Do only Females use Tarot?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Jun 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Brooding	23 Jun 2003
Do only Females use Tarot? upon telling one of my freinds that i have tarot he exclaimed that only "women" use tarot being male i find this of some concern i have noticed that most of the posters here seem to be women, although i havent checked any profiles it seems pretty evident but is this true?

Mimers	23 Jun 2003
There are lots of men here. I suppose when you are a little older, you probably won't care.

spoonbender	23 Jun 2003
I'm a guy and I use tarot, and there are plenty of other men who do... sounds to me like your friend doesn't know that much about tarot--I wouldn't be so concerned about it if I were you... some people probably associate tarot more with women due the gypsy-woman-with-glass-ball-and-tarot-cards-stereotype... going to bed now Spoonbender

Major Tom	23 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Brooding Do only Females use Tarot? I can't believe there are men in the world that still trot out this old chestnut. It's bad enough that there are still women who think it too. :laugh: A real man wouldn't think to ask. :laugh: A real woman would know better. :laugh:

divinerguy	23 Jun 2003
Given the choice of hanging around my beer drinking, car racing, male tuna fishing buddies, or, attractive, intelligent, free thinking females, I'd prefer ..... .... my fishing buddies. But on the other hand, girls are soft, and they do smell much nicer. I think I'll do both.

Baby Owl	23 Jun 2003
I once heard someone say that Tarot people are mostly women, because women in general are always searching for answers. This was not intended as a compliment, but I choose to take it as one. :) Baby Owl

firemaiden	23 Jun 2003
The astounding thing about tarot is that it seems to attract all types. On this site we have members from all walks of life, from all over the world, and yes, from all sorts of genders. :D :D :D We even have a few different species represented here, for example Macavity is a cat. :D :D (a male cat), and probably a very good one too.

Umbrae	23 Jun 2003
Are you ready for this…Some males that use Tarot are practicing heterosexuals. Many men read Tarot. Many men who read Tarot professionally make good money. To say that only women read…? Your friends need to turn off the TV and get out more…

Mimers	23 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by divinerguy Given the choice of hanging around my beer drinking, car racing, male tuna fishing buddies, or, attractive, intelligent, free thinking females, I'd prefer ..... .... my fishing buddies. Humph.... :mad: Just busting your chops Divinerguy ;)

Alobar	23 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Brooding ... being male i find this a great concern... why? Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae ... Many men read Tarot. Many men who read Tarot professionally make good money. To say that only women read…? actually, i don't think the word "read" was mentioned anywhere in Brooding's post.

lunalafey	23 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Alobar actually, i don't think the word "read" was mentioned anywhere in Brooding's post. in response to Originally posted by Umbrae ... Many men read Tarot. Many men who read Tarot professionally make good money. To say that only women read…? my question is using tarot different than reading it? will the real male users; please stand up, please stand up, please stand up!!! ;)

Alobar	23 Jun 2003
i believe so. i use the tarot in a number of ways, but i don't 'read' with them, or practice any kind of divination with them at all. (btw, those blue letters are really hard to read!)

BoomVoom	23 Jun 2003
i'm a man, and i read/use tarot. unfotunatly tarot is up there with needle point, ballet and kittens. apparently real "he man woman haters" just don't do them :rolleyes:. the world is filled with sterio types, and i've made it my mision to break them. })

Gerbear	23 Jun 2003
I was born male and nothing I do with my life will change that. I like many things, regardless of gender associations, and what some one says or thinks about MY choices, is so irrevelant that it's off the chart. Age and experience will bring wisdom rhat will enable you to laugh at such absurdities.

Indigo_lady	23 Jun 2003
stereotype stereotype stereotype

tarotpharot	23 Jun 2003
I suppose there will always be those who are narrowminded enough to associate certain activities with specific genders, races, etc. There are millions of these "stereotypes," and while I'm tempted to cite a few of them here, I won't. Just don't need the negativity spread around any more than it already has been. Blessings to all - including male or female Tarot users, nurses, palmists, secretaries (oops - office assitants), and anyone else who feels left out, Brad }) TarotPharot

HudsonGray	23 Jun 2003
I'm surprised your friend doesn't mention how he thinks all doctors should be men on that "ER" show, and all women still raise kids at home & aren't in the workplace. Times changed...and LONG ago, he should know better. And you shouldn't fall for the stereotypes either, Brooding. Canada is right up there with the rest of the world in modern times. LOL Leastwise your Canadian Film Board turns out better shows than the junk we get from Hollywood. If it helps any, the last spirit fair I went to that had tarot readers had 4 women and 6 men. And none of them looked 'gay'. Rub that in his face for ya! ------ (I'm assuming by 'female types' you were meaning feminine men also? If not, what's wrong with just saying women?)

jog1118	24 Jun 2003
i'm male and i use the tarot for divination and self meditation (i use them EROTIC decks for something else :D :D :D) - JUST KIDDING :smoker:

BoomVoom	24 Jun 2003
that was eccelent jog1118 :laugh:

LittleWing	24 Jun 2003
men that are involved with tarot ......... Mr Crowley, Mr Waite ....

Trogon	24 Jun 2003
Well... I reckon I'll jump on the "males who use/read Tarot and are darned proud of it" bandwagon. Yes, I'm a male... I'm heterosexual... does it really make any difference... well, to my wife, it probably does. ;) As for the picking nits over use vs. reading the Tarot: Reading the Tarot using the Tarot, although there are other uses. For example... you can build fine, big houses of cards using a Tarot deck...

Alobar	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Trogon ...As for the picking nits over use vs. reading the Tarot: Reading the Tarot using the Tarot, although there are other uses. For example... you can build fine, big houses of cards using a Tarot deck... :rolleyes: it's hardly "picking nits". there are very definite differences between 'using' tarot and 'reading'. to me, tarot is probably the most amazing system i've ever come across, yet reading just doesn't enter the picture. i don't do it, i don't care about it... hell, i'm not even sure i believe in it! i see reading the cards for divination as a very small percentage of what the tarot is, but it's the only thing most people dwell on. and that's too bad. so memorize the keywords, or build the house of cards. but the key that unlocks the door of the entire human experience may be in our hands. why not use it for something more than picking our ears? sorry for going off-topic. maybe this deserves its own thread?

Marion	24 Jun 2003
Well, I don't know anyone who reads tarot except the good citizens of Aeclectic, so my view is biased I guess. As far as I can see, quite a few men use and read tarot, and furthermore are darn good at it.

Trogon	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Alobar it's hardly "picking nits". there are very definite differences between 'using' tarot and 'reading'. Well Alobar, I certainly respect your opinion in this.... However, I think you and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this. To me, the difference between the words "using Tarot" and "reading Tarot" is a matter of semantics. As I said before, "Reading Tarot" is "Using Tarot" in the same way that "Meditating with Tarot" is "Using Tarot" as well. Meditating, performing Tarot spells, Divination, Self-Discovery, creating stories, are all ways of "using" the Tarot. This is the point I was trying to make before... to me the idea of "use of the Tarot" is a very broad term which encompases readings for self discovery, divination, as well as performing meditations with one, or more, cards. In other words, "use of the Tarot" is like saying "car" or "automobile"... however, saying "reading for divination" or "meditating on The Hermit" are like saying "1964 powder blue Ford Anglia". The first is generic, the second is specific. And yes... I reckon we ARE getting a tad off topic... :| Sorry 'bout that... this is the last I'll say on it. On-topic... I will say that I feel that more people are surprised that I read Tarot at all, rather than that I am a guy that does Tarot readings.

Alobar	24 Jun 2003
i'm sorry, i guess i misunderstood your post. i thought you were making the point that beyond reading, the ONLY other 'use' for tarot was to build a house of cards.

Le_Corsair	24 Jun 2003
I have a friend that became a jeweler because more women than men buy jewelry, and he liked the idea of women coming into his shop. Maybe this applies to tarot, too! ;) :TLOVE Bob :THERM

Trogon	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Alobar i'm sorry, i guess i misunderstood your post. i thought you were making the point that beyond reading, the ONLY other 'use' for tarot was to build a house of cards. Oh... no no no no... no apology is needed at all... except, perhaps from me... :D I do tend to let my slightly warped sense of humor become a stumbling block sometimes. I was merely making a lame attempt at humor. The idea (to me) with the use of the term "picking nits" was simply referring to the semantics involved in differentiating between "use" and "read" as they were not mutually exclusive. I do hope you you were not offended in any way by my original comments.... To paraphrase a line from the movie "The Quiet Man"; "here's a nice stick to beat the Trogon with..." ;) [edited to add:] Oops! Forgot to include the stick! :WL

Trogon	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Le_Corsair I have a friend that became a jeweler because more women than men buy jewelry, and he liked the idea of women coming into his shop. Maybe this applies to tarot, too! ;) :TLOVE ROFL! Hey! You may be right about that! Come to think of it, of my "regulars"... 2 are guys... 9 are women... hmmmmm.... })

rota	24 Jun 2003
Another hetero male who uses Tarot checking in here. Interestingly, almost all the people I know personally who use Tarot are male. I don't know what sort of horrible karma that implies, but I'm getting pretty tired of it. Where are all these supposed Tarot-savvy women? :)

Alobar	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Trogon ...I do hope you you were not offended in any way by my original comments.... no offense at all. in fact, that was very much like something i might have written myself! so i guess i shouldn't have tried to 'read' anything else into it... ;) but as far as this threads rather odd original premise, i just don't see it. i'd never really given it any thought either until Brooder brought it up, but after thinking about it i don't think that the majority of people i know who USE (:D) the tarot are female. nor can i see any reason to assume such a distinction. is a there anything particularly feminine about the tarot? now pendulums on the other hand... !

Diana	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Alobar now pendulums on the other hand... ! ROFLMAO! :D

Baby Owl	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Le_Corsair [b] I have a friend that became a jeweler because more women than men buy jewelry, and he liked the idea of women coming into his shop. Maybe this applies to tarot, too! Bob LOL -- the same sort of logic that once led women to apply to agricultural/engineering colleges primarily to meet men...???? (showing my age...) Baby Owl

HudsonGray	24 Jun 2003
Hey, my SISTER met her husband that way! Well she originally tried to get into vet college but there was an 8 year waiting list so she switched to dairy management (???). Met him there & they have a farm, cows, emus, horses, a lumber business, a tax accounting business and 2 kids. Then I introduced her into the SCA and she's on on another tangent to squeeze that in with all the rest. Hmm. Using a career to meet the opposite sex. I picked the wrong one to be in then. Lets see, I was trying to figure out how many people I know in person, personally, who read tarot--I think it comes to 4 men (none of them gay) and 7 women in the area. There were quite a few guys at the last medieval SCA event who were carrying decks, and two women who were doing readings at a table under the trees on one night. The spirit fairs and Bastille Days (which has a tarot tent) has a blend of both genders. And I've seen both genders doing readings at some of the coffee shops in the city here. I never considered it a women's only kind of thing.

Alissa	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by HudsonGray Hmm. Using a career to meet the opposite sex. I picked the wrong one to be in then. ;) Me too .... Ladies, don't hang out with male dancers if you're looking to hook up. True, they're not *alllll* gay. (But the best looking, best dancers usually are.) Men, don't take dance class to hook up with girls. Trust me on this. Sure she's cute, and she's got a nice body. But you'll never see her, she's always at class or rehearsal. :D

Teranar	24 Jun 2003
Heh, I have much to say here. Recently, The 18th tennessee rennasance fair took place near me. Naturally being a renbaby (A child who is born to a family that goes to several rennasance fairs and spent much of his/her childhood in them.) and having been a part of it for the previous 16 this made my 17 as a participant. In the previous years, as was the case in this year, all the tarot readers at the fair who set up booths were female, and this has fueled the delusion in my area that all tarot readers are female. Because of this I sometimes run into the misconception that I'm not the correct gender to read. The tarot readers at the fair, however, don't bat an eye at my gender or age. They think its wonderful that I have the talent, one being my gypsy godmother and helping to raise me, another taking up calling me little brother recently, and ended up swapping stories of people calling us servants of satan and the such. (I live in the heart of the bible belt, and there is practically a church on every corner, and if one pastour says something's evil, several take up the same charge not wanting to be outdone) But also on the gender subject, before my absence I was on chat and someone wandered in and started hitting on me because he said girls into tarot are usually hot. (Steriotype, anyone?) I never did manage to fully convince him I was a guy. (Anyone who's been on chat since, did anyone come back trying to hit on anyone?) Anyway, I'm out of things from my experience to drift to. Oh yeah, at the renfair we have courtly dancing, where we recreate some of the dances they did back in the day to flirt with the ladies (Back when holding hands was having sex in the streets and showing ankle was scandelous) and I am both hetero and a damned good dancer... even though they're all about as complex as the waltz.

Little Baron	24 Jun 2003
I think everyone has basically said it all, but I have read this thread with interest. When we glance through the names on this board, it isn't obvious a lot of the time, what gender somebody is. My name, for example suggests no gender specification. I learn an awful lot from reading these threads and care little about the gender of the people I learn from. Everyone that has responded to me on here has been insightful, polite, helpful and knowlegable. I think that tarot is neither a male thing or a female thing. I also think it is both. It is a human thing. We have all put ourselves here to learn and enjoy this thing that we have in common; thats what is important. There are a lot of stereotypes in the world and this is a place where we can all get away from them. Power to us all! Yaboot

azuremariposa	24 Jun 2003
well, i'm not big on stereotypes either, so this just seemed so "wrong" in many ways...men use tarot, women use tarot...in some decks even cats and dogs use tarot ;) i'd bet dolphins would use tarot!! (and let's not get into fairies or trolls) hehe...but anyway, what i wanted to say was... i'm always surprised to find out people's genders here on AT...it's happened more than once that the ones that i think are men are women, and the ones that i think are women are men...sometimes it's obvious one way or the other, but some names are so ambiguous that it's hard to tell... and no, i'm not telling who i've been surprised by...;) that's my little secret...:D many blessings, ~azure

Rusty Neon	24 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae Are you ready for this…Some males that use Tarot are practicing heterosexuals. I've read on other tarot lists that, at tarot conferences in the U.S., males are a small minority (less than 10%) of the participants; and just a handful of those males are heterosexual. I don't vouch for the accuracy of these observations; I'd be interested in any corrections, as I've never attended tarot conferences. The demographics on Aeclectic may well be different from those observations.

HudsonGray	25 Jun 2003
Wow, I think those numbers are way off! I'd love to go to the conferences, but the things are so damned expensive! Plus you'd have to take time off from work to travel cross country (plane fare) & have enough for the hotel & food also... The logistics and cost winnow out a lot of people so when it comes down to the ones who do get to go, they aren't likely an accurate demographic of tarot users in this country.

raeanne	25 Jun 2003
Hi all, I live in the midwest USA and around here I would have to say that there are more women than men using tarot but I don't think it is as disproportionate as 9 to 1. I could be wrong though. There has been a real rise in interests in shamanism that has attracted many males. I think this has greatly increase the number of men using tarot.

Diana	25 Jun 2003
In all the Tarot classes I've ever been to, there has never been a single man. That doesn't mean that men don't use it though. Just that they don't go frequently to classes in my area of the world.

Alex	25 Jun 2003
In Brazil there are far more women reading Tarot, but the only deck published there was the intiative of a man, who is also a terrific reader. Alex.

Cerulean	25 Jun 2003
Joke misquote... "In all the Tarot classes I've ever been to, there has never been a single man..." Ah, I will agree, all the men in my tarot classes have been happily taken up by other men and women, so no single men that I know of...but seriously, the few classes and conventions that I've been in, most of the men are spousal equivalents to the tarot artists or author or they were artists or writers or teachers of the tarot. Many of the discussion forums have about 60 percent or more names that seem female, but I cannot always tell.

Minos	26 Jun 2003
I'm male. On the other hand, I have found the most enthusiastic response to my readings comes, in general, from the softer, better-smelling sex. That being said, the person I read for the most is one of my beer 'n fishing buddies. Go figure.

Minos	26 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Diana In all the Tarot classes I've ever been to, there has never been a single man. That doesn't mean that men don't use it though. Just that they don't go frequently to classes in my area of the world. Squares with my experience. Probably an effect of the cause that makes a lot of us not ask directions or read instructions before putting furniture together. ;)

Diana	26 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Minos Squares with my experience. Probably an effect of the cause that makes a lot of us not ask directions or read instructions before putting furniture together. ;) LOL Guys never want to show that they need help, huh? Aaaah, we love you all the same! (And we're happy to show you where the butter is in the fridge when you can't find it - it's just there in front of your nose - bend down a bit - that's it! See it? Well done!)

Trogon	26 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Diana LOL Guys never want to show that they need help, huh? Aaaah, we love you all the same! (And we're happy to show you where the butter is in the fridge when you can't find it - it's just there in front of your nose - bend down a bit - that's it! See it? Well done!) Hey! Wait a minute!!! I resemble that remark! :joke:

Teranar	26 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Minos On the other hand, I have found the most enthusiastic response to my readings comes, in general, from the softer, better-smelling sex. I've never had a guy ask me for a reading. Ever. Then again the ladies I read often flirt with me. :rolleyes: Makes it hard to concentrate sometimes. Edit: I'm not counting readings I've done via the forum, cause I honestly don't know half the time who's a guy and who's a girl.

lunalafey	26 Jun 2003
LOL.....have we frightened brooding away?........ I think this happened once before when we had a "Babble of the Sexes" what was it? 'he' thought he'd get 'attacked' because he was a guy.....?

Le_Corsair	26 Jun 2003
I know, I haven't seen him post since his comment about becoming a neo-nazi. I hope he's mature enough to know that no one wishes him ill, and we'd all like to help him as much as we can. Bob :THERM

Trogon	28 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Teranar I've never had a guy ask me for a reading. Ever. Then again the ladies I read often flirt with me. :rolleyes: Makes it hard to concentrate sometimes. Hmmmm... I find this just a little surprising. I don't have a LOT of people that I regularly do readings for, but there are a couple of them that are guys. How about the rest of you? Any others out there who have male clients?

Baby Owl	28 Jun 2003
Although it is sometimes hard to tell with on-line readings (which are the only kind I do), I would feel safe in saying that the vast majority of my clients are female. Baby Owl

baba-prague	28 Jun 2003
Trogon, In answer to your question, I nearly always seem to read for men. Not sure why this is. As I'm in Prague and many of the people we know are Russian I mostly read for Russians - and perhaps in that culture the Tarot is not particularly seen as female (plus most people we know are either artists or designers, perhaps they are more comfortable with something as visual as Tarot?) Recently I've been asked to read for a couple of women so perhaps it will even out. I don't have particular feelings either way. I just enjoy reading for anyone who is reasonably serious about it.

Baby Owl	28 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by baba-prague Trogon, In answer to your question, I nearly always seem to read for men. Not sure why this is. As I'm in Prague and many of the people we know are Russian I mostly read for Russians - and perhaps in that culture the Tarot is not particularly seen as female (plus most people we know are either artists or designers, perhaps they are more comfortable with something as visual as Tarot?) I find this very interesting, baba-prague. Cultural differences would certainly figure into something like this, as would certain characteristics of individuals regardless of their gender.

divinerguy	03 Jul 2003
Quote: Originally posted by azuremariposa i'm always surprised to find out people's genders here on AT...it's happened more than once that the ones that i think are men are women, and the ones that i think are women are men...sometimes it's obvious one way or the other, but some names are so ambiguous that it's hard to tell... I'm really a girl. I use the "guy" at the end of name to keep guys from hassling me. ;)

fairyhedgehog	03 Jul 2003
I'm always surprised when I get taken for a guy, 'cos Fairy Hedgehog sounds a kind of girly name to me. I must admit I like it though - it says that my gender isn't all there is to me and that I'm not totally bound by it.

HudsonGray	03 Jul 2003
I've been taken for a guy online too--but Hudson is our cat's name & he's 'gray' which fit for a screen name. I'm female.

anjocoxo	04 Jul 2003
I'm also a girl... "anjo" is the portuguese word for angel. Actually I thought fairyhedgehog was a girl, guess I was right. But I really thought Hudsongray was a guy. Some names can be mischevious, I'm glad we are not on those "teenage-flirting" chat, or else there would be some interesting confusions around here }) Anjo :TTEMP

Moongold	31 Aug 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Diana In all the Tarot classes I've ever been to, there has never been a single man. That doesn't mean that men don't use it though. Just that they don't go frequently to classes in my area of the world. Or because they KNOW everything? :laugh: :joke: :D The men who do read/study/use Tarot are exceptional, however. :)

azuremariposa	31 Aug 2003
Quote: Originally posted by divinerguy I'm really a girl. I use the "guy" at the end of name to keep guys from hassling me. ;) oooooooh...so if i went to SoCal to meet ya i'd be in for a shock, eh?? ;) hahahaha...well, i suppose my name is girlie enough not to provoke confusion...heh... much love and all that rot... ~azure

Scarletpeaches	31 Aug 2003
The Quest Tarot is on my wish list and wasn't that designed by a man? Because I like to be controversial - to throw in another 'gender stereotype' shock: I'm a 'bird' and I can't cook! And I like football! And I don't want children! Now please everyone, pick yourselves up off the floor. Fainting is so unmanly.

Shadow Wolf	01 Sep 2003
The person who said that you is just plain IGNORANT !!!!! Just a question though..................Was this an older person ? It's been my experience that many older people 60+ still hang on to those outdated stereotypes. When I told my mom I'm STILL reading Tarot cards, she said, with her very distinct Irish Brogue, "You don't really believe all that, do you ?? Since I'm the odd one out spiritually in my family, I made some non-committal comment and dropped the subject. My point is, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says,you just keep on doing what' right for you !!!!

The Do only Females use Tarot? thread was originally posted on 23 Jun 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.