tarot; steroids for the mind

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Dec 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

krazymayj	22 Dec 2004
tarot is so misunderstood, its a cliche the more you use it the worse your basic senses become. like a crutch. gives you a boost whilst shrinking other areas. some people can handle it, some cant. drying up the senses. most will see for themselves, in time. there is no more potent thing than your mind. you should me mindful as to what you put in it. so know your limits, and dont overdo it. Whats overdoing it? more than five readings a day is overdoing it. tarot should never be taken too seriously, and people with a mental illness should avoid it. if you look at this thread and say to yourself what does he know? remember this; you learn from fools and from sages, so who knows more about failure?

Flavio	22 Dec 2004
krazymayj wrote: the more you use it the worse your basic senses become. like a crutch. gives you a boost whilst shrinking other areas. some people can handle it, some cant. drying up the senses. most will see for themselves, in time. The last time I checked I was able to see, feel, taste and hear without any trouble... I don't think Tarot damages other senses, maybe Tarot puts your attention and thoughts in other place while you should be aware of something else but is up to you to decide what to put attention in. I recently read an interview with Jodorowsky and when he was asked "what is the role of Tarot in your life?" he answered Tarot enriched his life and learning it was like having an ally in the incounscious, I agree on that so for me Tarot couldn't be a steroid, it is more like a diet supplement :) (complement is a better word choice...) Quote: Whats overdoing it? more than five readings a day is overdoing it. tarot should never be taken too seriously What about the people who reads Tarot for a living? I agree that any person migth be in risk of overdoing Tarot if those 5 readings within a day are to ask about the same situation. I think that when you integrate Tarot into your life and see it as something natural as eating, watching TV or driving, then you don't take Tarot "too seriously" by that I don't mean Tarot losses importance, you just became friend with your deck and the communication is more fluid, natural and friendly but sincere.

Dark Inquisitor	23 Dec 2004
krazymayj wrote: tarot should never be taken too seriously, and people with a mental illness should avoid it. Isn't it dangerous for you and all the rest of us to be here then?

Moongold	23 Dec 2004
krazymayj wrote: tarot is so misunderstood, its a cliche the more you use it the worse your basic senses become. like a crutch. gives you a boost whilst shrinking other areas. some people can handle it, some cant. drying up the senses. most will see for themselves, in time. there is no more potent thing than your mind. you should me mindful as to what you put in it. so know your limits, and dont overdo it. Whats overdoing it? more than five readings a day is overdoing it. tarot should never be taken too seriously, and people with a mental illness should avoid it. if you look at this thread and say to yourself what does he know? remember this; you learn from fools and from sages, so who knows more about failure? Greetings krazymayj, and welcome to Aeclectic ) If someone has a mental illness to the extent that their sense of self, boundary and reality is uncertain then I can see there could be problems. Not everyone with a mental illness is affected in the same way of course. Some people I know who have a mental illness also have the sharpest perceptions and wit. Others are at times quite confused and delusional. So it all depends on the individual and how they're travelling. Even people who don't have mental illness can misread Tarot through tiredness or stress, or any number of factors. It's just part of being human. Sometimes I simply feel too tired or speedy to read well so I sleep or leave the reading for a while. Thanks for your comments. I hope you're enjoying your time here. :)

contrascarpe	23 Dec 2004
I agree with Moongold (although, I most often do .... she is VERY wise). Generalizing that people with mental illness should avoid it is dangerous in itself. Tarot, along with other disciplines, can be healing if in the right hands. People can find solace in all sorts of things. Tarot in some ways healed me in a time of difficulty and has led to many wonderful events in my life (meeting friends on these boards among them). So, five is the magic number for overdoing it? Maybe tarot decks should carry a warning label - "do not use more than four times a day and avoid contact if pregnant, operating heavy machinery or have mental illness". Sorry for the sarcasm (I was just trying to be funny), but my point is, most gifted readers know where there limits are. I tend to take days, even weeks off to regenerate, and some days I go hogwild doing readings. I love finding truths, and also love helping people. Welcome to ATF krazymayj. I have no doubt your stay here will be enjoyable. Happy Holidays! Dan

WalesWoman	24 Dec 2004
Oh dear! From what I've heard, which was probably wrong anyway, was that most people who do have mental illness aren't aware of it and think the rest of the world is nuts...OH NO!!! The fact is I think that Tarot is one of the best psychological tools money can buy. I'm not talking about using it as a crutch to make my decisions for me, or consult before deciding which brand of shampoo to buy or whether I should cross the road or not, or if it's worth getting out of bed. Tarot has been a wonderful tool for introspective truth finding, discovering my demons and working on releasing them. It really has helped me find and conquer things I haven't faced and avoided for far too long and brought with it a sense of peace. I did this, I had to do the hard part of acknowledging these things did exist, that I was harming myself and creating the seeds of defeat, but Tarot guided me in the direction I needed to look and the actions to take. The key is remembering it is a tool, a key that unlocks doors to knowledge, the answers we had to find on our own. As to 5 readings a day...don't know about that. For myself, it's better to limit myself and just stick with one on a particular subject. If I'm reading for others, that is different.

Moongold	24 Dec 2004
WalesWoman wrote: Oh dear! From what I've heard, which was probably wrong anyway, was that most people who do have mental illness aren't aware of it and think the rest of the world is nuts...OH NO!!! This isn't so! There are many different experiences of mental illness ranging from depression to psychosis. Some people may not be aware, or agree, that they have an illness but most are. The experience of illness can also be intermittent, as with many physical illnesses.

firemaiden	24 Dec 2004
krazymayj wrote: tarot is so misunderstood, its a cliche the more you use it the worse your basic senses become. like a crutch. gives you a boost whilst shrinking other areas. some people can handle it, some cant. drying up the senses. I've heard this expressed quite forcefully - before. It is possibly true, wasn't it tarot bear who said - don't open doors you can't handle -- or was it doors you can't close... er... someone help me out here. We have seen cases of fried brains before. Sometimes tarot can open doors - psychic pathways in the mind, perhaps too many doors at once, and then we have friend brains. I am interested to hear why/how you came to this conclusion, krazymayj, and in particular, what you mean about drying up the senses. Do you mean, that as we explore along invisible dark pathways of the mind we run the risk of turning too far away from the here and now? the earthly sphere? ETA Hoffmann would have agreed with you. Ever read the Mines at Falun? (Die Bergwerke zu Falun-German text here) The appeal of the magical Queen of the Mines - underground - with her piles and piles of rubies, diamonds, emeralds... entices the young hero futher and further each day from his existence on the surface of the world - and his real-life fiancé. Torn between two "woman" (the spectral queen of the mines, and his fiancé) - he eventually chooses the underworld-- which is the same as choosing death of course - and he then dies in a cave in. But the artist in him might equally have died were he to remain only on the safe surface... Without fantasy - without some relationship to the magical under-realm (aka pathways to madness) - our life would be all prose and no poetry - it would be unbearably flat... without some of the Mine-Queen's gems to take back up to the surface - we might feel poor indeed. So we follow the pathways offered by the beckoning cards - we peer in to the abyss, we hope we don't fall in. :)

Moongold	24 Dec 2004
krazymaj wrote: there is no more potent thing than your mind. you should me mindful as to what you put in it. so know your limits, and dont overdo it. I am also interested in firemaiden's questions, krazymaj. I assumed you were speaking about losing groundedness which can happen easily if one has a mental illness, or even if one is very tired or stressed for another reason. This groundedness, once lost can be hard to recover. But you may well have been speaking of something else.

Seed Crystal	24 Dec 2004
Ok I am going to use the original quote to suggest another perspective.... No offense to anyone intended here. krazymayj wrote: {Modified words are in bold.] The Bible is so misunderstood, its a cliche the more you use it the worse your basic senses become. like a crutch. gives you a boost whilst shrinking other areas. some people can handle the Bible , some cant. drying up the senses. most will see for themselves, in time. there is no more potent thing than your mind. you should me mindful as to what you put in it. so know your limits, and dont overdo it. Whats overdoing it? more than five readings or references a day is overdoing it. The Bible should never be taken too seriously, and people with a mental illness should avoid it. if you look at this thread and say to yourself what does he know? remember this; you learn from fools and from sages, so who knows more about failure? Humans are capable of misusing or obsessing on anything. A well rounded life and self, and the ability to question one's own habits, seems to promote health. And as we all have differing interests and abilities, and these change over a lifetime, appreciation of diversity can promote happiness. :) Welcome and thank you for a thought provoking thread, and blessings to you.

Sophie-David	24 Dec 2004
Hi Krazymayj Hopefully, you're not feeling too picked on by now,:) but its certainly a provocative theme for a thread! krazymayj wrote: tarot is so misunderstood, its a cliche the more you use it the worse your basic senses become. like a crutch. gives you a boost whilst shrinking other areas. some people can handle it, some cant. drying up the senses. most will see for themselves, in time. I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but for myself the expansion of the mind - using tools such as Tarot, art, meditation, dreams, etc. - has greatly enhanced my physical senses. By being more in touch with the whole of myself, I am more in touch with all that the Self resides in, more in touch with all that I touch, and see, smell, taste, hear... Tarot is a tool that helps one focus, both to the Self and beyond the Self. I am very glad that the time has come for me to see for myself, and touch, smell, taste, hear.... Now, talk to me about television drying up the senses, and I'd be inclined to agree... :) krazymayj wrote: there is no more potent thing than your mind. you should me mindful as to what you put in it. so know your limits, and dont overdo it. Whats overdoing it? more than five readings a day is overdoing it. tarot should never be taken too seriously, and people with a mental illness should avoid it. if you look at this thread and say to yourself what does he know? remember this; you learn from fools and from sages, so who knows more about failure? Yes, we are what we think! I am glad to be a fool, but I don't think that's got much to do with failure. Have a good Christmas! David

The tarot; steroids for the mind thread was originally posted on 22 Dec 2004 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.