Tarot cards

[EasterJoy]

This thread is 5 years old.

Good catch…why do they not lock those?

 

[jmdavid]

Interesting that it’s five years old… though I don’t see what the relevance is in that, given that the poster just before my post is six months old…

Personally, I see them as very Christian works of art that also testifies to both the period in which they arose as well as talking of various socio-political, moral, and eschatological themes.

 

[veilofveronica]

I am sure this has been brought up before but arent tarot cards a bad thing. I just went round and round with my step daughter about them and made her get them out of the house… I do not like what they imply ,what they invove or anything. Of course the kids at school all think i am nuts. What is the truth behind these things…?

Good, you did the right thing. Tarot Cards are a doorway to a slippery slope. I was involved in the occult for years,and it started with tarot.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
***Divination and magic

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***2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

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These things aren’t harmless games. Let people laugh. The truth about these things is that they are evil and lead to more evil the deeper you get. I’ve been there.

God Bless.

 

[Allegra]

I don’t know, but I would say that tarot cards are not evil - it all depends on what you do with them and what meaning you give them. I personally don’t view things as given, in my opinion such things depends on what you make of it. What you call tarot cards is just a bunch of cards with pretty (or not) pictures to me. How can a paper with pictures be evil? No, I think tarot cards are neither good or evil but practicing occult ‘arts’ with them is.

I think we should ask a different question. Is tea evil because it’s often used for divination? If not and if tea is just fine unless you use it for occult purposes, why should tarot cards that are not used for these purposes evil?

Just my two cents.

What holy purpose do you put tarot cards to in your home?

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

1. Tarot makes scientific claims.
2. We have had several hundred years of tarot card use, and at minimum, hundreds of thousands of users.
3. No scientific evidence exists to support the scientific claims made by tarot.
4. Therefore, it is total nonsense and you can skip all the bickering about whether it’s “evil”

Repeat steps 1-4, replacing all instance of “Tarot” with “Ouija.”

The reason that tarot and ouija are dangerous is because they teach willful ignorance about reality. It disappoints me to see that Catholics are debating the wrong thing, it is not even necessary to delve into whether it’s “evil” or not, it’s a load of horse manure!

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Interesting that it’s five years old… though I don’t see what the relevance is in that, given that the poster just before my post is six months old…

Personally, I see them as very Christian works of art that also testifies to both the period in which they arose as well as talking of various socio-political, moral, and eschatological themes.

I think what’s wrong is the purpose of which they are being used, not really the objects in of themselves.

I actually agree that from the artistic point of view, Tarot cards make for a very interesting theme to build around.

 

[Luvz2travel]

All I will say is that sometime what you invite in can’t easily be gotten rid of so tread with caution. I wouldn’t go near them myself.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

All I will say is that sometime what you invite in can’t easily be gotten rid of so tread with caution. I wouldn’t go near them myself.

No scientific evidence of this despite the fact that tarot makes scientific claims. Again the danger of tarot is not in its symbolism but in that it teaches a profoundly ignorant worldview.

 

[Luvz2travel]

No scientific evidence of this despite the fact that tarot makes scientific claims. Again the danger of tarot is not in its symbolism but in that it teaches a profoundly ignorant worldview.

I still think the danger is more spiritual and that is an area science doesn’t cover.

 

[jmdavid]

No scientific evidence of this despite the fact that tarot makes scientific claims. Again the danger of tarot is not in its symbolism but in that it teaches a profoundly ignorant worldview.

I have to differ here: what kind of ‘scientific claims’ does tarot supposedly make?

As to the ‘worldview’ it ‘teaches’, it arises out of a profoundly mediæval Christian one, so cannot see this point.

It may be worth noting that I know of a Bishop that also regularly uses tarot (not for divination - that’s an entirely separate topic) and, as mentioned earlier, there are the very Catholic von Balthasar and Tomberg who also write on tarot.

Let’s not confuse points about the uses to which many people put this with the cards themselves.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

I have to differ here: what kind of ‘scientific claims’ does tarot supposedly make?

A scientific claim must be testable and make a prediction.

Tarot does both of these in this statement: using Tarot cards, I may tell the future.

This is both testable and a prediction.

As to the ‘worldview’ it ‘teaches’, it arises out of a profoundly mediæval Christian one, so cannot see this point.

I could give a rat’s behind if Tarot came straight out of the mouth of Jesus himself. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. And… it doesn’t.

It may be worth noting that I know of a Bishop that also regularly uses tarot (not for divination - that’s an entirely separate topic) and, as mentioned earlier, there are the very Catholic von Balthasar and Tomberg who also write on tarot.

Point being?

Luvz2Travel:

I still think the danger is more spiritual and that is an area science doesn’t cover.

So if someone said to you, “I can tell you your future with these cards,” you don’t think that’s testable?

 

[jmdavid]

I presume that just because someone may say ‘I can tell you your future’ from reading coffee or tea leaf deposits in a cup does not mean that it is coffee or tea that is the issue with which there may be concerns.

There are many books on tea leaf readings… this does not, as far as I’m aware, prevent those of us who enjoy tea to see tea as simply a tool for divination. Similarly with tarot.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

I presume that just because someone may say ‘I can tell you your future’ from reading coffee or tea leaf deposits in a cup does not mean that it is coffee or tea that is the issue with which there may be concerns.

There are many books on tea leaf readings… this does not, as far as I’m aware, prevent those of us who enjoy tea to see tea as simply a tool for divination. Similarly with tarot.

Certainly not. It’s none of my business what you use tea - or in this case, Tarot cards - for. You have no quarrel with me but should focus on those who call it “evil” instead.

All I’m saying is that the effectiveness of these tools for divinatory purposes has never been proven despite amply opportunity to do so.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

It may be worth noting that I know of a Bishop that also regularly uses tarot (not for divination - that’s an entirely separate topic) and, as mentioned earlier, there are the very Catholic von Balthasar and Tomberg who also write on tarot.

Let’s not confuse points about the uses to which many people put this with the cards themselves.

On a completely friendlier tone, what are some of the other things you could use tarot for? I hear you can play games with it.

I mean, I usually just look to it to build some sort of themed set (be it a set of characters, weapons, places, team-members etc).

 

[Lokabrenna]

On a completely friendlier tone, what are some of the other things you could use tarot for? I hear you can play games with it.

It’s still a popular game in Europe. I tried learning it but I don’t have a head for card games more complicated than go fish.

I mean, I usually just look to it to build some sort of themed set (be it a set of characters, weapons, places, team-members etc).

There’s actually a book out about using tarot for writing, called Tarot For Writers by Corrine Kenner. I use tarot to flesh out characters that I play in a Play-By-Post RPG.

I also know of collectors who collect tarot decks strictly for the art. It’s like owning 78 little pieces of art by one artist for around $20, and most decks look great when they’re assembled together on poster board and mounted, which looks something like this image: lisahuntart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/press_sheet2.jpg

I’m obviously very biased, but I can’t help but think that all this tarotphobia is just a fear of ink and paper.