Is Tarot Holy

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

squigglywiggly	20 Jul 2002
Do you treat your Tarot Deck as Holy Does a God / Goddess / deities supposedly protect it and / or watch over it Do you have a ritual for taking it out and for putting it back in Are there things that you fear doing, for example, dropping a card on the floor, or doing a Tarot reading within 6 hours of sexual communion, or similar I want to get an idea of how much people associate Tarot with religion or a religious context Thanks

Diana	20 Jul 2002
edited

Sam	20 Jul 2002
Well, SW, since there are denfinetly more ppl on this board than tarot decks, there is a mathamatical probability called "The Negative Probability", so of corse there will be at least some ppl who think tarot is holy, so: DUH!

kayne	20 Jul 2002
That's not very sensitive Sam and it doesn't address the question which is your opinion on whether tarot is holy or not. Like Diana said, I treat my decks with respect but for me, they are no more sacred than any other item that I may own. I have done readings after sex and the only difference is the strengthened bond that you feel with your quarent after such an intimate experience (and you kinda' hope no negative cards will come up...:P)

divinerguy	20 Jul 2002
If you follow a "collective unconscious" or "synchroniticty" approach to the Tarot, then the cards themselves are just pretty pieces of paper. The connections are entity to entity. If you follow an "energy transference" path regarding Tarot readings, then the cards are not unlike telephone lines, and are not a worship worthy entity in and of itself. If you're an intuitive reader, then the Tarot reading skill is within yourself, and if it is your path, you may have been given this gift by a deity. Still, no holiness to the cards. Even if you go so far as to consecrate decks and create altars, the decks themselves are nothing more than tools of the divine. While they should not be treated with disrespect, they are still pieces of pretty paper. The essence of many belief systems is the intangible nature of the relationship - that's why its called a faith. Yes, there are religious icons of all types, including, I imagine, Tarot cards. However, they are only temporary physical manifestations of the underlying belief.

Laurel	20 Jul 2002
I believe that ceremonial tools should be treated as sacred, which is a little different than holy, but might be what you are asking. If I'm using a tarot deck as a ceremonial tool, I would treat it with a lot of respect, keeping it wrapped on an altar, not trapped in its cardboard box in the bottom of my backpack going from home to work to home every day the way my study deck is. :P The purpose of ritual, in general, is to expose oneself to the divine and become initiated by it. Creating "sacred space" is one of the tricks to setting up an environment where such a thing is possible. So using tarot reverently is a good way to help establish that connection. There's one perspective for ya, any way. If you want me to explain my opinions on the difference between sacred and holy, let me know. Laurel

Marion	20 Jul 2002
I have scarcely add to that, but I will anyway :) I would be surprised if anyone thought that the actual cards were holy, but Laurel's comments about the tools for touching the divine as being worthy of ceremonial respect are very much to the point. Setting up sacred space has been recognized as way to create the state of mind necessary, and all within that space are touched by it. That is not to say that Tarot cards are in a material sense are anything more than pieces of coated card stock.

emily2otters	20 Jul 2002
i try to protect my cards from everyday damage, but that's about it. my shuffling rituals are more about making sure the cards are well mixed than about clearing the energy or anything like that. and the deck i use everyday does indeed sit trapped in its cardboard box at the bottom of my backpack... lol!

Dark Inquisitor	20 Jul 2002
Is the tarot holy? It is if I think it is. And it depends on the person who uses it, and what they use it for. In the hands of an evil person, used for bad purposes, it might be more profane than holy. Tarotphelia

Cerulean	20 Jul 2002
I think they are as special as my favorite books or art supplies are...but truly, the magical associations and beauty come from user, this is my opinion. The person who uses this as a tool for inner reflection is worthy of respect and understanding for what the individual brings to the process, I believe. I regard the person with respect and maybe perhaps delighted understanding if we are doing something similar. I think authors who suggest it is a sacred tool are using the words to bring up concept of respect for the imagination, inner symbols and what you as an individual bring to the 'tarot table'. Some tarots are whimsical and yes, pretty pieces of paper that are just for a smile. Some tarots to the user take on meaning and friendly associations, so they become a favored and perhaps even more meaningful tool...as a brush or pen that an artist or writer would care about deeply for the significence they would have for their favorite tool. In these cases, we sometimes want to look at the pen or brush that a genius such as Leonardo di Vinci might have used and even touch it...but di Vinci might disagree and we should respect his choice. For instance, my Tarot Mithological majors has been looked at by more than a few...and it is beautiful and like any gorgeous book, begging to be handled and looked at for it's beauty. But every time it's taken out, I also reorder the majors and minors and put it back in a chosen bag. I think it's a pretty special book of images for me and my art studies and I'm careful about it. Mari H.

Violet Gargoyle	20 Jul 2002
I believe that though the cards themselves probably did not appear in a ball of fire or a flash of lightning into your hands on a moonlit night, it is the spirit that guides you to be drawn to them and use them that directs your path of reverance towards them, much like prayer beads, Ouija boards, or a rosary chain. Objects like these are often made in a factory before you recieve them. But they still are extentions your particular belief, and it is the belief in the things that you cannot physically touch that helps make these physical objects special. The drive to respect what you believe in is how you direct the treatment of the object, the tarot in this case. It is the same way that many of the religious and superstitious customs (different things) got their start. Which is why you have so many lines of thinking about card treatment, communication, spirit guides, and reading styles. I myself have a rather anthropologist view on the tarot, I collect them because I am interested in different cultures' effect on them, and vice versa. I do readings to see if they are accurate, the effect on the querant, their life, and myself. Every person that I have read for knows that this is my approach and I have never taken payment for any reading, because I am not and don't think that I ever will be confident that I will give an accurate one. Still, I do readings to learn, and I think that the people that I read for appreciate my approach. I treat my tarot decks as tools of learning, like textbooks to a class in culture and psychology. There is always something to learn and a lot of tests to make sure you remember what you are being taught. I treat the cards as such, so I don't have a problem with people touching or shuffling my cards, nor never had a problem with people borrowing my "textbooks". I do treat them with respect, so I would never think of throwing my cards on the floor and doing a river dance on them, and I do get cheesed if someone disrespects me and are too casual with my cards when they handle them- mainly to the degree if a friend broke a favorite cd or dropped a good book in the bathtub. Keep in mind that this is from someone who has played tarot poker, tarot blackjack, and made card houses with earlier decks, so my range of tolerance is pretty good.... I think.

VGimlet	20 Jul 2002
For me the tarot is not holy. I don't have any special ritual when I take them out of the box or bag. I do try and clear my mind of "junk" before I read, and sometimes I light a candle and use the flame as a focus, but that for me is a tool as well, not a religious observance. Being a non-religious person, I probably wouldn't use them if I felt there was a religious connection. For me, tarot cards are a tool; and I take care of them, just like I take care of my books. I don't personally have any kind of worries about using them at any certain time, however I do worry about spilling something on them, or having one of the cats walk on them with dirty little cat-feet. I agree with Mari - any other aspects come from the user, not the cards.

Kyrie Blue	20 Jul 2002
I think I'm inclined to agree with most here in some way. I am of the opinion that some things become holy or sacred because we make them so. For example, the Bible or Koran are simply books..but they are associated with God and religion and people believe them to be their connection to God in some way...so, I would never treat it the way I might treat a comic book wether I believe in them or not. A cross is just two lines crossed...in itself, it means nothing...but what it represents is the sacred part so, in turn the cross becomes sacred and deserving of respect. In conclusion...that is the way I would view the Tarot cards, the decks that I would tend to use the most I would consider special and worthy of respect...those that are just to look at and admire I'd still take good care, but not regard them quite as special as ones that have been used.

Emily	21 Jul 2002
I don't think they're holy, they are tools and as such deserve respect. I do think that a rapport is often built up with a favourite deck or decks and that these decks read better than others. I have straight Rider Waite clones that I should be able to read with, having studied with the Rider Waite, but these decks are unusable to me. The Spiral, not a straight clone, is an amazing deck, very easy to use, pick up the cards and information comes flooding in - I would never dream of doing anything to break the rapport I have with these cards and to me that would be to disrespect them. But saying that, they're not kept anywhere special just in their own boxes with their respective books - but out of the way of other people lol

zorya	21 Jul 2002
i do not worship my cards, but i do believe that everything is sacred. i also believe that places and tools, such as the cards, can pick up energies. as we use our cards over and over, they will become more powerful. it works the same way as a place. if used over and over in a sacred way, it will become such.

truthsayer	22 Jul 2002
it's not as if i see tarot holy or sacred but this example explains it best. some ppl see the Bible as the holy word of God. to me the tarot is like a telephone call to God. the way the cards fall in response is spirit's answer. i don't use special rituals or an altar but i do handle them w/ respect and reverence. i keep them in special places where they are safe from my pets or children or disrespectful adults. i tend to anthropomorphize them some but it's more of feeling endearment to them that they mean more to me than mere pieces of designed cardboard. this is probably due to some long ingrained spiritual tendencies from our ancestors. ;) it's like everyday spiritual enlightenment is chopping wood and carrying water. it's like the divinity in someone else is reaching out across the void of the universe to touch and share w/ your soul what s/he experiences of the divine. this touch w/ their divinity as expressed in images and words reminds me of our link w/ the universal mind and the inherent divinity of us all as expressed via archetypal symbols.

Diana	22 Jul 2002
edited

Starfish	22 Jul 2002
In total agreement with Diana's post; Truth that was beautiful and I couldn't possibly put to words as elegantly as you do my own comments... So, I'll just go with "Yea, what Truth said!" ;) :TLOVE Starfish

truthsayer	22 Jul 2002
thank-you diana and starfish. that makes me feel good!

The Is Tarot Holy thread was originally posted on 20 Jul 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.