I own several decks of Tarot cards, two which I designed myself. I got my first deck when I was about 12 or 13. I occasionally do readings for other people. These people are always impressed by the quality of the readings. I have never had anyone tell me that the reading was unhelpful to them.
The thing is, I am a skeptic. I absolutely do not believe that Tarot cards possess any mystical properties, nor do I claim any mystical abilities for myself. I am not even interested in having anyone else do a Tarot reading for me.
I attribute at least some of my “hits” with the Tarot to an innate ability to read people. As for the rest, I have developed a theory. I think of the Tarot as something akin to an ink blot test. The symbolism of Tarot cards is evocative, yet vauge enough to lend itself to individualized interpretation. I saw a sitcom once where a horny woman took an ink blot test, and ever ink blot looked like a naked man to her. Similarly, I think that people receiving Tarot readings will fit the symbols to their own situation. I remember one reading where it seemed obvious that my friend was doing just that. One of the cards indicated “a dark young man”, and she associated this with a friend who was not physically dark but who had a dark sense of humor. This sort of thing all but ensures that the reading will at the very least be relevant to the person receiving it.
If this is all there is to the Tarot (and I think that it is), why bother with it at all? I think it can be helpful to people if they use it as a tool to help them to think about their problems and what they need to do about them. It may be especially useful to people who have been denying their problems, or who just need to look at things in a new way.
I am interested in the board’s responses to two issues here. First, what do you think of my ideas on the Tarot? Are they reasonable?
Secondly, is it morally justifiable of me to do readings for others who may believe that there is more to the Tarot than I have described? As I said, I have never claimed to have any special abilities in relation to Tarot reading. I always tell people that anyone can learn to read Tarot cards, you just need to know the meanings associated with each one. I also tell people that the cards cannot magically solve their problems, that they need to decide what to do about things and take action on their own. Still, I know that some people do believe that people who read Tarot cards are in communication with the spirits or can see into the future or somesuch. I would hate to think that I am taking advantage of people like this or encouraging them in beliefs that I find foolish.
I agree with your assessment. Either the Tarot dealer is fantastic at cold reads, the cards represent vague things in all or lives, or there is a combination of the two.
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No, not unless you make it clear to them that you viewe Tarot cards as fun and don’t believe they have mystical qualities. I’ve had Tarot readings a few times and after a while I kind of equated it with primitive thearpy.
I commend you for having such concerns. So long as you’re honest with yourself and them there probably won’t be any problems. I’d steer clear of giving readings to folks who take that kind of thing seriously though. You could have unforseen problems despite your best intentions.
One of my best friends (my sister, practically) is a tarot enthusiast, whose opinion is almost identical to yours. Her “act” is a combination of keen insight, the ability to tell a good story, and good old-fashioned cold reading. I was thinking the same things you are when I was helping her with some of her mentalism.
I am an avid magician. I have no ability to make balls penetrate solid brass cups, or to turn red cards into blue ones, or to make a silk vanish in my hand. I claim to have no such ability. Still, I like to entertain people–connect to people–by making it look like I do. Only the truly confused would see my act and claim that I have any of those abilities. It’s the same for Jodi and the tarot. She can’t make astonishing insights and bold predictions of the future based on a deck of cards, but it’s fun to pretend that she can.
Sylvia Browne, the Psychic Friends, and their ilk are to “psychics” what pickpockets, card mechanics, and Uri Gellar are to magicians. There are those who do it to entertain, and those who do it to defraud and take advantage. Fortunately for magicians, the line is less blurry, and there are enough magicians obviously performing to make that the image of the art. As for “psychics”, there probably won’t be any fewer like them anytime soon, so there might as well be more like you.
I have seen this very thing in action. As you may or may not know, I am the chairman of a local skeptics group. We had one meeting in which our vice chairman did Tarot readings. This was advertised in the paper and, despite the name of our organization being listed, many believers showed up. He did two readings in front of the audience. Although he TRIED to be vague in both cases, the people having the reading did all the work for him. One guy divulged way more information than we wanted to know (about a sick father, a sister who wouldn’t help, etc.) by pointing to the cards and saying, “Oh, this must represent…”
Our vice chairman knew HOW to read cards, but, like you, didn’t believe in any special powers. That was the point of the presentation – to explain how a reading could appear almost miraculous, yet be nothing of the sort.
As for doing readings for those who believe – I am personally against it. He actually used to do this at university bars in order to get free drinks (you can see his article about it at The Tarot Scam). While it seems harmless enough, the problem is that people do believe it, and this can lead to them to others who might take advantage of this belief.
Tarot is fun, and has a lot of history and art associated with it. Pepper Mill is a big Tarot enthusiast – she owns a lot of decks.
Other people share your opinions of Tarot readings. In one of the Horatio Hornblower novels (Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies maybe) Hornblower reports on a card reading by one of his junior officers, and analyzes it in his coldly rational way. In a Heinlein book (Expanded Universe?) Heinlein saw Tarot reading as the way that lovers back in the outwardly sexually repressed “mauve decade” communicated their affections and horniness.
I have to agree, Lamia…even though I own 4 decks as well.
However, if the readings you do are for free, and the people are…how to phrase this…not completely taken in by the idea, I’d say to do the readings. I had a friend who used to do readings for all of his friends…we all sorta knew that he wasn’t psychic or anything, but it was kinda fun. If the people you deal with are like that, then I say go for it.
However, if the people you deal with think Miss Cleo is the best thing since sliced bread, RUN.
The way I had it explained to me once is that tarot cards, runecasting, etc are simply ways of making yourself look at problems in your life differently. It gives you reason to look at a situation from a different point of view or with different motivations. They are not magical, they are more like a brainstorming session full of folks going, “did you look at it this way?” Sounds like you hit the nail on the head from my POV.
My sister, Gullible Gertie from Gower Gulch, had an “amazing” tarot card reading a couple of years back. She called me to tell me all the things the reader hit on, which were “soooo true, they really touched on so many things in my life!”
When she told me what the reader had said (regrettably, I forget 'em now), I mentioned that everything she said also held just as true for me, our mother, George Clooney and just about 90% of the people you’d meet on the street. Gullible Gertie, to her credit, laughed and said, “you know, you’re absolutely right!”
I think Tarot is fun, and I have a few decks myself. I agree completely with your assessment, and with drachillix’s comments.
If you’re concerned about giving readings to “believers,” perhaps you should take some time during each reading to stress that the process is psychological, not supernatural. Point out that the cards are vague, and that each card has many meanings, some of which are contradictory. Mention how any given card will have relevance to anyone’s life, perhaps by saying, “This card turned up in a reading last week, and this is how we interpreted it then.” Don’t downplay cards that don’t seem fit. Try jokingly to come up with some weird connection, and then shrug and say, “Oh well, it’s all random.” Stress that the cards are hints, not harbringers.
Don’t get hung up on ritual. Keep the reading light and irreverant. Don’t insist on special lighting or a special setting. Don’t tell the querant shuffle the cards while contemplating their life–just offer them the cut, if you wish. Don’t treat the cards with special care, shuffling in a particular manner, keeping them wrapped in black silk, etc. Let people flip through the deck and play with the cards. Do anything to avoid the impression that there are cosmic forces guiding the disposition of the cards. Sometimes, if there’s a card that just doesn’t seem to fit, I’ll invert it, or we’ll look through the deck for another card that seems to fit better.
Also, check out different spreads. Some are more “predictive” in nature than others, and should probably be avoided when giving a reading to someone inclined to take it seriously. I’ll take this opportunity to promote my favorite spread, the Square of Saturn.
The OP pegs my feelings about the Tarot pretty closely, and I read tarot cards for people for a few years. I still do, on occasion, when friends are trying to make big decisions. It is a wierd mix between cold reading and well, listening to people talk.
That said, I wanted to point out:
This should not be underestimated. I used to tell people that most people have, or know of, the solution to their problems, and that tarot cards were a good way of helping to find them.
I also think that the designs are more evocative than are ink blots. I know this is going out on a limb, but I’ve found that you wind up discussing different things with different decks.
