So I have some tarot cards

[Dorothy]

On the same note, I also have a couple decks of tarot cards. I don’t use them for divination, but I use them when I write stories, to come up with characters and plotlines. As in, draw a card, look up the meaning and use that as a writing prompt. But is that sinful? I’m not predicting anyone’s future, just character traits and plot devices. I will certainly get rid of them if it is sinful. I didn’t think it was, but this thread makes me unsure.

For what it’s worth…the first thought that came to me was that you are a creative person, and would not need such media to aid you in coming up with plot lines. I’m sure you can think of characters and plot lines in your every day hearing of news, and meeting people in varying circumstances.

And if you ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit, that will help a lot in your creativity.

 

[Gricken]

Tarot cards can’t even do anything. They’re playing cards that some people tried to see the future in. Not only are they harmless, they are pretty stupid too

 

[esieffe]

1. I used to collect tarot cards for the pretty art, and have a bunch of them stored in the garage. I kind of need some cash to pay off some bills - would it be permissible to sell them?

I used to be an Amazon book dealer. I had the scanner and the whole works. One day we ran across a book on witchcraft. It was worth 24.00 and my cost was 1.50. There was a picture of the writer on the back cover which was laughable, because they intentionally did a “red eye” with the camera flash. Nonetheless, I felt very weird about the book. What if it were blessed some how, not in the right way. We debated it for over five minutes, and stupidly, I threw it in the cart. Into inventory and the basement it went.

Months went buy. And then it sold. I felt really creepy about it. I went downstairs, and got the book. It was a totally different experience. The book felt like it had suddenly “turned on” and was ready for the buyer. I debated on burning it immediately. I had done that one other time, but the book hadn’t sold. This one had. I felt like I had a hot coal in my hand. I didn’t want to take a hit on my Amazon score, but more importantly I was afraid. I didn’t want to get into some sort of conflict with a witch and her new minion. I just wanted to be rid of it, so I shipped it.

Since then I have ran across teachings that say NEVER cooperate with evil in any way shape or form. Tarot cards are indeed pretty, but they are tools. Selling them or making them available feels like cooperating with evil, that is just MY feelings. Let your heart be your guide. Don’t add this to your list of regrets, like I did.

 

[esieffe]

I would not recommend just burning this stuff without prayer and some sacramentals (excised salt and some holy water) on hand.

This is a warning from an exorcist that I take seriously.


Wow. Please see my post near the end of the thread. I was a high flying amazon book dealer once. I had a book I planned on reselling [when I was a hopeless protestant] and I almost burned it. The book was on witchcraft. I regretted buying it. Once it sold the book it radiated evil. I didn’t know what to do and I was afraid. In the end, I just shipped it because I wanted to be rid of it at once. I am quite sure that the buyer was not innocent. I did not know at the time it was a mortal sin, but I did think it was wrong. Hope my first confession will bring me forgiveness.

 

[SinnersAnonymus]

Wow. Please see my post near the end of the thread. I was a high flying amazon book dealer once. I had a book I planned on reselling [when I was a hopeless protestant] and I almost burned it. The book was on witchcraft. I regretted buying it. Once it sold the book it radiated evil. I didn’t know what to do and I was afraid. In the end, I just shipped it because I wanted to be rid of it at once. I am quite sure that the buyer was not innocent. I did not know at the time it was a mortal sin, but I did think it was wrong. Hope my first confession will bring me forgiveness.

I can relate. There was a person that I was helping who suffering from demonic voices (these went away after deliverance prayer), however their mother was heavily into the New Age garbage. We went through there whole house and found over a hundred books on New Age and the occult. At first they wanted to sell them and I had to point out the danger of letting others have access to this toxic waste. One of their family members (who was a solid Catholic) explained how they have had to say prayers in the room of their house where one of these books was read while visiting. They mentioned this awful vibe that periodically can be felt by themselves and others who are merely visiting (but unaware of the event) in the same area as the book was read.

When I went to burn the books I discovered they wouldn’t burn. It would start and then fizzle out. After fifteen or so attempts I decided I to soak each book in gasoline first.
While they were burning I said some prayers and sprinkled excised salt on the recommendation/caution of an Exorcist. It took a few days to burn all those books. While the books were burning, the mother noticed that their child (the one who had the voices) would act “weird”. Also, I remember the mom mentioned afterwards that she smelled incense in the house in certain areas for a couple minutes and it would disappear. This happened several times over a month.

I would not worry to much (in your case) though, a sincere confession is very powerful.

God Bless:thumbsup:

 

[Stillsosola]

burn them!!! they are demonically possessed items and get your home blessed and pray deliverance prayers!

 

[Stillsosola]

On the same note, I also have a couple decks of tarot cards. I don’t use them for divination, but I use them when I write stories, to come up with characters and plotlines. As in, draw a card, look up the meaning and use that as a writing prompt. But is that sinful? I’m not predicting anyone’s future, just character traits and plot devices. I will certainly get rid of them if it is sinful. I didn’t think it was, but this thread makes me unsure.

What you are doing is actually divination the spirits possessing the cards are the ones putting the plot ideas in your mind but it is not a mortal sin since you arent doing it intentionally please burn them and say deliverance prayers over yourself and family members the occult is real

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

I had quite a collection, believed in them once, stopped eventually, but still kept them around.

I brought it up in a confession, asked if that was a real problem, especially in light of the fact
that I no longer believed in their power. Priest said BURN THEM! so I did.

It wasn’t that bad actually, even buried the ashes (which I also recommend), still kinda wish
I didn’t have to, but whatever, they’re gone and I don’t care much about the loss.

 

[AnimalSpirits]

Confused- is it the Catholic position that these things actually have some sort of power? If that were the case, wouldn’t we expect the so called psychics out there to have some sort of demonic power, rather than just being scam artists? I mean… they’re pieces of paper with some colors on them.

 

[Gricken]

I don’t believe in them either. But it’s better not to play with it in any case. I think people are being rather… Overzealous about it all

 

[Dorothy]

Confused- is it the Catholic position that these things actually have some sort of power? If that were the case, wouldn’t we expect the so called psychics out there to have some sort of demonic power, rather than just being scam artists? I mean… they’re pieces of paper with some colors on them.

All I can share is that objects that I have, such as crucifixes, rosaries, images of Jesus and His Blessed Mother Mary…that have been blessed with the prayer of the Church, bears good fruit for me.

I am inspired and led to pray by these sacramentals.

 

[mikekle]

Confused- is it the Catholic position that these things actually have some sort of power? If that were the case, wouldn’t we expect the so called psychics out there to have some sort of demonic power, rather than just being scam artists? I mean… they’re pieces of paper with some colors on them.

Using that logic, one could also say the bible is nothing more than a mass produced book, made of paper and ink, nothing more, or Ouija boards are nothing more than cardboard…

Thats all they are in the physical sense, but all of them have hidden ‘power’

 

[Gricken]

Using that logic, one could also say the bible is nothing more than a mass produced book, made of paper and ink, nothing more, or Ouija boards are nothing more than cardboard…

Thats all they are in the physical sense, but all of them have hidden ‘power’

So where does the power of the tarot cards come from? Not from God, else they would be holy? From the devil? He has no power of his own. From “spirits”? Just as unlikely. The occult is stupid for the same reason it is sinful. To use it implies that there is power outside of God.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

So where does the power of the tarot cards come from? Not from God, else they would be holy? From the devil? He has no power of his own. From “spirits”? Just as unlikely. The occult is stupid for the same reason it is sinful. To use it implies that there is power outside of God.

Why do you think the devil has no power?

 

[Gricken]

Why do you think the devil has no power?

Because evil has no power of it’s own. It can only corrupt that which is good. For the devil to have power would imply there are things that Satan controls that God does not. Christianty is not dualistic, that is not the case.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Because evil has no power of it’s own. It can only corrupt that which is good. For the devil to have power would imply there are things that Satan controls that God does not. Christianty is not dualistic, that is not the case.

God is the ultimate power, but the devil has power. The devil can corrupt. That is basic theology at it’s core. From the fall in the garden, to modern exorcisms. A healthy fear for the devil’s power is essential.

 

[Gricken]

God is the ultimate power, but the devil has power. The devil can corrupt. That is basic theology at it’s core. From the fall in the garden, to modern exorcisms. A healthy fear for the devil’s power is essential.

The devil can only do what God permits him to do. He can not do anything that God couldn’t do. We can not divine the future without god (prophets) To say that people could use the devil’s “power” to divine the future through simple playing cards sounds to me like a flight of fancy.

So I stand by what I said before: to believe in the occult one must believe that the devil posses the power to do things that can not, which is not only wrong, but silly.

 

[Dorothy]

So where does the power of the tarot cards come from? Not from God, else they would be holy? From the devil? He has no power of his own. From “spirits”? Just as unlikely. The occult is stupid for the same reason it is sinful. To use it implies that there is power outside of God.

You are correct in stating that the “power” of the tarot cards does not come from God.

God allows the bad spirits to tempt, and His grace to resist temptation helps us to grow spiritual muscle.

The bad spirits tempt us to fall for the temptation to seek power and answers outside of God.

Yes, the occult is stupid when people disobey God and seek answers in ways that God has forbidden us to.

Our loving All-Merciful, Omniscient, Omnipotent God has all the answers we need.

When power and answers are sought outside of Him, we suffer the consequences and need to repent.

 

[Gricken]

You are correct in stating that the “power” of the tarot cards does not come from God.

God allows the bad spirits to tempt, and His grace to resist temptation helps us to grow spiritual muscle.

The bad spirits tempt us to fall for the temptation to seek power and answers outside of God.

Yes, the occult is stupid when people disobey God and seek answers in ways that God has forbidden us to.

Our loving All-Merciful, Omniscient, Omnipotent God has all the answers we need.

When power and answers are sought outside of Him, we suffer the consequences and need to repent.

I agree it’s sinful. Anybody who tries to use thins like tarot cards is basically saying “God isn’t good enough I need more” but we’ll have to agree to disagree on whether or not is actually does anything.

 

[AnimalSpirits]

Using that logic, one could also say the bible is nothing more than a mass produced book, made of paper and ink, nothing more, or Ouija boards are nothing more than cardboard…

Thats all they are in the physical sense, but all of them have hidden ‘power’

Does Catholicism hold that the bible has some demonstrable power inherent in it? I’m not familiar with any such doctrine.

Anyway, there aren’t even any words on tarot cards- they’re just a form of playing cards that some “mystics” decided to make up some significance for. If I look at a picture of a tarot card, am I in danger? If not, is it the act of printing the card that imbues them with demonic power? If I draw my own and label them as “king”, “tower,” ect, did I just perform some sort of ritual?