Newbie Questions

[Eruditus]

Greetings!

It's a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for welcoming me into your community. Since I found Tarot I've felt a splendid feeling of companionship and warmth and community and homecoming--all without interacting with anyone! (A sensation that most churches, with their pressing crowds of wellwishers, fail to give me.) Yes, this is my first attempt to reach out to my siblings in the New Age/Occult/Whatever-you-want-to-call-it world.

Hopefully my passion and enthusiasm (Greek "en" + "theos") will infect all of you. "Those idealistic acolytes are all the same," some sage old codger is saying right now, "they discover a Truth or two and think they're ready to upgrade to the Gilded Cauldron. Tsk-tsk."

I am learning a lot and enjoying my education. A few questions nag. Can anyone help me?

1. I'm scared. Yes, you heard me right. Studying Tarot scares the ever-loving crap out of me. It's a thrilling fear, but my question is this: When I use Tarot, am I possibly tapping into or attracting negative, wicked energy? I suppose this charming bit of paranoia comes from my Protestant background, where even consulting your horoscope in the Mayberry Ledger is a condemnable sin.

Since I mentioned it, I would like to say that this above all things is what attracts me to Tarot. This interacting with some invisible, intelligent Force. It unsettled me greatly to encounter that Force. Contact with it is undeniable--you know, regardless of whether you can convince others, that you touched something intangible. It's the sort of thing you can never find by hunting for, but only hunters find it. Only with extraordinary effort was I able to enjoy a similar experience with any of the conventional religions, and even during those rare moments of success, contact with the Other was diluted and brittle. With Tarot it is potent and refreshing and highly replicable. And it doesn't scare me all the time, or even most of the time: often I feel comforted, as one would after receiving sincere and wise counsel from a beloved friend. I feel like I just spent time with Something That Really Gives A Damn About Me. During these moments I get the unmistakable notion that whatever this Force is, it loves me and all people very deeply.

Other times, especially when I'm alone at night, contact with that Presence scares me. I wonder if it wants to hurt me. I wonder if it will, like Ouija, intentionally mislead me just for kicks. Deepening paranoia deepens my awareness, and the next thing I know, I'm seeing small furtive lights flitting across my peripheral vision (the light bulb in my ceiling flashing across the windowpane as I move?...or sentient will-'o-the-wisps coming to check up on me from another world?), or I will notice something and fixate on it (that pattern of three white paint drops on the door's windowpane that looks like Orion's sword....a portal for some mutanoid, sporting, nihilistic demon to gain ingress into not only my soul but *my actual physical space*?)

2. Is it ethical to read someone else's cards when they're not present, or without them even knowing? I wouldn't feel right reading someone's cards if they expressly forbade it, but I definitely want to read the cards of certain historical figures or celebrities or potential girlfriends or coworkers or anyone I choose. Is this ethical? Is it effective? Can I trust such a reading?

3. Shuffling. Is there a superior method, one that promises a total random configuration of cards from which I can draw? I want to make sure that pips from the same suit or court cards or Major Cards don't cluster together due to my inept shuffling. I don't want to silence that Force simply because I can't shuffle properly.

4. How truthful is Tarot? If I delude myself in life, will my delusions crop up in Tarot spreads? Can this spoil my readings of someone else's cards? I recognize the importance of objectivity, but despite that I worry that an innate tendency toward deception will taint my spreads. Is this possible? Or is the Tarot a completely blind Force, impervious to my web of self-deceptions and illusions? My question boils down to this: Can I trust the Tarot, even if I can't trust myself?

In closing I would just like to say that my experience with the Tarot was utterly addictive right from the start. It makes me feel good. After reading my cards I feel purged, as if my soul had a bowel movement (pardon the expression). My "normal," i.e. "non-Tarot" or "non-occult" or "non-religious" creative endeavors are more creative as a result of this purging. My inherent creativity is increased, regardless of what the Tarot says. Simply by touching the intangible, I have been enriched, enlarged, enthused.

Thank you for answering any part of my questions, or for just commenting with unrelated ideas. I'm happy to be here, and if there's anything I can do to help any of you, please do not hesitate to ask.

Warmly,
Stephen

 

[Grizabella]

In response to your first question, the only entity you may contact with your cards is the Creator of the universe. That Creator is a loving one and not maelevolent at all so I wouldn't worry. I guess if you wanted to contact an evil entity with them you could do that. But it's not like Ouija.

With regard to the second question---is it ethical to read for someone not present. If you don't, then you won't be reading about much of anything. We don't live in a vacuum, after all. Any readings you do will include your dealings with other people, so you'll be reading about those not present, right?

I riffle shuffle and just make sure I do it many times. That mixes them up well enough.

Tarot is truthful, I think. But your ability to decipher what it's telling you will become more accurate with time and lots of practice. Keep a journal, read a lot, and pay attention to card combinations. Go back over your journal frequently to find the patterns that will help you to read better as you get more experience. Nobody ever achieves 100% accuracy, but you'll get better with practice.

 

[rwcarter]

Welcome Stephen. Lots of questions there. And I'm sure you'll get a lot of different responses.

1. I'm scared. Yes, you heard me right. Studying Tarot scares the ever-loving crap out of me. It's a thrilling fear, but my question is this: When I use Tarot, am I possibly tapping into or attracting negative, wicked energy?

I don't believe so, unless that's what your intent is. Tarot can be used for spells and magick, but it doesn't have to be used for either.

2. Is it ethical to read someone else's cards when they're not present, or without them even knowing. I wouldn't feel right reading someone's cards if they expressly forbade it, but I definitely want to read the cards of certain historical figures or celebrities or potential girlfriends or coworkers or anyone I choose. Is this ethical? Is it effective? Can I trust such a reading?

There are a number of threads already existing on this question and you're going to get lots of different (conflicting and potentially heated) responses. Most people believe it's OK to read the cards for celebrities and historical figures as a means of practicing readings. As for reading for people with whom you have some kind of relationship (be it family, friends or romantic), it's all a matter of intent in my book. If you're reading for someone who you haven't heard from in awhile and you're worried about them, that's one thing. But if you're reading for someone to spy on them, that's something completely different.

As for potential relationships, again, there's a fine line. If you're doing a reading for the two of you as a couple, that's OK because you're effectively reading for yourself in relation to another person. But if the reading is only about the other person, I wouldn't do it because I would see that as another form of prying.

3. Shuffling. Is there a superior method, one that promises a total random configuration of cards from which I can draw? I want to make sure that pips from the same suit or court cards or Major Cards don't cluster together due to my inept shuffling. I don't want to silence that Force simply because I can't shuffle properly.

Again there are many threads on shuffling and there are many different methods. My belief is that no matter how you shuffle (rifle shuffle, side-to-side shuffling, 78 card pickup, mixing them all on the table or randomly dealing the cards into piles to name a few), the tarot will adapt to your method and will ensure that you see the cards you need to see to answer the question at hand.

4. How truthful is Tarot? If I delude myself in life, will my delusions crop up in Tarot spreads? Can this spoil my readings of someone else's cards? I recognize the importance of objectivity, but despite that I worry that an innate tendency toward deception will taint my spreads. Is this possible? Or is the Tarot a completely blind Force, impervious to my web of self-deceptions and illusions? My question boils down to this: Can I trust the Tarot, even if I can't trust myself?

Good question. Self-deception is more likely to crop up in readings you do for yourself than in readings that you do for other people. When you read for other people, what's more likely to happen is that your life experiences, prejudices, inclinations, whatever you want to call them will color how you see and interpret the cards.

Since you're at the beginning of your learning cycle with tarot (and I'm one who believes that we are all perpetual students when it comes to learning the tarot), your initial readings probably won't be "right" but I don't think they'll be "wrong" either. The interpretations you come up with in your readings may not be what ends up happening, but that doesn't mean the interpretations were "wrong." I believe it'll be a worthwhile exercise for you to write out all your readings and go back and compare what happened to what you thought would happen. In some instances you'll find that "oh, that card meant B in this case, not A." In other cases you'll find that what happened bears no resemblance to your reading. Again, that doesn't mean that your reading was "wrong." Instead it could mean that by knowing what would have happened had things continued the way that they were going, you changed something which in turn changed the result.

Again welcome aboard.

Rodney

 

[afrosaxon]

In closing I would just like to say that my experience with the Tarot was utterly addictive right from the start. It makes me feel good. After reading my cards I feel purged, as if my soul had a bowel movement (pardon the expression).
Warmly,
Stephen

This was funny as hell.

God gave you the gift to read the cards in the first place, Stephen. Use it or lose it! Even the Bible says that we will all be held accountable for what we do with the gifts bestowed upon us.

(BTW: I'm from Durham!)

Welcome.

T.

 

[Eruditus]

Hail, fellow Tarheel!

Hello Afrosaxon,

One thing I'm very thankful for now is my upbringing in the Christian tradition. I don't consider myself a memeber of any religion. I like to think of myself as a trailblazer, doing something appropriate only for me, following my own path...but the Bible is comforting, appropriate, and wise. Also, it will outlive us all. So, I'm definitely not anti-Christian. I believe in God, and just want to absorb all the best God-things from all the religions while leaving their illusory, hurtful, or just plain wrong elements on the floor, so to speak.

When you mentioned the Bible's take on using or wasting our talents, a chill ran down my spine, because this has become a huge issue in my life within the past year or so.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Stephen

 

[Eruditus]

Hello Rodney,

Your wise advice could have come from the Tarot itself--something, in other words, that I knew all along, but buried deep so that I forgot or otherwise didn't know that I knew it.

I asked many of those questions because I want to keep my intent on the right side of the line. I don't want to use the Tarot at all for ill, either on purpose or by accident. If it turns out that I hurt even one person, then it would probably have been better for me not to study the esoteric at all.

We have a grave responsibility to those around us, those who would tie us to the stake or put us to the sword. In fact, I believe that our responsibility to them is the greatest.

Again, thank you. I hope many many blessings come your way.

Warmly,
Stephen

 

[gregory]

The Bible is NOT an issue with Tarot unless you make it so. There is a HUGE thread active just now on this....

As to the rest of your post - all these issues are discussed here frequently. I'd chip and say - whatever works for you works for you, and your ethics (as in reading for others with or without their knowledge) is another personal thing, so I'm not starting that one again here.

Shuffling - we all have to do it our own way - it depends as much on how big your hands are and how sticky the cards are as on anything else !! Practical considerations can come into it.

And Tarot is truthful as long as you approach it truthfully. So the best advice I can give you is - jump.....

 

[Eruditus]

Solitaire, I would like to thank you for taking the time to help me. If it hadn't been for you, I would never have even heard of the riffle shuffle. I like the way that sounds by the way. Such a ludicrous preponderance of soft "f" sounds.

And as long as I'm contacting a Benevolent Force, then I won't worry from now on. During moments of fear or paranoia, I'll just remind myself that that fear is coming from me, from the inhibition seeded by my upbringing.

Contacting evil forces, or other similar abuses of the Tarot, are not what I want to happen, and I think one of my main concerns was doing that accidentally. You reassured me that I couldn't blunder into the Devil's dooryard, so to speak. Thank you for that. And thank you for your support and encouragement.

Fondly,
Stephen

 

[Skysteel]

Greetings!

Hi, Stephen.
-

When I use Tarot, am I possibly tapping into or attracting negative, wicked energy?

With statements like this:

Since I found Tarot I've felt a splendid feeling of companionship and warmth and community and homecoming--all without interacting with anyone!

I think so - excessive withdrawing from reality into fantasy is a negative energy.

2. Is it ethical to read someone else's cards when they're not present, or without them even knowing? I wouldn't feel right reading someone's cards if they expressly forbade it, but I definitely want to read the cards of certain historical figures or celebrities or potential girlfriends or coworkers or anyone I choose. Is this ethical? Is it effective? Can I trust such a reading?

You can read whatever you like, but again, the danger is in replacing reality with imagination - at most, a reading can give your perspective (feelings) on things, nobody elses.

3. Shuffling. Is there a superior method, one that promises a total random configuration of cards from which I can draw? I want to make sure that pips from the same suit or court cards or Major Cards don't cluster together due to my inept shuffling. I don't want to silence that Force simply because I can't shuffle properly.

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[QUOTE='doboro' in the Clarity's I-Ching forums]1 If it's completely random, what's the point of consulting? If the Yi's response isn't intelligent, if it's completely mechanical and probabilistic, then what's the point of consulting? What can you gain by talking to a machine? You get to hear the sound of your own voice. What else?

2 If the Yi's response to your question is intelligent, then probabilities in the method don't matter, right? Cuz you will get the intelligent response the Yi wants to give you NO MATTER WHAT THE PROBABILITIES.[/quote]

4. How truthful is Tarot? If I delude myself in life, will my delusions crop up in Tarot spreads? Can this spoil my readings of someone else's cards? I recognize the importance of objectivity, but despite that I worry that an innate tendency toward deception will taint my spreads. Is this possible? Or is the Tarot a completely blind Force, impervious to my web of self-deceptions and illusions? My question boils down to this: Can I trust the Tarot, even if I can't trust myself?

The Tarot is anything but objective - it requires a reader, which necessitates subjectivity.

 

[Eruditus]

Hi Gregory,

Thanks for your insight. My opinion (and I'm not a stickler on this--I champion someone's right to take his or her own path) is that the Bible is not at all contradictory to the Tarot or vice versa. In fact, I view the Bible and Tarot as synonymous! They both are channels to the same ethereal river of divine Consciousness. They just do it in different ways. I believe that cartomancers can enlarge their effectiveness by becoming thoroughly knowledgeable about the Bible. I've studied it in Hebrew, Greek, and English. Each language unlocks important nuances lost to devotees of other language-versions.

By the same token I feel just the same way about the other Sacred Gateways to the Divine: The Holy Koran and the Baghavad Gita (and I'm positive the Tarot would support these other spiritual media), although with these two I am appallingly ignorant compared to my knowledge of the Bible.

Maybe I need to hop on one of those other threads to discuss the issue! Thanks again for your polite and informative welcome.

Fondly,
Stephen