Mundane vs. serious readings

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 13 Nov 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Jeanette	13 Nov 2002
OK, I guess this is sort of a survey. Does anyone use their tarot card skills for "silly" stuff? Just sort of goofing around, you know? Like, should I bake a cake, if so, how will it come out? I do this when I want to stay "in tune" with my cards, but don't really have anything exciting to analyze. I'll just think about stuff of no great importance and see what my cards have to say about it. I'm just curious as to how others use their cards on a daily basis! Thanks for your input!

Ladyhawke	13 Nov 2002
I have a friend who reads for TV shows. She's a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, so she reads for it...."What influences Buffy in the next episode?" "What will happen to Spike?" etc. She says it works pretty well too... :) Ladyhawke

zorya	13 Nov 2002
i use my cards for a great many things, but never for just goofing around. i suppose the different ways that people use them are based on the beliefs that people have about the tarot. i believe, that not only do i tap into the 'universal' when i read, but that i have spirit guides assisting me as well. i wouldn't want to bother them with "silly stuff".

WolfSpirit	13 Nov 2002
I never used the cards for something like that... I feel I just don't need to ask the cards what I should cook for dinner for example, I don't think it would be good practice anyway as in a reading I always concentrate more on the spiritual meaning. I think I would lose my intuitive edge if I would use the cards for things I don't need the cards for.

Diana	13 Nov 2002
edited

Keslynn	13 Nov 2002
I don't really feel like it's goofing around but... sometimes I'll pull one card if I need to make a quick decision. For example, should I go to class today? lol So far I've only got good advice. I was about to chicken out on going to this one seminar once, but I drew one card. It intimated that I should go and I did. Had a great time too. I'll have to try reading for Buffy... ;) Love that show! :) Kes

lawguy51	13 Nov 2002
Have to go with Zorya on this one. When I am doing a reading, I have a certain ritual and I ask for guidance and I concentrate on tapping into a collective consciousness. Sometimes though, when I've got the cards in my hands, I might start flipping cards, maybe do a three card spread, just to see what I get, but not with any question in my mind. And guess what, I usually get from the cards exactly what I've asked for, which is nothing. Lawguy51

allibee	13 Nov 2002
Quote: I'll pull one card if I need to make a quick decision. Just wondering what you would do if you were separated from your cards for any length of time ?!?! :confused: *visions of you like a marble statue, unable to move, lol* allibee :D

Sea Sprite	13 Nov 2002
I consult the tarot on a daily basis for the theme of the day. Once I've consulted the cards when I suspected that someone was gonna be a no show. The tarot never seizes to amaze me! :)

aeonx	13 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Diana Jeanette, could be an interesting exercice. Will a chocolate cake give me indigestion, or should I rather make a plain sponge cake? Then it can get more serious: Why would a chocolate cake give me indigestion? (Pull another card). Oh, because I eat it all too quickly. Why do I eat it all so quickly? (Another card here). Because I need chocolate. Why do I need chocolate? (Card). Because I am feeling down in the dumps. Why am I feeling down in the dumps? (Card). Because my friend treated me badly. Why did my friend treat me badly? (Card). Because I whine all the time. Why do I whine all the time? (Card). Because I am dissatisfied with my life. *lol* Seriously, I would not goof around with my tarot cards. I guess they feel too sacret to me. However, I don't view doing that a 'violation' at all. Do what feels right. If you have no problem with it, do it. You know, some people keep their cards laying around everywhere, bake a cake while doing a spread etc and have no 'sacret' feeling about their cards. Others won't have smoke by them or absolutely NOT eat less than ten feet near them. :) ~aeonx~

Keslynn	13 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by allibee Just wondering what you would do if you were separated from your cards for any length of time ?!?! :confused: *visions of you like a marble statue, unable to move, lol* allibee :D *lol* That is a funny image. But that's not quite what I meant. I don't use the tarot for every decision I have to make. That would be ridiculous. I just draw a card when either option looks equally good or I'm otherwise feeling no impulse. Usually though, I have an impulse. This is also dependent on me having the cards around. I do something similar when I'm shopping and I can't decide. If I have a friend with me, I'll ask "should I get that?" It confuses those who don't know me well. :) Kes

Mystica	13 Nov 2002
I agree with both Zorya and Lawguy on this one. I feel that I'm connecting with the universal consiousness for a reading. I have a short grounding, connecting, meditation ritual, whatever name you want to give it, that I do before readings. I don't mean to come off pious or something here. There are many things in life that I don't take seriously, but the Tarot is not one of them.

la_huesera	14 Nov 2002
I have to agree with Aeonx on this one: If it feel right for you then go ahead and do it. But personally I would not use my cards for that. They are somewhat sacred to me. *Mareike* (hmm, do I have a discarded deck lying around somewhere? Maybe I should try and read for 'Casualty' - LOL :-)

allibee	14 Nov 2002
Honestly speaking tho, I do feel that if you've built up a strong relationship with your cards and the Tarot in general, that it's ..... errr ..... taking the pi55 out of them to treat them in such a way that their meaning to you is similar to that of a toy. But that's just my humble opinion :) allibee ( who was it that said : when I want your opinion, I'll give it to you - anyone?)

Jeanette	14 Nov 2002
Diana, I really liked how you played that out! That's sort of what I meant when I said I sometimes use the cards for "silly" stuff; when I use them for no specific question. I don't consult them for every move I make, that would be ridiculous. But, when I haven't used them for a while, it's nice to take them out and look at them and work with them. And, since I must be living a very dull and stable life, without a lot of deep issues to go into :) I run out of subjects to do spreads on! So I think about mundane issues (which can evolve into deeper thought). That's what's so cool about Tarot, you can start with a simple thought, and end up somewhere totally unexpected because of what the cards show you.

Pollux	14 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by lawguy51 And guess what, I usually get from the cards exactly what I've asked for, which is nothing. *ROFLOL* Very well said, man. ;) This is my experience as well, and I find it quite amusing. There REALLY is a relationship with the cards, even though someone will mantain they are simply inked pieces of paper. And if you want that is a proof of responce - and an implicit request for respect maybe. Some respect is necessary, since the tool is a powerful one anyway, and it lets us wade through field we wouldn't explore otherwise, to fly between different worlds... Of course, the degree of respect might change from one person to another - and therefore different behaviours. Some might not like reading while eating (like me, for example), and like to get prepared, preferring a calm situation created on purpose if needed. Some others might be more comfortable with mundane stuff and therefore feel right doing that, and if it is ok with them I don't know why I should criticize... :P

Lee	14 Nov 2002
I would tend to agree with James Wanless, the creator of the Voyager deck, who says we should feel free to ask the Tarot anything we want. I feel that we're always in danger of taking the Tarot and ourselves too seriously. If we build up such rigid expectations for our deck and ourselves, this might actually prevent our intuition from working as freely and as flexibly as it could. I think a healthy sense of play can help to relax our egos so that insights may occur that wouldn't have otherwise. A great example of this would be Diana's great post, where a mundane question leads to an important insight. If we view our Tarot deck as a trusted friend, then it only makes sense that besides having long, serious conversations with it, we'll also want to just throw a frisbee around with it sometimes. -- Lee

Eviemay	14 Nov 2002
If I'm using the cards to simply practise on I would ask questions like; "Tell me what i need to know" "What do i need to focus on today/this week?" or simply state that it's a general reading i want. I tend not to goof around with my cards, they are to valuable a tool for that. But to each his own! Bright Blessings Evie

Diana	14 Nov 2002
Oh and by the way Jeanette: I don't think baking cakes is silly stuff. It's taking "god's" gifts to us and mixing them altogether, using energy (heat) to transform them, and making something delicious - and one uses all one's five senses. If the cards can help you make a better cake, then I don't think that's silly at all. If the cards will remind you that you're in a forgetful mood and may forget to put on the timer, well then I think that's great. There is nothing great or small. Only thinking makes it so. (paraphrased.)

Jeanette	14 Nov 2002
Thanks Diana! Maybe it's when you EAT the cake that you get silly! Especially with ice cream! Hee-hee! :) I like to use my cards for all the things I do in life; like Lee said, the way you'd be with a trusted friend. Sometimes you need a friend to talk with about something really important, and sometimes not ~ but you're still spending and sharing time, which is important IMO.

Butterfly	14 Nov 2002
I agree with many others that there is something is something divine, and bigger than us which we must respect when using tarot. And I've heard it said many times that you shouldn't ask mundane things- you know, where should I go on holidays, etc. But I completely disagree, tarot brings a sacredness to my view of mundane- by being guided where to holiday magic may happen. A real life example. I asked my cards- I'm bored what can I do with my time (which may be seen as a disrespectful question). Wheel of fortune came up- so I started to seriously study astrology and it's taken me on an amzing, fulfilling, spiritual journey. It's because I respect my relationship with the cards so much that I do ask what might have been considered a silly question. Hmm, wonder if I'm making a scrap of sense...LOL

Joywalker	15 Nov 2002
Hmm..I never thought of using my tarot cards for silly questions.Think I have too much respect for the cards and wouldn't want to 'misuse' them. :) If I have to make every minor decisions using tarot cards,I'll probably never step out of my room! :D

Diana	15 Nov 2002
You know, this term "silly question" is starting to get on my nerves (not the people who use the term, the term itself.) What on earth is a silly question? Who are we to judge what is important for someone or not? Is baking a cake less important than making a career decision? And what happens if it is WHILE one is making the cake that one gets sudden inspiration as to what career decision to make? What if the twirling of the mixer makes us think of an aspect we have not thought about? I'm off to use my cards to decide whether I should do my shopping at the big supermarket or the small one. Just for fun, just for the hell of it, and just because I love playing with my cards. Who knows, it may be the turning point of my life (perhaps I'll meet someone there who will change my life forever.)

Demonesse	15 Nov 2002
All in all, I think it's up to the individual to decide what he/she wants to do with the cards; we cannot forget the element of fun in questioning the unknown in tarot readings - if there wasn't any, great decks like the Halloween, for example, wouldn't exist! Furthermore, even the 'mundane' readings may even help avoid disastrous situations which can often snowball out of nothing. Picture this: You decide to go grocery shopping...you forget you're wearing the shirt which has a huge hole in the back and gets you many amused stares...you lose $100 because you drop your wallet....on the way back the car blows a tire...another car rams into the back...all your groceries spill out and you suffer whiplash for the next six months and assorted injuries...but if you HAD consulted the cards perhaps you would have been more careful, or decided not to go at all! :)

WolfSpirit	15 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Butterfly And I've heard it said many times that you shouldn't ask mundane things- you know, where should I go on holidays, etc. But I completely disagree, tarot brings a sacredness to my view of mundane- by being guided where to holiday magic may happen. I for one do not consider where you should go on holidays a mundane question - for many people the holidays is the highlight of the year, the time they feel and think more than they do at their job. And: you never know what impact the holiday will have, you may come across something that may change your life forever. Life is funny sometimes - looking back I'm sure you'll find what seemed like small decisions proved to be very significant in the long run. All great changes have to start somewhere, you often don't know when or where or how the first seed is planted. But then, while I did the reading I would already sense that the decision might be important, even if there is only a chance it may be important for me. If I really feel the reading has no importance at all - predicting tv series for example - I would not do the reading, I don't think I could concentrate on or interprete a reading that I don't care about. I don't see my cards as a friend to chat with, for me they are a tool to understand myself better and to help me cope with changes and make better decisions. But that's me - I don't pass judgment on those who use the cards differently.

mrsjvan	15 Nov 2002
Jeanette, I will sometimes do spreads for my husband in order for him to pick his fantasy football players. I don't know if this is really a serious topic or not but it's important to him. I tend to use one deck for my serious topics and another if it's stuff like that. mrsjvan

Jeanette	15 Nov 2002
I don't know about the rest of you, but I am thoroughly enjoying reading the responses to my question! Everybody has such different viewpoints, I just love "picking your brains!" It's too bad we can't discuss in person! I also am really pleased to see how everyone respects each other's opinions. After all, it's sometimes our biggest differences that makes the world go 'round. :)

ihcoyc	15 Nov 2002
I've already mentioned how I use the Tarot to flesh out the personalities of Dungeons and Dragons characters. Now I must confess that I have more than once done a reading before going to the horse track as well. I go to Churchill Downs maybe once or twice a year, and I am always looking for an edge against chance there. . . .

Lee	15 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by ihcoyc Now I must confess that I have more than once done a reading before going to the horse track as well. And did you win? :) -- Lee

ihcoyc	15 Nov 2002
Over the course of the years, I suspect I have broke even at the track, more or less, which is actually doing pretty good. I picked the KY Derby correctly for the past three years, though, but the only one I was really helped on by the Tarot was Monarchos in 2001. Then again, Monarchos was the horse I got the strongest vibe from generally that year.

paradoxx	25 Nov 2002
I've been pretty lucky, i work in a tech call center and help people with their problems. The managment could care less what i do between calls, so i have the majority of my 13 decks with me ready for some readings (quite popluar on the call floor too.) with some interesting readings. access to the internet takes up the rest of my free time. The best thing is that the documentation program i use sometimes has an 'Oracle Error' and shuts down.

VGimlet	26 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by paradoxx The best thing is that the documentation program i use sometimes has an 'Oracle Error' and shuts down. LOL Paradoxx. :) I mostly use my cards for serious readings, but I personally think the cards are there to do with as we will, like any tool, and why shouldn't they be used for fun as well as serious things??? Joy is part of life, too. :D

vijeno	26 Nov 2002
I still have a bit of a sacredness feeling about my cards, but I'm consciously trying to get rid of that. For one, I think the more they're integrated with my everyday life, and the less awe there is, the better. Tarot and me should be a friendship, not a master-servant-relationship. And then, they ARE playing-cards, after all. There's a sense in that, other than just hiding them from the authorities, I believe. vijeno

The Mundane vs. serious readings thread was originally posted on 13 Nov 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.