A Christian Perspective on Cartomancy

[tevang]

I was wondering if there is anyone out there interested in a Christian perspective on Cartomancy. I know many Christians shy away from divination, but I think it is a valid way to connect with God. I felt there was a void.

To this end I have put a blog together about this at:
Http://spiritualcartomancy.wordpress.com
Scroll down to the oldest post to see where I am coming from and then toodle around and see what you think.

Just to be clear I DO NOT think you are going to Hell if you are not a Christian. I am also a universalist. There are many paths to God. Christianity is the software I use to access the spiritual computer. There is lots of software out there and Christianity is the one I use. I have studied much of this software and it has added to my own practice.

By the way: Tevang stands for Tarot Evangelist

 

[Alta]

Moderator note:

Hi tevang,

Please do not just post a link to your blog. The discussion has to happen here, so if you want to discuss your ideas you may leave the link but pull your main ideas onto the thread for discussion.

Regards,
Alta
Moderator

 

[Tanga]

I would have to agree with Alta tevang - by the time I'd attempted fooling about on your blog I was fed up before I got to the relevant bit.

So... talk?...


I'm Wiccan (x-Catholic).
The only comment I have to make presently is I'm wildly appreciative of Moonchild's Bible Tarot deck:
http://www.moonchild.ch/Tarot/DBT/

 

[tevang]

Christian Cartomancy

I'm sorry Alta, what you're asking makes a lot of sense. I understand now.

Cartomancy is a means of divination. My definition of divination is: The seeking of the divine by intuition, insight, signs and symbols. Christianity is full of signs and symbols. Many of these things were communicated to the people by prophets. They got their messages from some form of divination. Cartomancy is a means available to modern people to connect with God.

The Bible warns against fortune telling and witchcraft which really involves telling the future. People cherry pick the verse "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" while ignoring the commands to kill people who work on Sunday, rules about selling your daughter into slavery, etc. The witch verse actually means that someone who practices divination, counseling and healing should also make their own living and participate in meeting the practical needs of the community instead of relying on support for their healing practices, and so forth. I use cartomancy as a means of gaining personal insight so I don't feel like I am going against God's wishes.

Any thoughts?

 

[tevang]

Understanding Origins

I also feel like everyone who practices cartomancy should have a basic understanding of where the Tarot is came from regardless of of your current practices. The early users of tarot most likely used the cards for gaming, but they were probably Christians.

Thanks for the feedback Tanga. I fixed the home page so you can get an idea of my thoughts right away.

 

[Tanga]

...The Bible warns against fortune telling and witchcraft which really involves telling the future. People cherry pick the verse "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" while ignoring the commands to kill people who work on Sunday, rules about selling your daughter into slavery, etc. The witch verse actually means that someone who practices divination, counseling and healing should also make their own living and participate in meeting the practical needs of the community instead of relying on support for their healing practices, and so forth.

That's an interesting and generous interpretation of "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (says the witch).
But in those days (and in some places still today) - "a witch" was believed to be someone with ill will towards the community in general, and with the supernatural power to cause harm to them.

I also feel like everyone who practices cartomancy should have a basic understanding of where the Tarot is came from regardless of of your current practices. The early users of tarot most likely used the cards for gaming, but they were probably Christians.

I'm sure anyone who's advanced enough in Tarot would agree - knowing the origins of anything is always a good idea to better understand what one is using etc.

 

[earthshine]

tevang, I still identify as a Christian, with a loving openness to Wicca. When I read for friends who have a strong Catholic background, I use the word God for Universe, and prayer for meditation.

Also, I sing Be Thou My Vision before a reading as a prayer for guidance and clarity.

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[DesertDream]

.
Also, I sing Be Thou My Vision before a reading as a prayer for guidance and clarity.

k

Wow, I love that song, the old hymns seem to be very mystical in expressing their relationship with the Divine and those lyrics seem to touch the very depth of the relationship I have had/have/trying to have with God my creator and Savior. That is such a good idea, I think I am going to start using it along with my normal prayer I usually use before I read the cards, thank you so much!

Be thou my vision oh Lord of my life!

 

[DesertDream]

Jesus is Love

I am a Christian. In the past I was all sorts of things, occultist, pagan, yogini, you name it, I probably was it! But one of the things that was very hard for me to let go was my passion and love for all sorts of divination, so I kept it! Well after a break from it for different reasons. I'm always interested in how other Christians seem to justify their tarot use when most are kept from it, and love to hear all of the different perspectives coming from those on my path. I have quickly looked over your blog and it seems very interesting. I will defiantly be coming back to look at in again and again.

So what exactly is your justification for it? You said in your blog that divination is not translated into fortune-telling. Can you tell me some more on that? What do you think it means? I can tell from your blog you are maybe looking at it as a sort of "insight device"? That is one way I look at it anyway.

When I got back into cards I thought I could resist fortune telling but it is so hard when I had such a strong background in the cards! So I have dabbled a little bit, yes I am guilty, but I have had such a habit with it in the past, when I was no longer calling myself a Christian. But I did stick mostly with my resolution to not seek the future and this is short of a miracle within itself. Sometimes I don't. I am not sure if I have a justification for this, but I am not really looking for one at the moment. Some things are worth waiting for the answers to come to you, instead of racking your brain to death with thinking on so many things, this I have come to learn!

Feel free to PM me if you would like to further discuss Christian paths and tarot. I'd be happy too hear from you.

blessings

 

[earthshine]

I found a Gaelic version and an English version of the hymn which I spliced together into one file, and also the direct translation into English from the Gaelic, which has its nuances.

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