeply shocked every time someone tells me they're straight - half the time you can't even tell from their appearance - you'd think they'd have the decency to tell you. If they haven't told me something like that, what else haven't they told me?)<shrug>

And I thought you knew. You're SUPPOSED to have a big red 'L' tatooed on your forehead.

What about people who are neither? Not bi, but, neither. What should they have tatooed on their foreheads?

 

[Lilija]

And I thought you knew. You're SUPPOSED to have a big red 'L' tatooed on your forehead.

What about people who are neither? Not bi, but, neither. What should they have tatooed on their foreheads?

Yet another reason why I despise labels. People expect you to use them. Ugh.