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The Art of Tarot

What is Your Belief in Tarot? (see category descriptions in 1st post)

  • Supernatural

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Spiritual

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Psychological

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Philosophical

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Social

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Skeptical

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Total voters
    8

ShadowSpirit

normal is so passe
3 Dec 2008
199
16
28
As a fun exercise. I wanted to introduce an outlook I had created for the practicality of Tarot Cards. I like to consider myself a realist. Though I have always taken a liking to elements of spirits or tools used to contact spirits. Just the idea of it is entertaining to me even if my core being doesn't acknowledge much truth to it. In my trek to figure out why tarot might be practical to people, I made up 6 categories. Just pick the category you feel fits your belief strongest for tarot. I'm curious to see how many people see themselves in these various categories and any explanations as to why or why not. Thanks for participating.



Paranormal: That a divine force whether orchestrated by a god or spoken through entities that can see into a realm that we cannot. Place their knowledge into the cards as a spoken language to provide either good tidings or warnings of our future -- Afterall, there are things in this life we cannot explain. Where we came from, where we're going. Theories are so bountiful that it is difficult to stabilize any single truth or belief. If divinity does guide us, it might consult us through the use of tarot.

Spiritual: Life follows a predestined thread that carries us wayward. Our fate is predestined and these cards can give us a window into what to expect. Perhaps it was expected for us to deal those cards at that particular moment, in that particular order. The order in which they play out gives us the information we were meant to see to fulfill our destinies. -- Afterall, numerology is a popular pseudo-science. It's not difficult to see why. Numbers surround science. It's brought us light, given us the ability to fly, and allows electronic networking. It may then be possible that our very lives run along an invisible path that numerology can help give insight to. This numerology could then be tapped into with the use of tarot.

Psychological: The power of suggestion wills the mind to succeed or fail. Things can come true to you if you believe it will or take heed of any warnings that are issued. Seeing what could lie ahead of you in the layout of cards can impact how you'll make your next move. The power in itself is much closer to your heart and mind than you might had originally thought possible. -- Afterall, people have healed themselves with positive attitudes and become extremely ill under moments of unwaivering stress. You can change your body temperature with thought, calm yourself with thought. These are physiological facts. So in a subconsicous manner, would one not fulfill their destiny in the way tarot describes it?

Philosophical: A random story is played out. It tells a tale of things that have happened, are maybe happening, and could potentially happen. The cards had to be shuffled and dealt out in an order that can't possibly be predicted beforehand. From this, the train of thought becomes not so much about what is predicted to come but rather a hypothetical of how life might turn out for a person. -- Afterall, how often do we take a chance to think of our past and our future? One thing we can't possibly do on our own is be random. Having cards played out in an unpredictable manner might tell about us growing up alone, becoming rich, becoming jeered, becoming entertaining. We might decide that some of those things we like and start to ponder on how we can achieve it. Others we might dread the idea of and wonder. "Will people really jeer me? Is this how I want to be remembered as?" It might never happen, but it can help you learn something about who you are and how you've been living your life.

Social: An activity that helps bring people together for the purpose of curiosity. To see what it has to say, what it will reveal, or maybe mold that person's attitude about card readings in general. -- Afterall, why not? Not many people would turn down an opportunity for a free reading. The curiosity in us all helps guide us to sample things for the sake of experience. It's like that old addage. "What do you have to lose by believing? What do you have to lose by not believing?"

Skeptical: There isn't any plausible use for such tools or mediums. It's a silly superstition and isn't worth the time to even consider. -- Afterall, there has been plenty of evidence to debunk any creditability to tarot or themes of a mystical nature. Why bother wasting another moment on it?
 
This is a very interesting way of looking at it, and I found your explanations very lucid and well-written. I've always had an interest in Tarot. As a teenager searching for truth, I was a great believer in all kinds of divination. Now, I know that there's no truth in Tarot, astrology etc as true means of divination. However, I still have a fondness for Tarot because of the symbology behind the cards, and also because of the beautiful artwork that you can see in some packs.

I chose "Psychological". I'm out of time for now, but will expand on that choice later :)
 
Tarot reading belongs in the same realm as astrology and such forms of woo, bunkum that works on the minds of the guillible and misguided.

Tarot was originally a trick taking game amoung other such card games. Here are the rules if you are interested:
Rules of Card Games: French Tarot
The cards themselves originated about the 14th century from the Islamic empires and bought to Europe by returning knights from crusades. They were used for gaming only. It wasn't until about the 17th-18th century that the cards started to be used as a way for divination.

Tarot readers use the same tricks as mediums and are good at cold reading along with a set of ideas that each card represents. Like horoscopes they are vague and can apply to a number of individuals. Also, like astrology, no reader has ever been able to show that it works or have even submitted to properly verifiable testing.
 
The cards themselves originated about the 14th century from the Islamic empires and bought to Europe by returning knights from crusades. They were used for gaming only. It wasn't until about the 17th-18th century that the cards started to be used as a way for divination.
Tarot readers use the same tricks as mediums and are good at cold reading along with a set of ideas that each card represents. Like horoscopes they are vague and can apply to a number of individuals. Also, like astrology, no reader has ever been able to show that it works or have even submitted to properly verifiable testing.

I'm aware of the history and origin of tarot. I agree for the most part it is applied as a vice for con artists to 'cold read' people and manipulate readings to whatever is necessary to bait their customers into returning. However a belief in something can also give power as well. Whether it be tarot, an ouji board, or even the classic toy 8-ball. For this, tarot could mean different things to different people regardless of where it stemmed from. Ranging from the divine to those whom just plain don't care.
 
Tarot readers use the same tricks as mediums and are good at cold reading along with a set of ideas that each card represents.
I agree for the most part it is applied as a vice for con artists to 'cold read' people and manipulate readings to whatever is necessary to bait their customers into returning.

I agree that Tarot readers are really following unconscious clues, which is why I consider it Psychological. But I think it's unfair to label them all con artists. I once read Tarot at a charity event, and received a lot of comments on the accuracy of my readings. It was a long time ago; back then I accepted such things at face value, and had no conscious awareness that I was reading unwitting signals. I'm sure the same is true of many Tarot readers - they are just as oblivious to the real source of their readings.
 
Tsuyoiko: Sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't saying that the only people who read tarot are con artists. I was saying that most of the time it is a tool that con artists may use. That's what I meant in my use of "the most part" instead of saying "always." I wasn't discussing people who do it for other reasons: entertainment, belief, curiosity, etc..
 
I would go with 'psychological' as well. I think if you was to read tarot for yourself, you'd probably get the readings that you subconsciously 'want'. (Have never tried it but would be interested to do so.)

I have tried using runes. I don't believe they predict the future or anything of that nature. However I have used them as tools for meditation on particular topics ie. you pick out a rune at random and meditate on its associations, and that way you find a 'way in' to understanding whatever it is that's on your mind. I think there is no reason why tarot can't be used like that too, but I definitely don't believe it predicts the future and I don't believe we are on a 'predestined path' really either.
 
I would go with 'psychological' as well. I think if you was to read tarot for yourself, you'd probably get the readings that you subconsciously 'want'. (Have never tried it but would be interested to do so.)
I have tried using runes. I don't believe they predict the future or anything of that nature. However I have used them as tools for meditation on particular topics ie. you pick out a rune at random and meditate on its associations, and that way you find a 'way in' to understanding whatever it is that's on your mind. I think there is no reason why tarot can't be used like that too, but I definitely don't believe it predicts the future and I don't believe we are on a 'predestined path' really either.

Your description of why you use runes sounds closely associated to the category I listed as Philosophical.

Runes. I've used a pendulum before, but never runes. I'll have to check those out.
 
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