Is Reading For Yourself Dangerous?

[Nevada]

If reading for devilishly attractive strangers in bed, use condoms.

OMG I just read that. You crack me up.

 

[Sophie]

To mimimize safety risks, do not read while driving; wear gloves when handling sharp pointy cards; if you must flick them at yourself when looking in the mirror, wear safety goggles. If reading while walking, pick up your feet very carefully. If reading for devilishly attractive strangers in bed, use condoms.

Oh no! So that's where I went wrong...Remember also to wear gloves when reading, because the chemicals on the cards can damage your hands; and - this is especially for you, firemaiden - don't shuffle too fast because the wind created could give you a sore throat.

As for the mental health aspect of reading for oneself: the best way to do it & not get suicidal is to wear a pair of rose-coloured spectacles, listen to "Everything's gonna be all right" on the hi-fi, and take out the cards that bother you. Then the reading will be nice, everything will be nice, and you'll feel nice.

 

[okieinalaska]

I disagree. I think most of us are afraid to really look at ourselves, and reading for ourselves is consequently dangerous because we don't look deeply enough.

But is that dangerous?? I mean are you risking life and limb? Are evil spirits simply waiting till you are reading for yourself and alone to take you over? Is it going to make you psychotic?

I just think that's being meladramatic personally. (although it sounds kind of exciting too, LOL)
Amy

 

[PlatinumDove]

Firemaiden, you never fail to crack me up!

As for getting too introspective by reading for yourself...for me, the Tarot provide a different way of looking at things, a different perspective that I, being too close to the situation, may not be able to see.

 

[Psychebleu]

FM, you funny.

But is that dangerous?? I mean are you risking life and limb? Are evil spirits simply waiting till you are reading for yourself and alone to take you over? Is it going to make you psychotic?

I just think that's being meladramatic personally. (although it sounds kind of exciting too, LOL)
Amy

I think she means self-deception can be dangerous, not the act of reading for yourself and being open to honest reflection.

 

[my_three_selves]

When I read for myself I find that I can instantly relate to and understand the card. I think this is because my inner self knows the answer to the question before I even start the reading. As long as you are prepared to be honest with yourself and take your own advice about the situation in question, there can be many positive effects from reading for yourself. In a way for me it is a good way to confirm a decision I have already made about an issue.

 

[Nevada]

I think she means self-deception can be dangerous, not the act of reading for yourself and being open to honest reflection.

Thanks, Psychebleu, that's precisely what I mean. But it can also threaten life and limb, when you consider how we delude ourselves sometimes about our behavior and associations, things like putting up with abuse from a partner, or deciding to use dangerous substances, among other things. Sometimes it takes a third party to see where we're fooling ourselves and help us open our eyes. Not that we necessarily listen.

Nevada

 

[knowledge griffin]

Nope. If you read for just others, than you miss one of the major points of tarot: enriching your life with kowledge. Although, reading for yourself could lead to some partisan answers, you have to clear your mind and read it truthfully, not what you want to hear.

KG

 

[tarotbear]

Is watching television dangerous? ( I dunno - never had one fall over on me...)

Where we all began our interest in tarot there was one sure available subject to read for: ourselves. We all learned this way.

The problem in reading for yourself is objectivity - can you be completely objective about yourself? I don't think so. What I finally did was do 'minor' stuff for me, but found someone else to do my readings for me, particularly if it was a major question. After all, with tarot interpretation being so subjective - wouldn't you try to give yourself the best possible 'spin' on the cards. Human nature says that you will! Wouldn;t you try to deflect somethig icky into something a little more palatable if it pertained to you?

I would say the 'danger' in reading for yourself - and yourself only - is in how you slant the questions and slant the answers. Once you start 'editing' the spread to suit your tastes ... you are doing yourself a big disservice.

 

[wizzle]

Not at all funny

Very dangerous. You could get a paper cut. You might trip over some power cords while walking and looking at the cards. You might forget to pay attention to the cars approaching in your rear view mirror, or forget to look at the road.

To mimimize safety risks, do not read while driving; wear gloves when handling sharp pointy cards; if you must flick them at yourself when looking in the mirror, wear safety goggles. If reading while walking, pick up your feet very carefully. If reading for devilishly attractive strangers in bed, use condoms.

While I'm sure this post was meant in jest, it's not at all funny, imho. In chat the other night I learned, to my shock and dismay, that magicians can actually fling cards with such force as to stick into their victims.

Your levity on a serious subject could lead a newcomer to tarot to take unnecessary risks. I, myself, never disrobe around my tarot cards for fear the Devil or Magician will become overly excited and pop out, as it were. Discretion with the cards is the better part of valor, especially for those just starting out with these cards, invented as they were by the ancient Egyptians and we all know what they were like. The Egyptians, I mean, not the cards. We're not clear on the cards because we can't read all the posts here on AT.