Children and the cards
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| Kara |
11 Feb 2005 |
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I was just wondering.. My daughter is now 4, and she's growing up seeing me read cards. So, of course, she wants to copy Mommy and read too.. I gave her a pack of playing cards, and taught her to play MauMau (go fish in english I think?? Anyways, a very easy child's game), and also Solitaire (she has her own version).
I just didn't want her to try reading for other kids in kindergarten..you know what I mean? I'm not ashamed of it, and I do want her to have a balanced view on it. But I also don't want people to think she is 'strange'.
What do you all think? Am I exaggerating? What do you do think about children and cards? I know there is the Inner Child Tarot, does any one have experience with this and their child(ren)?
When she is older, I don't care, but for now, at 4 - is that too young?
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| mnemosyne7 |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Hi Kara,
I understand your concerns. My son is almost 12 and has grown up in a very witchy home strewn with Tarot decks and philosophical and spiritual discussions. I hope that I am raising him to understand that not everyone appreciates our way of looking at the world, but that our home and the homes of our friends are havens where it is "safe" to pull out the cards.
When he was little - about 3 - I did get the Inner Child deck. Absolutely wonderful, by the way. We used to build card castles out of it for hours on end. That was his introduction to the cards. We would pull three cards out of the deck and make up stories. Once upon a time there was Jack and the Beanstalk, a couple of mermaids and a miserable gnome ...
He now has access to most of my decks and books (most), has his own Albano Waite deck (that he picked out) and is quite intuitive. We trade readings once in a while, and he's an amazing storyteller. A few months ago, a friend of his spent the weekend. The young boy is Baptist, but still open. During dinner, he said, "Jess, you have Tarot cards! After dinner you can tell my fortune." Without skipping a beat, my son replied, "Mark, we don't tell fortunes in this house. We tell possibilities." I almost laughed out loud. Hurray, he gets it.
If you don't teach your values, ethics and sense of responsibility to your own child, where will he/she learn those things? In my home, Tarot is part of our spirituality, and I don't think I could teach one without the other.
Mnem
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| Clau |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Hi Kara,
I can relate having a 3 and a half year old daughter. She also wants to do as mommy does so from time to time she wants to play with some deck. She doesn't have a deck of her own, she just plays with mine.
I let her play, but I don't teach her the meanings or what the cards are for, she just looks at the pictures until she's done. I think whenever she's ready she'll ask and then I'll have to give some answers. Until that happens, the cards are just drawings on cardboard.
About reading for kids in her kindergarden, is she going to carry around the cards in her backpack? ...my personal opinion is tarot belongs home, where you can interact with her, and teach her what she wants to know, in a kinda "more protected environment" until she's older and can manage any not so nice comment about tarot and such.
Hope this helps,
Blessings,
Clau
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| bodhran |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Hi Kara,
I have a daughter who is also very interested in tarot (11 yrs. old). She has always been a natural story teller and writer, so it's easy to see why she's drawn to the cards. She goes to a Catholic school (NOT our religion), which would FREAK if she brought the cards to school. I've talked to her and explained that some people fear what they don't understand, and judge others, so she needs to be careful who she tells of her interest. She has the Celtic Dragon, The Enchanted (which has a book with it that she found easy to use), and the Universal Waite. She also LOVES my Whimsical Tarot. My biggest challenge is helping her understand that tarot is a mirror into our lives, not some cheap fortune-telling device.
Many blessings,
Bodhran
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| Gyda |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Hi Kara;
My nice who is 5 now was handling my Norse Tarot deck when she was 1.5 when I visited my sister, I have the Legend deck for her when she turns 13, she's already handled it and has a nack for turning a card over that matches what's going on at that moment. I don't think 4, I find at this age it's the neat pictures she likes and enjoys handling them, is to young as long as you supervise the time with the cards. With the Norse tarot deck you have the myths of the Norse so it's more like story time then anything.
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| seapearls |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Oh I was just wondering about this. My daughter turns 2 on the 17th and she looks at my Faery Oracle deck and says wow, pretty. Its cute. I have a Whymsical deck on the way and I want to give it to her. I suppose theres nothing wrong with giving it to her at this age? Ofcourse I'd be there any time she looks at them to make sure they are well cared for and I can tell her the stories on the cards.
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| Gyda |
11 Feb 2005 |
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er. I suppose theres nothing wrong with giving it to her at this age?
No there's nothing wrong wth it, this is personal opion, I think a young age is fine for getting them used to the deck and making a normal part of life, teaching then young is great.
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| Kara |
11 Feb 2005 |
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No, lol, I don't give her the cards to take with her to kindergarten...just a little exaggeration to try to make myself clearer.
Because I have thought about buying her her own deck, and starting to tell her stories around a card, which would also illustrate the meaning. I wasn't sure if that was too much, at her age. I also think that raising her to try to understand herself will also benefit how she accepts, approaches and understands others... but maybe there are also some pitfalls I wasn't aware of. My hubby is totally against it, he thinks I should leave it until she is older, and able to form her own opinion, otherwise I wouldn't be better than people that raise their children 'in the faith'... I think I would be though!
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| full deck |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Has anyone noticed kid playing with Yu-gi-oh cards even? I've noticed some kids, in more than one country, playing with those game cards, though they are not Tarot.
I've had a child catch me shuffling before and I just let them look without explaining much since I figure that kids have really nice immaginations many times. I just describe them as being "symbols" to them and explain what a symbol might be. That seemed to work pretty well.
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| rosyelf |
11 Feb 2005 |
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This is a very interesting discussion.
My elder son is 8, and I have twins (daughter and son) who are 6. At Christmas I ordered the Movie Monster Tarot for my elder son because he loves monsters and freaks and has begun to really enjoy both reading stories about these things and writing his own. For my daughter I got the Fairy Oracle (those superb paintings by Sulamith Wulfing) and for my younger son, who has special needs, I got Mindy Sommers' Dreaming in Color. (He enjoys them with me.)
I think the main thing about Tarot/oracle cards at this sort of age is: attractiveness of the cards, and can you tell a story with them ? My elder son has asked about the Movie Monster titles (it's a Majors Only deck, by Samantha Kocsis) but what really grabs him are the images. He's begun using them as ideas for roleplay (!!!). My younger son responds better to colour and shape, thus my choice for him. My daughter loves anything Faery and likes to look at these cards before settling down for the night.
I'm thrilled there are so many good decks on the market, including ones suitable for children. I do share the view that children need to know that some people are frightened/prejudiced about such things though. The Fairy Oracle and the Dreaming in Color would probably pass muster in a school environment whereas the Movie Monsters wouldn't. It's not that the images are disturbing-except in the rather hammy sense which was intended-it's just that word "Tarot". I'd be having anxious parents-but not children, I suspect-pointing me out as a weirdo. (It's quite possible they do this already LOL, but I don't want it to rebound on my children.)
I think the Inner Child cards are excellent-bright, attractive, nice big cards for small hands, and everything linked in with well-known stories. The Children Tarot also looks good, though I don't know it as well.
Great thread !
love to all
rosyelf
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| Clau |
11 Feb 2005 |
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No, lol, I don't give her the cards to take with her to kindergarten...just a little exaggeration to try to make myself clearer.
LOL! :)
Because I have thought about buying her her own deck, and starting to tell her stories around a card, which would also illustrate the meaning. I wasn't sure if that was too much, at her age.
You know? it is a good idea to buy her her own deck, but I'd let her play with it on her own until she comes up and asks about the images, maybe you'll find out after a month or so, she's tired of the cards and they would end in the toy's trunk until she's 10....although is a delight to see those little round hands turning the cards....
but maybe there are also some pitfalls I wasn't aware of. My hubby is totally against it, he thinks I should leave it until she is older, and able to form her own opinion, otherwise I wouldn't be better than people that raise their children 'in the faith'... I think I would be though!
You know? After I posted I started thinking the exact same thing as your hubby... but then, I know you don't want to raise your daughter in the tarot faith and get all fanatical about it, right? (RIGHT? :P).
Maybe a way around hubby is little Kara playing with the cards, but on her own, until hubby gets used to it, and then you appear making up stories, and before hubby notices, she'll be offering him readings...LOL
Seriously, I don't think there is nothing wrong with the children/tarot mix provided they do it at their own pace, not imposing anything. Maybe the kid won't like the cards anyway...it is a possibility..
Blessings,
Clau
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| Phoenix Rising |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Hi Kara
It certainly does depend where you live to. Where I live, people are pretty open to it, and everyone knows I read the cards. My brother in law who is catholic, knows too, actually he's quite proud of me, telling his friends and family that I'm a witchy poo.
If my 4 year old daughter wanted to, I would tell her, we're in a different generation now, and getting burnt at the stakes doesn't happen here anymore. Although I have a unconcious fear of other people knowing. But I would probably pounce on someone now, if they went off about my cards. Although playing cards aren't as intimidating to people, like tarot can be. And kids around here and my sons, have got those yu gi oh, dragon ballz cards, which are a pain in the butt, because they leave them lying all over the place.
So me personally, I would most probably teach my daughter, or anyone of my children and niece and nephews if they wanted to know.
I wish someone taught me at 4!
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| Kissa |
11 Feb 2005 |
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I regained interest in Tarot when our older daughter was just 1.5 yo, 3 years ago, so she has seen me quite a lot with tarot cards. Our youngest daughter is 2yo so she's seen me all her life with tarot cards. Both know cards, they have their own decks: Fairy tarot, Goddess (Waldherr) deck and Angel orcale (Sulamith Smith).
I had given the older one the very ugly and cheap "Royal tarot", remaining all disturbing and frightening cards in advance but once, she found them and her very favourite was Death she called it "the growling one" because the character looks really in a bad mood in her opinion.
I have a picture where our 2yo reads cards. She has three playing cards displayed in front of her and is holding her head, on the following picture, she explains the cards obviously, using her hands (latine genes). What can you do about that?
Kids see their parents picking their nose and they start picking their own.
Kids hear their parents swearing about immigrants and they start to sound racist as well.
Nothing you can do about it. Want to be in the tarot closet even for your kids?
I explained to my girls that I like to play with my cards, that I like to concentrate and try to thing of the nice images I see. it is the truth. I am doing nothing wrong, hurting nobody. Often even, my cards help me concentrate and give me a hell of good kicks in the butt to be a better mom and a better person.
I think the most beautiful part of being a parent is sharing your passions and your sense of beauty with your children, it is exactly what i am doing when i show them my tarot cards, asking them what *they* see on the cards and then discussing about what i see and what it could mean, blending our meanings together, making stories... Then again, i'm a pretty basic reader, most of the time, i have my cards displayed in front of me without spreadcloth, i don't burn candles, don't do spells, incantations or funny things. Just close my eyes, breath and concentrate.
Of course, I'm european, might be very different in the States but you have to fight your own battles down there, guys.
I am almost sure there might be lots of older threads about the subject, including a funny one, if i remember, about "the effects reading tarot cards might have on the unborn baby" LOL.
Kissa
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| EricTheHermit |
11 Feb 2005 |
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Things are VERY different in here in the States, especially in certain areas, like the Southern states. For example, even though Wicca is a constitutionally protected religion like Christianity, Judaism, and others, if you were a witch living in the South and shared your faith with your children, you could find yourself charged with being an unfit mother. If you were brought before a conservative Christian judge, you could lose custody of your children.
When the Harry Potter books became popular here, religious leaders accused author J.K. Rowling of steering children away from God and towards Satan. In their eyes, the Potter books were occult manuals for children. They were banned from many school libraries in conservative areas. When the Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon card games became popular, those same religious conservatives claimed that the card games were meant to introduce children to the occult.
In many public schools, children are allowed to wear crosses and Stars of David, but not pentacles. Pentacles are not considered religious symbols of Wicca. They are occult symbols and forbidden.
Now we have a president who is a conservative Christian fundamentalist - as well as numbingly incompetent. (Bush is so dumb, it's scary; after declaring that America's war on terrorism is not a war on Islam, he actually called the war in Afghanistan "Operation New Crusade.") It's an especially bad time to be a pagan in America.
When I was a kid, I loved to read about paganism, the supernatural, etc. My Dad had no use for organized religion; Mom, a devout Catholic at the time, wasn't thrilled with my reading material, but as a liberal, she believed I had a right to read about whatever subject I was interested in - except for Dad's naughty magazines, which I found and read with great interest. :)
I never became a pagan and don't practice any religion now, but I always thought Wicca and its variants were wonderful faiths. I couldn't understand why witches (and all those innocents who were wrongly suspected of being witches) were so horribly persecuted. All because of ignorance and fear over what the Church didn't understand - and didn't want to understand. Of course, with the misogyny and sexism that still rules the Catholic Church today, it would have been unthinkable back in the old days for the Church to accept that God might be a Goddess - a married Goddess whose husband, the Horned God, was neither Satan himself nor an evil deity.
How is it that Christianity, whose founder preached tolerance and destroyed temples for being corrupt and intolerant, became so corrupt and intolerant itself? I blame the clergy. When asked how to worship God, Jesus himself said, "Go to your room, close your door, and pray in private." He had the right idea.
- Eric
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| bleuivy |
11 Feb 2005 |
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My younger brother is 11 (making me double his age at the moment, lol) and has never seemed interested in the witchy things I do; until recently, that is. When I visited home over winter break, he saw me reading the cards and became insanely interested. He made me show him all of my decks, and he laid them out, sorting them into piles for the majors, minors, and court cards. By the end of it, he'd begun compaing the different decks, and even pointed out similarities and differences that I hadn't seen yet!
His verdict: he loved the Gilded, and liked the Secret Tarot very much (although he seemd a little uncomfortable with the nudity in that deck). He did not like the Universal Waite or the Goddess Tarot, and only tolerated the Buckland Romani.
His birthday is coming up, and I'm thinking of buying him his own copy of the Gilded to see how he takes to it. He loves other sort of cards, such as Pokemon and Yu Gi Oh cards, so I think the cards are right up his alley.
My advice to others thinking of buying cards or teaching cards to younger children is this: take the disposition of the child into consideration. I think my brother would have been ready for tarot cards at about 5, but I wasn't interested in them until recently, so he's had to wait. I wouldn't consider buying cards for some of his friends though, they are too rough with their things and lose them, or break them, and don't seem like they'd be the disposition for reading cards. Not yet, anyway.
Most importantly, if a child is curious about something, the best thing to do is nurture that curiosity. Let them play with your cards if you don't want to buy them their own, but I think its best to always nurture their curiosity.
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| Michelle |
11 Feb 2005 |
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My twins became very interested in my cards a couple of years ago (they were 5). I got them the Tarot of a Moon Garden deck - it's beautiful and gentle. I have never really discussed the meanings of the cards with them unless they ask about a particular card. They seem to love the imagery on the cards more than anything. Occasionally they will do a one card draw and will want to know what it means.
Now they are 7 years old and they are aware that not everyone 'accepts' Tarot. I have explained to them that there is nothing wrong with Tarot- just that everyone has different views and opinions. I don't think they would bring up the subject at school, but I know that if someone else did they could definitely hold up their end of the conversation.
One of them has been having bad dreams lately - she put her Strength card in her pillow case along with Archangel Michael from my angel deck. I think it's great that she can find comfort & strength in her cards.
Maybe because I have never made a big deal out of metaphysics ( I'm not saying anyone here has ) it has just become a natural part of life for my kids. My 15 year old just asked if she could have a Tarot themed Sweet 16 party and if I would give readings. I told her of course - as long as everyone has a signed permission slip. I think it would be fun and for the kids who aren't interested - I'll make sure they have plenty of other stuff to do.
Hopefully, I am raising well rounded , open minded people.....I'll let you guys know in a few years :).
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| prudence |
11 Feb 2005 |
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I gave my daughter my Shining Tribe, after one of it's cards got lost...then just recently I gave her my Mother Peace mini deck. She will be 5 in May. I am also planning on getting my 11 yr old son the Fey tarot as he is very into Anime. They both have grown up watching me "do my cards" and it seems quite normal to them. But then again, this is Northern California and even though I am a witch and do spellwork almost everyday, we are still one of the more "conservative or square" families in this area! Seriously, other moms are covered in piercings and dreadlocks, and next to them I must seem like Carol Brady. We have our share of hardcore religious conservative types here, but they are soo not the majority, and they basically turn and run when they see a pentacle ( I wear mine openly, with my LL Bean outfits!!) So, some places here (in US) are cool about tarot etc, and some not so much. As for bringning them to school, that would depend on the school...we homeschool, so all things Pagan are most welcome in our school.
Astrid
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| Simone |
12 Feb 2005 |
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My hubby is totally against it, he thinks I should leave it until she is older, and able to form her own opinion, otherwise I wouldn't be better than people that raise their children 'in the faith'... I think I would be though!
Well, I think this is not really a problem as long as you encourage the children to keep their minds open about other options. When they are old enough, they will make up their minds about what they want to believe anyway.
The son of a good friend of mine had been immersed in Tarot, Astrology and other spiritual things (his parents had been in an Ashram in India when they were young and had kept some influence of this) - and he has turned out not being interested in all this at all! He has found his own belief system and is happy with it.
I have been raised "in the faith" as you put it, but I got lucky: my parents are not fanatics and were wise enough to let me go and have a look around to compile what fits me most.
We can introduce our children to what we believe is right, but in the end it is their own choice; and I think the best thing we could do is show them as much as possible so they do have more than one thing to choose from!
Love
Simone
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| Moonbow* |
12 Feb 2005 |
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I think children relate to Tarot and Oracle cards in a very positive way. They look deeply into them and notice more than we adults seem to. My daughter is now 14 and has had Oracle and Tarot decks for about 3 years. She doesn't spend so much time with them now because she has more 'important' things to think about such as shopping, make-up, music and boys!! :)
She started off with Sulamith Wolfing's Faries and had incredible knowledge and imagination with them. She made up her own meanings for all 40 cards, talked about them, wrote stories and read them for family. She now has Witch decks, Herbal Tarot and Moon Garden Tarot....... plus others that I can't remember.
I know she is older than your daughter. But I feel that as a parent it is my duty to allow and encourage the opening up of all possibilities and opportunities, so that they are aware and knowledgeable enough to make their own decisions.
At the age of four, she doesn't need to do anything but look at pictures and make up stories and she will feel like she is 'being the same as Mum'. The little cards (Sulamith Wolfing size) are ideal for their small hands.
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| Kara |
12 Feb 2005 |
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Thanks all for your ideas and answers! Beautiful, you can all adopt me! Lol, seriously, it's great to see such positivity out there, (almost) every single post was wonderful.
As to my 'in the faith' post, sorry if I offended anyone, that really wasn't my intention. I just took it for granted all would know what I meant..the extreme ones that allow nothing else to exist besides their view -no matter what 'faith' or belief. I have to express myself better next time.. I was also raised 'in a faith' lol, and I still believe...just with little twists and turns here and there.
My 'hubby':), takes his father role quite seriously(like many), and is just as opinionated as I am(or can be) when it comes to her...so, as it is anywhere, once in awhile our views clash.
But that's ok, even that is a learning process for her, or can be.
And like Simone also mentioned, it's important for kids to know they have all options open, no matter what they learn from us. It sounds so simple, but it's probably easier for some of us to pressure a bit more than we realize.
I'm pretty sure she'll stick with this for awhile, and then give it up, but she'll probably always come back to it.
Thanks to all of you for the input!
xoxo
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| rainwolf |
12 Feb 2005 |
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I have a question relating to young children and tarot-i want to buy my younger sister a tarot deck. She's 12 this year, and previously i was thinking of waiting until 15 or 16 until i got her one. When i read that others were starting at 4, i then thought i was wasting my young sisters limited time of brain elasticity :) So now i think i am going to buy her a deck and book at her birthday (shes a scorpio-even more intuitive). The only question is, which deck and book should that be? Maybe a version of the rider that is appealing such as the Golden Rider, and a book or two (one that gives many meanings and one that explains everything about it?). Just wanted some input so i could start her. She knows what they are-she's seen me reading them adn i know that she is interested because she keeps thoughts internal. I also think this would be good for her spiritually since she was raised with no religion, only morals.
PS. Thinking of the Golden rider deck and a beginners tarot book of some kind(Sylvia Abrahams How to Read the Tarot, and Jenina Renee's Tarot for a new generation).
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| tarotbear |
12 Feb 2005 |
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I don't have children.
However, I do know a lot about teenagers and playing with tarot decks.
IMHO - it will be your attitude in the end that will make or break the child's use, disuse, or misuse of the cards.
Remember, young children live in a world where superheros, Santa Claus, and other fictitious creature live. Realisitically - is your 4 year old going to carry a tarot deck in their school backpack? Even if you have given them a deck of regular playing cards to hold them off a few years- going to school with playing cards will get you a phone call from the principle's office! Cards are associated with gambling.
Teenagers feel that if adults don't like it - it has to be cool. I would hope that any teenager will leave their tarot decks at home because most high schools will seize them as 'cult' trappings and have them destroyed and/or expell your child.
The concept of 'what we do in our house stays in our house' is a tough lesson to convey and for children to understand. Working with your Tarot cards at home should be treated as 'special' and not as 'mysterious.'
just rambling ...
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| rainwolf |
12 Feb 2005 |
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I hope that isnt true about school (i know the gambling part may be true some places) because i am starting a tarot club at my school. Wish me luck there!!
My sister is quite mature for her age, so i think giving her a 'protected' deck would insult her intelligence. Im not going to give her the tarot of the witches or vampires tarot, i think a rider deck would be good because hey-is that really nudity? Its only on two cards or so, who cares? The whimsical and morgan greer look simple in terms of drawings, not meanings, I want to start her off with a popular deck that she can grow from. (Nevermind thoth-i just got it a while ago after reading for several years and it still suprises me :))
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| WalesWoman |
12 Feb 2005 |
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My 9 year olf see me do readings with the cards and are curious about it, but think of them as a game at this point...sort of. I don't think Tarot is a game for kids to play with. I explain the cards meanings or ask them to tell me what they think when looking at them, but I'm not encouraging or discouraging it. My son has Yu-Gi-0h cards and they are a game to him, so he was trying to figure out how I played and scored Tarot. He didn't get what I was doing at all...which was a spread for the superbowl at the time. And kept asking me when we were going to start playing...lol. That was when I decided that they can look or ask, but I'm not going to get them involved in it and not encourage it at this point. There is still too fine of a line between fantasy and reality for them.
I've decided since they can't really think abstractly and are gullible as all get out, that this isn't something yet for them. I don't want Tarot to become more than it is, especially for them. I think they need to get a better idea of what is "reality" and what isn't before I'd consider giving them a deck. Besides they aren't respectful enough with their possessions at this point for me to even give it a second thought.
I'd rather they have a better clue about making good decisions, cause and effect, and consequenses first but in the mean time if they are curious and want to know more, I'm happy to answer their questions.
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| MercyMe |
12 Feb 2005 |
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I have four children and they each view the Tarot differently.
My 21 year old son thought it was rubbish until I read for him. Now he has me read for him and his friends. "Mom! Give Gary a reading!" :) He understands the random nature of it yet is fascinated by its synchronicity. He also appreciates the way it doesn't foretell your future but makes you think about situations and issues from a deeper perspective. He thinks I am obsessed. Heh.
My 13 year old son couldn't care less. He's simply not interested. Or rather, very minimally interested. He thought it was funny that the Housewives Tarot deck description of the Page of Swords was uncannily like him. All my kids like to "find themselves" in my decks.
Which leads me to my 11 year old son...he was instantly drawn to the Ace of Wands. I guess it called to him! He's the most interested of all my kids in Tarot and has taken time to sit with me and figure out what individual cards mean to him. He's very intuitive and great with pulling out meaning from the cards. I believe he has the gift! So I think he will likely want his own deck in the future. But I'm not going to buy him one, not until he expresses a sincere interest in it and has chosen a deck himself. I figure when he's ready, the cards will choose him. We've talked about psychic gifts and what certain psychic experiences he's had and what they might mean. He's very interested in the paranormal.
My 8 year old daughter is also very interested in Tarot. She asked me the other day if I would teach her to read Tarot and I told her I would, one day. I have to feel my own intuitive "go ahead" before I do. I don't yet.
Their father is not too keen on the idea of our kids learning Tarot. He's had to overcome his own religious conditioning surrounding me reading the cards, but I don't think he's ready for me to pass it on to the kids. I told him that, as their mother, I am not going to cut off pieces of myself and not share my passions with them, and he says he doesn't expect me to. So I'm sharing. :)
I really don't care about what others think unless others were to speak negatively about me and my interest in Tarot to my children. That would set me right off! Thankfully, I've not yet heard any such rudeness, but some extended family members are evangelical conservative Christians and we do have some friends along that bent, sooooo....it could happen. But I am fierce when it comes to that kind of thing, so (RRRAAAOOORRR!!!) they really ought not do that.
~Mercy
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| rainwolf |
13 Feb 2005 |
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But I am fierce when it comes to that kind of thing, so (RRRAAAOOORRR!!!) they really ought not do that.
HAHA-right on mercyme, im with you on that!
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| souljourney |
15 Feb 2005 |
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I wanted to start a poll...but I think maybe I have to be a subscriber for that.
Can't really risk the questions about that from husband, but I'd love to be.
Anyway... How old were all of you when you first were introduced to tarot/oracle cards? And was it as tarot/oracle cards or cards to "play with", "look at", "make stories up with"?
When I really began to learn it I was 36. I'd seen it way earlier...11 or so, and had owned a deck when I was 21.
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| MercyMe |
15 Feb 2005 |
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I was about 24 when I had my first Tarot reading. A friend of mine read for me and it was chillingly accurate. I've been interested in them ever since, but not too long after that I converted to evangelical conservative Christianity and came to believe tarot was forbidden. I exited fundamentalism about ten years ago and have slowly reclaimed myself and my former interests. I picked up Tarot about 6 months ago after exploring it online and having another friend do a reading for me. Again, the reading was amazingly on target, so I bought my first deck and plunged head first into this wonderful, wonderful passion. :)
~Mercy
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| Phoenix Rising |
15 Feb 2005 |
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Well my 8 year old nephew who is staying with me at the moment wants me to teach him tarot, his mother is quite happy to do that, he even went to school and took a little book of tarot. He's told his friends and his teacher! He said to the teacher "My aunty is going to teach me tarot" the teacher said "Oh, well tell your aunty to come over here and read my cards"
Then as we got all the cards out last nite, my sons and other nephew all got in on it too. So hey, that's cool, then we all went and watched charmed!
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| catti |
15 Feb 2005 |
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There are more threads in this subject if you do a search.
My children are now 7 and 10 and have different relationships with the cards. My boy is more natural reader and my girl is more a scholar about it, thanks to Keslynn she has her own Robin Wood deck which she likes but i keep them for her. She had a Cardcaptur Sakura deck , it wasnt for divination but it could be ;but she never figured it out.
I encourage the boy to make his own cards and as i am in a process he will sometimes join me, the girl has given readings over the internet and live this year and gains confidence little by little but is not 1/2 the taroist that i was at her age, but then again she is much more socially aware. I bought my Morgan Greer deck with saved money at age 11 so........i think it is like all things in life: a fine balance works best, not to take them away and hide them nor should one "force feed" the Tarot. Personally i dont see giveing a deck to a 5 year old or younger when so much fun could be had in creating your own deck. Just buy some index cards and felt tip markers. It is a great tool for counting! On a similar note i just got a Gill deck. I always words on cards but suffered the Gill so i could look into her creation of a deck. well my son loves the art and now it is helping him read difficult words like Emperor and Chariot ( he is not a quick reader).
We live in the South of the United States now , but even when we lived in Puerto Rico I shared my cards with the children. Just with that knowlege that not everything we do at home has to be done in school. The idea of sacred space etc...is good to introduce as well as some form of ritual with divination.
Love
Catti
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The Children and the cards thread was originally posted on 11 Feb 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.
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