The reading (and use) of Tarot should...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Jul 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Umbrae	07 Jul 2003
So…what do you folks think? Even more important is why do you feel this way?

Woof	07 Jul 2003
If you are going to read tarot it should be a combination of spirit and intellect. Spirit is what you bring to your knowledge and understanding of the symbolism (intellect). Spirit/intuition/whatever you want to call it alone is fine but if that's all you want to bring to it why use tarot? You could just use toothpicks :)! And that's fine. And if you think it's just a game your investing a lot of time in this forum just for a game})! Woof edited to answer: Why do I feel this way? I don't know, just my intuition ;)!

Mimers	07 Jul 2003
When it come to questions like this, I tend to think too much, but not this time. Tarot has opened up many doors for me. It has opened me spiritually, creatively, intuitively, it has opened my heart to others,and it has opened my mind to new knowledge as well. It has opened many doors to other things as well. This is how Tarot works for me.

jog1118	07 Jul 2003
STOP THE VOTES!!! INTELLECT AND SPIRIT WINS!!! :smoker:

RedWood	07 Jul 2003
I chose spirit..I admit..I dont use much intellect wiht tarot. I dont study the cards..Just look at the pictures..Like my son does on is clifford game.

Myrrha	07 Jul 2003
Ummm, sorry, I can't vote because all the choices have the word "should" in them. Myrrha

wavebreaker	08 Jul 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Myrrha Ummm, sorry, I can't vote because all the choices have the word "should" in them. I totally agree. I don't think there are any "shoulds" in tarot...

fairyhedgehog	08 Jul 2003
I agree with Myrrh and tarotlady :) I also have trouble with the word 'spirit', as I am a materialist/atheist/secular humanist. (Something like that :) ) But using the word 'spirit' loosely, and shutting my eyes to the word 'should', I guess for me it is a mixture of all options: spiritual, intellectual and a game. And there's nothing wrong with spending time on games forums, my son does it constantly ;)

jmd	08 Jul 2003
I see the Tarot very much as a deck arising out of the spiritual impulse working through the history of the human condition. As such, its use encourages development in life of a game seriously spiritual, in which the use of one's will, of one's intellect and of one's feelings come forth to assist in the awakened interpretation of the reading from a position of integrity, in which one discerns, with love, the knowledge to be narrated in intelligent and wise foolishness. ... I voted for the 'game' option ;)!

Major Tom	08 Jul 2003
Quote: Originally posted by jmd I see the Tarot very much as a deck arising out of the spiritual impulse working through the history of the human condition. ... I voted for the 'game' option ;)! Works for me. })

Myrrha	08 Jul 2003
i feel like tarot brings me in touch with spiritual energies, maybe you would call them archetypes. When I play with tarot my dreams are more vivid and memorable, and I notice things in a different way. Playing/studying tarot is my way of reminding myself that i choose to live in a universe populated with angels, demons, the spirits of flowers, egyptian godforms...it is not a question of believing. Also, maybe reading tarot can begin to teach us how to live with an oracular consciousness, where we see the signs in every day life and trust ourselves enough heed them. Myrrha

Astra	08 Jul 2003
How about "Other"? I tend to go for whatever works at the time, and count my results in terms of usable information. I know my readings got better when I quit trying to kid myself that I knew how it worked, or what "should" be done. Some of the mystery and thrill went out of things, but not all of it, and I'd rather have less mystique and more clarity, all things considered.

Alissa	08 Jul 2003
Both both, always both! The leaf and the bench, the target and the sight. Both both both..... Through Duality is Oneness :)

divinerguy	08 Jul 2003
Spiritual, because some degree of faith is required for a person to believe in the cards. INtellect, because it takes a degree of skill and reasoning to produce a reading which makes sense.

Umbrae	08 Jul 2003
I am really lost as to the objection to the word ‘should’. I felt that word implied grayness. Other words, (is, must be, always is) implies a black and white world of rights and wrongs…a world of absolutes… Please help clarify your objections to the use of the word ‘should’.

theredhead	08 Jul 2003
I voted for the spiritual exercise. My intellect is never still or quiet. Before tarot I pretty much personified the Queen/King of Swords, depending on the day. Tarot has helped me put down my sword and to soften towards myself and others, to be able to see what cannot be seen/experienced with the mind. I realize one cannot throw out their brain and common sense when reading tarot, but for me tarot has opened a whole new world, in the spiritual realm.

Alex	08 Jul 2003
some native speakers have on occasion called my attention against using the word "should". I think some people associate it with receiving orders, directions or implying things that cannot be otherwise. There are a lot of language watchers and picky people nowadays ready to raise a stink about word usage. Just look at all the politically correct jargon, which is an attempt to free certain groups of people, cultures or belief systems from discriminatory associations by changing the names by which they are called. Same with generalizations, which are, for most part, forbidden in the English language, but ironically, they express the main mode by which our mind operates and it is SO difficult to have a conversation and organize ideas without appealing to generalizations. It's not an observation to start another discussion on semantics, but to point that too much stress on it is counter-productive to communication; as much as the careless usage of language is counter-productive to communication. Alex. Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae Please help clarify your objections to the use of the word ‘should’.

Myrrha	08 Jul 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae I am really lost as to the objection to the word ?should?. I felt that word implied grayness. Other words, (is, must be, always is) implies a black and white world of rights and wrongs?a world of absolutes? Please help clarify your objections to the use of the word ?should?. Hi Umbrae I have never thought of "should" as implying a gray area. To me "should" means "It should be this way, this way is best". I have no objection to your using the word "should" and I wouldn't even if you hadn't meant it as a gray area, just that I couldn't *agree* to either statement (vote) as I do not think that any particular approach to tarot is preferable for everyone. Probably it would have been more diplomatic to just post without voting and not say why. I hope I did not offend you or make you feel attacked, that was not my intention. Anyway thank you for yet another interesting thread. Myrrha

DarkElectric	08 Jul 2003
I wanted to vote for "Intellectual, Spiritual, AND a Card Game" because I think it's all three, and have a prediliction for trying to find the fun and games in spiritual and intellectual pursuits. And everything else too, I suppose. If it's no bloody fun, why bother? Oh well. I've been accused of being dreadfully immature. All I have to say to that is... Good for me :) One brat's opinion.

oliveoil	08 Jul 2003
Depends on who you read for. Depends on why one reads. Depends on the deck.

Logiatrix	08 Jul 2003
Umbrae, I think the objections to the word "should" may be that it implies obligation, necessity or expectation. Sorry, Umbrae, I have to agree. I had a difficult time classifying the use of tarot in four narrow categories as well as the absoluteness of "should." However, I still see where you are coming from, and you have, once again, inspired THOUGHT, so it still works! :D The draw of tarot for me IS that there is no need to categorize, no black and white, no right or wrong. If there were 6.5 billion tarotphiles on this planet, then there would be 6.5 billion uses for tarot, IMO. I choose my own version of "other" on this poll, just like I choose to do my own version of tarot: "The reading (and use) of Tarot should...be what the individual chooses it to be." Peace, Tauni :)

Moongold	08 Jul 2003
Words :) I voted that Tarot is both spiritual and intellectual, as I can't really separate those functions too easily. I've never used Tarot as a game but I love the idea of playing with the cards and I do that - use the cards playfully. It's good to do this when you learn. Sometimes the cards give back playful or ironic, witty responses.

Silverlotus	09 Jul 2003
I voted for an exercise of intellect and spirit. I'm not sure that intellect and spirit can or should be seperated, at least not for me. If one uses intellect without spirit, I feel one can be harsh and unmerciful. If one uses spirit without intellect, one can lose touch with reality. Both are needed together to experence life and all things (including tarot) to its fullest. In my opinion anyway. :)

WolfSpirit	10 Jul 2003
Intellectual: the learning process for me was for the greater part intellectual, keeping a tarot journal and digesting information from different books and AT. Spiritual: So now when I do a reading it may seem it is intuitive, but I think the background knowledge (which I got mostly through intellect) plays a great part in it, I am just no longer aware of it. And when I use the cards in a meditation it is spiritual.

The The reading (and use) of Tarot should... thread was originally posted on 07 Jul 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.