You don’t get it, do you? Pay very close attention: This site is dedicated to fighting ignorance. How could you have even spent five minutes here and not even understood the entire purpose of the site? Having a belief that a bunch of playing cards can reliably and accurately predict the future is very, very ignorant. That’s the opinion of most of us anyway.
My mind is open though. Prove your assertion that they are “pretty accurate about things.” Argument by testimonial doesn’t count. Cites have already been provided that indicate that Tarot is a bunch of bullshit. Provide a cite with some data that proves otherwise.
While I was in college, I used to sit around the student union and read the tarot occasionally for fellow students. Then I hit some futures really well and my clientel markedly picked up and I was making pretty good money. Then I hit some relatively frightening predictions dead on and I got scared and quit.
In retrospect I put it down to coincidence combined with a pretty good talent for the reading of people. I guess I was reading them so well that I didn’t even notice it, but at the time it frightened me.
Tarot isn’t based on factual issues, it is a religious and meditative practice. Done correctly, it isn’t intended to predict the future, it is intended to help people realize what is happening in their lives NOW. If that happens through a practice that taps the subconscious, is that somehow unscientific? Depends on your views of psychology, I suppose.
As long as it’s entertainment, of course that’s fine. I enjoy watching magic in any form, and happily pay. But magicians don’t claim to be psychic, just skilful.
Again no problem. But are you saying tarot is silly? If so, how can you be accurate at it?
Well I don’t believe in the Gospels, because there’s no supporting evidence.
If you’re accurate at tarot readings, would you do one of me?
(I won’t pay, but I will say naughty in my English accent!)
Chas E,
you’re welcome to do a reading of me too. In fact that would be a useful test of accuracy.
I had one tarot reading in Vegas (hey, it was free). She told me I would get a bonus at work within the next six months. Considering that that six-month range included Christmas, I don’t consider that much of a leap. I asked something generic like, “How can I achieve my goals in life?”
“You are enabling someone, and it is holding you back. There is a man with green eyes,” she says.
“Um…no. I don’t know anyone with green eyes.”
“Light-colored eyes. Blue or green eyes.”
::looks doubtful:: “My brother?”
::becoming exasperated:: “Who cooks for you?”
“Uh, my brother, I guess.”
::gives up:: “You are enabling someone, and it is holding you back. You need to stop enabling this person, so you can achieve your goals.”
“Uh…OK.”
Needless to say I was unimpressed. I can’t think of anyone who I can even be remotely considered to be “enabling”. Certainly not my brother.
How 'bout quoting my entire post if you want to refute me. Here is the second paragraph:
This was in response to Kricket saying that Tarot was “pretty accurate about things.” I stated no opinion about whether or not it is an effective meditative device. In fact, I think that it can be for some people. As far as “tapping into the subconcious” goes. Yeah, that’s unscientific. I will stand corrected if you can show me some proof.
James Randi, when asked on Dateline NBC why he continues to do what he does, said, “It’s a very dangerous thing to believe in nonsense.” So maybe you think it’s just a little bit of fun, but a lot of people take it much more seriously than that.
A number of years ago, a friend of mine told me about how his mother died. He lived out of town and didn’t realize she was so ill until it happened. When he came back for the funeral, he asked his sister what had happened. She told him that his mother had been told by a psychic that she would die crossing a bridge. Well, her doctor was on the other side of a bridge from her, and she stopped going to see him, even when she became ill. She ended up dying of an illness that could have been treated. Why? Because she took your “entertainment” seriously.
Of course, this doesn’t even begin to address the millions (yes, millions) of dollars conned out of victims by fortune tellers and their ilk. And don’t tell me that this doesn’t apply to you because you don’t encourage that sort of thing – you encourage the belief, and that belief can easily take a person to somebody who is looking to profit from it.
It is, indeed, a very dangerous thing to believe in nonsense. And that’s one reason The Straight Dope exists to fight ignorance.