I actually don't believe tarot works anymore

So called "occult" energy.....is simply electromagnetic energy as applied to astrology. The validity of astrology is undeniable, IMO. I just returned from my last sister's funeral. There were three of us at one time. I find myself wondering if there is not more to this thing called a "live person" than what we see. If you believe that nothing can be real unless you can see evidence of it, then you have no clue about the universe in general, and astrophysics in particular. Energy, supposedly, is never lost, but becomes transformed. If I believe that death is a so called "dead end", then I have to assume the opposite from what physics has proven to be the case. Einstein proved long ago that time and space are illusions. If time and space are illusions, then we need to accept the fact that illusion is as real as anything we consider factual. I feel the issue rests on whether or not we believe in a "spiritual realm".... a realm where the essence of life continues in a synchronistic reality....beyond what we perceive to be defined by time and space. I feel there is more to consider than whether we can find validity in the tarot or not, but whether we can believe in a reality beyond what we see....a spiritual realm that communicates with us in any medium which the energy can resonate between the two worlds ..... tarot being one of those mediums. I find the definition of "occult" to be synonymous with the realm beyond time and space.

Mysticism is a wondrous thing. Where would we be without it? Most likely buried in the totally objective world of practicality, believing only what we can prove.....and denying mysticism altogether.....when in fact, we will never have the measurement tools to measure the infinite....... be it infinitely minute, or infinitely large. Therefore, the objective reality is just as indefinable as the world of mysticism. Accepting this as the predicament of life, is the first step in transcending the misconception that we can "know"..... or should expect to "know"... the occult.

If you choose to see the tarot as being unfeasible, then you might ask yourself if you are choosing to see only that which is "verifiable." Do you believe only in that which is undeniably verifiable? Then you have closed the door on the possibility that a spiritual realm exists, and denied mysticism in all its many forms, including creativity.....as well as the tarot and the myriad forms of electromagnetic energy.

It's a shame that you've come to this conclusion after ten years of studying tarot. But I believe that your spiritual practice -- or any other long-term practice -- should only include things that make sense to you, and feel right. I was drawn to tarot because it seemed to give inspired, coherent answers to questions that no one around me could even discuss satisfactorily. I had the feeling initially that the answers came from a divine source, and this was something I felt very deeply, to the point that it was a physical feeling. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has reacted like that, with complete awe.

Tarot has opened up so much of life I felt I couldn't access before, and empowered me in so many ways. I have had, and continue to have, direct experience that confirms that it 'works' every single time I work with it. The times it 'fails', it's often because of a failing on my part, a lack of focus, or lack of empathy towards the querent. Sometimes I project my issues onto the querent. Any number of things go wrong, not because the tool 'doesn't work', but because I haven't approached it correctly.

That said, everyone is different, and relates to it differently. I hope your hobby continues to amuse you, if nothing else.

Zephyros said:

I actually don't think belief is necessary for Tarot.

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Niels Bohr was said to have a lucky horseshoe above his door. When a visitor asked him if he really believed in it, he replied, “I am told it works even if you don't believe in it.”

russell said:

Niels Bohr was said to have a lucky horseshoe above his door. When a visitor asked him if he really believed in it, he replied, “I am told it works even if you don't believe in it.”

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I knew I loved Niels Bohr for some reason!! What a guy. My current fascination is with Heinz R. Pagels. What a loss that was.

Zephyros said:

Going back to the topic, I actually don't think belief is necessary for Tarot. I myself never had any belief in it to lose, and I've been reading cards almost my entire life. I just go by the premise that the deck is a symbolic map in which anything that can happen is shown. When I do a reading it is never wrong because one works in probabilities, and this helps plan ahead. Whether it is "right" or "wrong" is beside the point.

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In a nutshell, yes. At it's best, it delivers unique perspective and insight that can, if so desired, be applied in meaningful ways to life's circumstances. Even if it only provides awareness and not motivation for change, it will have partially fulfilled its objective.

Barleywine said:

In a nutshell, yes. At it's best, it delivers unique perspective and insight that can, if so desired, be applied in meaningful ways to life's circumstances. Even if it only provides awareness and not motivation for change, it will have partially fulfilled its objective.

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This, rather. I was just going to ask - what does it mean to "believe" in tarot ? I have never yet seen a reading that didn't offer some useful message. But is that belief ?

It's not tarot but the readers subconciousness, which interprets the cards. Tarot is just a tool to aid the process.

I can't say that my readings are 100% correct all the time, but that's why I tend to read the energy flow from the cards rather than meanings these days.

I feel working with the magical rituals and meditation seem to help to expand my subconsciousness, which seem helping in tarot readings.

For me, I never used to trust tarot a few year ago until I experienced a reading I got for the year on New Year's Day was coming into reality one by one.

Absynthe said:

After spending 10yrs + with a deck and seeing the results of readings for myself and others I think I've come to this conclusion about tarot.

The possible combination of interpretations from any given set of cards is so huge that potentially any spread could mean anything. Sometimes you'll intuitively hit a right note and other times not at all. It doesn't actually have any benefit or accuracy beyond any other kind of analysis and possibly your intuition without tarot would have greater accuracy. For example, if you look at any of the your reading threads and the responses, the interpretations often contradict each other and the OP will usually only find one, possibly two of those interpretations to be relevant to their situation. About the same as chatting about their problem with a friend who is using brain analysis alone.

It's another one of those spiritual tools that I'm putting aside, along with the law of attraction and various other teachings on the subject. I've found a lot of it to have little practical application in life beyond helping you to think happy thoughts about situations which ultimately you have little control over.

I'm happy that people find value in it, I just don't anymore. Cool hobby but not much use beyond that.

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I never(!) believed in tarot divination. But I do believe it is a great tool for meditation purposes to gain spiritual insight in the workings of the human psyche and consciousness.

I want to congratulate you that you stopped believing in the law of attraction which I find to be extremely irrational and deeply disturbing and even insulting (both for the human intelligence and the suffering of others). It has been very difficult for me to make friends with "spiritual" people while they are judging people even more then people of faith.

Apollonia said:

I am always sorry whenever I hear someone say that the law of attraction doesn't work. I hope your experience doesn't hinder others from trying it.

Over the years, I have practiced it faithfully and it has brought me so many of the things I was hoping for in life: a beautiful home, work when I wanted it, freedom from work when I wanted that, relationships, financial abundance, and opportunities. I personally feel I would have had much less success in life had I not found out how to properly use the law of attraction. Of course I have struggled with some life path issues that the law of attraction could not change, but those are few and there were so many areas this tool did change in amazing ways for me.

IMO some books and teachers are not teaching it correctly, and some methods give weak results. There are specific ways to work with it. In my life it has worked in so many miraculous ways that I have no choice but to believe in it.

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Positive thinking and focus work to some extend. But I strongly believe there is no such thing as a "law of attraction". The people selling the concept give me the creeps. I am totally fine with the idea that the universe is an impersonal unjust place of suffering. Totally fine and happy with it, that concept; simply beause it works. I can do without a God, without a masterplan, without a guru, and still feel inner peace. The struggle comes when you start judging yourself and others in irrational ways. Life becomes so complicated unjust and bizar. I see no use in such a theory. The people that believe in it, I feel that they are in desperate need of control...and cant accept the fact that there is no (absolute) control over anything because everything is connected to everything....You are not creating your life by yourself. Things only happen because conditions are there that make it possible. And that has nothing to do with the amount of love and light anyone feels in their heart. It has to do with positive thinking and LUCK. At the same time... so called "negative thinking" has saved my life numerous of times.

Its the same crazy concept that karma is. Even the buddha told his disciples not to think about the workings of karma because our human intellect can never grasp it. So you will never know what is true and what is not. And apart from that.... According to the buddha there is no self... so in reality the believe you put in karma just makes you more attached to the ego. Just like the law of attraction does. "I, the creator God". Its not spiritual. It is very ego-based. Personally I see no merit going down that path.

But to each his/her own. I dont mean to insult or deny anyone's good intentions. I personally feel imprisoned by these theories and methods... instead of liberated.

foolMoon said:

I can't say that my readings are 100% correct all the time, but that's why I tend to read the energy flow from the cards rather than meanings these days.

For me, I never used to trust tarot a few year ago until I experienced a reading I got for the year on New Year's Day was coming into reality one by one.

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I've been going through a demonstration of the relevance of divination in the last couple of days. I mentioned above the CC I did for my daughter's situation. A while back I gave her a copy of the Gilded Reverie Lenormand and Rana George's book; last night she did her own Grand Tableau and sent it to me for comment. It corroborated - in much greater detail - the testimony of the CC. That first-hand experience is all the proof I need that there's something at work behind the veil here that cartomancy can tap into. "How" it works is open to debate, but I have no doubt something "real" is going on with it.