Short Explanations to the Unenlightened...

So I've been poking around the forum for awhile, looking for some info on dealing with people who think the Tarot is Satanic, evil, scary, etc. The reason is because I live in a place surrounded by an equal mix of closed minded and VERY superstitious people. At work I've been testing the waters a bit. I like to read during my breaks (when I get them...I take care of thirty patients, most of them in an Alzheimer's unit...it's interesting) and lately I've been reading Tarot books since it's my new craze. As everyone here knows, you can't take a book to work and start reading it without at least five or six people casually asking what you're reading (it seems like a law of the universe sometimes). So, when they ask me, I say, "It's a book about Tarot cards. It's my new hobby." Here are a few of the types of responses I get. The percentage that follows indicates the percentage of people who respond like this:

THE PERSON WHO COULD CARE LESS: "Really?...hmmm...anyway about that patient..." 20%

THE PERSON WHO RUNS AWAY: "Oh man...stay away from me with that stuff." (leaves or changes the subject quickly) 30%

THE PERSON WHO THINKS I'M BEING SEDUCED BY SATAN: "WHAT?! Tarot cards?! YOU?! Don't you know those things are...OF THE DEVIL?? God says in the Bible (insert obscure bible quote here). I have a pastor you should talk to!" (begins frantically hitting the buttons on cell phone) 20%

THE UNINFORMED SCOFFER: "Tarot cards?! Heh! What are you 'psychic' or something? I thought only 'psychics' used those." (liberal use of the 'quotation fingers' gesture abound in the preceding statement) 10%

THE MILDLY INTERESTED PERSON: "Oh that sounds kinda cool. I had a friend who had some of those cards once." 10%

THE REALLY INTERESTED PERSON: "Ooooh coooool! Do you know how to read them yet? I want to know if my boyfriend will decide to marry me once he gets out of rehab!" 10%

So...now we get to the reason for this post: What's a nice quick universal response to give people when you are about to reveal your Tarot Nerd Status (TNS) to a question such as the previously mentioned "What are you reading?" Or..."What's your favorite hobby?" Or..."Is that a Tarot deck over there on your bookshelf?"

The response could not be too wordy, otherwise the "PERSON WHO RUNS AWAY" will be lost to you. It must be slightly interesting, to inspire further questions and allow you to expoud at length and perhaps give you another person to yak with about your hobby. It must ATTEMPT to ease fears of you being an evil servant of Satan.

I understand that some people just won't be into it no matter what you say. I also understand that it is impossible to fashion the PERFECT statement. I just thought it would be fun to think about and it would be helpful to me as well.

Book???? Its the Window of Life that i look through to try and find out what makes people tick from wise philosophers.

I don't normally tell people, to tell you the truth. I'm into quite a few things: books, film, travel, writing, music etc and can usually find something neutral to talk about. I wouldn't read a book on tarot in front of people who would start screeching about Satanism because I couldn't be bothered with the energy it takes to calm the situation down. It's no one's business what I do with my spare time and no one's business what religion if any, I am.

So to cut a long story short: I wouldn't say anything. If someone pointed out a tarot book on my shelf I would shrug and change the conversation if I thought they would become catatonic at the thought.

The irony is that the actual literal meaning of the 22 trump cards is clearly Christian, complete with medieval Stoic ethics and a mainstream Roman Catholic eschatology, even with any mystical interpretation. Michael J. Hurst calls the tarot trump cycle a "visual summa of salvation".

His website should give you a lot ammunition.

Michael’s Tarot Notebook

Universal?

I'd be more inclined to not use a Universal formula. You might be able to flex your intuitive muscles better if you try to guage a person's attitude in those first few words and frame a suitable reply, one that would engender a lively conversation with the interested parties, one that would fend off the zealots, etc.

I don't think it's all that constructive to put people in boxes, and we need to respond to each other in a unique and sensitive way. Not doing that is what's got us all in this mess we're in now!



\m/ Kat

I'm not sure about others, but I can't imagine myself having a pre-prepared 'standard' answer - the reply would depend on the circumstances, whether I feel I want to get into a discussion, how well I know the person and his or her interests, and even the specific book I'm reading (for example, reading Meditation on the Tarot would place me in quite a different state of mind to reading Tarot for Teens (geez - I can't believe I mentioned these books in the same sentence!).

If someone does want me to talk with their 'pastor' about my interest, I may even agree - as long as they too come along, and it is at a time convenient to myself and importantly, not on their (psychological) turf. If they show total ignorance about the subject, I would simply suggest they learn a little more before presuming to give advice.

I'm with jmd on this one. I don't think you could have a pre-prepared universal answer. That said, you could have some fun with it if you're so inclined.

Splungeman said:

THE PERSON WHO COULD CARE LESS: "Really?...hmmm...anyway about that patient..." 20%

Click to expand...

"I was just reading about a tarot spread we could use to come up with 22 different options on treatment for that patient."

Splungeman said:

THE PERSON WHO RUNS AWAY: "Oh man...stay away from me with that stuff." (leaves or changes the subject quickly) 30%

Click to expand...

"Actually, I just pulled a card that told me with absolutely no accuracy whatsoever that you're going to die in a horrible car accident in May 2008.

Splungeman said:

THE PERSON WHO THINKS I'M BEING SEDUCED BY SATAN: "WHAT?! Tarot cards?! YOU?! Don't you know those things are...OF THE DEVIL?? God says in the Bible (insert obscure bible quote here). I have a pastor you should talk to!" (begins frantically hitting the buttons on cell phone) 20%

Click to expand...

"I don't know of any connection between tarot and the devil, but I was just reading about a spell for turning religious fanatics attempting to 'save' someone into a toad.."

Splungeman said:

THE UNINFORMED SCOFFER: "Tarot cards?! Heh! What are you 'psychic' or something? I thought only 'psychics' used those." (liberal use of the 'quotation fingers' gesture abound in the preceding statement) 10%

Click to expand...

"Actually, there's quite a lot of interesting things in the world that the 'quotation fingers gesture' uninformed scoffer thinks s/he knows all about and yet isn't afraid to demonstrate complete ignorance of.

Splungeman said:

THE MILDLY INTERESTED PERSON: "Oh that sounds kinda cool. I had a friend who had some of those cards once." 10%

Click to expand...

"It's a very cool way of finding out all sorts of interesting things."

Splungeman said:

THE REALLY INTERESTED PERSON: "Ooooh coooool! Do you know how to read them yet? I want to know if my boyfriend will decide to marry me once he gets out of rehab!" 10%

Click to expand...

"I'm not really into relationship readings. Aren't you interested in learning how to read the cards for yourself? Maybe you could find out if your boyfriend will successfully complete rehab."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! I nearly died laughing at the first one, Major Tom! Brilliant! Oh, that's got me for the night!

*Shuffles off giggling and shaking head*

\m/ Kat

"THE PERSON WHO RUNS AWAY: "Oh man...stay away from me with that stuff." (leaves or changes the subject quickly) 30%"

Hey, they ain't crocodiles, they won't bite you.

"THE PERSON WHO THINKS I'M BEING SEDUCED BY SATAN: "WHAT?! Tarot cards?! YOU?! Don't you know those things are...OF THE DEVIL?? God says in the Bible (insert obscure bible quote here). I have a pastor you should talk to!" (begins frantically hitting the buttons on cell phone) 20%"

Don't worry about calling your pastor, as I have already talked with god, and he says its cool.

"THE UNINFORMED SCOFFER: "Tarot cards?! Heh! What are you 'psychic' or something? I thought only 'psychics' used those." (liberal use of the 'quotation fingers' gesture abound in the preceding statement) 10%"

Yeah, I'm psychic!

"THE MILDLY INTERESTED PERSON: "Oh that sounds kinda cool. I had a friend who had some of those cards once." 10%"

Yeah, so did I.

Why would you bring a book with subject matter guaranteed to get these sort of responses to work with you unless you wanted to broach the subject?

While I'm happy to discuss it with the interested who come into my home and see my shelves - I figure if you're in my space, you likely have already passed the hurdle between personal and professional with me - at work, I prefer to have colleagues focused on my professional side, not my personal habits.

If you absolutely can't get through your work day without cracking open a Tarot book, plain cover it and develop the art of deflecting the question "Mmm? Oh... you know...a book." "Yes, but what's it about?" "Mmm? Sorry, I was reading, didn't catch that..." (Look back at book, don't engage in discussion)

That works the same if it's a Tarot book or a romance novel. But seriously, check your motives here. You have a cool hobby, yay. Are you willing to be 'that Tarot person' on the job for the rest of your time there? Most coworkers (and bosses and supervisors and that HR person in charge of promotions that doesn't know you but does listen to office gossip) are going to find this a handy simple label for you and never explore any more deeply than that. if they are prejudiced against that, by virture of superstition, religious conflict or deciding it means you're a flake, your pat answer is not going to alter that perception. At best it will just be more words for them to giggle about when they're talking about you.