Rite or Religion

Teheuti said:

I have no idea what "rites and commonality" you are referring to. Please give an example.

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Perhaps must was a strong word.

What I am trying to say is that if we have enough community of practice, if there are enough things we all do or say that are similar enough, then communication is key to figuring those things out. I am trying to say that religion is a thing that people do together. Tarot is a thing that each of us do, but right now we do it mostly separately. If we started doing it together, how would that look? Most cultures or religions have a marriage ceremony. It's a rite that humans seem to need. If we had a separate community, a 'religion', what would our ceremonies need?

What do we all think? do? What are the commonalities that we share?

alchemist1248 said:

Perhaps must was a strong word.

What I am trying to say is that if we have enough community of practice, if there are enough things we all do or say that are similar enough, then communication is key to figuring those things out. I am trying to say that religion is a thing that people do together. Tarot is a thing that each of us do, but right now we do it mostly separately. If we started doing it together, how would that look? Most cultures or religions have a marriage ceremony. It's a rite that humans seem to need. If we had a separate community, a 'religion', what would our ceremonies need?

What do we all think? do? What are the commonalities that we share?

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I would say we share one commonality. We all use tarot cards. Beyond that I don't think there is one single thing that we ALL share. I'm not even sure there is anything MOST of us, even, share beyond that.

Your analogy of marriage is very shaky. I know I didn't "need" a rite; I just wanted to sign the bit of paper. That I was obliged to say some words annoyed me- I was OK with OK I'll do it" but not more than that. As for someone else saying a load of stuff that had nothing to do with me - ugh. An d that was a CIVIL ceremony.

What exactly do you think a majority of us share ? Even among the people here I know personally, with whom I share a lot, I find a huge amount of difference in tarot practice. Are you wishing it were a religion, for some reason ? Then make your own.

I suppose Tarot can be a religion if someone wants it to be. I don't see much value in that, but there are other religions that have even less to them, like Scientology.

gregory said:

What exactly do you think a majority of us share ? Even among the people here I know personally, with whom I share a lot, I find a huge amount of difference in tarot practice. Are you wishing it were a religion, for some reason ? Then make your own.

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I have no idea what we share. I have been reading on my own for ten years. I've never had a chance to talk to more than a handful of people about what Tarot is to them or how it works for them. This is a genuine question, philosophically, but I'm also trying to get a sense of the community here.

Hello, alchemist1248. I'm sorry to see you getting so many negative & even antagonistic responses here. I adhere to no 'religion' myself, but understand your question (I think.)
Yes, I too think it would be nice if we could express some kind of consensus about what we 'believe in' regarding our various Tarot practices. Perhaps, indeed, there are none at all - though I would consider that unlikely.

At the very least, we surely share a belief / hope / expectation that we can get 'answers' or new 'takes' on questions & situations ... even if we differ hugely in where we assume those answers come from ...
Our own Unconscious? The Jungian 'Collective Unconscious'? Archetypes endemic to our cultures? God(s)? The Tao / Universe / Akasha? Our 'Higher Selves'? Angels / 'spirit guides' / the ancestors? 'All-That-Is'?

Personally, I have still not yet arrived at any definite conclusion(s) but am fascinated and always considering the above as possibilities, with an open mind.
I too would like to hear more serious answers or personal beliefs, which inform & enrich my own seeking.

So far, all I can say for certain is that we Tarot readers are hopefully & expectantly searching for answers. From whence? Who knows?

NB: All of my above post refers to religion, in a way. If by re-ligion we go back to its original meaning or re-binding or 'tying together again' and re-joining some vital link that has been lost. I see re-ligions as systametised attempts to re-bind us to our Higher Selves ... our past cultures ... to our God(s)/Goddess(es) or however we envisage the Divine ... and to each other, in community. Also - to other communities in our human family.
Tarot could possibly do that, within its small community, if we so chose. This need not impact negatively on our sense of individuality & personal agency, depending on how it were framed.

I didn't intend to be negative - sorry if I came over that way - but just trawling quickly through this forum shows that there is almost nothing that even the MAJORITY of us agree on., A religion does have THAT much going for it - a commonality of belief, as alchemist1248 describes it. I can't in honesty see that here; I really can't - and I think that is because tarot means something so very different to so very many of us.

That's not to say I'm dissing tarot - on the contrary - I think it's fantastic !

Gregory. I too have found very little in common with others here about what I believe, but I wasn't really asking about that. I looked back at my original post and I realized that I was a little lazy with the language I used. Belief, to me, is not the main commonality of a religion. Practice is. Religion is something that we do outside of ourselves. Something that we practice together. Part of what I'm trying to ask is whether we have that much in common at all.

alchemist1248 said:

I've been trying to connect with others lately. Joining this forum to talk to others who know about Tarot, looking for others in my area who identify as pagan or pantheist. I have been looking at what I believe in.

One of the things I believe in is the Tarot. In the ten years that I have been reading I have put more and more faith in the cards, and the connection they bring to others and the divine. As I've considered my beliefs I have started to wonder about others. What is Tarot really? Is it just a tool? Is it a religion in itself? I'm wondering how other feel.

Is there enough to Tarot to be a religion? or just a rite of divination for several religions?

I would appreciate your opinions.

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I don't believe that tarot is grounded or organized enough to be a religion. There are too many varities of decks with some having various meanings (sometimes compltely dissimilar) to operate as a religion...kind of like the NIV version of the Bible taking widely accepted scripture completely out of context. Additionally, there is no higher being that followers could possibly worship. If divination were a religion tarot would be its tool. So, maybe... I don't know but that's off topic I suppose.

Personally, tarot is therapy for me. I've been let down by the lack of material manifestation of too many readings to take tarot seriously. Some people tell me that my readings are good and have manifested for them but it's more of a hobby as I receive no real benefit from tarot.

alchemist1248 said:

Gregory. I too have found very little in common with others here about what I believe, but I wasn't really asking about that. I looked back at my original post and I realized that I was a little lazy with the language I used. Belief, to me, is not the main commonality of a religion. Practice is. Religion is something that we do outside of ourselves. Something that we practice together. Part of what I'm trying to ask is whether we have that much in common at all.

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What we practise is reading with the cards, sure. But in different ways and with very different motives. Some here seem to read constantly to check on other people they are obsessed with. Others ask yes/no questions - will I get the job and the rest - and post the readings for comment - and then object to every last comment. There are some here who read just to see if it turns out accurate. And there are others who read to get advice or insight. Then there are the rituals some people adopt - cleansing their cards; wrapping them in silk, not allowing others to touch them - grounding, lighting candles - and those who say what the hell, I read while watching TV... and so on and so forth.

It really is hard to find anything very general.

Speaking of commonalities: I think you'll find that the single most common question or spread position that people ask about in the Using Tarot section is "What does person X think/feel about person Y?" I'm sorry but that just doesn't seem very religious to me.