Close call

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 01 Jan 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

little	01 Jan 2003
I was an hour from home when I stopped for some pizza on my way. It took a while for them to cook it, and I was bored with my novel. I had the Universal Waite in my purse, as I've been studying it more closely, and I thought I'd pull it out and look at the day's cards, maybe lay out a small spread on the fast food table. My hand was about halfway to my purse. If you'd asked me, ten minutes before, who the person was who I least wanted to know that I am interested in the tarot (and at this point in my life, no one at all knows it but myself), I would have said it was my fundamentalist Christian grandfather. That isn't who walked in the door just as my hand was halfway to my purse. It was Reverend X, who is (a) the leader of one of the largest churches in my town, a predominantly black Baptist church (b) probably the most well-respected face in my town, and (c) the president of the school board I teach for. One... minute... later... and my life would have gotten significantly more interesting very, very quickly.

bec	01 Jan 2003
just shows why not all are in a hurry to get out of the tarot-closet. I hope that one day you will be able to live and show who you are and not just a reflection of what others think you should be. blessed

lunalafey	02 Jan 2003
'just shows why not all are in a hurry to get out of the tarot-closet.' not so much coming out of the closet in your own interest, but the universe protecting you from the thoughts of others who are not ready for such things

fairyhedgehog	02 Jan 2003
Woohoo that was a close call little! And a bit of a cautionary tale too as far as I'm concerned - you never know who will be around that you're not expecting. Reminds me why I'm in the tarot closet :)

Kiama	02 Jan 2003
Whilst I am veyr much out of the Tarot closet (My friends, family, and those who mean something to me in my life know of my interest and occupation - Tarot Reader!) I am always careful about where I get my deck out... On New Year's Eve, in a pub I normally read in anyway, my friend asked for a reading... But there was a rather large prospective 'audience', who I suspected would be offended by what I was doing. I personally have no fear of being shouted at or accused of evil-doig by people, but I do have a fear of making people feel uneasy and offended because of something I am doing, so I try to work out if people wll be offended or not. Its hard to tell these things if you don't know the person, but needless to say, the cards start out by being shuffled under the table... ;) Kiama

samantha	02 Jan 2003
This may sound really STUPID , but this , initial, thread was a real eye opener for me !!! Personally I just cannot imagine reading the cards in a "public" area ! (What a snob !) I am amazed that anyone can concentrate in this kind of set up ! I am SO concilliatory about my cards "wellbeing".....I have a real ritual of cleaning the room before I read....and insist that hands must be clean !!!!! I really look on my deck as respected guests, so they get the red carpet treatment every time. Yesterday I noticed that their wrap was getting a little dirty ....and I found myself saying "Sorry" !!!!!!!!! This confession will no doubt make some of you laugh , some of you shake your heads sadly , some of you suggest therapy , but I'm interested to know how other people "treat" their cards. indeed how would they classify the relationship ?

Jewel	02 Jan 2003
Little, I am pleased to hear that your deck decided to stay put a little longer :) ... It is quite sad that a tarot closet needs to exist ~sigh~ ... I am pretty open about my interest in tarot, but that could always change one day depending on where I am living at the time and my job. Like Kiama noted, it is about trying to determine how comfortable/uncomfortable it will make others. Samantha - I treat my decks as I do good friends so we hang out :D ... My favorite places to do readings are on my living room carpet, bed or the coffee table. I usually have a deck or two in my purse ... always travel with 2 or 3. If I am reading a book referencing a particular deck, I sometimes pour a glass of wine, hop in the bubble bath (note this is not something I do with friends only the hubby, my rubber duckie, books and tarot decks), read my book and flip through the cards (as of yet no cards have gone swimming). If I feel like cleansing my deck then I simply put them in order (that does the trick for me). I am not very formal, ceremonial or ritualistic as you can tell. I like to keep things simple. As I see it is all a matter of personal preference.

Shadow Wolf	02 Jan 2003
Is there room in that closet for me ??????? UHG !! I just got elbowed in the rib !!!!! Space is getting pretty limited in here !!!!! I find myself hanging out of the tarot closet. Friends who are into it have asked me for readings. My family doesn't know the extent of my interest and my mother would have a stroke if she knew I actually took this seriously. We all knew my brother converted to Buddhism, my mother is just finding this out, and she's not a bit happy either, I might add. I teach in a public school, so fear of being fired over tarot is not an issue. (like I could stop now, even if I wanted to !!!!) It is too bad that we have hide this wonderful tool for spiritual growth, but I guess that's why we use tarot, we are interested in anythng that will help us to be the best people we can be. Oh , well........ If I HAVE to be in the tarot closet at all, at least I'm really enjoying the company !!!!!! Blessing and Light, Shadow Wolf

Trish	02 Jan 2003
I don't really care who knows I read Tarot. I know I'm not a wicked person, and so do the Powers That Be (whatever you want to call it/them). That is all that matters. :D But that is not why I am hesitant to read the cards in public. I don't read Tarot in public because I don't want total strangers to come up to me and start pestering me for a reading. hehe!

Red Emma	02 Jan 2003
While I'm retired and boast that I do whatever I want, when I want, it's only partially true. One reason I don't talk about Tarot with some people is because I may work with them on boards and committees. "New Age Freaks" are looked at with pity, patronization and downright scorn. If one is known to indulge in these weird past times, then one is not taken seriously. My ideas and suggestions would be ignored and put down. I can understand the dilemma of people whose very living depends on staying in their closets. I also don't read in public, partly for that reason, but mostly I haven't reached the skill level of many of you. I keep thinking, "I'm messing with these people's lives. What if I make a serious mistake." The result doesn't bear thinking about.

Alex	02 Jan 2003
but this is so foreign to me. I spent over half of my life in this country where most people do some little thing like carrying cristals, reading "buzios" (gosh, how to translate it?), Tarot, or whatever else suits them and I don't recall any of these things being a problem to anyone. Brazil is mostly a catholic country but when the priest doesn't like it, too bad for him! We still do it. Religion is for the people, not a means to control them. This thing about controlling other people's activities, is that really a religion-driven impulse? I am for tolerance but it bothers me that others won't tolerate something I do that is harmless. Alex.

magipixie	03 Jan 2003
Okay.....maybe this sounds naive, but I had no idea that there was a tarot closet. I've only recently started reading cards, but I've been around people who have my whole life, and it sort of pains me to think that some of my good friends, some of my strongest role models may have been looked upon badly for their interest in Tarot. Little, I too am glad the universe slowed your hand the way that it did, I just wish it wasn't necessary. I want to be idealistic and say "hey, shout it from the rooftops, why not", but then again as far as profession goes I'm just CEO Mom, and my son is still young enough to think that everything I do is not only fine, but really cool. At least there are places like this forum, where you know someone will always support you. Blessed Be, Pixie

The Close call thread was originally posted on 01 Jan 2003 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.