Inviting the Devil

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

bellaluna	11 Oct 2002
I recently told my husband that I've been studying the Tarot.He then said that I was inviting the devil into our house and that the tarot exudes negative energies.I know the bible does not condone this practice. After all I've read so far,I do not feel like this is evil in anyway.What are your thoughts on this matter? Dawn

fairyhedgehog	11 Oct 2002
Wow! That's pretty strong stuff! I know there is at least one Christian on these boards who uses tarot, so I hope you get a response from them. There are some decks that are particularly "Christian friendly" too, I believe that the Connolly is one. My own view, for what it is worth, is that Tarot is only as dangerous as our own subconscious. Mind you, that can be a pretty scary place at times but you can't keep it out of the house by keeping Tarot cards out. You say that the Bible doesn't condone this practice but I don't know where it condemns it either. In the old Testament the priests used divination eg Urim and Thummin (sp?) But maybe a fellow Christian would be more help on this one. I hope your husband doesn't put you off, as Tarot is a wonderful self-development tool, it is a spur to creativity and it is great fun :)

ihcoyc	11 Oct 2002
The Bible condemns the practice of necromancy, consorting with unclean spirits or the spirits of the dead. The Bible specifically approved of the use of the Urim and Thummim, which were sacred lots to answer questions, although the question of how they worked is not preserved. (Numbers 27:21). These things are also called the "ephod" and to use them was to "ask of God" (1 Samuel 23). The use of lots for decision making is also authorised by Biblical precedents. Saul was chosen this way (1 Samuel 10); the land was apportioned among the twelve tribes of Israel this way (Numbers 26:55), and Jonah was identified as the culprit who brought down the Lord's anger on the ship to Tarshish this way (Jonah 1). Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot among the Twelve Apostles by lot. (Acts 1:26) You can approach the Tarot as a similar tool, a somewhat more elaborate version of casting lots to seek advice. That's really all it is. Of course any authentic Tarot is full of Christian imagery throughout the trumps, being a product of the thoroughly Christian culture of Renaissance Italy. If you're up for some really heavyweight reading, you can check out Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism (published anonymously, but written by Valentin Tomberg). Whatever else it will do for you, it will put your mind at ease about the Tarot being a tool of the Devil.

Liliana	11 Oct 2002
Some Christians are too scared of what they dont understand and immediately label it the work of the devil. The Bible condemns divination, but you have to understand the defination of divnation at the time when the Bible was written was different than our defination, especially considering translation. I believe that the divination the Bible is warning against is the kind the subverts free will, telling stuff WILL happen and we cant change it. Many decks have Christian symbolism, in cluding the Rider Waite (the pillars of the High Priestess are the pillars of the temple of Solomon and the ace of cups depics the eucharist for example). Connolley is also Christian, but I really dont like what she did to the symbolism, and the deck is all sweetness and light. Theres also Tarot of the Saints and Golden Tarot of the Tsar. ANother is called SoulTidings Truthcards, some might argue they arent Tarot, and the Master Tarot, which I say isnt Tarot as well. The Tarot can help you get closer to God, not move away from him, if you choose to use it that way. :THP

Kazz	11 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by fairyhedgehog There are some decks that are particularly "Christian friendly" too, I believe that the Connolly is one. I have Eileen Connolly's 'Tarot for the apprentice'. This book I bought when I first started with the tarot, and it is very Christian orientated. See if you can get a hold of this book so you can show your husband, I am sure he would find it very interesting. ( I wish I lived just around the corner from you so you could borrow it :D) Just one of the MANY things that I love about the Tarot, is 'self discovery' the way it brings out the ME that I thought wasn't in there. I wish you all the best Cheers Kazz :TQC

DarkElectric	11 Oct 2002
Hi Bellaluna :) I do recall something in the Bible admonishing people not to seek out sorcerers or soothsayers. However, this would also preclude going to see a Doctor, Science, and watching TV, because these modern miracles which we realize are not in any sense "Evil" would have been considered sorcery and soothsaying back then. And in my opinion, Tarot is not fortunetelling. Some people have been known to use it for that, but I see it as a tool for personal growth and development. And, besides that, It's a lot of fun. I'm sorry your husband doesn't understand it. Some people are afraid of tarot. I hope he doesn't try to make life difficult for you or something because you are doing your own thing. And, other folks have mentioned the Connolly deck. It is a very Christian deck. And a beautiful one, I think. I have it, and I like it a lot. There are quite a few Christian people who read Tarot. It so hapens that I personally am not Christian. But I respect all life affirming paths.

napaea	11 Oct 2002
i'm grateful to all of you on this thread, and glad it was started! i am not a Christian, but i used to be, and my family has had a hard time with my change of views, as well as my venture into tarot. i'm definately going to check out those books, and i'm so glad ihcoyc knew so many verses in the Bible about this...that will help give my mom something to chew on! :) bellaluna: i too hope this doesn't cause problems with you and hubby. i used to be afraid of tarot when i was a christian, and i understand that people fear it is opening a door to dangerous spirits and influences. i hope you are able to keep practicing, and that your husband will see that it is no different than thinking over the dream you had last night, opening your Bible and finding exactly the passage you needed to read, or instinctively knowing you have to call someone you haven't talked to in a long time. it's has everything to do with the subconscious and "godhead" and so little to do with the dark. blessings to you...

Major Tom	11 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by bellaluna He then said that I was inviting the devil into our house and that the tarot exudes negative energies. Dawn Bollocks! (Sorry if I've offended anyone here - but it's got to be said). }) Ah well, the devil...friend of mine if there ever was one... *singing* "took my $20 bill and vanished in the air..." Tarot exudes negative energy? I don't think so. At the end of the day it's up to you what you do. }) Here's what the devil whispers: "The secret to life is what you want." The best response is to laugh and tell him: "I know". }) lol

aeonx	11 Oct 2002
Hi Bellaluna. I know some people have had problems after bringing the tarot into their house, but they never grounded themselves either. I think it's very important that you keep negative energies off you deck and yourself when working with tarot (for example by imagining a white light surrounding the deck and yourself). One of my friends burned her tarot deck after being bothered in the house for some time. She said she could feel something in the house that wasn't supposed to be there. She was actually one of those who introduced me to tarot. When I asked if she grounded herself, she didn't understand. She had never heard about it. I think this is the explanation of the negative environment in her house, that she may have opened gates and not closed them again. IMO, when you read tarot, you open gates to the 'unknown' or maybe Anima Mundi (World Spirit). I think it's vital to close these gates again so you don't bring them with you where you go. As positive energies can enter your life, so can negative ones too. All the best to you! :) ~aeonx~

lawguy51	11 Oct 2002
It's hard to convince the skeptic, be they Christian or just afraid of anything they can't explain, that Tarot cards are not occult, that they are totally dependent on the intuition of the reader and have no 'magic' power of their own. Of course, having cards like Death and the Devil to explain away makes our job a little harder!

Laurel	11 Oct 2002
My roomie was told by one of her closest friends the other day that astrology and the New Age movement "invited the Devil in", leaving my poor roomie completely shocked; she'd never guessed the lady (who's met me and I think of as a nice, nice lady) had these kinds of beliefs. Being the kind of person who's probably "the devil's whore" by the standards being used by the dogmatically religious, maybe I'm a bad role model on this topic. But the tarot has never led me into violence, despair, crime, or anything else I term a "sin". If on the other hand its a sin to become more self-confident, self-aware, altruistic, discerning, studious, contemplative, and frank.... then gosh, I would have to say my experiences with the tarot have led to all those things, and it seems like tarot leads to those things for many other readers, enough to make it a generalization. Laurel

Violet Gargoyle	11 Oct 2002
As stated above, reading Tarot is not mentioned in the Bible, just someones decision to interpret it that way. Putting faith in it (or anything else) over God is what is preached against. Or worshipping it's (the card's) "decisions" over worshipping God etc. You could also try Robert Place's "Tarot of the Saints" among other suggestions. There is also many angel oracles and animal based decks that may be less.....intimidating? to look at....a gentler introduction on his end.

ihcoyc	11 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by lawguy51 Of course, having cards like Death and the Devil to explain away makes our job a little harder! Of course, both Death and the Devil are two of the more obviously Christian images in the deck. More churches ought to have frescoes like Giotto's Triumph of Death in them. I know: if none of these answers convince your husband, for a mere $500 I will light a candle and take the curse away. . . .

Keslynn	11 Oct 2002
I am a Christian as well. I still read even though my parents would never approve, but I just hide my stuff when they come visit. ;) At any rate, I call on nothing when I use the tarot cards. I figure, if I don't invite anything, it's not gonna come! I think Michele Morgan mentions something like that in her book: don't invite evil energies or spirits and you won't have any problems with them. Also, if you have the Holy Spirit within you (as most Christian groups believe - pardon if you don't), then you're in safe hands. Also, I don't believe that tarot is really fortunetelling anyway. I use it mostly to get a new perspective on a situation or on some aspect of myself. The positions that are for "outcome" or "near future" are only possibilities. At least that's what I think. Everyone else has given really good information so I really can't add much else. Perhaps "judge not lest ye be judged" for your husband? Best of luck. :) Kes

Lovelace	12 Oct 2002
I like the way my mom put it once - the tarot doesn't really tell you anything you don't already know, it just opens you up to the deeper levels of your intuition. All the levels of consciousness and perspective we have can confuse our emotions and judgement a lot, and something about the cards helps clarify the things we really know, deep down. At least, that's what I believe. Looking at it that way, there's really nothing about them that would make you more susceptible to invasions from dark energies. (Though I've also had people tell me that the cards belong to the devil before... ) :T2S

bellaluna	12 Oct 2002
Thanks everyone for your replies,it has been very insightful and helpful.Iwill check out the book and the deck and give it a whirl. Hey ihcoyc, Is there a money back guarantee? hehe!! Dawn

Kiama	12 Oct 2002
Aswell as all the really good stuff that others have already posted, you could try a little Christian theology: God is omnipresent (Everywhere) God is omniscient (Knows everything) God is omnipotent (All-powerful) So, if God is omnipresent, He must also be present within a deck of Tarot cards. And can something which God is within really be a tool for evil? We could say that yes, they can be, and point to examples of people like Hitler, who God must have been in, but he was still evil. We can also point to things like knives and guns and how they kill loads of people but God is still in them. However, to say this is to forget that maybe it is the person weilding the knife or gun who MAKES the tool 'evil', and that the person has FREE WILL which allows them to choose to be 'evil'. A deck of Tarot cards does not have free will to choose to be good or evil. And God is everywhere, even in the deck of Tarot cards. If He's not, then he isn't omnipotent. Kiama

Dark Inquisitor	12 Oct 2002
I don't think that the tarot invites the devil- people have to do that. Either by directly asking for it, or engaging in negative behaviors. Many times, people feel more comfortable pointing a finger outward to say that the devil is coming from something else, rather than having to look inside , do true soul searching, and accept responsibility. I always think that historically it has been important to associate tarot with evil & the devil to prevent people,- especially women -,from gaining knowledge & insight that might upset the old power structure. It sounds like your husband has preconceived notions & has made up his mind. Could be the makings of a trying time, depending on his personality & how much he likes you! Good luck- Tarotphelia

aeonx	12 Oct 2002
Just think of it this way: How many murderers, rapists, dictators etc are using tarot cards?? Of course, there may be some out there, but it's not like it's a 'media-thing', if you know what I mean. If tarot really was evil, it would have been more focused on, in public. We would have big news on "another murder commited by the terrible Tarot Killer aka 'Judgement'"! :rolleyes: ~aeonx~

Sinta	13 Oct 2002
Yeah, I am a Christiant ;) and I see nothing wrong with reading the tarot. Sure the first time I got it i felt terribly uneasy. But then i realized that the cards could be burnt, the cards could be destroyed or thrown away... they are just cards which to me depicts imagery that will hit a subconcious thought and bring that up in your mind. I do not believe there is anything spiritual in it, though i have to admint that reoccuring cards in my deck happen pretty often and i have no explanation for that. I look at the cards like a psychiatrist/psychologist might use drawings or ink paper, and ask you what they mean to you. The§ only way the cards could manifest evil, is if you give them that power and fear it. Though to me the decks are just cards, i have a strange perspective to me. I try and build a friendship with my cards and thus i feel better and know they are my ally. A bit of advice. Choose you primary-archetype card (can be calculated with your birthday ;) ) and look at it. Speak to it if you want ;) To ease your fears, know you have an ally in that deck. Build from that. Remeber, there are no bad cards.

Trogon	13 Oct 2002
Note; This posting contains my opinions on some possilby controversial subjects. Please keep this in mind. You do not have to agree with me. If one goes to the web site at http://bible.crosswalk.com/ you can do searches for words in the bible. This web site also offers the texts of numerous translations. If one does a search for "divination" in the American Standard version (one that uses modern English) you will find several references, most of which have a negative connotation. I am, myself, a Christian. However, I have gotten extremely disillusioned with mainstream religion and the people who "run the show". The main problem I have with religion is with the people. As for the references in the bible, one has to keep in mind such things as the fact that the bible condones such things as slavery. I have been realizing more and more that what has been written in the bible, while possibly originally divinely inspired, has been written, rewritten, and rewritten (ad infinitum) by people. And these are the same people who condemned thousands, perhaps millions of people to their deaths in the Crusades, the inquisition, witch hunts throughout Europe and the American colonies. These are the same people.... ah well I could go on for hours on the problems and contridictions which I percieve with people and religion. In a nutshell, my feeling is that the bible, the original intent of the document, has been considerably changed over the thousands of years in which it has been in existence. Now, is Tarot evil? I don't believe that Tarot is any more evil than the person using it. A great deal more evil has been done in the name of "religion" and even "christianity" than has ever been done in the name of the Tarot. As has already been mentioned, the Tarot is about finding the answers that are within onesself. So, ask yourself... is the Tarot something which is going to bring enlightenment and spirituality to you and your home? If the answer is "yes", then keep studying the Tarot. Otherwise, give away or destroy your decks and leave it alone. I do hope, bellaluna, that you decide that the Tarot can be an enlightening and uplifting tool for you. But I do feel that you should decide this for yourself... not easy when you have a loved one who doesn't understand or is actively antagonistic. You have some hard decisions ahead of you. Hopefully your husband will be able to understand...

napaea	14 Oct 2002
additional thought: don't remember who said their friend burned their deck.... but the interesting thing about tarot, is that when you do it...well it's like several other things (dream interpretation, meditation,) it opens up your subconscious, and i have found it makes you notice little things, little signs more. doing yoga did this for me too. but maybe this girl has ghosts in her house, and she never felt the energy before until her subconscious opened to that realm, through the tarot. it doesnt' necessarily mean she "invited" spirits in, maybe there were spirits around her already and she only discovered them after tarot. i do think we can invite things in accidentally, that's why it is so important to ground, or check yourself, and to be discerning. but i also think, on the whole, if you are a strong person who is not easily swayed that you will tend to not invite anything you don't want. just mho

Major Tom	14 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by ihcoyc for a mere $500 I will light a candle and take the curse away. . . . I'll take the curse away for £100. With a money back guarantee. ;) })

Alex	19 Oct 2002
living in hell than facing the Devil. I think it's a good answer to start with. Prejudice, if not a sin, should be promoted to that category. Alex. Quote: Originally posted by bellaluna I recently told my husband that I've been studying the Tarot.He then said that I was inviting the devil into our house and that the tarot exudes negative energies.I know the bible does not condone this practice. After all I've read so far,I do not feel like this is evil in anyway.What are your thoughts on this matter?Dawn

nina	19 Oct 2002
Hello, I am a Christian and was kind of afraid to admit the first time on this forum, but no one has condemned me for it or even seemed bothered. Practicing tarot and practicing any religion both require a belief in something larger than yourself that you cannot see, a leap of faith. And like anything you commit to or explore in your life, you can get into trouble if you do it for the wrong reasons: out of pride because you want to feel superior or more in-the-know, out of fear because you think you can use it to intimidate others or make them dependent on you, out of mean-spiritedness because you have an latent (or overt) desire to make others insecure...etc. The tarot is a great tool for spiritual awareness. I am aware, though, that I am not the great power behind them. I ground myself before a reading and remind myself that the reading is coming through me, not from me, and I ask God, humbly, to help me see the message clearly. I haven't found my faith in God shaken or my morals corrupted (never looked at a spread and said, "Hey, maybe I shouldn't love my neighbor!") I've said elsewhere on this forum that I think it's healthy to spend a certain amount of time each day focusing on something that reminds you of larger spiritual truths than your day-today life calls to your attention- meditation, prayer, yoga, tarot - I don't think any of these activities "invites the Devil" You can invite him in through any activity by your own motivation (we're none of so archaic as to think sex is inherently evil, but I know people who use it in evil ways for evil purposes). Don't blame the messenger. Anyway, my soapbox is starting to cave in, I better get down. -Nina

Alex	19 Oct 2002
I thought everyone was ;-) The country where I was born and spent a good part of my life is 70% catholic but there is a lot of fusion with african religious rituals. The rest is equally divided among other christian and non-christian religions. Most catholics there can do some little thing like reading Tarot, runes, palm reading, astrology etc. I don't know what the church thinks about it but most people just go about ther businesses and don't care. Institutions are here to serve people's best interest, not the contrary. Quote: Originally posted by nina I am a Christian and was kind of afraid to admit the first time on this forum, but no one has condemned me for it or even seemed bothered. -Nina

The Inviting the Devil thread was originally posted on 11 Oct 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.