Can Tarot Be Dangerous?a Very Serious Question

ahimsa666

euripides said:
I read this thread with interest, as I too had the idea that Tarot was dangerous. I was never really religious. My mum was very superstitious. But somehow along the line I absorbed this idea that you could unleash dangerous supernatural powers through using Tarot.

So I never investigated them, which was a great loss as they would have really inspired my art at the time.

There's been some interesting replies about how people use the cards, perception etc, maintaining balance - very good and thoughtful ideas. I've been learning Tarot for a while now, and had some slightly spooky things happen when dealing which I won't bore you with, but generally find them happy companions.

What I'd like to know more about is how I came to this misguided view. I don't think it was just church teaching, as we weren't churchgoers, but something that has filtered into popular culture.

Maybe its something of urban myths - those scary supernatural stories that teens love to tell each other, kids who like to think they are 'in the know' about the occult...

Any thoughts?
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Yesterday my friend told that she did watch a popular talk show on TV and the topic of the discussion was "The dangerous Tarot".There were ppl there who said that they became obssesed with Tarot and that it briught bad luck to their lives...This is a vary good talk show,that's why I'm sure the other side of the argument was shown,too..But my friend and many other ppl somehow missed that bit...The believe taht tarot is evil but they cannot tell you why-at least in most cases...I would agree with the previous posts that : 1.You can become obssesed with tarot,yes-but you can also be a shopaholic :p 2.These bad energies are created by ppl 3.Obviously,balance is very important-like with everything :)
I've got the feeling that Tarot is viewed as evil and mysterious by most societies.But I wonder how can they both don't believe in "such things" and,at the same time,be afraid of Tarot? .....
 

euripides

ahimsa666 said:
.But I wonder how can they both don't believe in "such things" and,at the same time,be afraid of Tarot? .....
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indeed! Of course, there's the biblical injunctions against fortune telling, but the argument that its a tool for psychological insight doesn't wash either ('why don't you just pray, then...) - ah, sorry, I've had one too many glasses of wine after a difficult day, I'm in danger of rambling....

There's not believing and not believing .... there's the rationalist, who actually doesn't believe in anything except empirical scientific evidence, then there's the person of (in our culture) at least a vaguely Christian upbringing who 'doesn't believe in it' because it is against the teachings of their faith - which isn't to say they don't believe that it works... they just don't believe that it's 'right'.... if you see the difference.

Then there's those people who are somewhere in the middle, maybe agnostic? They claim not to believe in astrology but check their horoscope anyway, they don't believe in ghosts but won't speak ill of the dead....

sorry, I really am rambling now. Guess I'd better shut up.
 

Alta

euripides said:
What I'd like to know more about is how I came to this misguided view. I don't think it was just church teaching, as we weren't churchgoers, but something that has filtered into popular culture.
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I think scaring each other and hence scaring ourselves with thoughts of the unknown has been around a long time!

To my mind you made an excellent comment there. There is an irrational vein of fear that can surface in any of us, and we will project it onto whatever is at hand. Could be tarot cards, could be aliens from outer space, could be that family down the block from another culture, could be whatever seems incomprehensible. The impulse of fear of the 'strange' seems as old as time to me.
 

Moon mind

to add something

I think it is those 'blocks' that we all have form past.
The religious block is usually very strong in everyone. then the intellectual block and others.
if you come to reading with one of those you automatically bring negative energy and your reading is not clear enough.
we are so used to that psychic guidence coming to us in "negative ways" . like in ahimsa666 dream about the Death card. we are not open for positive psychic messages, we are train to expect the worse always!
if you un-block yourself from negative ecxpectations , belive me there is a Land of Plenty behind that Big Gray wall!
I am talking from experience. Yeas it happened to me too!
I would say: Read Books that will open your eyes. and search for more positive views!
mm
 

Pagan X

We get what we expect. A 15 year old surrounded by adults who are afraid of psychic or spiritual work will learn from them to be afraid of it, to be even more afraid because she hasn't been prepared for success with the tool!

For example, take the "sleeping with the Death card" experience. Ahimsa, you weren't prepared for that experience, but I see it as a wonderful example of the cards successfully aiding you in developing psychic perception. You had a precognitive dream of warning, and it turned out that it was a true warning.

I was raised in a family that accepted "second sight" and occasionally I will have dreams of family members in traffic accidents. In my family, it's perfectly ok to call up someone and tell them, "I had this dream, be careful.." we consider it a blessing and a gift.

It is startling when it first happens to someone not used to the idea, because it violates your mental model of what is reality, what you are capable of knowing, how your mind works, how people are separate--and it frreaks out the people who think such skills should be driven out of our species, or a monopoly in the hands of one religious establishment. That's a huge shift in thinking and feeling; of course it is scary and spooky. The world, for you, has changed and you have to be careful whom you tell about it, because some people will just get all nutsy on you. They will worry about what other powers you may have (Gypsy curses! oh no! don't make her mad!)

Give it some thought. If you want to develop your second sight, you now know what aids you to do that, should you want to resume your growth. Considering the lack of knowledge and the lack of social support for you, it's perfectly understandable that you feel fear--but the fear comes from you, not the cards, and not necessarily the experience itself.
 

ahimsa666

Pagan X For example said:
Euripides-I think what you said was reasonable :) Thank you,Moon Mind and Pagan X.maybe these are religious blocks,and intellectual,too...Pagan X-thank you for support :) Well, I want to develop these skills :) This dream was scary.I also remember that I had a dream about my grandmother and it turned out true...Even more true when with my mother...Because my grandma died then (She was 93 years old!)...But I wish I could believe in that-in the dreams-I guess I'm not so ready to do so.And yet-I want to...We'll see.At least I know now that Tarot cannot put a spell on me :)
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Mabuse

Can Tarot be Dangerous?

You better believe it can be dangerous.
Quite recently I suffered a nasty paper cut while thumbing through my decks.
 

Unknownspirit

Mabuse said:
You better believe it can be dangerous.
Quite recently I suffered a nasty paper cut while thumbing through my decks.
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And once I tripped over my box of tarot cards.
That really hurt.
 

billv

Don't forget about "Tarot Elbow"...

;)

bv
 

yakn

That is kinda the way I was explaining to my very best friend about the Tarot when I told her I had consented to teach it to my daughter upon her begging for months (not from my fear of Tarot but from fear of society).
I know my best friend has abilities because of certain dreams she has told me of and about certain smells she smells upon the death of a loved one.
She told me of a vision that a long time ago friend had while playing the piano in church of a dark veil going across her husband who was sitting in the congregation. The husband was very abusive to her. The very next day (monday morning) her husband was in an auto accident they called her to the scene to talk to him for last time he asked her forgiveness for all he had done to her and died.(Condensed version of story)
When my friend told me about this I said see now the vision the lady had did not MAKE this happened it merely foretold or warned that it was coming.
The same with the Tarot it DOES NOT MAKE it happen it foretells gives advice and also offers reflection(just some of the many things available).
That is when my dear sweet friend goes Oh, yep your right. Just because I smelled the funeral parlor flowers at the time my grandmother died miles away didn't make it happen it was only telling me it had happened the same with my dad. Makes more sense when you put it into that kind of perspective.
I am rambling now did I make any sense or just make the water very muddy?
 
How do you react when someone else touches your tarot cards? I feel free...