How many have kicked the habit, and then come back?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Nov 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Justin	28 Nov 2003
Throughout the threads and different things that i read here on the forum, there seems to be a common occurence of people being obsessed with tarot, giving it up, and then either coming back to it or re-discovering it. I'm just curious, what is it about tarot that makes it so compulsive and then untouchable and then again desirous? Why the ups and downs? Is it just the personality type that's attracted to tarot in the first place? Or is it something to do with the tool itself? With me being a beginner, is there a big possiblity that i'll toss this all aside, only to come back to it years down the line? What can i do to prevent that if it is indeed the case? Justin

Majecot	28 Nov 2003
I think that people are drawn for many different reasons.. I think the obsession comes in when your trying to learn everything at once, because the goal is be able to read the cards like person that gave you your readings... Then there is the "I am trying to find THE deck" syndrome, then the love affair with the artwork of different decks.. At least that is how I started out.. I went through a dark time in my life where I needed the guidence of the Tarot.. then I gave up for a while ( not completely) because I wasn't heeding that advise and they always told me the same thing. It is kind of like loosing your faith and redisovering it.. I don't think that happens to everyone. It is all a very personal experience.

ros	28 Nov 2003
At one time I had many decks & had studied for a while. I thought it was all crazy because people said I was wierd . I gave most of my cards away & threw the rest out. Now I have started over again, rebought some of my cards & books, also I am reading for people at a health centre. I find I enjoy the knowledge of tarot or the truth of it. There is something about it that is magic & unique. I guess I'm a tarot reader!

firestorm	28 Nov 2003
I think the operative word in your post is "obsessive". To me, anything done "obsessively" doesn't really have to do with the particular activity as much as the activity is used to fill some type of void for the person. I think those who are really interested in and enjoy the tarot for what it is, regardless of how many decks they have or want will generally keep their interest.

Kiama	29 Nov 2003
I think one way to stop oneself from dropping Tarot is to have people around you that are also into Tarot: like on this forum for instance! Having people around to talk about Tarot with and gain new insights mean you are always learning new things, and you are less likely to become bored that way. Kiama

Marion	29 Nov 2003
I agree with Kiama. I was one who just finally was not getting further with tarot and gave it up. It was AT that brought me back into it. It is a mucher richer experience to have other others for discussions and learning. And sometimes reassurance.

rota	29 Nov 2003
I think I{ve found that tarot has simply become part of my life. Granted I don{t read every day or all the time, so maybe I don{t qualify as "obsessive". I imagine, tho, that like anything else in life, one drifts toward it and away from time to time.

Star Spirit	30 Nov 2003
This happened to me, and in my case it was personality, now that I think about it. I bought my deck because I was so interested, took it with me when I travelled, did some readings here and there, and then....it sort of faded out. And the thing is, I was in such a tough point in my life that I felt I had too many things to accomplish to allow myself to do anything I enjoyed--writing my novel, reading the cards, drawing....anything I had a passion for just felt so...wrong. And even when I tried to write, my mind was so blank. Now I'm slowly leaving that phase behind me and starting to enjoy myself again. Although I'm still in that long-distance relationship that caused me so much hardship and pain, I'm hoping that soon I will move away from this place and be happy! That conviction makes me feel like I can enjoy life again--at least to some extent. And that is why I came back, and love it so much.

tarotbrat	30 Nov 2003
i kicked the habit at one time, i believe it was just because of frustration of not understanding it quickly enough. i was so caught up in trying to learn the book end of it, and was even more frustrated when i saw that different authors had different perspectives. i actually sat there thinking "these authors don't know whtat they are writing about, this author is saying it do it this way and that author is saying to do it that way". i honestly had in my head that there was only one way to read to tarot and that was that! so i gave up tarot for a few years, i put the books and decks away. then when i learned that the internet was a good way to get more information and i found aeclectic and started reading the posts, that was it, i was back in it again, this time, with an open mind. i learned that there was no one right or wrong way to read tarot. that many different perspectives is the best. i look forward to signing on and reading a a new post to see what people have to say. i love taking classes and listening to what the instructors have to say. to meet with people who share the same interest. i love going to the bookstore and sitting there and reading through books on tarot (i wish that i had a lot of money so i could just walk out of the bookstore with all the books i want to get) well i have rambled on enough. as you can see, that when my interest in tarot returned, it came back with a vengeance! haha!

TemperanceAngel	30 Nov 2003
I like your question, Justin :D. For a few years I was very on or not with Tarot and my study of it and then I had what I call my 'dark' period and didn't use my cards for about a year. Now it is a part of my life, my profession as a reader and as a teacher. The tarot chooses us though, I think, we don't choose it. XTAX

jog1118	03 Dec 2003
the urge to learn new things brought me back... i did'nt touch my cards for around 2-3 months just feeling tired of them...and then somebody gave me a thoth deck!!! that was it!!! i'm back reading like crazy again, and posting again here at AT. :smoker:

Indigo Rose	03 Dec 2003
I am a Christian. Many see this as a religion that is at odds with Tarot and other mystical studies; and I dare say for most of my fellow Christians it is. Yet, I see things differently. Speaking of the Tarot, I see it as a gift. It is a link to God and all that is Divine. It is a link to humanity and all that we experience. It is a link to connecting the TWO and blending us into ONE. I think so many people are drawn to Tarot because of this fellowship with one another and the Creator. This ability to "see" what human eyes cannot...this is DIVINE. This is our inheritance. Yet so many Christians are afraid of this gift because of a few scriptures that are largely taken out of context. They fail to see that some very important figures, GOD's chosen ones, had the gift of dreams, visions, and divination.(Joseph is a prime example) As for why people come and go with it, and eventually come back.....there are probably as many reasons are there are people. In my case, I was drawn to it because I feel I was called to it....as I believe most of us here are. I left because of immaturity and confusion. I came back when I grew-up and figured out who I was and what I believe in. Maybe the leaving gives each of us a chance to search our hearts and clear our minds, only to bring us back READY to continue on with the journey we were called to take. Blessings :)

The How many have kicked the habit, and then come back? thread was originally posted on 28 Nov 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.