Magic and blah

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 Mar 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

scheherazade	12 Mar 2003
There is this common misconception among non-taroists that the Tarot is "magic." Moreover, they think that anyone who uses the cards is "psychic." I just love watching the arrogance sprout on their faces when I try to explain tarot the way it is. There was this one christian girl who I read for recently, because she was "curious." And because I misunderstood her situation, my reading was really quite horrible. She thought that there was no need for her to tell me her current position and how it came to be - because if I'm "psychic," and the cards are "magic," then shouldn't I know already? How do you deal with this - really! I mean, I'm glad I helped her strengthen her faith by making her think that Tarot is bull, but I don't exactly want to be a vehicle for that viewpoint. How do you avoid having this happen, and what's a simple way to explain to them what Tarot is?

jamesriouxctm	12 Mar 2003
Scheherazade, I just tell it to them straight - I am not psychic, I cannot read minds, I cannot levitate objects by staring at them, or call fire down from heaven to smite my enemies. I am an otherwise ordinary person who has chosen to devote some of my time to studying the Tarot and using it to help others find answers to the questions that they cannot answer alone, for whatever reason. Anyone could do what I do, given dedication and motivation. The only way to fight a misconception is with information. If they don't believe you, that is their right, but unless you do speak the truth, they will never even have the opportunity to learn it. Indeed, I contend that, for those of us who choose to approach the Tarot professionally, it is our duty as professionals to dispel myths about what we do and increase public understanding of the Tarot in whatever way we can.

Umbrae	12 Mar 2003
I have been known to levitate people from time to time…the first was when I introduced a snake into my sister’s bed. Since she was in it at the time, once contact was initiated by the reptile, my sister literally levitated straight up, and traveled all the way to Clackamas County without ever touching the earth. There was another time at a bar in Atlanta, with an ice-cube… It is true – many folks have preconceived ideas about who we are and what we (with or without cards) can do. Quote: Originally posted by jamesriouxctm The only way to fight a misconception is with information. If they don't believe you, that is their right, but unless you do speak the truth, they will never even have the opportunity to learn it. Educate – one person at a time – and remember to tell them what Tarot is for you. Even among us here at AT, beliefs vary…and that is the truth…it makes none of us right and none of us wrong…we are all different.

Mojo	12 Mar 2003
In my younger days, I was known to be able to turn a grown man into a blubbering mass of goo, but that's a story for another time and probably another message board. What do I care what people believe about the Tarot as long as they continue to plop down their cash when they sit down in front of me? If believing that the reader has mysterious powers moistens their panties, who am I to destroy their fantasy? And besides, it keeps complaints to a minimum if they're afraid that I can turn them into a gopher.

HudsonGray	12 Mar 2003
Hmm...I can paint a great 'paint by number' picture but it helps to have the color code & all the paint selections....wonder if a similar analogy would work with someone who thinks magic/psychic/& tarot automatically go together. You'll just have to be patient & explain in simple terms that it's only a tool, not Hollywood Miss Cleo hype. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hath not a spud eyes? And, too, a dark spot that thou should’st cut out before cooking?"

scheherazade	12 Mar 2003
LOL - don't laugh, but I was so curious about tarot at one point in time, and I didn't have any access to it, that I actually called Ms. Cleo. My mother came in and I hung up and they still billed me, for like ten seconds.

truthsayer	12 Mar 2003
i usually tell people it's just a card game. how much meaning they give it is their choice. i like seeing it as a kind of psychological game of identifying with universal archetypes. by understanding, archetypes we can tape into our inner links to the divine or some such BS if they want to hear it. if they need for it to be magic, that's fine. i found out long ago that people will believe or disbelieve whatever you tell them purely on what they choose. you can try to educate them but it doesn't always work. to avoid frustration, try not to invest too much emotional energy in having to be right and convincing them about your point of view.

Icestorm	13 Mar 2003
I agree with Truthsayer, educating the ignorant is our duty, but whether they believe or not is up to them :-]

Rhea_Morrigane	15 Mar 2003
To avoid the situation you mentioned above, I usually do not read "for fun". It is relatively easy to tell which people come just for fun ( they don't exactly know what you do, they also do not know what to ask and they muse about the price of the reading for about half an hour before they actually finally come in..), and which ones want a serious reading, so I make my selection. I also tell them straight away that, if they think tarot readings would in any way go against their beliefs, they should better leave it. This avoids me getting belittled and them getting upset and feeling guilty. .

The Magic and blah thread was originally posted on 12 Mar 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.