That’s cool.
Again, folks, many thanks for your thoughtful and reasoned responses. My wife has also read the thread, and has asked me to convey her thanks and appreciation as well for all of your comments. I think we both understand a little better now.
WhyNot, your comments on Tarot in general sound very much like my wife would say: avoid the yes/no questions, stream-of-consciousness until something useful pops up, and the cards are props to bring such things out. She has also said, many times, that nothing is set in stone, and the querent always has the power to change the future through his or her actions.
Kalhoun, my wife is sitting by me right now. I’m now sure how an online reading could be managed (through PMs?), but if you’re game, we could try something.
Sure. If she’s game, just send me a message. Thanks!
Spoons (and Deborah), the message maxed out and your email is blocked. Please email me again (I think my email is in my profile). Thanks!
As a certified religious nut, I’m going with the Big K on this one. Be sure Satan is providing all the details for these readings and as such most likely they will come to fruition. But only if you believe what you are being told. Free will still reigns supreme and that skeezy shit stain (Satan) rules this world now, his greasy scumbag ass doesn’t have all the power he thinks he does. Maybe a mod will move this thread so I can really give a heads up about what that destroyer of souls has up his foul ass garbage can liking ass sleeve. Or not. In any case, whats up Kalhoun ? You know only the Mans magic is the good one? 
Man, you know it’s the work of Satan. False Gods and that. This OP needs a different forum for me to express my true feelings about that. That scumbag is so on The VERY TOP of my shitlist as I get to see his filthy work e-v-e-r-y damn day. He and his filthy angels- Rev 12:9. I wish I wouldn’t say anymore(but I’m way too stupid for that), but that MF is gonna get what’s coming to his scum bag ass if I have to take it to him on a silver platter.
It wouldn’t surprise me if posts like the 2 preceding this one are the reason that other board doesn’t want discussion of religion on their board.
My 2 cents;
I’ve spent time studying and working with Tarot, I Ching, Norse Runes and a couple of other forms of Divination.
1> The answers come from YOU. From the deep unconscious part of your mind. Not GOD, not SATAN, not Demons, not anyone or anything but YOU.
2> Divination does not tell you the future. It tells you what that great big inference engine that is your unconscious mind can see happening. It isn’t THE FUTURE, it isn’t magic. It’s “where the current patterns are leading”. One should always look at this as mutable and advisory, because one can always make different choices and move in different directions. You should also note that this is based on the information that you have (whether you know it or not) and does not include things you have no way of knowing.
3> It can tell you your fears and get stuck in your neuroses and phobias, because those are the sorts of things that occupy the mind. Hence, a person who is extremely paranoid will tend to see paranoia show up in the cards. A person who perpetually fears relationship issues may tend to see proof of his or her fears in the cards.
Again, it should never be seen as supernatural or evil, nor should it be seen as The Future or in any way set in stone.
Back to the OP, Omegaman shows why the topic may run afoul of ‘no religion’ restrictions. Not because Tarot is religion, but because of religious reactions to the discussion.
I’m an admin for a specialist messageboard.
Regardless of people’s beliefs we hold firmly that everyone on the board is treated with respect, and we enforce that.
As Admin when someone complains about situations similar to the above, I point them to the forum rules on General Discussion (anything goes) and ask them to treat all posters with respect.
If there is an issue that persists, we then take it further, in private messages between all involved parties.
Oh sorry, I meant the rest of the reply to the OP. So it’s **Spoons ** wife!
Well I asked that it be moved. I don’t want to be an ass, but F the other board. This is the one and only board I am now, and have ever been a member of. I hope I didn’t offend your tender sensibilities, but if I did, I offer you my most humble apologies. But make no mistake about it, I know that filthy scumbag when I smell his filthy stench, and all the sensibilities in the world won’t stop me from pointing them out.
Clearly the SDMB is not running the same rules, (and I would not expect any other board to necessarily follow the SDMB’s lead), but we handle the situation under witnessing.
If someone, here, provides an explanation of a particular religious belief or practice in GQ, it is considered a matter of fighting ignorance to provide information to the Teeming Millions. Once a post steps over the line to the point where the author is explaining that the events or practices described are the “really true” description of how a god works in the world, it becomes witnessing for the faith and gets sent off to Great Debates.
It would depend how the post was written, (and I have no desire to see the post and get drawn into either a critique or a criticism of the post or the Modding). The problem one encounters is that when describing a religious practice, it is common to describe it from the perspective of it having genuine efficacy. Most readers will recognize that the purpose of that writing style is simply to convey the meaning as clearly as possible. Some readers will be offended that the text was not hedged with a lot of phrases such as “the people who believe in this stuff believe that. . .”
Some folks who have engaged in witnessing and had a thread moved, here, have later complained that ignorance fighting posts were permitted to remain in GQ. (That happens less frequently, these days, as the GQ and IMHO Mods often send any thread with a hint of religion to GD simply to avoid future problems and posters, now, will frequently open religious questions in GD “just because,” but a search of GQ from past years will discover religious themed threads that were treated as questions.
HOWEVER, you are under no compulsion to actually express those feelings. Satan is not going to be affected by your personal expression of antipathy to him and there is no reason to hijack this thread with witnessing simply to express a belief that is not directly relevant to the content of this thread.
The reason that witnessing gets sent to Great Debates is that there are sufficient disparate views regarding beliefs on this board that pretty much any religious belief runs counter to the belief of some other poster. An assertion of such a belief as “Truth” is, on such an argumentative board as this, an open invitation to a debate.
Consider your context: time and place. This thread is exploring what to do about a particular message board situation. It is only coincidentally involving any actual religious beliefs. It is not necessary in this thread to express a religious opinion of any sort. Simply addressing the type and style of posts and the way in which they may be Moderated is the only topic that is germane to this thread. By asserting a particular religious viewpoint, you risk encouraging those who disgaree with your views to reject your views or rebuke you, forcing this amiable discussion of message board protocol to be sent into the (frequently) more hostile arena of Great Debates, where citations are demanded and points are hammered home like nails.
I would suggest that if you really need to express your scorn for Satan any time you encounter what you perceive to be a satanic reference, you simply open a thread in the Pit or GD, but do not post your feelings in GQ, CS, MPSIMS, IMHO, or the other Fora. Time and place. Not every place is appropriate, regardless how fervently you feel on the subject.
(When renewing your baptismal vows at mass, when the priest intones “Do you reject Satan?”, do you feel compelled to leap up on your pew and give a loud three minute harangue against Satan? Time and place. Context.)
If I understand your question correctly, I think I can perhaps enlighten you on this.
The Tarot are a collection of symbols and symbolic representations. The can be used in divination, in which case the divination ritual is “where the magic comes from”. They can also be used a a means of teaching various occult principals, in which case they are not magical but instructional, or used for meditations or simply as decorations.
If I may attempt a comparison - the Bible can be used in various cermonies, such as a Catholic mass or Christian burial or swearing someone into public office or swearing in a witness in a court of law. The “magic” comes from the ritual use, not the physical paper and ink and binding of the book. At other times, the Bible is used for various instructional purposes, from teaching various religious concepts to teaching people how to read to being used in meditation or prayer. Of course, this analogy falls down in that the Tarot is not a Holy Book in the same sense as the Bible is considered to be by the Abrahamic religions.
Another comparision might be stained glass windows in a church representing the stations of the cross. In one sense, they are important ritual objects. In another, they’re just windows to let light into the place. The “magic” comes from the viewpoint of observer/religious participant.
Oh, yes, in my religion they are definitely regarded as occult - but a major difference between my religion and Christianity is that mine encourages occult study. The Tarot are not a mandated subject, but it’s rare to encounter someone of my faith who hasn’t studied them to one degree or another. Some related faiths do require Tarot study.
The thing is, it sounds to me like the Tarot pattern was brought up in a non-religious context, as a “pretty picture” pattern. As long as the discussion was restricted to design issues (size, color, technique) and a historical/cultural context I think the religious objectionists were out of line. I mean, how would that be different than discussing the historical or religious symbolism of roses or lotus blossoms? I suppose someone might become offended if a pattern of dragons was represented and someone supplied background on dragon myths? How about something based on a Tibetan Buddist sand painting, or the sometimes-too-common Kokkopelli motif from North America?
Now, if someone started describing in detail how to perform a Tarot reading that would, to my mind, be inappropriate in the given context.
By “Big K” I assume you mean Kanicbird. Trust me, you would not “go with me” if you’ve paid any attention to my opinion on the subject.
Thank you for this explanation. However, no one has touched on this point, and I’d like anyone with experience to just chime in: Why the cards? Say I ask you for clarification on my job sitch (which is what I posed to Spoons’ wife). She dealt the cards and such-and-such came up. Ten minutes later, I could ask her or someone else the same question and presumably, different cards come up. If I look at Tarot as kind of a “poor man’s psychology”, I can see its purpose. But there is an understood element of magic, if you will, in the dealing of the cards. See what I’m getting at? Anyone?
Well put; that’s how I look at it. Back when I was meditating regularly, I would have issues bothering me, and would meditate on solutions to them, or trying to figure out what exactly was bothering me. When I figured out the truth of what was going on in my head, I got the message in no uncertain terms (bursting into tears). I don’t believe for a second that the meditation tapped into some occult or religious magic, but simply my own conscious and sub-conscious mind; once I got out of my own way, I could see more clearly. I think the things you’ve mentioned are tools used for getting out of your own way.
I am not in the slightest offended. You are more than welcome to believe whatever you like. My point was simply that there are people who are seemingly incapable of having rational discussions on such topics and your posts provided an excellent example.
Omegaman, this post and (less so) the preceding one are inappropriate for the thread and for IMHO. Most posters are treating the OP appropriately; you are not. This is a discussion.
Feel free to open a thread in the Pit if you like.