Has anyone ever confronted you over reading in public?

graspee

I'm glad I live in the UK where people who are "funny" about tarot cards are rare. I wouldn't read in public though because people would probably come up to me wanting readings and I'm kind of social phobic and wouldn't want that kind of interaction.
 

Laura Borealis

I know some here read for themselves or for others in very "naked" locales such as busy cafes and train dining cars.

Has anyone ever come up to you and expressed disapproval?

Just once, in a laundromat. The attendant asked me if they were tarot cards, and "Aren't they Satanic?" So I said no, they aren't, and explained a little about them, pointing out the Christian symbols. I think I had the Courtney Davis Celtic deck with me, if I remember right. Not too scary.

It turned out that her granddaughter had asked if she could get tarot cards, and the woman was concerned about it. I think I was able to calm her fears.

I'm always bemused by people who see the Devil card and assume tarot is Satanic. I used to have illustrated Bibles with pictures of Satan in them. And our Sunday School literature certainly had a fair sprinkling of devil images. For that matter, medieval churches are fairly riddled with demonic portraits. Nobody flails, "Those churches, those Bibles, that Sunday School tract are all SATANIC!" Yet they're eager to make that assumption with tarot. Why not assume it's Angelic instead? There are a lot more winged, angelic looking beings in tarot than devil looking ones.
 

Tiddles

Interesting that this topic was just revived as I just had an 'incident' a couple weeks ago. I have a part time job to make ends meet and work the overnight shift there. I like it as I can read, study, even sleep. Anyhoo, I am the only one working in my department and thought it was a great place to study and practice the Tarot, although there is one guy who will occasionally pass through my dept. We are very friendly and talk frequently. I do know he's a "conservative" Christian (I am using that term loosely as he blasts death metal music while he's working), in his own words. He's actually the nyc version of one, he's pro-gay and actually cool tbh. Well the very first time I brought out my cards he happens to come along and see them and says "Are you kidding me?". I immediately gave him "the hand" and said "I don't want to hear it, if I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it". He shrugged and left it alone and we have always been cool since. To this day I don't know or care what his opinion was, although I think it was more along the lines of "you actually believe that crap is real?" and not that they're demonic. I have never brought the cards out for self readings there since only because I need to be in a comfortable environment where I know I won't be interrupted, and don't want gossip in the work place.
 

Jesii

Never!

I used to go to the local college, and in my lunch break, i'd sit in the corner and shuffle my comfort deck. We used to play card games round the table as well, and no one bothered us.
One day I got dragged off to check on our editing, and accidently left the deck on the table in the rush. When I got back the deck was gone, and then found out my very christian friends had hidden the deck from our headmaster.
I then spent the rest of the day (i had lessons first and last periad, 6 empty hours in the middle) giving reading to my entire firnds group, the majority of them being christian.

I have also sat and shuffled at the back of the local cathedral, and the religious-guy (sorry, not up on the correct terms) came up to me, and just told me i might wanna shuffle futher down the pew so no one would notice. I will admit that suprised me. He did not tell me i was damned or they were satanic or anything. But then I was sat in the back pew - directly under the green man in the celeling :D

Jesii
 

Barleywine

crazy that in this day and age, some people will still judge others by how they dress, how they look, where they live, and the 'hobbies' or spiritual practices they have. :rolleyes:

I fully expect that, at least in the US, as intolerant religious fundamentalism creeps more deeply into the fabric of our daily lives (perhaps via Washington next year if we don't head it off) we're going to see a lot more of this kind of thing. Some nut-case was even saying that Hurricane Irene was God's punishment for taking prayer out of schools. If I could convince my wife to go to a colder climate than New England, I'd move to Canada, where my (and her) mother came from.
 

Frayling0

Had some funny looks while shuffling on the bus, but never a comment. I think the UK is generally a lot more tolerant of the "occult" (using the term in the loosest of senses) than the US. Some of these stories are pretty shocking to me, people can be very narrow minded...
 

nisaba

<grin> I can only point to my earlier post (number 41 in this thread).

If you have enough self-confidence, other people aren't ever an issue. I mean ... if I met eleven tall, muscular, Tarot-hating bigots it simply wouldn't be a fair fight. They'd be hopelessly outnumbered by me <laughter>.
 

Chiriku

Thank you to all of you who posted since the last time I visited this thread. I think that would be The Crowned One, 214red, nejigurlmimimi, Chiska, Caedryn, Baroli, pyrogyne, Devilish Angel, Lillie, nisaba, 53rd spirit, celticnoodle, Sinduction, Shade, Glitterbird, Golden Moon, cronegoddess, shadow wolf, Grizabella, Morwenna, re-pete-a, Annabele, graspee, Tiddles, Barleywine, laura_borealis, Jesii, and Frayling0.

Apologies if I've missed anyone. I really enjoyed reading each of your contributions, although it's a bit of a downer that so many stories exist about being confronted by strangers.

It's always interesting to me to observe the variations amongst countries of the same language/general cultural heritage. I would of course expect the U.S. to be chief among the Anglophone countries in offering many opportunities for tarot-hostility by members of "The Public."

This NEEDS to be quoted in full:


Aha! <fills in visual impressions>

I'm a short, round female of decaying age and thus not generally seen as having Athletic Violence Potential - but I have such massive arrogance and such clear body-language indicating my goddess-hood and my self of utter belonging, that I can walk through a war-zone, and the bullets run to hide from me. I can walk through a riot and the rioters fall over themselves trying to get away from me. I can walk past a desperado mugger, and he empties his pockets at me and takes off up the road at a run. Let's just say, I have no problem walking around unsalubrious areas alone at night. No one will ever bother me.

Generally, I dislike it when a poster's only response to another post is an LOL or "hahaha."

Yet all I can do is continue braying in the silence of my apartment unit. "Bwahahahahaha!" Thanks for that; you never fail, nisaba.
 

nisaba

<grin> I enjoyed reading the quote, myself, and I loved your appreciation. Thank you, thank you.