Tarot: Game or Divination?
I ran across this little announcement today in the Poughkeepsie Journal, about a class being taught in the East Fishkill Public Library called, “Brush up on your Tarot Skills”.
Its pretty much expected that the Christians would crawl out of their self-righteous woodwork and start hollering about the class corrupting their children, even though I seriously doubt any of their children will be attending the class. In fact its obvious that the class is designed for people who are already familiar with the Tarot, since the article states, “The group is designed to enhance and develop card reading skills, not to teaching tarot cards.”
So the Christians can calm down - the people attending the seminar are already corrupt. No souls were harmed in the teaching of this class.
My main objection is to the commenter called tarot4games, who has the following to say:
Tarot has no historical connections with astrology, Kabbalah or the occult. The tarot deck was created for playing a trick taking card game similar to whist or contract bridge. Descendents of the original tarot card game are still played in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. Tarot is really for card games, people!
From the The Penguin Encyclopedia of Card Games, by David Parlett
“People are often suprised to learn that Tarot cards were originally invented for playing games, that such games are still widespread and popular in continental Europe, and that the employment of tarots for divination and fortune-telling is a relatively recent perversion of their proper use, dating only from the eighteenth century.”Mainstream America has been duped by the New Age/Metaphysical publishing industry regarding tarot’s true heritage. Our public libraries are to promote culture and NOT distort it! Tarot reading is a distortion of culture! The connection of tarot cards with the occult is based on false histories concerning the decks origins. The occult activities should not be viewed as genuine tarot. Genuine tarot is a type of card game. The tarot card game is very popular right now in France, Canada, and practically any place the French language is spoken. There is also a similar game played in Austria known as “tarock” I invite mainstream America, conservative Christians in particular, to finally discover authentic Tarot, the card games.Do a Google search on the terms “jeu de tarot” or “tarock” to see what the New Age publishing industries have been hiding from most of us.
What a pedantic jackass. Where do I even begin.
I suppose I’ll begin with his assumption that readers of Tarot, like myself, are ignorant uneducated people unaware of the Tarot’s history as a game… and as a method of divination. Most Tarot readers know plenty about the history of the cards - as well as the many rich myths that have sprung up around the cards.
We know that the tarot was developed in renaissance Italy for the purpose of a game - and we don’t need any pedantic jackass to inform us. The idea that an object - any object - must be used for its original purpose and only its original purpose is probably the most unimaginitive and stale thing I’ve ever heard.
I’ve heard tell that entrails were created for the purpose of digestion and elimination of waste, but they’ve certainly been used for divination. Birds were made to fly and sing, alphabets to communicate, but they’ve both been given a deeper, sacred meaning by those who have observed their ways. Both have been employed for divinational purposes. I’m pretty sure tea’s original purpose was to drink, but when the liquid is gone from the cup and the leaves rest at the bottom of the bowl, sometimes pictures are formed. It might be suggested that the palm was created for the express purpose of self-gratification, but it too has been used to read portents and omens. Though I suspect tarot4games sticks to its original purpose most of the time.
Fortunetelling has long been entangled with the concept of play and childlike wonder, and games have often been adapted to auguries and divination (and vice versa). Dice have been used since prehistoric times, for both gaming and fortunetelling, and even in the most jaded gambling houses, superstitions abound about the roll of the bones. In more modern times, Chess was adapted by the Golden Dawn as an occult exercise, and there is some evidence to suggest that chest pieces were originally totemic in nature and usage.
Many fortunetellers use regular playing cards for their divinations - and with excellent results (where are the objections of the culture-police?). Where numbers, letters, and patterns gather, people often see meaning. The shapes in the clouds, the movement of planets againt the backdrop of the stars, the migration of birds, the mystery of numbers, the rich imagery of art - which includes the art of the Tarot.
Of course tarot4games is incredibly contradictory in his post. He states that the tarot was first used for divination in the 18th century (and this is likely - the occult was seeing quite a revival at this time), then he would have us believe tarot reading is a plot of New Age Consumerism, which, if I have my facts straight, has not been around since the 18th C.
I am certainly not a fan of New Age Consumerism, but the New Age is cashing in on a time honored tradition (as it does with so many time-honored traditions) - it did not create the tradition of reading tarot for divination purposes.
The strongest argument for using Tarot as a form of divination is that - as most reliable Tarot readers will attest - it works. It is a beautiful system with a rich history, surrounded by interesting and inspiring mythology, and filled with evocative imagery and symbolism.
As far as tarot4games’ argument that libraries should “promote culture”, not distort it, well that is precisely what they are doing - promoting it. “Culture” is more than just the “origin’ of a thing. It is the full history, the many uses, the nuances, the changes and adaptations. “Culture” is not the same as “history”, and the library is about much more than history. The library is a public gathering place for people of the community to explore their interests. Hmmm… sounds like precisely what this group is doing.
I certainly see nothing wrong with exploring tarot as a game, rediscovering and learning to play the many games with which is was associated. But for those of us who divine with tarot, it is much more than a game.
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Crossposted from Extispex
People do fortune telling with playing cards, tea leaves, entrails etc. The difference with tarot cards is that an industry has monopolized its heritage to where the general public currently cannot think of tarot in terms other than occulto-centric ones. If tarot readers are educated about tarot’s gaming roots, then they’ve done a quite a poor job of educating the masses. Groups like “tarot connections” do not educate, they promote stereotypes regarding tarot’s true heritage. Of course, the NAM is of recent times but it is they who are continuing the occult tarot stereotypes. As long as the mainstream media and the New Age publishing establishment continue with the occulto-centric stereotypes, you will be seeing more messages such as the one I’ve posted to Poughkeepsie Journal. We’ve already blitzed YouTube with some of our comments. Expect much more from game players in the future. If mainstream media do not inform the general public about tarot’s genuine heritage, we game players will do the job for them.
First of all, it isn’t a tarot reader’s job to ‘educate the public’ about the history of tarot. Its our job to read tarot. My primary concern with Tarot is its function as a divining tool, and considering the fact that I’ve spent 25 years exploring it in that context, I doubt very seriously I’m going to just brush it aside and start playing games with it. The tarot is a sacred tool to those of us who use it as such. That said, there are many Tarot websites that explore Tarot’s history in a balanced and accurate way. My guess is that you just don’t want to look for them, because they’d toss cold water on your self-righteous anger.
The original Tarot utilized medieval religious iconography (angels, popes, papesses, etc) in its imagery. Since then many occultists and authors have re-designed the tarot specifically for occult purposes. In other words, if you and your game players are using any other deck than one of the original renaissance decks for your game play, then you are not using it for its original purpose. Most decks today are designed for occult or divining purposes, and to use, say, the Thoth Tarot for a game would be a perversion of its purpose. Keep this in mind next time you pull a straight flush.
It was not the new age conspiracy that eradicated the game-playing history of the tarot, as much as I would like to blame them. Because of the rise in popularity of occult and mystical lodges in the 19th C, combined with a rampant interest in spiritualism, by Victorian times tarot cards were inextricably identified with fortunetelling, gypsies (please, no self-righteous Rom show up to correct me, I’m using the term in the Victorian sense), and occultists.
I doubt there’s any big conspiracy to ‘cover up’ the original use of the tarot. Over the past couple of centuries, and especially in the last 150 years, the tarot has become more and more associated with divination. New Age Consumerism has merely cashed in on that, like they cash in on EVERYTHING. New Age Consumerism has not been around for 200 years, plotting the downfall of tarot as a game, no matter how histrionically you yell about it.
I’ve got no problem with tarot as a game - I think the old tarot games are interesting, as I said, but you know… things change, and the use of tarot has expanded and changed over the centuries. What I do take offense at is your criticism of a library that makes a space for community members to gather and explore Tarot as a divination tool. It isn’t the library’s job to uphold your pedantic rants, it is a public space for all people. You would be better served trying to introduce books into the library about tarot games, than trying to prevent other people from using the tarot as they please.
Well met, Che!
Absolutely correct, Che!
If tarot4games wants his or her Tarot to be used exclusively for games, great, use them that way. Educate people of the original purpose of the deck. Put books in that library that he wants punished for distorting his gaming.
But to say things can only be used for their original purpose is a stagnating proposition, no matter what the object in question is. The purpose of an object is defined by the user. If I have a table that is uneven and I stick a deck of Tarot cards under it to balance it, that deck is now a table support system. Perhaps both Tarot Gamers and Tarot Readers would be highly offended, but if it is handy, why not use the deck?
And, history itself is highly mutable. It is extremely difficult to know for certain the origin of anything, let alone Tarot Cards. History certainly isn’t monolithic and many historians make their careers fighting each other over their interpretation of an object or event. Some say a deck of bicycle playing cards originated as a means of divination. So should all poker players get rid of their decks and start using them to read?
And what is a game itself but a way of interpretting the meaning of a set of symbols and random stacking of the deck. There is nothing about a trump card that makes it a trump card except your own interpretation of that meaning. You have place symbolic significance in the same way a Tarot Reader does, but simply for another purpose.
So live and let live. Play your tarrochi. Let Tarot Readers practice divination.
And I’ll support my wobbly table.
It isn’t the library’s job to promote the tarot reader’s stereotypes. It may not be the tarot reader’s job to educate the public, but it’s the library’s job to do so. The promotion of tarot as something occult is contrary to what a library is supposed to do.
If you need 78 cards instead of 52 to balance a table then so be it. Use whatever it takes to balance a table but it would be a distortion of culture to promote such usage as the exclusive use of tarot. It would be perversion to use a Thoth for game playing, however most editions of Visconti Sforza tarot’s and other historical decks include divination guides intead of game rules. Is this also not a perversion? Also, contrary to the misleading media coverage, game playing with tarot is not exclusive to the Renaissance period. Tarot games are played in France, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland today.
Um, exactly HOW is appropriate library use defined? If a community has interest in a subject no matter how esoteric, regional, or time based, who defines that use? In my town we regularly use public funds and public facilities for many broad purposes and no one calls up the Historical Society for affirmation of said tasks’ historical accuracy.
Call me a lunatic, but isn’t every single concept, thought, or idea a mutable one (in agreement with R the P)? I agree with Che that education in a subject’s history is not the task of every single ‘interest’ course offered by a public entity, REGARDLESS of what the hell they’re doing in every country in the world.
I would further posit that ‘perversion’ is a useless word proffered by pedantics and social conservatives to control speech and thought for anyone outside the norm or even outside THEIR particular world view. To use a local expression here, ‘It is what it is’ and every user determines use.
I honestly don’t see how allowing a Tarot Reading Group in a library is antithetical to the library’s mission statement of being a repository of knowledge. I don’t know this library, but they may be extremely open to allowing a group of Tarot Gamers to use the library for their group as well.
The library itself says that its mission is to serve the members of its community. Obviously there are Tarot Readers in the community and this event serves as a social and informational interaction for them. On the event calendar, the stated purpose of the meeting reads as follows:
“What you will get from the group is support and practice in seeing the cards in action by participating in group readings as well as pairing off to do one-on-one practice readings. By doing this you will learn the cards more effectively while developing your knowledge of the cards by experience. Occasionally a short lecture on a specific topic will be provided; as well as an opportunity to ask questions from your own personal Tarot experience to share with the group. We are an informal group with a relaxed and supportive atmosphere which enhances psychic receptivity, creativity and fun!”
The library is simply allowing the Tarot Readers a place to gather, just as it allows a group of people to come “knit and knosh” in the library (Open gathering of knitters,crocheters and other fiber crafts enthusiasts. Bring your lunch and your project. Informal instruction available within the group.) What could be more pleasant than that?
The staff probably think it is no more appropriate to tell the Tarot Readers to leave and inform them they are foolish to have bought into the new age reinterpretation of the Tarot than they would think it is appropriate to interrupt the group on “Making Ends Meet” and tell them the sociohisoriocultural context of Capitalism and explain to them why Capitalism fosters and needs a poor underclass in order to perpetuate the system.
It is obviously a topic that is very important to you. Maybe others feel similarly. And maybe the East Fishkill’s Library would welcome with open arms a group of Tarot Gamers who want to discuss this issue with each other while playing games and having fun.
Who knows? They may even want to stay for the Knit and Knosh!
I couldn’t have said it better, Mojo and R the P. And it wouldn’t surprise me a bit to find a tarot deck in R the P’s house, propping up a table leg.
And thanks for commenting tarot4games. I expect that the Visconti Sforza deck comes with divining instructions because most buyers of the deck are purchasing it for that purpose.
My purpose is not to stop or censor the “tarot connections” people, it is to inform the general public that the so-called “tarot” they provide is not authentic.
“Authentic” is just another catchphrase you employ because you’re running out of solid arguments. Tarot connections are NOT engaging in a conspiracy to shroud the origins of the Tarot. They are a group of people who are already familiar with Tarot as divination who are gathering to practice and improve their skills. They do not teach tarot - they expect participants to already know how to divine with tarot, so all of your arguments against this group are pointless.
Its really strange that some people will look for anything to get self-righteous about. And its strange that I’m the one who employs Tarot for spiritual reasons, and by all accounts should be the one getting all uptight and self-righteous about it, but really, I have no inclination because I see the value of Tarot as being very diverse. As a game, as divination, as magick as a focus for meditation. And to me, games and play have sacred elements.
I suppose I’m just a lot more open-minded than you. Its likely that the Tarot Connections people are too - I like the sound of their group. If there were a similar one around here, I’d probably join in.
And here’s a free plug, Tarot Connections:
For those of you who live in the Poughkeepsie area, why not check’em out. Here’s a link:
http://www.ourhudsonvalley.net/pages/ad_details?id=14481&open=&
[...] Well I’ve already had my confrontation with the origins of tarot. [...]
The idea of Tarot used for playing a game seems exciting. I don’t buy into mysticism and supernatural things but I think the cards have a richness to them in the colorful images printed upon them.
I would be excited to see Tarot promoted as a game… but I’m worried this Tarot4Games fellow is going about his push wrong. Just insulting people who do divination with the cards isn’t going to do much good.
I’d be interested in reading books and watching videos on playing card games with Tarot. Most of what I’ve found so far isn’t in English though.
Also, with a library… a library should NEVER censor free speech. As much as I dislike religious and spiritual things (thinking of most of it as self-delusional) I would never move to burn those books or cast them out of the library. The goal in an educated society should be to seek out and get more books INTO the library from a different perspective.
So there’s the stone with which one should cast to blaze forward on this fight. Tarot4Games… if you read this… start writing a book on the subject… or make some videos and post them to YouTube. Or hey, you know of some good books on the subject already? Go to the library and fill out a “request for library purchase” form concerning them… reccomend people in other cities and areas do the same!
There are a lot of games that seems to define the paranormal. I especially like Madame Rhandi Cristall Ball.
card game…
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Psychic Reading Of Playing Cards…
Thanks for this post!…