Tarot: It's not what you think.

I really can't say what sparked my interest in tarot, but when I decided to follow it through and do my own research, I realized that this tool is definitely not what we've been taught it is. Demonized by religiousness and demeaned by misunderstanding critics, tarot (pronounced  /ˈtarəʊ/), is definitely not what you think it is.

It turns out that this is one of those things that most people (especially religious ones) regard with prejudice. I remember when my mom first discovered that I was exploring tarot. She was so offended by it and took it really personally to the point of forbiding it. The fact that I had actually purchased my first deck without even researching tarot first meant that I really had no actual defense for my interest in it. Having being raised by highly religious parents, I get exactly why she was worried. However, today, months since I've purchased The Light Seer's Tarot, I have a defense - a plausible one for that matter. It's time to break down the prejudices and stereotypes. Where should we begin? 

Let's humor what you already "know". What is tarot (According to google)?

Playing cards, traditionally a pack of 78 with five suits, used for fortune-telling and (especially in Europe) in certain games. The suits are typically swords, cups, coins (or pentacles), batons (or wands), and a permanent suit of trumps.

"tarot is a powerful way of revealing the truth about your life".

The origins of tarot

Tarot cards originated in northern Italy during the late 14th or early 15th century. The oldest surviving set, known as the Visconti-Sforza deck, was created for the Duke of Milan’s family around 1440. The cards were used to play a game known as tarocchi, popular at the time among nobles and other leisure lovers. According to tarot historian Gertrude Moakley, the cards’ fanciful images — from the Fool to Death — were inspired by the costumed figures who participated in carnival parades.

The game of tarocchi eventually spread to other European countries, including southern France, where it was renamed tarot. The cards were not regarded as mystical until the late 18th century, when the occult came into vogue. A man named Antoine Court de Gébelin wrote a popular book linking the cards to ancient Egyptian lore, arguing that tarot symbols contained the secret wisdom of a god called Thoth. 

The closest links to tarot are:

1. Christianity - especially catholicism. The cards are heavil influenced by Christian imagery, for example, the Judgement card refers to the biblical judgement day in both meaning and appearance; the Tower card represents the tower of Babel; the High Priestess card and the Hierophant card were originally the Pope and Papess. 

2. Egypt - Scholarly research has proved that tarot cards were invented in Egypt or Italy in the 25th century.

3. Jewish origins - tarocards are linked to the mystical Jewish practices of Kabalah. 

I think this is a perfect place to start. It will pave the way for the many things I'm about to say. 

Let's begin our arguement. Is tarot good or bad?

I'm gonna quote some people who've been practising Christianity for a very long time.

"I use my cards to commune with my God. You use the cards to commune with yours. The cards are nothing but pictures on paper. The messages that I hear from the Spirit of God through his creation around me. If that is evil or against his will, then I will suffer the consequences as he sees fit when the time comes. The cards do not show me the future as it is not yet written. The cards only show possibilites." - 102 year old Nun.

I like the part where she says "the cards are just drawings on paper". When you come to think of it, they really are. They have no power whatsoever except artistic power. The power to inspire intepretation of abstract images and relate to them as we relate to art. How I intepret a card may not be the same as how someone else does, and that's okay because the cards only have guided meaning but no stipulated meanings. You may interpret them as you want.

In all logic, if tarot cards were a magical tool, all tarot cards would be the same. But then again, you never knew that there were over a thousand tarot card designs and variations did you? No tarot cards are the same. As a matter of fact, some don't even follow the original 78-card arrangement. It's not important that they be uniform cause it's not that deep lol. It's only as deep as you want it to be.

Since you may believe that they are a divination tool (which is forbidden by religion), why then are they different? The Bible, for example, which is a very powerful and Holy tool, is the same across the world. It's this way to spread the same gospel and agenda - also because there's no other Gospel/agenda beyond the Bible. Tarot doesn't do that. It spreads nothing and caters to no particular person. 

If a reader believes that their cards are Divine, it's because they charged them with Divine energy. Divine energy is believed to come from a plethora of things by various individuals all over the world and you're in no position to prosecute them for their opinions. If your cards "suddenly" have Divine power, it's because you charged them with a Divine energy. Your cards could literally sit around be meaningless. You can even use them to play games or to decorate your space or whatever. It's not disrespectful to anyone, because there's no original power within them. They are not Holy/cultic. You can't do the same with Holy tools though.  

Tarot is not divination. It's what you make it. "At the end of the end of the day, they are just drawings on paper that represent archetypes and situations. They are simply a tool. Whatever skill you apply to them is what they become. I call on the Holy Spirit, the spirit guide and my guardian angel while learning/practising tarot."

If you feel guilty - for lack of a better word - about practising tarot, you definitely have a spiritual secret that you're hiding, and it's time to face it instead of projecting.

So what actually is tarot?

Tarot is a children's card game inspired by the Roman Catholic Church that originated in Europe. Egyptians found that there were similarities between the Catholic prophecies and their prophecies, and they therefore adapted them and gave them their own meaning. Tarot's meaning changed as time went by and it became wildly known as a divination tool due it being mostly used for divination. Actual tarot readers however, made it whatever they wanted it to be by adding their own Meraki to it. 

If you look at tarot cards in comparison to normal playing cards, you'll realize that each card suit matches a tarot suit and that all suits match one of the basic elements. You'll also realize that each tarot suit has royal cards (Ace, Juke, King, Queen, Page) just like playing cards and many other direct similarities like how they are numbered. Did you know that some tarot readers actually use your everyday playing cards as they are to practise tarot? I bet you didn't. Does that make general playing cards a problematic thing? Nope.

If not divination, what is it used for? 

Tarot is not connected to one religion and can be manipulated to suit a person's own religion and path. So in general, if you decide to try out tarot, pick your own path and stick to it.

1. Insight - Some people use it for insight, as a way to connect with their subconscioud mind. Others use it to connect with their subconscious  guide.

2. Motivation - It's beneficial as it provides a way to work through the problems that we face on a regular basis by offering a new perspective that we may have otherwise overlooked.

3. Guidance - Tarot offers guidance, gut-feeling confirmation and motivation to empower your decisions in life's situations such as love, finance, purpose etc.

4. Connecting - Tarot can be used in connecting with God/your deity of choice to unlock the messages that are within each of us that we may have had a hard time understanding or just need a little more confirmation/sign to keep going.

5. Divination - Like I said, if you charge them with Divine energy then you can totally use them as a divination tool. Divination is the practice of determining the hidden significance or cause of events, sometimes foretelling the future, by various natural, psychological, and other techniques. It is against religion to practise divination. 

Let me expose your character

Why don't you come forward and tell me what your arguement is? After reading this article, tell me a logical and plausible reason why you're against tarot. You know how to find me, or comment below. I'll listen attentively for sure cause I'm a Spiritual person whose Spirituality is based mostly on religion (Christianity). Why don't you tell me exactly what your issue is that causes you to judge non-divination readers so harshly? Do you fear a power that doesn't even exist? Or did you not know that not every reader is a Divine reader? Who even gave you the spirit of fear? Cuase I know it's not God. 

Most of you fear the unknown. You fear that which challeges what you "know". If you were to look into most things that you "know", you'd find out that you are embarrassingly wrong. All that you "know" is probably stereotypes and prejudices passsed to you by people who are just like you. Fearing something definetly has to be a sin. You must only fear God. 

I'm not saying support/practise tarot, I'm saying don't judge that which you don't know. This is not a statement just about tarot. I'm speaking in general about everything. Prejudice instils hate, and hate leads to figurative and literal violence, both which are non-commendable because they are anti the greatest commandment. God has not given us the spirit of fear but the spirit of power, of love and of sound mind. SOUND MIND. Use it!

In conclusion

I have studied the major and minor arcana of the tarot using The Light Seer's Tarot Deck. If you're interested in knowing what happened, rest assured I'll write about it when I'm more confident about the matter. I just wanna say, your view about tarot is probably wrong and I'm willing to die on this hill. You don't have to accept the truth, but something doesn't become untrue just because you don't accept it. If you decide that we're not on a giant rock floating across space, does that stop us from being on a giant rock that's floating across space? 

Stick to what you know and leave what you don't want to understand alone. However, maybe you should try cause nothing ventured, nothing gained. No one judges you for being who you are. Stop shaming others. It's not your place. If practicing tarot is punishable by God, then so be it, but only through Him shall tarot readers atone. You are not saved by holiness, you're saved by Divine Grace. You are not God on earth neither are you holier than them. Know your place. 

What do you think?