Thread: Tarot is real

First let me say tarot is no better than common sense at predicting the future.

But true students of the tarot are aware of this. What it *does* is put you in touch with your subconscious and let you explore facets of your past and present that maybe you haven't seen.

Nor is it "spirit summoning" or any other kind of deviltry. I suppose one who believed in summoning spirits could use tarot (or a mirror or a candle or what-have-you) as a tool, but that doesn't mean the tool is evil any more than an ice-pick used in a murder becomes evil.

I once enrolled in a tarot class. To my delight, of the 20 students, I was the only male. I still have the deck I purchased from the teacher, and this morning as I was reaching for it to do a quick reading, I noticed your post. This is another "beauty in the eyes of the beholder" story. To conclude one way or the other will probably ignite a war of words. Let the believers keep believing, and the non-believers keep dismissing. That way, things will remain peaceful. If there is a thing everyone can agree upon (especially those past 50), it is tranquility.

Are you interested in a reading? Two bits.

Tarot is misleading rubbish of the worse kind, misleading the gullible, destroying the lives of believers who make bad decisions based on idiocies, it is no more accurate a method of predicting the future than reading the labels on cans of blue-fin tuna. It does not put you in contact with anything other than the silver with which you cross the cartomancer's palm.

Originally Posted by Bloggsworth

It does not put you in contact with anything other than the silver with which you cross the cartomancer's palm.

It put me in contact with about a dozen nice-looking gals.

Originally Posted by Bloggsworth

Tarot is misleading rubbish of the worse kind, misleading the gullible, destroying the lives of believers who make bad decisions based on idiocies, it is no more accurate a method of predicting the future than reading the labels on cans of blue-fin tuna. It does not put you in contact with anything other than the silver with which you cross the cartomancer's palm.

Speaking as a cartomancer who doesn't accept payment, I consider your comments to be made out of ignorance and bias, rather than as informed opinion.

Any tool can be abused--that is no reflection on the tool, but on the one wielding it.

Tarot is not a tool it is a weapon of superstition and has no merit at all, any more than casting runes, dangling crystals or reading the entrails of chickens - You may do it for your amusement, unfortunately the gullible take it seriously.

This gave me a chuckle: astroannie and astral travel (one of the meanings of the moon). Hmmm. sumthin' there?

Oh that's all right then, I'm converted....

The OP is no more than attempt to apply a pseudo-scientific spin on the superstitious.

Those who do the readings are generally as deceived as their victims clients.

But if you believe the cards that you randomly turn over are completely random - the likelyhood of turning over any one card is the same as any other - then what is the point? Why not just look at the cards face up and choose which one you like? Rather than having a random card come up and try and make the best of it?

And if you don't believe the cards are random - if you believe it depends on your question as to what cards you turn over - then you do believe in... magic.

As you say you don't charge for you readings it means you probably do believe it's real - but... why?

Originally Posted by Robinjazz

If everyone thought the same, this place would be one boring hell hole.

If everyone thought the same, I think the world would be a much more peaceful place.

Thank you for the reading but the card I'm pondering today is the Two of Bases, "Pickoff" (my deck is baseball-themed and bases are earth/pentacles). It's about balance; as the runner, to keep from being picked off yet have your lead means you have to know exactly how far from the base you can stray--go farther and you can't get back in time to avoid the pickoff but not far enough and you're giving up any hope of stealing the next base.

Now everyone is juggling/balancing something so the application is universal. For me it's work-that's-more-like-play with work-that's-really-work. My daily card is like a thousand-word affirmation--it gives me some facet of my life to focus on with the idea of improving myself and my life.

Actually, the "astro" in my name comes from the Houston baseball team, the Astros. "annie" means a female baseball fan. Which is why I have two different baseball tarot decks and only one traditional (Morgan-Greer).

Originally Posted by Robinjazz

I have decided to use my deck to give both of you a two-card reading. I have asked the question: "What should astroannie know aout self?"

astroannie

The cards I have turned are the "Ace of Wands" and "The Priestess."

Ace of wands: Opportunity. Maybe in a letter.

The Priestess: Memory. Critical faculty. Science. Art. Profound knowledge.

Aces refer to news, and Wands deal with intellectual or professional matters.

Priestess refers to thoughts and actions.



"What should Bloggsworth know about self?"

Bloggsworth

The cards I have turned are the moon and the nine of swords.

The moon: Deception. Disappointment. Astral travel. Imagination.

Nine of swords: Disappointment. Quarrel. Concern.

Nines are hopeful outlook, and swords are problems and sorrows.


That's it. Enjoy your two-carders.


This gave me a chuckle: astroannie and astral travel (one of the meanings of the moon). Hmmm. sumthin' there?

: D

I have my own tarot cards. They are likely different than yours, because I created them myself. But they follow the same principles.. I'll give you a reading, just for demonstration's sake..

The first card I've turned over is the Four of Clubs.

This represents darkness and fatigue.. For that it's safe to assume that sometime in your near future you will find yourself tired at night, and likely, go to sleep.

The next card is the Queen of Diamonds.

An excellent card! This signifies the presence of a woman, and wealth. It could be that she is wealthy, or that she will bring you good fortune. Or possibly, en engagement.

..

Okay to be honest, I, personally, don't believe in Tarot readings, I was just making my own silly point: that meaning can be found in anything if you wish to find it.

I could give you a "tarot reading" with my old collected baseball player cards, and assign meanings to them based on the playing style of the players I turn over.

"Your first card is Jose Canseco from the 1991 Oakland Athletics! This card signifies strength as well as deception"

Until there's some scientific evidence shown that tarot readings have merit, I view them as playful superstition. Interesting, definately. And fun even! But still, lacking proof...

If the phenomenon was real, for discussion's sake, how would you explain how it works? What force is guiding the cards to make them represent the person being "read"? Is it God? Black Magic? The psychic influence of the reader?

Universal coincidence?

"works" how? As a tool to predict the future? As a guide for meditation? A knife works by slicing through food, but that explanation doesn't cover how to loosen the peel on a garlic clove by smashing it with the flat of the blade.

Tell me what you think the tarot should be doing and I'll try to answer how it does that thing.