NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm just back from a short vacation in Germany. I've got a very good friend there, who read the Tarot cards for me. She's really good at it, too. Eerily so...

I'm normaly not the kind of person to buy into esoteric stuff like that, being a rather sceptic person at heart, but the few times she did read the cards for me it regularly turned out to be very acurate to say the least.

So, I bought a pack for myself yesterday, just to try and see if I can get to the same level of understanding.

What is your opinion on Tarot? Or any other form of divination?

Personally, I find it interesting - whether that relates to believing in it as a reliable source is another matter. It has sufficient common links to other strains of occultism for me to think that there must be some basis to it. Bit of a wishy-washy opinion, I know.

My tarot reading always comes out the same: The reader lays out some card, gasps and runs away screaming. *sigh* :(

Meh, I never much cared for Carot Tards...

*runs*

I played poker with a deck of Tarot Cards. I got a Full House. 3 people died.

My tarot reading always comes out the same: The reader lays out some card, gasps and runs away screaming. *sigh* :(
My readings always turn out the same way, only she runs away screaming Antichrist. :(

I played poker with a deck of Tarot Cards. I got a Full House. 3 people died.
:D

Things like Tarot are based in a very deep logical comprehension, that's way it seems to be true. But it is not magic, it's logic (yeah, developed misteriously for centuries, but...).

But I don't exclude the existence of strange things... I have been witness...

I played poker with a deck of Tarot Cards. I got a Full House. 3 people died.

Wright is a funny guy.

I played poker with a deck of Tarot Cards. I got a Full House. 3 people died.

YAY! :D

I'd get them purely for being cool if I could find a pack with art I liked.

Core beliefs tell me not to dabble in stuff like that, but I do think the beliefs behind the use is a rather interesting one.

I'd get them purely for being cool if I could find a pack with art I liked.

I've got a regular pack of the Toth-Crowley tarot, I think they look ok. I never liked the Rider deck...

Eh, I'm not impressed with most diviners. I find 99% of them to be frauds, and the divination itself is too open to interpretation, so I don't really care for it. Same with other "psychics". I believe in such, I just find so many of them to be charlatans.

I think they are an accurate source of divination or advice, but you have to be skilled to interpret them correctly and with any degree of specificity, and most people don't have that skill naturally, they must develop it over time. I can get vague impressions from the cards but I still have to consult the book of meanings, and I know it would help to have a deck with more detailed art. In theory I believe one should exercise prudence with tarot - consult it when you really want an answer, though I admit I'm guilty of using it as a mere sleepover activity, and I suppose one must build their skill somehow. Also I think that divination ends up being essentially advisory, as knowing the future as it will unfold according to present conditions gives you the power to change it, provided you can determine which conditions need to be changed in order to affect the outcome of a situation.

Eh, I'm not impressed with most diviners. I find 99% of them to be frauds, and the divination itself is too open to interpretation, so I don't really care for it. Same with other "psychics". I believe in such, I just find so many of them to be charlatans.

I find most, especially more "renowned" to be frauds *coughMissCleocough*, but I too think there's more to it, although probably not in the same way others may perceive them. There's spiritual divination yes (even scripture admits this), but I'm of the belief that a lot of it is extremely misused. Which is why I won't touch it. Astrology, to me, is much the same in that matter.

They look pretty, but that's about it.

I myself own a deck and use them regularly

I thought about getting a deck,more for a party piece than really believing they would predict the future.I had always planned on stackin the deck and telling someone the were going to die horribly :p

But ive given up on that cos the only decks i ever saw were pretty expensive.Hypnotism is the new plan. :D

I'd get them purely for being cool if I could find a pack with art I liked.
Have you seen the Voyager (http://www.learntarot.com/vodesc.htm) deck? Quite pretty using photographic design.

One with fantastic original artwork is the Haindl (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/haindl/) deck, a must for any collector.

My friend has a deck by the artist Dave McKean from the Sandman which is pretty!

here it is
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/vertigo/

My friend has a deck by the artist Dave McKean from the Sandman which is pretty!

here it is
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/vertigo/
That is beautiful. Browsing through the website, this one made me laugh. A tarot deck for Drunk Commies:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/alcohol/

I've got a regular pack of the Toth-Crowley tarot, I think they look ok. I never liked the Rider deck...
There is nothing "regular" about Crowley *mumble*. ;)

I was never impressed with the Rider deck, but fortunately my first deck was the Aquarian (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/aquarian/) tarot, which has images based on the Rider but much prettier.

There is nothing "regular" about Crowley *mumble*. ;)

I was never impressed with the Rider deck, but fortunately my first deck was the Aquarian (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/aquarian/) tarot, which has images based on the Rider but much prettier.

I know what you mean :D

But I find it a lot easier to interpret the Crowley tarot, the imagery and association of the cards is a lot easier accessible for a poor beginer like myself. My mom has the Rider tarot, I never could relate to that. And she's really not that much of a reader, either...

About as big a believer in tarot cards as I am in horoscopes, astrology, and Brazilian power crystals.

About as big a believer in tarot cards as I am in horoscopes, astrology, and Brazilian power crystals.

Which means that you... don't believe in them, or do..?

(Not capable of picking up intended sarcasm)

I don't believe in the Tarot, but I used to find it fascinating so I got myself a deck and some books and learned how to do it. After some practice I got quite good at it - a lot of people found it eerie how accurate my readings were. So as someone who has done it, I can tell you how it works.

The key to Tarot reading has little to do with reading the cards and everything to do with reading the person in front of you. The cards act as a guide, but when a card comes up, what you do is try to figure out how the card's meaning might apply to the person you're reading.

If you're a good judge of character and good at measuring people's responses it's easy to turn a fairly generic layout of cards into what seems like a perfect fit for the individual, complete with predictions which will most likely turn out to be true.

Eventually I gave up Tarot reading because I think it can be dangerous. If no one believes you it's fine, but when people start taking you seriously there's a lot of potential to do harm, and it's surprising how many people will take you seriously if you're good at it.

Anyway, I would advise anyone against taking Tarot very seriously, but it can be fun as a sort of parlor trick. :)

Which means that you... don't believe in them, or do..?

(Not capable of picking up intended sarcasm)

The first one. Yes, sarcasm is difficult to convey through a medium such as this.