Tarot friendly communities

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 02 Jan 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

lunalafey	02 Jan 2003
After seeing a few threads over the months about the "CLOSET".....I began to wonder... I live in an area that is quite..?...open-minded. We have a highway clean-up project....part of the freeway is keep beautiful by ...H.A.P.N...Humboldt Area Pagan Network. Some here might recall that the Infinite Tarot is made right in my home town....The PTA put a 'fortune telling'(real reader) booth at the school fair. There are ALL sorts of 'alternative' religous celebrations.. (Solstice, Sweat Lodges...etc.) In the gift shops, occult items. If you mention Astrology or Tarot...actually anything mystic...everyone has something to say, some story to tell.... I know there has to be more places like this in the world....Where are they???

allibee	02 Jan 2003
England.... rich in history - druids, standing stones, Devils Dyke, The tall Man, Mystic Meg, Doris Stokes .... and everything else in between. I think on the whole we are an 'accepting nation'. It may not have always been this way, but no one has ever offered to stone me or burn me at the stake ... they wouldn't dare, mwahahahahah. ;) Has there even been a New Age or Mystic Trade Union, ya know, better rights for crystal balls? ;) allibee

wavebreaker	02 Jan 2003
I think the Netherlands is pretty accepting. Apart from a few small "Bible belt" like areas nobody is going to judge you for it. It's just that a lot of Dutch people are very down-to-earth and will quickly judge anything out of the ordinary to be "weird". So you run the risk of not being taken seriously. However, I think it's getting better, more and more people are beginning to accept "alternative" religions, thanks to the popularity of "new age stuff" and the involvement of some well-known and respected people. One example: a few year's ago, our queen's sister published a book about communicating with nature. At first, people made fun of it ("the princess who talks to trees"), but now they respect her for it.

allibee	02 Jan 2003
("the princess who talks to trees"), That's so funny, our Prince Charles - he of the enormous hearing appendages - has been known for over a decade for his 'talking to plants' Small world!

Macavity	02 Jan 2003
I suspect what is needed is the return of a "John Dee" type as spin doctor by (UK) Royal appointment? A bit of the ol' Enochian magic and judicious curse here and there? That'll show the Republicans, just as the unfortunate Spanish Armada in 'em days of yore... j/k })

DeLani	02 Jan 2003
Fayetteville, Arkansas. Right smack dab in the middle of the Bible belt, but chock full of gays, lesbians, tattoo parlours, tree-huggers (Julia Butterfly was from here), Pagans, massage therapists, and other assorted freaks. I'm right at home. And there is a town not far from here called Eureka Springs, with a population of only 2,000. About half of them fall into the "leftist" type category. Lots of astrologers and readers. The other half are hard-core christian. Makes for a *very* interesting place to live.

Woof	02 Jan 2003
I grew up in the Bronx and no one cared. Oh maybe they thought it was a teenage phase or something, but the most I got was rolled eyes. New York City is great. No one cares what you do. People are very tolerant. San Diego CA, where I live now, is not so tolerant. We have our new age shops along the coastal beach communities but if you drive 20 - 30 minutes east you have your own little bible belt with even a museum of "Creation Science". I keep my interests to myself here. Woof

magipixie	03 Jan 2003
Suprisingly enough....Austin, Texas! I suppose it's not so much of a suprise if you've ever been here. It's a little (sort of little) oasis of free spirits, open minded people, and earth loving, happy, hippy, beautiful folks. I grew up in Texas, so I don't know if people from other places really know about Austin, but if you're ever in the neighborhood, look us up. One of our bridges is host to the largest single community of bats in North America. I'm not sure what that says, but it has to say something!!! Blessed Be, Pixie

fairyhedgehog	03 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by allibee England.... rich in history - druids, standing stones, Devils Dyke, The tall Man, Mystic Meg, Doris Stokes .... and everything else in between. I think on the whole we are an 'accepting nation'. But it is very patchy. Glastonbury was wonderful when I visited, but Epsom where I live ... it's all Baptist churches and fundamentalist Christianity. Where I work isn't much better - we had Christmas Celebrations at school but not Chanukah, or Eid or any other religious celebration. It's amazing how many mini-cultures there are and what small areas some of them cover. Whereabouts in Sussex should I go looking for good Tarot type stuff, allibee? Because my Mum lives just outside Brighton, so I do go there sometimes.

lunalafey	03 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by DeLani .... tree-huggers (Julia Butterfly was from here).... And there is a town not far from here called Eureka Springs... Julia was my neighbor....well....sorta....She did her famous tree sitting about 20 minutes from my house in a tree named...Luna....go another 30 minutes and your in a town called Eureka. It's a typical populated area, not like the southern part of the county....where I am.

lupo138	03 Jan 2003
definitely not. You still would seriously risk your job here, if you announced yourself a pagan (most people would not be able to see it any different than satanism or something similar) Astrology is quite accepted, being an atheist as well, but certainly not believing in a (female ! huh !) Goddess and the Horned One (did he say horned ? he worships the devil!) *sigh*

brennamor	03 Jan 2003
I have to both agree and disagree with Woof on NYC. I'm a born and bred New Yorker (grew up in a little neighborhood with the quaint name of Hell's Kitchen). And I have to admit the open-mindedness can be spotty. Yes there are areas throughout 4 of the 5 boroughs (I can't speak for Staten Island) where Tarot, Witchcraft, etc are accepted. In my experience these tend to be the poorer or more bohemian areas (Lower East Side or Greenwich Village) or neighborhoods with a large Latino or Caribbean population. Where there is a prevalence of botanicas then Tarotistas can thrive ;-D But in the more affluent sections (upper East Side, Riverdale, Bayside) there is still a taint to anything remotely "occult". They might not get nasty about it but it would definitely raise some eyebrows.

brennamor	03 Jan 2003
Interestingly enough (considering how conservative most of New York State can be) New Paltz seems very accepting of alternative lifestyles, spritual paths and interests. A friend who is a massage therapist lives there and when I've gone to visit I get a very '60s/Greenwich Village vibe to the place (at least in the Village proper). It's a great place! And I've heard that Woodstock is fairly open-minded. Rhinebeck might be too - simply because the Omega Institute is located there.

Bings	03 Jan 2003
West Virginia.... Small town, middle of nowhere West Virginia... Nooooo.... Not the most tolorant community if you are pagan and read tarot cards. The military families stationed here I don't worry too much about. They are from all walks of life and come from all over the U.S. But the local community. The people who have lived here all their lives I don't think are as open minded. The public elementary school still has the students say a prayer at lunch time. They are wonderful, friendly people. Very open and welcoming to the military. But I don't think they would be very "tarot friendly". Dianne

amyel	03 Jan 2003
Ann Arbor, Michigan. And, I have heard, Madison, Wisconsin, but I can't attest to that from any personal experience, having never been to Madison. When I lived in Calgary, it was pretty open and tolerent. I keep hearing Ottawa is, but I don't feel it. Victoria, BC is pretty open and is known in Canada as being one of the hotbeds of alternative spiritualism.

Alissa	03 Jan 2003
New Mexico is practically infamous for our laid back, "manana" approach to life. Of course Santa Fe gets all the hype, and believe you me ... it ain't ALL THAT, but most people all over these parts just shrug off what they don't wish to accept. That said, we do have a high population of pagans, SCAers, new agers, and a lot of metaphysical interests in the state as well. It's a comfortable place to be off beat. Many people aren't prejudiced against Tarot, and my experience when reading at fairs, is that many "normal" people from all over have some interest in mysticism. Of course there are many mystic traditions in the several Native American tribes of our state (Zuni, Acoma etc), and that influences the general culture of people around here. And our state still retains a "hippy persona"... from the Dennis Hopper days, who lived near Taos for many years, I reckon. We've got a number of hippies who came here in the commune days and never left, but did eventually adapt their lifestyles. They are on the whole a laid back lot of people. Mix it all together and it makes for an intersting brew, doesnt it?

Trish	03 Jan 2003
Indiana is ... well ... OK. It's not the most tolerant place in the States, nor is it the most intolerant, either. It's not tolerant enough for my liking, anyway. There is a new-age shop here and there in my part of Indiana, and the chain bookstores have an inventory of basic Tarot decks and other divinatory cards. But you don't hear of too many Pagan communities, or anything like that. Some shops do sell lovely pentacle rings. I have one! :D One of the professors at my university is Wiccan as well. The thing with Indiana is, the closer you are to Chicago, the more tolerant people seem to be. People in Chicago are very laid-back, and Chicago is a very cool, artistic city in general. I haven't really done a serious search in Chicago, but I'm sure you can find a LOT more Pagan people, etc., there. The closer you get to Ohio, on the other hand, the less tolerant they are. I think it might be due to the large Amish and Catholic communities out that way. *shrugs* But that's just me. (I know Amish people don't really associate with the outside world much, but their staunch Christianity does bleed out into the rest of the area.)

Jeanette	03 Jan 2003
Living in Lancaster County, PA, is not tolerant of anything! All businessmen proudly declare they are Christian (I think they are shrewd and conniving). This place does not tolerate anything, I'm sorry to say.

allibee	03 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by fairyhedgehog but Epsom where I live ... it's all Baptist churches and fundamentalist Christianity. I grew up in South Croydon, LOL, and I'm coming to believe that staunch views = money. Quote: Whereabouts in Sussex should I go looking for good Tarot type stuff, allibee? Because my Mum lives just outside Brighton, so I do go there sometimes. Worthing, not far from Brighton. I don't know of that many places/shops per say, just the liberal attitudes. I would think that if I set my mind to it I could turn up some shops/places in Brighton. Actually from when I first read your post to when I posted I read the local paper and there is a huge whole page spread advert for a new New Age shop called Moonstone just opening in Worthing. It sells everything a taroist needs I think, LOL, plus does readings, courses, Reiki, elemental workshops... sounds cool. Better get my zimmer frame out and hobble down there one day! yay allibee

fairyhedgehog	04 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by allibee I read the local paper and there is a huge whole page spread advert for a new New Age shop called Moonstone just opening in Worthing. It sells everything a taroist needs I think, LOL, plus does readings, courses, Reiki, elemental workshops... sounds cool. Better get my zimmer frame out and hobble down there one day! Oh, allibee I feel so torn now. My sister lives in Worthing but what she would say if I go there to a New Age shop I don't know. She was fairly dismissive of my son's Dungeons and Dragons book when we were there at Christmas. Maybe I could just visit the shop without telling her then mosey on to her place ... It's ironic - she lives in Worthing (which does indeed have a lovely atmosphere) although she is pretty much fundamentalist Christian still, as far as I know. And I live in good old Epsom, where all the fundamentalists live, and I'm an atheist with pagan leanings and Tarot as a hobby. We seem to have got it wrong somehow :) Anyway, thanks for the recommendation, I shall try to get to Moonstone to have a look around if I can.

Demonesse	04 Jan 2003
How - interesting - it is to see problems with fundamentalist Christianity. It's so alien to me. Where I'm at, we make a BIG thing out of being multi-racial and multi-cultural and tolerance for other religions. Yeah, sure.

Trish	04 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Demonesse How - interesting - it is to see problems with fundamentalist Christianity. It's so alien to me. Where I'm at, we make a BIG thing out of being multi-racial and multi-cultural and tolerance for other religions. Yeah, sure. LOL! Demonesse ... dude, like, are you being sarcastic? LOL! ;)

dangerdork	04 Jan 2003
Quote: The closer you get to Ohio, on the other hand, the less tolerant they are. Awwww Trish. I must defend my home state. Let me give you an example from one day last fall: I spent a lovely fall day at the Ohio Renaissance Festival, one of the nation's best annual Ren Fests. It's down between Dayton and Cincinnati, not all too far from the Indiana state line in fact. It's a large permanent park of a hundred acres at least I'd guess, built to resemble a 16th century English country village. There were swarms of people there as always, uncountable numbers of folks of every conceivable belief system you could ask for. Dozens of shops selling edged weapons, exotic herbs and essences, incenses, animal skins, hand crafted jewelery and ritual implements... and of course, as always, the various wayside entertainments include authentic gypsy tarot readings. Hundreds of folks, paid performers and attendees alike, who were dressed as if they had just stepped off tarot cards themselves. Medieval entertainment. And thousands of average Christian folk wandering around accepting these deviants and buying their stuff. Paying for the priviledge of attending, in fact. I bought a chalice there this year myself, a really nice ceramic one. To enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and gorgeous autumn foliage on the 100 plus mile trip home, rather than take the pretty (but ordinary) drive home on I-71, I decided to take unmarked back roads and navigate by the sun. By chance, my wanderings happened to take me through Yellow Springs. Ever heard of it? Yellow Springs is a tiny Ohio village that somehow never escaped the 60's. It has quite the reputation as an artist / hippie town. Driving through town on that particular day, I passed a quaint old 2-story clapboard house with a southern-style wrap-around porch, and noticed two gentlemen sitting out front on either side of a card table, drinking tea and staring intently at something on the table. "Tarot Card Readings" said a hand-lettered poster taped to the porch railing facing the main street. I've never seen THAT before in small-town America. I didn't miss Columbus by more than a couple miles navigating by the sun (and North Star, it got dark during the course of the trip), which was pretty cool. It was early enough to go Pentacle shopping. I wanted to have the 4 implements (Cup, Wand, Sword, Pentacle) as props when I did my public readings at a theater fundraiser the next week, and at a local pub where I had been invited to do readings the week after that on Halloween. I went a local witch store to pick one up, but although they had a nice selection of Pentacles, they all had little loops so they could be worn as necklaces - not what I was looking for. I also got the distinct impression that the particular witches who were minding the store had been interrupted at something, and were not comfortable having a man around. Not to worry, there are many other places in town which carry such things. Just a day in MY life in Ohio. We got more here than Amish and Fundies. ;)

Sea Sprite	04 Jan 2003
Fort Lauderdale Florida has many new age shops, psychics, tarot readers, even the major bookstores sell these things. I find alot of books on tarot, dream interpretation, etc at the public library. Most of them are open about it now, one librarian even said when I learn how to use the tarot, come set up a table there at the library and read for them. I still don't advertise the fact that I own tarot decks and am learning to use tarot cuz many people still have their own prejudices. I've heard Christian friends make comments about conflict of interest, about a unicorn air freshener I hang in my car. Can you imagine what these people would say if they knew I have tarot books and decks?! Many years ago, I played with the Ouija board with a boyfriend, he ended up telling people that we played around with the ouija board, and years later, someone from Canada who knows both of us, told me not to play with the Ouija board. It sticks in their mind, that if it ain't the bible, its evil or something and I'm playing with the devil, y'know what I mean? My significant other, sister and brother know that I am into tarot but the rest of my family including parents don't. Just over the Christmas holiday, I heard a relative say that her God is greater than her ex-husband's God (how ignorant is that?!) Sea Sprite :CL

Alex	04 Jan 2003
Brazil. Most people can do some little thing with cards, runes, astrology, cristals, you name it. Lots of esoteric stores everywhere and study groups for all mystic tastes. But here in the D.C. area is fine too. Not much interest but people don't care much either if you are strange. Alex.

cyan	04 Jan 2003
I'm a bit north of San Francisco and I guess most of you have heard the City has a rep for being real liberal. In fact i read an article a couple of years ago about its being the new spiritual capital of the world. Ha Ha... yeah? Well that was what the writer thought when he was told that, but it was explained to him that the spiritual capital of the world is the place where new ideas stand the best chance of being accepted and adopted. And when you think about it that way it makes sense. So yes Tarot is accepted here without a blink. I know, tho i have not attended as yet, that there are a couple of local pagan groups that meet quite often in local establishments and no one has a problem with it. Also lots of New Age Shops. If it wasn't such an expensive area in which to live it would be perfect.

Trish	05 Jan 2003
hehehe ... sorry if I offended you, dangerdork! ;) I didn't mean that about Ohio ... it's just that the further away you get from the major cities in Indiana, the less tolerant people are. It's pretty much the same way in every state, am I right? hehe! The most tolerant people are always closer to the major cities. It would probably have been more proper to say further away from Indy or Chicago -- and more on the eastern (and further away from major cities) side of Indiana. :D

dangerdork	06 Jan 2003
Just playing Trish, and looking for an excuse to tell a story... I agree with you about major cities here in the U.S. midwest, that's where you are most likely to find open-minded and tolerant folks (with exceptions like Yellow Springs sprinkled here and there). Someone earlier mentioned Ann Arbor as a very open minded place, and I would guess that cities which are homes to major universities would be MOST tolerant as a rule.

Karenwhe	06 Jan 2003
Places that I know of and lived in: Hungary - (where my origins come from) - no tolerance what so ever (Roman Catholics as stiff as they come). They ban you out of sociaty if they even hear the word Tarot. Romania - ext communist block - no religion, no spiritualism, no nothing, it would be good if at least they could believe in themselves. There are many psychics and mediums but if they are not in your family you won't know about them. Israel - auch, another painful story. Tarot is well known and not widely accepted. But then again in Israel there are bigger religion problems than Tarot, but you must know who you are hanging around with before you say anything about tarot, because if they don't like it, the whole city won't speak to you anymore.... along those lines. South Africa - Well depends..... but a lot of Shamanism (did I spell that correctly) and what not (Tribal spiritualizm and cultures). But if you are white... well then it depends on the community. Out of all those places I lived in my life and the stuck up Hungarian background only in South Africa I got once a real bad look when I read Tarot to a family member. I can never forget that experience... it was the look of "Oh my God, You are the Devil". Czech Republic - not aware of the Czechs preferences on Tarot really. But from what I got from people I worked with.... they are generally opened people but more of the type "who cares anyway!!!". UK - While living in the UK (London) I saw that Tarot was quite accepted. I also read to friends there quite often. I also have a lot of friends from Dallas and none of them have a problem with Tarot. Last but not the least Australia - I haven't lived here long enough to comment..... so I will let the Australians comment on this country.

Trogon	09 Mar 2003
Wow... missed this thread entirely when it was new... just stumbled across it during a search. Sedona, Arizona, USA. Almost "New Age Central" in Arizona. It almost seems as though there are more metaphysical, new age and other alternative religion type shops in Sedona than there are grocery stores. You can't swing a cat over your head without hitting a new ager, Tarot reader or some such. The town banks on it's being well known for vortices (of the metaphysical type) and advertises these as well as it's other new age attractions. And the town where I live, Flagstaff, Arizona, is only a little ways to the north. And while Flagstaff doesn't advertise itself as a new age haven, it is, for the most part, very open and accepting of alternative religions and people. (Alternative people? Well... hopefully you know what I mean. ;) ) I feel very comfortable sitting at one of the local coffee houses ("Late for the Train") with my Tarot decks and books on the table while I study said decks and books. I've done a few readings at a small park right by the city library. Heck... the place where I work even allows me to have my Tarot decks out to study or do readings when it's very slow at night. These two towns are great...

Icestorm	10 Mar 2003
I live in australia, and most people here are open-minded, even if some of my friends occasionally hass me about tarot, they think its a qwerk and its all a joke :-p The community in Perth here is good, and there are several new age and arcane bookstores, but i suspect the wide tolerance for 'enigmas' like tarot has more to do with our population... or rather the lack of it! the country is still christian dominated, of course, but the australian heritage is NOT the most desperate one to burn witches at the stake. There are alot of other races here as well, however, and the multicultralism of the country has generally 'opened the eyes' (and the tolerance levels) of most australians so that even tarot s regarded as an acceptable (and often respectable) novelty. -Dont say that to the old lady two doors down though, she's the neighbourhood Jehovan and She literally WILL burn me at a stake!

Kiama	10 Mar 2003
I used to live in a small town known as Christchurch, in the county of Dorset in th eUK, right by by South Coast. This town has the highest percentage of OAPs in it's population than anywhere else in England. It also has the oldest and largest parish church in England aswell, and it's name... Christ-church. Seems very Christian. But it is actually the 'birthplace' of Wicca, and the surrounding area of the town is choc-full of occultism and alternative lifestyles. In fact, my school was a 2-minute walk away from Gerald Gardner's old house, and a ten-minute walk from 'Dorothy Clutterbuck's' place! A 15 minute drive finds you in the New Forest, where Sybil Leek was born and lived most of her life... The heriditary coven she claims to have belonged to (The Horsa Coven) is still running, even now, around 100 years later, possibly even more cuz we don't know when the coven began. In the town of Burleigh, where Sybil Leek lived, every other shop is a 'Witch' shop, some selling cheap and tacky tourist stuff, others selling proper occult paraphernalia. Go to the New Forest on the night of one of the festivals, and you'll be able to spot around 15 different Pagan groups celebrating in that area! Bournemouth, a seaside resort 20-minutes drive away, has th emost amazing New Age shops and he best occult section I have ever seen in a Borders bookshop. They don't just have a Body/Mind/Spirit section, but an Occult section too, so instead of having half the shelves on this subject dedicated to frankly rubbish attempts at non-fiction, there are also some very decent books available. Given all this, it is hardly surprising that the area I lived in was very open to all things Tarot-related. Every single bookshop you walked into had decent Tarot decks, many of them, available. Not once have I had problems with people being closed-mided about Tarot, except for a teacher, but my response to his silly claim that Tarot cannot co-exist with a so-called Christian school (Where I happen to know for a fact that around 1 in 3 kids there know about Paganism, and around 1 in 10 are actually Pagan/alternative) shut him up and he didn't say anything about it again. The Christian community there does have lots to say about Tarot, mainly that it's bad, but that is all said via leaflets through the door and not to my face, so I don't mind. I known plenty of Christians who disagree vehemently with anything that isn't biblically/church based, (EVen reading a book with the mention of the word Tarot in it is a sin!) but will not say anything against me when I do a reading in front of them, which is quite often since I read alot in pubs, and they are my drinking buddies! Our friendship rquires that, even if we don't agree with eahc other's beliefs, we don't say anything against it unless it is in open, polite discussion. Then, as Fairyhedgehog mentioned, there is a place called Glastonbury... It's a very small town in Somerset (And I'm going there on teh 21st of this month for two days!), and even has a Tarot deck named after it and based upon it. (The Glastonbury Tarot by Lisa Tenzin-Dolma) Every single shop is either a Pagan bookshop, giftshop, or alternative/New Age/Pagan shop selling all kinds of occult paraphernalia... Ritual regalia, Tarot, books, altar equipment, incense, crystals... The town is full of Pagans and New Agers! Problem with this though is nearly EVERYBODY is a Tarot reader, so anybody who wants to make a business out of it shoudl steer well-clear of this place! ;) Now I am in Cardiff, where there is only one shop selling Tarot decks, and the bookshops have really rubbish ones... The majority of people here are fundamentalist Christian and know exactly what to say to a Pagan/New Ager/Tarot reader/anybody not Christian/anybody Christian but not going to the same church as them to annoy them. Grrrr.... Gimme Glastonbury NOW! Kiama

DarkElectric	10 Mar 2003
I have to speak up for Massachusetts, and New England in general. Although our heratage was extremely influenced by Puritan thought at one time, that is pretty much all over with. The only place it seems to remain is in our view of sexuality and gambling. But, as far as Wicca/Paganism, New Age and related pursuits, it doesn't seem as though a lot of people have a problem with it. There is a HUGE pagan community in Massachusetts (relatively speaking). Boston leads the way, with a plethora of stores, public rituals, and other pagan events. Western MA (where I live) is very accepting. Our pagan community is expanding, and we have an extremely large Hispanic/ African American/Carribean community. Lots of Santaria and VouDoun. There are, of course, quite a few bible thumpers too. But, they expect to be ignored when they try the "Send the Christian Message" thing. I have had anonymous bibles placed in front of my door. I just put them in the atrium downstairs, and someone who wants one takes it. Connecticut is less tolerant. So is New Hampshire. Rhode Island and Vermont are cooler than we are. Maine is a big, wild state with a lot of pagans, hippies, and fundies, but everyone is so spread out that nobody gets in anyone's face. Portland ME has some good metaphysical shops. What I find here, is that no one seems to care if you ARE metaphysically oriented, just don't try to DRESS that way. The Goths here get so much flack it isn't funny. So does anyone else who doesn't dress in a mainstream manner. Punk rockers, Hippys, even people who are just out of style get laughed and jeered at. The only people who don't get it for dressing differently are our African American citizens, who are popularising modern African styles. Beautiful caftans, flowing clothing and bright colours are so refreshing to see. And nobody would dare laugh or make comments about them. (They better not!) The only place alternative clothing can be worn safely around here for the rest of us, is Northampton, which is a small, cool college enclave a few towns north of here. It's a really strange dynamic~ its OK to be what you are, but don't look like it!

Butterfly	11 Mar 2003
I would have to agree with Icestorm. I haven't encountered a single problem with Australia. Every shopping centre seems to have a new age shop with a reader. Apart from specialty stores, books stores and departement stores stock them. We are a very diverse laid back people :-) Lucky us!!

Natas	22 Oct 2003
I hail from Reading, PA. The county I live in is VERY Republican, and VERY die hard Christian. They are not tolerant of much in the ways of the occult or or new age religions (which makes it VERY hard for me, being the religion I am) I find it upsetting that they can walk around PROUDLY displaying their crucifixes and crosses and virgin mary pendants, but if I wore my pendant....I would be shunned, or told that I am going to hell, or told that I need to find jesus...lol. Oh well...not everyone can have an open mind.

Nevada	22 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Woof San Diego CA, where I live now, is not so tolerant. The Hillcrest and North Park neighborhoods would probably be the friendliest to Tarot, Pagan and other such interests, in San Diego. At least they were in the past. I grew up in the San Diego area. Now I live north of there in a smaller community that is extremely Christian, and I'm sort of "closeted" here. I was a little alarmed when my husband ran into our mailman in a store the other day and the mailman recognized him--knew exactly where we live. I do a lot of mail order purchasing, and I just don't want my neighbors here to know everything about me--what catalogs I get, etc. This whole county is much more conservative than you would expect in southern California. It even seems that way to me, and I grew up here. Of course, remember this is where Pete Wilson was mayor. Nevada

Nevada	22 Oct 2003
Trogon!--I love Sedona and Flagstaff, have had wonderful vacations in that area. Your post makes me want to move there. (I actually am hoping to convince my husband to relocate elsewhere. I've been looking at coastal Oregon.) I know Sedona is an expensive place to live. Is Flagstaff? Also, does anyone here know how tolerant Coastal Oregon communities are--especially Florence and Newport areas? Nevada

lunalafey	22 Oct 2003
Oregon.....I'm not too sure of coastal. I think Florance would be nice. I think alot of Oregon is quite tarot friendly. A little ways from the coast is Cave Junction, that's a pretty neat little town.

HudsonGray	22 Oct 2003
Madison in Wisconsin is great. Not only is it a college town, there's a large pagan community just outside the city, so everyone gets exposed to that, which keeps people receptive to 'new age' things.

Logiatrix	23 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Trogon ...Sedona, Arizona, USA...Almost "New Age Central" in Arizona. ...And the town where I live, Flagstaff, Arizona, is only a little ways to the north. These two towns are great... I have to second Trogon's vote for Arizona. I live further south-east, in the Valley of the Sun; specifically the Mesa-Tempe area. It's all good here. Mesa is a Mormon founded town, and I know a lot of Mormon people, all very good individuals--some who have gotten readings from me. As sort of an answer to the big Mormon temple here, there are a lot of other churches from different Christian denominations. Some of those people are directly intolerant of New Age/Metaphysical beliefs and practices. I've not personally experienced any negative responses to my tarot-loving ways, but I have heard stories... I spend most of my time in Tempe, anyway. Tempe is much more liberal. It's a college town (ASU), and very popular for tourism. Most of my favorite tarot-hunting ground is in Tempe. Currently, I live in Mesa, but I'm hoping to live in Tempe soon. :)

WolfyJames	23 Oct 2003
Where I live in Montréal, Canada, it's pretty open. There are a lot of small boutiques about new age, crystals, tarots. There is also an annual show about occult sciences (if I translate it well). These things are even popular. People admit that they see regularly mediums and fortune-tellers, some are going to blush and say they wanted to try, but still, they admit it... and go back. It's an cosmopolitan city and people are open and tolerant. People are not religious anymore. I'm talking about the French Catholic here, I don't know about the others and their religions. Catholisisme is dying here, it's more apparent at the city than at the regions around. People are open to these kind of things, the youngest the better, but I've met many ederly who didn't have problems with these things. But it happens once in a while that you meet someone who is from a small village and frictions can happen. It happened to me and I was quite surprised, for I had never heard that in my life before. I was told that my soul was lost forever and that I would spend eternity in Hell. Let's just say I drove that person crazy and did everything possible to prove her how much she was right. She was terrified of me and told me she was praying for my soul. There are even times when I think that some people go too far, cross some of my boundaries. I'm probably going to sound silly, but I'm quite skeptical in my own way.

anjocoxo	23 Oct 2003
I live in Lisbon, Portugal, and here I've never had problems (so far) with the "going to hell" thing. We are a catholic country (very catholic, I might say), but here in Lisbon people are open-minded. The problem is if you go on to the country side. Just to tell, this is a country where abortion isn't legal because the priests said they would excomungate (sp?) anyone who voted "yes" for the legalization... and the "no" won. So, the country side is very strict, if you don't go to church every sunday, then you're doomed forever and you'll burn in hell. But in big cities, such the one I live in (I don't know if the same thing happens in Oporto), usually there's not too many problems. I'm not in the closet and never had arguments because of that. If someone doesn't like it, fine, as long as they don't bother me. Anjo

Majecot	23 Oct 2003
I live in the midwest, and I find the community that I live in to be not quite so Tarot friendly. We do not have any metaphysical shops in my town nor any health food stores for that matter in the nearby area. Anything in that nature usually needs to be purchased from the internet. We do have some large book stores in neighboring towns (malls)that sell Tarot cards, but when you purchase them, the clerks always give a funny look. And when your in that section in the book store, people usually don't spend a lot of time there and pretend they are "just browsing" the titles. The reactions are kind of amusing. We do have, however, a lot of young people in the area that claim they are "pagan" but what they really are are "goth" kids that cause a lot of trouble and damage in the area, which I believe contributes to the general community's negatitive perception. Friends and aquaintances are natural with it, and even excited. So I think there are a lot of closet Tarotist here. Personally I don't have any difficulties, I think, with me at least, people seem to expect the unusal ;)

Nevada	23 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by lunalafey Oregon.....I'm not too sure of coastal. I think Florance would be nice. I think alot of Oregon is quite tarot friendly. A little ways from the coast is Cave Junction, that's a pretty neat little town. Thank you, Lunalafey. I've heard elsewhere that Portland is friendly to alternative interests. I lived in a small town near Eugene when I was a small child, and my grandmother lived in Florence for a few years when I was a teen. But I haven't been back to either place in years. Nevada

Galiana	23 Oct 2003
I live in a small town in west central Florida, and in the downtown area there is a "metaphysical book store" where Tarot readings are done. The store has been there for several years, and so far the owner has had little if any problems with the religious fanatics. I visit this store from time to time to buy ritual supplies and candles and see if there are any new decks for sale.

galadrielsphial	25 Oct 2003
I live just north of Buffalo, New York, and it definitely depends on the kind of people you encounter. There are a good amount of new age/pagan/Wiccan stores around here, and all the bookstores have the requisite New Age section. Some people don't care, some people won't say anything but look at you funny, and some people don't like it at all. Two of my best experiences were: being in a cafe with a Wicca book on the table and having the waitress say "That book looks really neat!", and when a really shy and quiet cashier at Barnes & Noble just oohed and ahhed when I bought my Vampire Tarot. Unfortunately, however, most members of my family are churchgoing Catholics who, while not fanatically religious (except for a couple of them), would definitely not be supportive of my learning tarot and studying paganism. The only one who knows about it is my mother, and even though she is pretty open-minded and says I can do whatever I want with my life (and I know she is sincere in this), she just thinks it is a phase I'm going through. Knowing that my family would get all weird on me if I told them anything makes it a bit harder for me, but I'm glad to be among like minds here. :)

mingbop	26 Oct 2003
em, cough----am I the only tarot reader in this country ?????Edinburgh has some lovely pagan, magic, and metephysical shops..its a very cosmopolitan place now. But by and large here you'd get launghed at...no hassle because of religion because this isnt a religious country...just a sceptical one !

catti	28 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by DarkElectric It's a really strange dynamic~ its OK to be what you are, but don't look like it! Ponce, Puerto Rico is very much like that. Very vain culture, you must be presentable and fashionable, even if you are picking the kids up from the store. Wear make-up to go grocery shopping dynamic There are , naturally, a plethora of botanicas and lots of mixed new age santeria stuff...but nowhere to buy tarot. You can get Llewellyn books in spanish at the farmacia book section , alongside your fashion and celebrity magazines. I read for pay , here , but i have been discreet, dont have a real set up, reading mostly for people i have met.... in a backroom of my home.My children are in catholic school and its just a hunch but i dont think i should let the director know i read cards... Its weird everybody gets excited when they find out you can read, but many of the people i do readings for are clearly "sneaking" the reading...they dont want anyone to know i am doing it for them. Maybe San Juan , the capital , is different but i dont want to live there so i will never know.

Jeanette	29 Oct 2003
I've noticed a common notion throughout the replies; that, in general, people who consider themselves "religious" have a hard time accepting tarot. I think (I speak for myself only here, please keep in mind!!!) that studying tarot has definitely made me a more spiritual person (I never was a church-going type to begin with, but I also think that's separate from being spiritual). There is just so much in our lives that makes it hard not to acknowledge a spiritual side; divine intervention, unexplained phenomena, etc. Therefore, the more conservative, religious communities seem to be more unaccepting of tarot. Perhaps the churches feel they are being challenged in some way? I myself never tell people I'm reading for that I can predict the future; in fact, I go out of my way to explain that the future unfolds the way it will and there are many things affecting the outcome of a certain situation. I try to help them understand how they got where they are in the first place, and how they might make things work out the way they hope for ~ courses of action available to them and how they might work out. That's how the tarot works for me, analyzing trends & patterns, things like that. Since I also don't come off as a "gypsy fortune-teller" type, just a regular stay-at-home mom, pretty mundane in general appearance, I don't think anybody in particular is too threatened by what I do. On the other hand, if I played the part of what the general public likes to think of as a "tarot card reader," I might be getting different reactions. Unfortunately, I think the general public perceives tarot card readers as Miss Cleo scam artists and charlatans, traditionally women who might be a little on the shady side, wearing too much makeup and jewelry, carnival types of personalities. I try and dispel that image around people who might be intimidated by it (but can easily play it up for parties if people are looking for some fun with it!).

paradoxx	03 Nov 2003
My community is not very big, but its part of a chain of similar sized towns and a couple of decent sized "cities" (It dependso n what your definition of city is I suppose). Where as there is not much for a new age or metaphysical sop in Torrington, Wyoming, there is a rock shop that i spend a great deal of time and money at. Candles are easy to come by, although incense is a little harder. just travel 30 miles east and you have basically what you need over there. Too bad you have to cross a state line to get there, lots of spiritual resistence invovled in that transition. There are a good number of churches here, so along with those churches comes the attitude that anything non-xtian is anti xtian. So this is not the place to try to make a profit off of diviniation, but most of my decks have come from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a community that tried to prevent the the screening of Harry Potter for various religious reasons. My community was incorperated in 1909, the same year that AE Waite was finising and publishing hte Rider Waite Tarot. The Universal WAite i have works best in my community for my readings, especially when i have some deep questiosn about what needs to be done. The cards and the City vibrate together.

Requiella	04 Nov 2003
Quote: Originally posted by DeLani And there is a town not far from here called Eureka Springs, with a population of only 2,000. About half of them fall into the "leftist" type category. Lots of astrologers and readers. The other half are hard-core christian. Makes for a *very* interesting place to live. I visited Eureka Springs this summer (my fiance sang for "Opera in the Ozarks"), and I got that feeling... The most obvious contingent would be the hard-core Christian, or at least that's what stood out to me. But, I stayed in a hotel there owned by a gay couple, and I remember being surprised at the time that they had chosen to move there from CA. I suspected that there was perhaps a bit more to the town than I was seeing. I see that my suspicion is confirmed... Maybe I'll actually consider going back again someday...lol

catlin	06 Nov 2003
Ok, I live in South Germany, in a city with around 350,000 inhabitants and I know ppl feel pretty mixed about tarot and occult things. Some think it belongs to the Devil and thus everybody in that direction is a satanist, other think it is interesting, and accept it, other think I'm dingo, loco or at least a bit "strange", it really depends a lot on the age, cultural background etc. what ppl think of it. Ok, I can order occult books and can buy them openly, we have esoteric shops and tarot readers but a real pagan acceptance is still lacking. I have a monthly tarot meeting in a pub and I can do public readings and lectures in book shops, etc. Little Germans go to Halloween parties and play "trick or treat". BUT: Gays are allowed to marry here but when you want officially to get out from Church you have to pay around $30 to do so. Moslems can wear their "burkas" or however you call these long flowing robes, they even have a mosquee here but when some Germans or Americans want to celebrate Samhain or similar festivities or when you wear a pentacle you get funny sideglances. So I ask: is this really tolerant?!

The Tarot friendly communities thread was originally posted on 02 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.