What’s the deal with Tarot cards?

Question

Mainstream Christianity seems to have these bad vibes against tarot card readings. From what I’ve gathered, it’s no more satanic than palm reading or any other silly little fortune-telling game (M.A.S.H, anyone?). I could see someone going off the deep-end with it; basing major life decisions on a random card drawing (That reminds me of those “cootie-catchers” that elementary school kids make). I think it would be a fun, albeit useless, hobby. What do you think? Should I give it a try? It’s little more than con artist game from what I know about it.

Answer 1

Tarot cards actually started in the 14th century in Europe as a card game called Toracchi ( spelling?). That is all it was! All playing cards were originally thought of as some sort of divination cards, but since the tarot cards are usually used for artistic expression.. they really look the part. So all in all you are correct, but as always if someone has strong faith in something you never know what can happen.

Answer 2

They think anything that is not straight from the Bible is of the Devil. So you have a few options here. First, you can just ignore them because they really don't know what they're talking about any way. Second, you might construct your own Urim and Thummim. They can't really complain about that since it's Biblical and serves the same purpose as Tarot cards. If you're like me, though, you like the really cool pictures on the cards, so option 2 really isn't that gratifying. Educating the people who gripe won't help because they aren't interested in learning anyway. Your best bet is just to ignore them and go on merrily with your life. Enjoy your Tarot Cards. They are no more malicious than playing cards. EDIT--I wouldn't use them to fortell the future anyway. The future is uncertain, and a deck of 52 cards, all of whose spreads can be mathematically predicted, will not make it uncertain. What the Tarot is good for (IMO) is a self-administered Thematic Aperception Test. We all go through periods where our own thoughts and emotions are unabashedly chaotic. We can't sort through them, and we're carried along by them without understanding that sort of inner maelstrom. Introspection sometimes can stand for some scaffolding, and the Tarot is a reasonably decent tool for that purpose. It's no more or less valid than the TAT, as far as I'm aware.

Answer 3

If you want to try it out as a hobby, I don't see why not, but do check up on your results every now and then. A really good way to test your skill at Tarot cards is to ask the person you're reading for NOT to tell you the question they have in mind, and then try to determine it from your cards. You may be surprised by the results - sometimes the cards will point out that the question they have in the forefront of their minds is NOT the question that's really bothering them. Of course, try this only when you've gained some mastery over the cards, and have started relying more on your intuition to interpret them than on the interpretation book/let that came with the deck.

As for basing major life decisions on a Tarot reading, even I will say that that is dangerous. Tarot cards, in my opinion, do not accurately predict the future; they merely give a glimpse at possible future events given the current options at hand and the state of the questioner's mind. The future is never set in stone, and people can change it at any time they want to. Tarot cards merely show the questioner what the problem is, and what could possibly happen given their current ideas on the problem. That could easily change for better or for worse if they work - or don't work - on changing it.

Answer 4

You have asked a question that has a very complex answer. Books have been written concerning both the Tarot and the Bible. When the new christians some 30 to 300 years after the death of Jesus wrote the books that are a part of the Bible and books that are not, as well as writers of the books that make up the Jewish Bible wrote these books, they were trying to persuade the reader to avoid any other belief or to follow any other religion. There have been and still are many God's and beliefs and systems, most of which try to keep you from following any of the others. Christians use the devel and hell as the motivator to keep you from the Tarot.
The Tarot on the other hand is just a tool. If used properly it can provide you with choices in the direction you wish to go in your life by giving you a glimps to where you will be if you remail on your current path.
The Bible give you instructions on how to stay on a path provided by the writers so that you may reach a goal that is provided by the writers as well.
Because the Tarot gives you choices and the Bible does not, they are, or can be considered at odds with each other.

Answer 5

hi there im brian i am seriously into tarot, have been for about 15 years. first off try to seperate tarot from fortune telling. no future is so set in stone that no matter how good you are at reading it that it wont change and not come true. change the present pattern and you change the future. i have developed a very intense 12 card personality reading that impresses everyone i read for. it took quite a few years to get to the level it is at now. but it was worth it to me and those i read for. and if you know youtube go there and look up a video called "why is sex a sin?" and you will get a classical understanding of why tarot, magick, witchcraft and any other religion is ulitimatly considered satanic.
any way for any other questions there are several places you can go for tarot info. im a member of canadian tarot network. this is a link to them
hope it helps
mournyngwolf
brian

Answer 6

Well I can tell you what I did with tarot cards. Rather than rely on a a reader, I did them myself using one method called the Celtic spread. I asked a question about something I was planning on doing (I'd be too embarrassed to actually tell anybody what that was) and the answer I got from the cards was that I was a stupid, crazy idiot for thinking of doing that. That upset me. I think tarot cards work because you tune in to your Higher self (Soul self) and they give you the answers to the questions you ask. I don't see any harm in your experimenting and seeing what you find out. I'm leary of going to someone else, tho, cuz your message must come thru them then, and they may be biased in some way and not be a clear channel. I prefer to do it myself.

Answer 7

Tarot cards are symbolic picture dards used in divination that ahvea hsitory dating back to the middle ages. The cards themselves are little more than a measn for the reader to focus their own abilities through, like a crystal ball, or a pendulum.

As for why christians react to them the way they do, is it simply a matter of thier association of the cards with witchcraft and the occult and most christians consider tose things to be evil, and satanic...there aresome frauds out there, but there are some that are for real...the trick is finding them...

Answer 8

The relationship to qabala and tarot is using the map or tree diagram of qabala to help you master the cards. It is the best form of discipline and study and is no more magical than reading the stars and planets in astrology.
In a qabala tree, there are 10 spheres (sefira), connected by 22 paths.
The spheres number 1-10.
In tarot cards, there are 22 Major arcana cards i.e. Justice, Wheel of Fortune, The Lovers.
Each one of these cards is assigned a path between two spheres.
The sefira (1-10) each connect too, and have a corresponding function. And there are 4 levels in a tree, and four levels of qabalah.
The 40 numbered cards of tarot are 1-10 in 4 suits.
There are four court cards: KING< QUEEN

Answer 9

con artist? *gasp and lasigh*

tarot is merely a focusing tool for people to answer anothers question. To be honest the teller should never know the secret question and let the answer flow from ideas flowing from the cards. If you want to "play the game" of tarot, go for it, have fun, impress your friends. If you want to earn a living reading cards....why not tell people what they want to hear in a semi vague manner so they have the ability to answer their own questions. If you want to read them fairly seriously, I don't see any problem with that either....it takes a bold person to recognize themselves.

You might find it interesting somethng novel that actually helps you understand yourself and your target better.

Answer 10

Yes people can get hooked on any form of divination. Just like gambling or alcohol.
just remember that it mostly is a possibility depending on what you are thinking at the time.
and yes there are hucksters out there so be careful.
Its no more Satanic than praying .
its more than a hobby to those that use them and believe in them.
I might suggest that you put out a little more money and get a PC version that does everything for you but shuffle the cards .