Blessed Are the Ignorant (or, a funny thing happened in a coffeeshop)

afrosaxon

Today, I was working with my cards in a little coffeeshop, where I hope to start reading in the near future.

One of the baristas/coffee guys/employees kept looking over at my table, in between customers. When there was a lull (after about 30 min of me doing self-readings), he yells, "Are you doing voodoo?"

I paste a (surprised) smile on my face and reply, "No. It's a voodoo tarot, though."

I was curious about his comment, so later on I walked up to him when there was another lull in business.

ME: Why did you think I was doing voodoo? (I figured he'd spied the images on the deck, in which case I was about to compliment him on his sharp vision! :laugh:).

HIM: "Oh, when I was in New Orleans, I saw a woman with some cards and when I saw the way you were laying it out, I thought, 'She's doing voodoo!'"

*head in hands*

The look on my face was somewhere between incredulousness and pity.

ME: "No, I don't practice voodoo. But that deck is the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot."

*sigh*

I've heard of tarot misconstrued as many things, but not voodoo (vodun).

Those who know how I think know that I have another thought regarding this matter, but I shall refrain from saying it on the forum. :cool:

T.
 

Demon Goddess

afrosaxon said:
Today, I was working with my cards in a little coffeeshop, where I hope to start reading in the near future.

One of the baristas/coffee guys/employees kept looking over at my table, in between customers. When there was a lull (after about 30 min of me doing self-readings), he yells, "Are you doing voodoo?"

I paste a (surprised) smile on my face and reply, "No. It's a voodoo tarot, though."

I was curious about his comment, so later on I walked up to him when there was another lull in business.

ME: Why did you think I was doing voodoo? (I figured he'd spied the images on the deck, in which case I was about to compliment him on his sharp vision! :laugh:).

HIM: "Oh, when I was in New Orleans, I saw a woman with some cards and when I saw the way you were laying it out, I thought, 'She's doing voodoo!'"

*head in hands*

The look on my face was somewhere between incredulousness and pity.

ME: "No, I don't practice voodoo. But that deck is the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot."

*sigh*

I've heard of tarot misconstrued as many things, but not voodoo (vodun).

Those who know how I think know that I have another thought regarding this matter, but I shall refrain from saying it on the forum. :cool:

T.

So don't say it on the forum... PM me. :D I'm dying to know what you think.

I know what I'm thinking... I would have told the guy I was trying to channel a decent cup of coffee, but didn't think that would work here. hehe
 

thorhammer

What an ignoramus. T., I'm sorry you had to put up with such a totally stupid comment.

What DG said would have been very funny . . . :D

\m/ Kat
 

GenoviaJ

Well- being a native of New Orleans- it is associated with obia- vodoo. Besides that- we have all heard of tarot spells. Its not an ignorant assumption to make-I'd be glad he asked- and not simply assumed.
You can find oodles of books and stories by and about people who cast spells with the cards. A vodoo priest or priestess in New Orleans has the ability to read the cards, and I cant think of many who would not have the cards as part of their repertoire- hence the immediate connection. It may be a ritual to read the cards and then prepare a potion or suggest something to change the future. *shrug* Just a thought. Ignorance is a strong word....
 

Promise

Let's see...how does that saying go?

'Tis best to keep mouth closed and leave room for doubt, than open mouth and remove all doubt.

I'm afraid Demon Goddess and I are probably on the same brain wave; I'm sure I would have shot back with something rather nasty. I have a slight annoyance with people who make assumptions, and then are somewhat confrontational about them.

Of course, I live smack in the middle of the Bible Belt, and I'd be doused in holy water if I ever pulled out a deck in public, so that probably explains it.
 

GenoviaJ

I am so outdone at the strong response to this. Am I missing something? If people who practiced Vodoo never used tarot cards are predicted the future, than I can see the strong response, but the two go hand in hand. Not to mention she was using a deck called, New Orleans Vodoo Tarot--- come one now...why is that such a "ignorant" assumption to make? I had a reader using a "witches" tarot I would assume they practiced that form or magic.

Sitting alone, with a deck of Vodoo cards- begs the assumption or at least merits the question. But- I guess you have to be from New Orleans or at least have lived in that culture to understand this premise.

To me its no different than watching someone meditate with a bible or a cross and then asking them if they were praying....
 

afrosaxon

GenoviaJ said:
I am so outdone at the strong response to this. Am I missing something? If people who practiced Vodoo never used tarot cards are predicted the future, than I can see the strong response, but the two go hand in hand.

Do they?

I am not a native of New Orleans, nor do I play one on TV...but I have done research into vodoun and the practices, and I have not noticed that reading the cards was one of the common practices. Perhaps in New Orleans it is (and maybe that's to cater to the tourist trade), but in Haiti, Benin, etc. where vodoun originated, other forms of divination are used--not cards.

GenoviaJ said:
Not to mention she was using a deck called, New Orleans Vodoo Tarot--- come one now...why is that such a "ignorant" assumption to make? I had a reader using a "witches" tarot I would assume they practiced that form or magic.

ig·no·rance n. The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

He didn't notice what type of deck I used; he was noticing how I laid them out. He just assumed that, based on his New Orleans experiences, that tarot cards=voodoo, and this is not true. This speaks to an ignorance (or unawareness, or being uneducated or uninformed) about not only true vodoun practices, but about tarot in general. So yes, I used the term "ignorance" appropriately.

it's similar to the assumption that using any form of divination (especially tarot)=worshipping Satan, or calling up spirits.


GenoviaJ said:
Sitting alone, with a deck of Vodoo cards- begs the assumption or at least merits the question.

If he knew or saw the cards up close, perhaps. But he was behind the counter, and he only noticed the way I was laying out the cards.

GenoviaJ said:
But- I guess you have to be from New Orleans or at least have lived in that culture to understand this premise.

If you say so, although I've spent plenty of time there. *shrug*

GenoviaJ said:
To me its no different than watching someone meditate with a bible or a cross and then asking them if they were praying....

To each his own.

T.
 

stella01904

afrosaxon said:
I've heard of tarot misconstrued as many things, but not voodoo (vodun).

Those who know how I think know that I have another thought regarding this matter, but I shall refrain from saying it on the forum. :cool:

Where I live, a lot of people refer to ALL things remotely magical as "Voodoo."
If you have a run of bad luck, "somebody put Voodoo on you." Mexican folk magic is "Voodoo." EVERYTHING is called "Voodoo" even though there's probably not a Mambo for at least six hours drive.

You're not in Texas, are you? :lol:
 

Promise

stella01904 said:
You're not in Texas, are you? :lol:

I don't know about her, but I certainly am!

Good grief, EVERYTHING is voodoo. You can't even get sick around here without someone screaming that you must be "cursed".
 

GenoviaJ

Promise said:
I don't know about her, but I certainly am!

Good grief, EVERYTHING is voodoo. You can't even get sick around here without someone screaming that you must be "cursed".

This is what I am saying- in my experience, in my culture its not an ignorant assumption. New Orleans voodoo is far removed from some of the indigenious practices mentioned above. Street Voodoo- tourist Voodoo is different, so one would encouter vivid memories and relate those memories not out of ignorance but out of personal experince. You can certainly go to a vodoo woman to get a reading, other wise you would not have been able to market voodoo tarot cards.

I believe that anyone having an experience with that culture would certainly be curious enough to ask.
Ignorance is a double sided coin, the man asked because of his experience, the reader is offended because of her experience or book knowledge of other cultures and the practice of "traditional" voodoo, almost to the point of separating or homogenizing one form of divination and spiritual practice or belief over the other. I wouldn't get offended nor think someone ignorant who thought I was practicing voodoo by reading the cards- simply because I know that people use cards to cast spells, and to meditate and in spiritual practice.