Who was NOT 'freaked out' by your hobby?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 18 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

tarotbear	18 Jan 2005
Who did you think would give you a hassle - and didn't? Were you ever surprised by an accepting attitude that you didn't expect?

Centaur	18 Jan 2005
Well... up until now, nearly all the people I thought would have some sort of negative/strange comment to make HAS made those comments. Although, I should add that in most cases their perception of tarot has changed for the better.

Moongold	18 Jan 2005
I work in an organization which pioneered the use of complementary therapies in the treatment of addictions way back in the early 80's. So we've used reiki, acupuncture, shiatsu, nutrition, homeopathy and so on for years - along side conventional medical therapies. We have such wonderful people working here! And of course some are interested in Tarot. One of my co-workers has the Marguerite Petersen deck. Another has the Haindl. The partner of another has the Colman Smith deck. This particular man is a ministerial advisor in the public service. We don't use Tarot as part of treatment of course. But it is really nice to work in an environment where such things as Tarot are regarded as normal. :). Although I have always been open to complementary therapies it was delightful and unexpected to work in a place where hitherto unusual things were accepted as normal and, indeed, very interesting.

WolfSpirit	18 Jan 2005
The woman living next door, who looks very much like the healthy, plump, conservative country-girl. She came into my house when there were cards lying around, and she said: "Oh tarot cards ? Our mother reads tarot too". On another occasion, she told me people often thought her much more narrow-minded than she actually is. First impressions...we can't help having them, unfortunately.

Kiama	18 Jan 2005
Back when I was 15, in English class we were having a 'fun hour' because it was nearing the Summer holidays and nobody could be botehred to teach us, let alone have us learn anything... So I had my Shakespearian Tarot and did a reading for a friend on my lap so it wouldn't be too obvious... Another kid saw and told the teacher... She came over and I was convinced I'd be getting a telling off. But instead she watched as I finished the reading, and then asked me for a reading. (It should be pointed out at this point that I knew her to be a devout church-attending Christian.) She loved the reading, was amazed by its accuracy, and commended the deck for its use of Shakespeare! :D Blessings, Kiama

gypsy_morrigan	18 Jan 2005
I was scared to tell my boyfriend since he's Jewish and also very anti-superstition, astrology, etc. One day I left Aeclectic up on my computer; he looked at it and said "Tarot cards? really?" I explained what they were and he was surprisingly fine with it. He even asked me to show him the cards recently and wanted a reading, so I did one. I don't think he's very convinced of their validity, but he was pretty ok with it.

MeeWah	18 Jan 2005
Of all whom I thought would be freaked out, my hubby has surprised me with his lack of negative reaction. Very supportive of my endeavours; runs interference for me where the family & others are concerned so that I can focus on whatever without undue interruptions. He knew before we married that my interests & beliefs were in diametric opposition to his (including the political--he admits to being a "redneck"), but he accepts me as I am. He has a healthy respect for what he sees as "the occult" & that includes the divinatory arts. & especially after he has had the opportunities to see me "in action". Not accustomed to thinking himself intuitive, he has learned to trust his hunches & impressions. He is also a great sounding board whence needed. As for those I had not expected to freak out & did--that is a subject for another thread I see here, too :)

Rosanne	19 Jan 2005
My Mother told her Irish Priest (I was raised catholic), I think she was in an elderly way 'pimping on me'. His response which she told me about, gave her license to approve of 'That Tarot thing you do'. He said "Well anything used for self growth in a positive way is I'm sure is all in Gods Plan for his children" "She reads for people too?" "Ohh well, if it helps others..but its a shame she won't come to Mass" His open approach has made Tarot an OK subject now. But it did bring up something I have pondered a lot about. Seems like people who have been raised as Catholic (still practising or not) are in large numbers in the 'alternative spirituality' area. I personally know four tarot readers who were raised Catholic. We have joked that it was all those Holy pictures the Nuns gave us as children. My brother tells me we are just used to Hocus Pocus.(I think he thinks I can turn him into a frog!!!) Regards Rosanne

cSpaceDiva	19 Jan 2005
My boss. Not that I thought he would hassle me, but he's kind of a buttoned up suit & tie type of guy. I wasn't expecting him to tell me that he has tarot cards that his grandmother taught him to read.

full deck	19 Jan 2005
MeeWah wrote: . . . He knew before we married that my interests & beliefs were in diametric opposition to his (including the political--he admits to being a "redneck"), but he accepts me as I am. He has a healthy respect for what he sees as "the occult" & that includes the divinatory arts. & especially after he has had the opportunities to see me "in action". That's really nice MeeWah. It's difficult enough as it is, being married, and nice to share something as unique as Tarot, so long as he doesn't ask you for a reading to help figure out where the fish bite the best. :) There seem to be so many astonishing stories of acceptance herein too!

MeeWah	19 Jan 2005
Full Deck: Agree that marriage can be challenging & thus nice to receive support for an interest! Hubby rarely asks for a reading but many years ago, requested a reading to help locate a replacement car, preferably sold by its owner. Do not recall the actual cards, but Cups & the colour blue dominated. I thought we were being directed to look in our city or towards the beach end, but the car we found was in the next city over & a private sale. Technically, that city is also near water. & the car was blue! Several years later, I was puzzled by repeated appearances of The Chariot in daily draws. Out of the blue (so to speak), we were offered a car from a friend who thought we needed it. Soon after we acquired it the blue car died. Universe looks out for us :)

DarkElectric	19 Jan 2005
My mom. She's really on the conservative side, so I figured that it would be tough to tell her about that, and my change of religion (Pagan from Catholic). Surprisingly enough, she was cool with it, and wanted a reading! My dad didn't have a problem with it either. When I told him I was doing it, he told me about how my great Gramma was psychic, and read tea leaves for people...and she was right most of the time too! Interesting who was freaked out by it, though...my former best friend from high school. She is the one who got me into tarot to begin with. Now, 10 or so years later she's moved far away, got married and became a Born Again Christian. She called me up out of the blue, we were catching up on things, I told her, and she said "You'd better stop that Devil's card stuff." Weird how people change over time.

bleuivy	19 Jan 2005
tarotbear wrote: Who did you think would give you a hassle - and didn't? Were you ever surprised by an accepting attitude that you didn't expect? I thought my entire family would be against my interest in tarot. My parents are both lawyers and very rational: if science can't explain or validate something, it must be false. The rest of my family basically follows suit. So, before I always kept my interest in divination quiet. This Christmas, I asked for a few decks just to see their reaction. My parents, I'll admit, thought I was wasting my money and time on tarot, but adopted a live-and-let live atitude, which is actually better than I expected. My uncle, though, was another story. He took one look at my amazon.com wish list (currently very tarot-heavy, I have to admit) and called me up. "You like tarot now? That's great! What are your favorite decks?" It turns out that he's collected tarot cards for years, though I didn't know it. He's got quite a collection, but for the past few years has only read with the Thoth. For Christmas, he gave me his old Buckland Romani Tarot deck, which apparently he used to read with but hasn't used in a while. He said he wanted it to go to a good home with someone who would appreciate it. And I love it! It is now one of my favorite decks, and also great because I got it handed down from a family member. I was quite pleased there was someone in my family that wasn't only not freaked out, but actively encouraging. Yay!

Indigo Rose	19 Jan 2005
My mother.....I thought she would be freaked out. However, one evening over 4 years ago she came to visit me and was very upset about her business failing, and the prospect of filing bankruptcy. I decided to reveal to her that I had been reading Tarot, and see if she was wanted a reading. She was very accepting and indeed wanted a reading. From that point on, she became interested and now reads Tarot herself. It has become something we share, and we do monthly readings together every month. Blessings, Indigo Rose

sharpchick	20 Jan 2005
tarotbear wrote: Who did you think would give you a hassle - and didn't? Were you ever surprised by an accepting attitude that you didn't expect? Amazingly enough. . . it was the most "religious" member of our office staff. We just had to travel out of state for a business conference, and another staff member knew I had recently started studying and reading tarot. Since we had a pretty long layover in one airport, he had asked me to bring a couple of decks to read for him. The female staffer, whom I had expected to react with disgust and horror, was totally fascinated, asked a lot of very intelligent questions, and further amazed me by asking my permission to pick up and look through my Morgan Greer deck. She commented favorably on many of the cards, and has now asked for a Celtic Cross reading with that deck. . . .

Solty Dog	20 Jan 2005
My wife has always taken my interests with a grain fo salt. It wasnt until Christmas that I realized how accepting she was of my interest in tarot. She went into the local "craft" store and bought me, among other things, a tarot box. It wasnt until then that I realized that she wasn't just taking this as another one of my wierd hobbies. An interseting postscript to this is that, a few days later she asked me for a reading. She was actually amazed at the acuaracy of the reading. Truth be told, so was I. I got court cards in it, and I always have trouble with them. This time, it all was clear as glass. Sorry, bit of a tangent there...on the original topic, the answer is: C: My Wife

WalesWoman	21 Jan 2005
I started reading Tarot the about a month after me and my old man broke up and got back together...I was pretty shaky then and hid it for a long time. I was sure he would think I was getting schizo or something and afraid of his reaction. He totally surprised me by asking me what the cards meant. Then after predicting the Super Bowl game, the way it played and even getting the scores right he started asking me more about it. We had some trouble last spring with the neighbors and I did some readings about it. He never asked me to do them, but he always was very interested what they had to say. He hasn't asked for readings, but has suggested I might do one now and then. Last spring my cousin's plane crashed in Wyoming. It was his suggestion that I do a reading to try to find the location of the wreck and if anyone had survived, he got out maps and was blown away that the Tarot could pretty much pinpoint the area, so was I for that matter. I do a lot of readings for freinds on line, he keeps telling me I have to start charging. I just laugh, cause we read each other's readings and read for each other. He's gotten real accepting of the whole thing, but isn't real thrilled with the amount of time I spend here or working on the readings themselves. Unless I guess, it's the Superbowl again.

Simone	21 Jan 2005
Until yesterday I thought I would not have anything to say on this thread (here, people are in general quite cool about tarot, and the worst reaction you could get is indifference or maybe a little fun making), and I have never had any spectacularly negative reaction. Positive reactions, quite some :D BUT - just yesterday, I thought I didn't hear right: my Grammar prof, who should prepare me to teaching grammar to my classes, IS INTO TAROT too! Instead of talking grammar, we discussed the Death card for 10 minuted before getting back to our subject - and it all came so naturally I didn't even realise how we got there, and only going home I was completely astonished when I really realised what happened... :D Love Simone

Stacie Doll	25 Jan 2005
my sister. her daughter told me that my sister said tarot cards were evil. one day she came over to my house and my cards were out. i was going to put them away out of respect. her daughter wasn't with her and she was excited, as if this was the first time she knew i read cards. i think she wanted a reading but was afraid to ask.

Stacie Doll	25 Jan 2005
Indigo Rose wrote: My mother.....I thought she would be freaked out. However, one evening over 4 years ago she came to visit me and was very upset about her business failing, and the prospect of filing bankruptcy. I decided to reveal to her that I had been reading Tarot, and see if she was wanted a reading. She was very accepting and indeed wanted a reading. From that point on, she became interested and now reads Tarot herself. It has become something we share, and we do monthly readings together every month. Blessings, Indigo Rose That is so cool.

TemperanceAngel	25 Jan 2005
Ah, my husband as his mum reads Tarot and in fact, she did my first ever reading and encouraged me to buy a deck and read as a teenager :D It's important to have some loved ones who understand and it great to have a husband who truly trusts and loves advice from the Tarot :D

Annabelle	04 Feb 2005
My boyfriend (who I've lived with for over 5 years) wasn't freaked out at all; in fact, it was my discovery of his tarot deck (an RWS) in a box in our closet that sparked my recently renewed interest in the subject. He's very accepting and supportive of my interest in tarot. But today I was really surprised by how supportive one of my co-workers turned out to be. Before today, I was not "out" about tarot at work. But this morning, I was talking with a co-worker and was brave enough to ask her what she thinks about tarot. Turns out she is interested in tarot, although she's never had a reading done. I had been prepared for a negative (or at least indifferent) reaction - but when I told her that I'm learning to read tarot cards, and that I'm actively collecting tarot decks, she was very supportive and seemed genuinely interested.

prudence	04 Feb 2005
Everyone in my family is cool with me reading cards (my maternal Grandmother, Lil, apparently read cards all the time & did seances too, in UK in the 40's...pretty cutting edge for a granny, eh?). Everyone is cool, except for my Jehovah's Witness family members that is! Astrid

mnemosyne7	05 Feb 2005
I have worked as a legal assistant for a number of years for corporate attorneys. I keep it pretty professional in the office, but I don't necessarily hide my less-than-mainstream interests, so most folks who have known me for a while will discretely drop into my office for a quick reading over a break or lunch. Last year, a new attorney came on board, and she was Type A, New York, high-maintenance, get it done yesterday (not that there's anything wrong with type A, New York attorneys) ... you get the picture. She'd been in the office for just a couple of weeks, and breezes into my office one morning, closes the door, and says, "I hear you read Tarot cards. Can you do a reading for me right now?" I think I'm being set up for trouble, and start to put her off, trying to gently explain that what I do has nothing to do with parlor tricks or fortune-telling, and that I really have to meet a deadline on some production. She stops me and says, "Oh, I read cards. I just need a reading from someone else." Turns out she really did read ... and I have got to stop judging people. Mnemosyne

Simone	05 Feb 2005
LOL, mnemosyne7, I've worked as a legal secretary for 12 years so I know the "get it done yesterday" type... At the place where I worked, I behaved the same, not openly advertising that I read but not hiding it either, and I was in for a surprise recently too: after I had left the company to work on new challenges, I got an email from an ex-colleague asking for a reading :D (It went well by the way, I just got my indirect feedback yesterday, apparently, now she is spreading the word :D:D)

mnemosyne7	05 Feb 2005
Hi Simone, It's just too easy to stereotype some attorneys. You could have knocked me over with a feather when that same attorney asked me for some recommendations for good, basic info Kabbalah books. We agreed that we shared common interests, but I don't think I would be happy working for her. It's good to hear that others are able to balance/blend their spirituality with career. I can't imagine doing things any other way. Congratulations and good luck on your new opportunity. Mnemosyne

Logiatrix	05 Feb 2005
bleuivy wrote: ...My uncle, though, was another story. He took one look at my amazon.com wish list (currently very tarot-heavy, I have to admit) and called me up. "You like tarot now? That's great! What are your favorite decks?" It turns out that he's collected tarot cards for years, though I didn't know it...For Christmas, he gave me his old Buckland Romani Tarot deck, which apparently he used to read with but hasn't used in a while. He said he wanted it to go to a good home with someone who would appreciate it. And I love it! It is now one of my favorite decks, and also great because I got it handed down from a family member. I was quite pleased there was someone in my family that wasn't only not freaked out, but actively encouraging. Yay! That's so cool! Your whole story was really nice to read, and it gave me a happy "warm and fuzzy" :D kind of feeling! Thank you for sharing that, bleuivy. :)

Logiatrix	05 Feb 2005
Ah, yes, the workplace... There have been people at work that I'm guilty of pre-judging in regards to my tarot habit. I assumed I would have difficulties unless I kept it to myself, because I'd heard about another assistant who'd had problems when she brought her deck to work. So, I was sure I'd get grief the first time my boss saw me with a deck I'd purchased on a trip to the bookstore during lunch; indeed, his comment was "no good will come of that" as he walked by. But then he actually picked up my cards and looked at them about an hour later--when I thought I'd done a good job of hiding them after he'd been by before, LOL. It's been about six years now, and he still allows me to use his office for readings, has no problem with my decks laying around, and doesn't object to my Aeclectic visits on the office computers. I'm not sure why my boss didn't freak out like I thought he would, but I do appreciate that it's quite a gift for him to be so supportive instead. :) Partner-wise, I've had one serious relationship and several dates since I ventured into tarot, not including my boyfriend now. My last relationship was with a man who did not "approve" of my tarot habit. However, my current SO is extremely accepting of tarot, and he has had several readings from me; he likes to do readings about our relationship, LOL. His mother has also gotten readings, and his sisters (five of them!) have recently requested readings. He wants me to teach him how to read the cards, too, after I buy him his first deck. I have to admit, I am still kind of in awe of how "NOT freaked out" my guy is...I think he's rather rare and special. ;)

Teranar	06 Feb 2005
I live in the bible belt. Its rare that I find someone here that isn't afraid of Tarot. So one day I was at work, and a girl I worked with named Andy asked "Hey Ian! Can I borrow a knife to open this box?" (I almost always have a knife or 6 on me...) I said yeah, my coat pocket without thinking. Two days later she, our manager Mike, and I were talking about wierd things we do that we don't talk about. Andy talked about how she used to read palms! :O And then she said I would know what she's talking about. Mike: HUh, Ian, you would? Me: Oops, did you find my tarot cards? Andy: Yeah, they were in your coat when I went for a knife the other day. Mike was cool with it, (He's pretty cool, he and a friend now run a handyman business) Andy suprised me by telling us her grandparents used to read.

tarotbear	20 Jun 2005
"BUMP!" {Bumping up an old thread} :)

mythos	21 Jun 2005
My very strait-laced, pedantic, narrow-minded brother-in-law asked for a reading. I nearly had a heart attack on the spot. Of course, as I gave him the reading, he told me what the cards 'should' mean ... no experience with tarot, and absolutely no insight into himself ... but I let him go ... he felt 'right' which is so very important to him, so all was well. mythos

Violinagin	21 Jun 2005
I had known my teacher only for a while, and I knew she was pretty spiritual, but I thought more in a religious way. Nah... She's really out there :) It's pretty cool. And my boyfriend has been cool with it. He thinks it's all a bunch of "hooey" but he really enjoys looking at the cards and playing games with me and listening to me talk about their meanings and all. He's fun like that!

PlatinumDove	21 Jun 2005
My significant other wasn't freaked out, instead he's actually been supportive about my strange and unusual ways. ;)

Demonesse	21 Jun 2005
I actually want to meet someone who is freaked out by tarot. I don't advertise my interest in tarot, but I never bother to hide it either. The parents were mildly curious for about five minutes, and then went back to their newspapers and sitcoms. The s/o is far 'freakier' than I. Tarot? Yawn. The close friends found the decks interesting on an artistic/aesthetic basis. The fair-weather friends and assorted acquaintances were curious, and/or thought it was eccentric hokum. I only managed to get a rise out of one person: the wide-eyed adolescent younger brother wondered if I had a portal to hell in my room (where I keep my decks) and if they were instruments of the devil. Unfortunately, he was being sarcastic. It's so hard to freak people out these days. Sigh. })

Alta	21 Jun 2005
Demonesse wrote: It's so hard to freak people out these days. Sigh. *smiles* Yes, my family is, as you say, mildly polite when I mention it. They never ask for readings but are far from freaked-out by it.

similia	21 Jun 2005
Demonesse wrote: I actually want to meet someone who is freaked out by tarot. Me too! But I don't want it to be a person whose opinion matters to me :D A double standard I know!

Marina	21 Jun 2005
My father! :o I was playing Truco (a game that uses a Spanish Deck) with a friend, when he entered my bedroom, saw us playing and asked, all happy: "are you reading cards!?" I looked at him with plate-sized eyes: "Erm...no. Why?...Do you want a reading?" He said: "Later, later...", and left! He did not asked for the reading later, but i feel he did want one. I didn't have my Tarot there, though - just normal Playing Crads, my Lenormand (those i use for readings) and a Spanish Deck i use only for games. Yet, it surprised me...dad never seemed to believe in 'cards'. Then he was so excited when he thought i was reading for my friend. Funny, funny...i hope he asks again. I'll gladly do a reading...i know he's facing a very difficult time in his life, i'd love to help! ~Yuko PS. Ah, my boyfriend. He doesn't beleve in tarot and is an atheist - while i'm Wiccan, you can imagine the mix. But he was never freaked out...he even gets curious sometimes, but that's all. It's hard to scare people nowadays. Big shame })

Ms K	21 Jun 2005
Mom and Dad. Both asked for a reading, over the phone (we live quite a distance apart). My friends....funny that...one of them even bought me my deck. Husband? Is still freaked out, but is starting to appreciate tarot for the art. He still hasn't seen my deck, but I've shown him others, and have been telling him how right on my readings have been so far...I think he's getting interested.

Fairawen	21 Jun 2005
For a while now, I've been going on how everybody around me hates tarot, shuns tarot, is afraid of tarot, burns my cards (that I made myself! *pouts* I was so upset about that...) ect ect ect but I am happy that, at last, someone near me does not hate the tarot! My older sister! She e-mailed me with the alias Paul Forbin, asking for a reading (to see if I actually did readings over the internet for other people... how evil could ya get, giving other people readings??? :P) I said, sure, I'd give him a reading, then she revealed herself and refered me to a CHristian site that could "help" me. Instead of getting angry, I said, "Uh uh! No way! You ain't pulling out that easy! You asked for a reading, and you're getting a reading!" Of course, it touched her and she actually put in her e-mail that she cried, and that she needed chocolate. :P (My sister does NOT cry, so that was cool) and she said, maybe, tarot wasn't as bad as my parents said. She said she's still on the fence, but she's ok with it. YEEHAW! FINALLY! I don't feel like such a dang outcast in my own family anymore! *phew* Maybe, just maybe, my sister will open up a little more and allow me to give her a face-to-face reading! *gets excited* ~Fairawen~

zhahmi	22 Jun 2005
Surpisingly, my mother did not get freaked up by the fact that I'm learning tarot. She is a woman who will not allow the movies "Poltergeist" or "The Exorcist" in her house because she is afraid of what she will allow through the veil. A few weeks ago she came up to visit me and insisted on a reading... once that reading was done, she wanted another and then another and then another, until finally I told her that I couldn't anymore. Everytime we speak now she is constantly asking how I'm coming along with it. It's nice to have that kind of support.

mythos	22 Jun 2005
Demonesse wrote: The parents were mildly curious for about five minutes, and then went back to their newspapers and sitcoms. }) I actually ... how can I put this nicely ... permanently borrowed my first Tarot book from my Dad back in the 1970's. He'll be 85 in October, and I'm still stripping his library for books on Kabballah, Jung etc. And, my Mum, who will be 80 next month paid for me to go to the tarot conference. Got so lucky on the parents department, mythos

PlatinumDove	22 Jun 2005
Oh I wish my parents were like that...lol.

Emeraldgirl	23 Jun 2005
My step mother who is very conservative when it suits (and has soemthing against any of that "hippy, pagan dopesmoking sort of things" Uh hello you married my dad who is all those things) barely batted an eye and returned to reading her fashion mag while wondering aloud "why you'd waste your time with that stuff" I did a reading for her once. She seemed to enjoy it but I thought she would have been a lot more outspoken about it.

The Who was NOT 'freaked out' by your hobby? thread was originally posted on 18 Jan 2005 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.