Spirituality and Tarot

Jonathan Chase78 said:If she truly understood the internal—spiritually speaking—landscape of the heart or the brain, she’d finally grasp why Tarot imagery exists and what its actual purpose is.

A little context here:
The Tarot serves as a visual map of the entire spiritual journey and the various stages of evolution along that path.
Historically, these images functioned much like an enlightenment curriculum within the pyramids of the Ancient Egyptian school—or perhaps something akin to the training grounds for prophets among the Jews.

Clairvoyance is simply one trait of an enlightened individual, mainly because the future has been unveiled to them.

However, mere fortune-telling is a dangerous "game" played with human free will—which, frankly, ought to remain untouched. The level of danger depends entirely on the practitioner (specifically, their own spiritual maturity or lack thereof). If the person receiving the reading isn't mature enough to handle a "revealed" future, then not only is it harmful to them, it's actually pointless. Why? Because certain futures don't even exist yet; they are left entirely to human free will. And that is exactly what the practitioner is playing with—whether consciously or not.

Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these other things will be added to you naturally!

wearyowl29 said:Anyone who truly knows their Tarot understands that fortune-telling is just a commercial byproduct. The real meat of it is understanding where we currently stand regarding the things we care about. It gives us a snapshot of our situation, explains why things happened the way they did, and points out what needs our attention right now. Predicting stuff like "this will happen to you tomorrow" is totally unnecessary. There are so many moving parts in our reality that a smart person won't go looking for a fixed destiny in the cards.

Wait, the Kingdom of God—what does that even have to do with Tarot???

Daniel Castillo11 said:Think of Tarot as a contemplative instrument designed to help us align ourselves with that very "Kingdom," or perhaps more accurately, to serve as a compass in our search for it. When someone approaches the cards merely as a tool for fortune-telling or divination, they essentially strip away its contemplative essence—that profound, quiet dimension that allows one to actually engage with their own inner being.

wearyowl29 said:Honestly, I’ve yet to hear of anyone using those cards to unite with the Kingdom of God or any other kingdom! It’s a bit backwards, isn't it? You have to find your own center and figure out who you truly are first. Only then can you actually head out on that journey to connect with the Source.

Daniel Castillo11 said:Think of Tarot as a contemplative instrument designed to help us align ourselves with that very "Kingdom," or perhaps more accurately, to serve as a compass in our search for it. When someone approaches the cards merely as a tool for fortune-telling or divination, they essentially strip away its contemplative essence—that profound, quiet dimension that allows one to actually engage with their own inner being.

wearyowl29 said:Honestly, I’ve yet to hear of anyone using those cards to unite with the Kingdom of God or any other kingdom! It’s a bit backwards, isn't it? You have to find your own center and figure out who you truly are first. Only then can you actually head out on that journey to connect with the Source.

Daniel Castillo11 said:It’s true; for most people, Tarot has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God and everything to do with mundane, ego-driven desires—like just wanting to "know" things—which is quite tragic and suggests they are completely missing the entire point of the cards. Divination and fortune-telling can be fun diversions, certainly, but they don't facilitate any real internal growth. In fact, they often hinder it, because the individual ends up just skimming the surface, unwilling to dive any deeper than that.

Think of Tarot as a meditative, archetypal map—it's more like a spiral staircase leading down into the depths of the human psyche. If we approach it from that perspective, then it becomes a useful instrument. Now, nobody is suggesting that Tarot is sufficient on its own or that Tarot equals enlightenment itself; far from it. It is merely a map. Much like chakras, the Sephirot, or those various "densities" one hears about in certain New Age circles 🙂. You should never mistake the map for the actual territory.

There are certain occult schools that focus exclusively on the contemplative side of Tarot rather than the theurgic aspects. Of course, such an interpretation and way of practicing isn't exactly common, I'll grant you that.

Some argue that self-knowledge must come before the knowledge of God. Others contend that it is the realization of God that provides a person with insight into their higher self. And still others maintain that self-knowledge and the knowledge of God are one and the same. As is always the case, it all comes down to one's intention and their chosen path.

hiddenhound3 said:I have heard similar sentiments expressed before. 🙂 So, does one then utilize the Tarot as a tool for meditation, or is there another method involved?

Chris Peterson53 said:🙂

At the end of the day, Tarot cards are nothing more than scraps of paper covered in symbols.
Behind all of it, there is always a human being using them!
And that’s the point—if a person isn't even aware of their own inner being, or hasn't reached that level of consciousness, then Tarot and any other similar tools are completely useless. They won't contribute a single thing to spiritual growth!
For years now, I've been entertained by this constant mystification and glorification of Tarot.
Which is exactly what you're doing here in this post!😉
But hey, it's good that you realize Tarot is just a tool—assuming that's actually what you need it to be.

Precisely!

Daniel Castillo11;36097822 said:First off, I'm not female, and second...[/B]

We clearly had a misunderstanding here. I don't actually use Tarot at all—I was simply pointing out one of its lesser-known applications for meditation and contemplation. That said, I do utilize something quite similar: emblematic meditations on specific sequences of alchemical and Kabbalistic symbols. The same "rules" apply to this kind of practice. Sure, it’s just paper and ink, but these images serve as symbolic representations of various facets of the human inner being. Just as the physical body has its anatomy, the soul has its own, too. By grasping these archetypal images, one gains an understanding of the Self. But understanding is only half the battle. In fact, not only is this esoteric practice standard fare within inner circles of initiates, but it's also a core component of Jungian depth psychoanalysis. Jung was a massive proponent of using alchemy, Tarot, and Kabbalah as systems to map the human psyche and the Self. Active imagination, contemplation, meditation—all facilitated through visual tools. The process of internalizing these symbols, emblems, and sequences is brilliantly explained in the link I provided.

Nobody is glorifying anything. I haven't seen anyone glorifying Tarot for contemplative purposes anywhere. Have you?

All I see is "will I win the Powerball lottery" and the rest of that nonsense.

Matthew Fox4 said:Spirituality isn't really about the skill itself, you know? It’s more about the person behind the craft. I honestly feel like there isn't a single talent out there that we can't either totally cheapen through "selling out" or actually elevate through true spirituality. It's kind of like how being a priest doesn't automatically make someone a spiritual person—it's just a job title if the heart isn't in it. Same goes for astrology; just because someone practices it doesn't mean they're tapping into anything deep or finding their soul through the stars. It all comes down to the individual, I guess.

Dennis Jackson38 said:Spirituality ought to be treated as an incredibly rigorous discipline—perhaps even more accurately described as a comprehensive way of life. However, since the majority of people still mistakenly categorize it as some sort of "alternative" lifestyle, the term has become a catch-all for everything from the profound and transformative teachings of enlightened mystics to seven thousand different meditation techniques, yoga classes specifically designed for flat feet, reading tea leaves, or even those patchouli-scented vaporizers being peddled during late-night infomercials on local cable by Mr. Džirlo.

It’s honestly a bit pathetic, but I suppose it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. If you have achieved a sufficient level of spiritual centering, something this superficial won't bother you one bit.

wearyowl29 said:Anyone who truly knows their Tarot understands that fortune-telling is just a commercial byproduct. The real meat of it is understanding where we currently stand regarding the things we care about. It gives us a snapshot of our situation, explains why things happened the way they did, and points out what needs our attention right now. Predicting stuff like "this will happen to you tomorrow" is totally unnecessary. There are so many moving parts in our reality that a smart person won't go looking for a fixed destiny in the cards.

Wait, the Kingdom of God—what does that even have to do with Tarot???

wearyowl29 said:I have to disagree that spirituality should *only* be a serious discipline. To me, spirituality is everything that flows into our lives, and that includes the silly bits too! After all, the words "spirit" and "spirituality" share the same root... having spirit...
and laughter is the best kind of prayer anyway.

People just don't laugh enough these days, much like they don't pray enough. For many, laughing and praying at the same moment feels like two completely incompatible actions. But some people actually realize that the power of a good laugh is just as potent as any prayer. When we laugh, we are essentially praying to every deity out there without exception, because laughter is the universal language of the gods. No matter how we define the divine or what form we're ready to accept them in, laughter remains our one true prayer sent straight from the most honest part of our hearts.

Cinka;36101933 said:

What’s the point of spirituality (or even Tarot) if there isn't a destination? A home base—you know, the heavenly kingdom, our true inner selves, or even just the Lord?
It’s just wandering aimlessly through a vast, empty wilderness.

If spirituality actually had a fixed finish line, I suppose the Bible would have legs and walk right to us...😂
But really, spirituality is this endless, beautiful journey through many lifetimes.

A little something for you on the Ancient Egyptian School: One of the schools. Obelisks and pyramids—explaining what their names actually mean.

Oh, Osiris, make my spirit immortal!

Dennis Jackson38 said:Indeed. I find myself in complete agreement, Nemrut. It is precisely because I view the weight of existence with such profound seriousness that I am relentless in my pursuit to fill my days with waves of laughter and bright sparks of joy and amusement.

However, looking at it from another angle, consider the woman who dials a psychic hotline to have Dorothy predict her love life, or the weary, ailing man who visits his Canadian neighbor hoping a heated "sacred stone" can magically extract a tumor without surgery; I believe those individuals take these types of "spiritual services" with absolute, unwavering seriousness.

Now, let us be clear: I am certainly not suggesting that there aren't esoteric practitioners whose "talents" possess legitimate healing properties or who might actually navigate the fractures of time to glimpse someone's future. But if we are being realistic, the sheer saturation of charlatans in these fields has rendered one mysterious and occult branch of esotericism nothing short of farcical. And yes—whether they are true mystics or mere frauds, I would label them as esoterics, but certainly not as spiritualists.

Why is this distinction necessary? Because a fundamental divide must exist. All the brilliant teachings of the great masters, the profound insights of those who have delved through layers of introspection until they float upon the shores of total enlightenment, and the divine spiritual revelations reached through long, arduous contemplations and occasionally harrowing experiences—all of this comes from people who have dedicated their entire lives to the deep study of themselves, their reactions, the world around them, and the unbreakable bonds that link everything together. This leads to a pure life and an absolute understanding of the interconnectedness and harmony of all existence. You simply cannot, for heaven's sake, throw that in the same basket as the predictions made by Stanley, who will charge you $2.00 per minute (plus tax) to tell you that you'll meet a tall, dark stranger at an upcoming corporate gala and marry him, provided you watch out for an envious older woman in his family.

Again, I am not claiming that esotericism lacks its geniuses and true mystics, but... the differences, if you ask me, are vast and glaringly obvious.