| "What are those?" My grandmother pointed to my | | | | number 12, picturing a man hanging upside down from |
| set of cards. | | | | a cross by his ankle, signifies the death and |
| I looked at her, excited to tell her. "Tarot cards." | | | | resurrection of Jesus. |
| Her eyes widened and she glared at my mother and | | | | For me, Tarot readings were always steeped in the |
| father. "Who let her have the Devil's playthings?" | | | | mysterious; carnival readers in dark tents, with black |
| My mother and father looked at each other. "I | | | | velvet draped over the table and chairs and small |
| bought them for her." My father spoke. | | | | crystals hanging from the ceiling. |
| "And you claim to be a religious man?" | | | | That's what I used to think. Now that I realize that |
| "I don't see anything wrong with her satisfying her | | | | carnival Tarot readers are probably only out for |
| curiosity." | | | | money, I searched for what a real Tarot reader |
| "It's a sin! You can lay no claim to this being a | | | | looks and acts like. I didn't find it in any book, so, to |
| religious house if you allow instruments of the Devil | | | | find my answer, I visited a "real" Tarot reader. |
| within it!" My grandmother suddenly lost her temper. | | | | I visited a website to try to get some information on |
| "But Grandma, they're fun and pretty." I argued. | | | | where to get a good reading. The information told |
| "Get rid of them." She seethed. | | | | me to stay away from calling 900 numbers, such as |
| I was once told by my parish priest that the occult | | | | Psychic Friends and Miss Cleo, because usually |
| was a dark art. Sure, some of it can be, however, | | | | numbers like that employ people who have no |
| the tarot can be used for divination or entertainment. | | | | reading abilities and they do what is called "cold |
| I came from a devoutly Catholic family. Every | | | | reading". Cold Reading is where a reader names a |
| Sunday, my parents and I attended mass, prayed | | | | number of people and ideas the person getting the |
| and went to breakfast afterward. There were | | | | reading may or may not be familiar with in a hope |
| prayers before every meal, bible study after school | | | | that the person will offer some valuable information |
| and restricted television watching on the weekends. | | | | to further the reading. Cold Reading has been |
| For my family, Jesus was always someone we were | | | | compared to fishing; the reader just keeps throwing |
| trying to impress. | | | | useless information out there until they get |
| I took an interest in the tarot when I was fourteen. I | | | | something useful. These numbers are usually scams. |
| saw a fortune teller using a deck when I was at a | | | | When I arrived, I noticed the place I was at looked |
| carnival with some friends the summer before. I was | | | | like a normal house. When I rang the doorbell, a |
| attracted to the designs on them and the way the | | | | woman in her 40s, clad in a tee-shirt, jeans and fuzzy |
| fortune teller laid them on the table in what I would | | | | bunny slippers, answered the door. "Hi." She greeted |
| later learn was called a spread. | | | | me. |
| I asked my father about the cards a few months | | | | "Uh, hi." She probably guessed that I was taken back |
| later to see if he had any information about them, | | | | by her attire. |
| and he offered to buy me a deck. I didn't understand | | | | She invited me in and instructed me to take a seat |
| how a deck of cards could cause so much turmoil in | | | | at the kitchen table (which, by the way, had a St. |
| a family. Because it seemed to be a religious issue, | | | | Patrick's Day tablecloth on it.) While she got me a |
| the only person I could think to ask was my parish | | | | cup of coffee, which was in a cup that said, "world's |
| priest. | | | | greatest mom" on the side, she carried the cards |
| "The tarot is a part of the occult, which is demonic. | | | | over to the table. |
| Why, being a good, Catholic girl, would you want to | | | | She sat opposite me, taking the cards out of the old |
| play with something as dangerous as this? Why are | | | | sock she kept them in. "Why do you keep them in a |
| you letting Satan tempt you?" Father Burns told me. | | | | sock?" I asked. |
| Okay, so the tarot is part of the occult, and the | | | | "So they can become personalized. It's believed that |
| occult is demonic, but how can Satan tempt me if I | | | | if you keep your cards in a personal place, you will |
| just look at them? I had no idea how to read them. I | | | | bond with the cards, giving you a more accurate |
| decided to educate myself. | | | | reading." She smiled. "What's your zodiac sign?" |
| The tarot originated in Italy in the 14th century. It | | | | "Libra." I replied. |
| was used by the Jews for purposes of divination, or | | | | She searched through the cards until she came to |
| telling the future. The deck consists of 22 major | | | | the Justice card. She set it aside, separate from the |
| arcana cards, cards that resemble the king, queen | | | | rest. "Why don't you include that one?" |
| and jack of a deck of playing cards, which represent | | | | "This card represents you." She held up the card she |
| life, and 56 minor arcana cards, cards that resemble | | | | set aside. |
| the numbered cards in a playing card deck, which | | | | "Why does it represent me?" |
| correspond to the major arcana in some way. Each | | | | "Libra stands for law and justice. This card |
| card has its own meaning. | | | | corresponds to that." |
| The deck my father bought for me was the | | | | I nodded and she told me to shuffle the cards. I did |
| Medieval Scapini Tarot, created by Luigi Scapini. The | | | | and handed them back to her. She laid them out in |
| Scapini Tarot recreates the images of Middle Age | | | | what was described as the "celtic cross" spread. The |
| Europe through costume, symbolism and setting. | | | | spread had two cards in the center, one on top of |
| Many images on the cards were inspired by Italian | | | | the other, making a cross, four cards in a circle |
| Renaissance masterpieces. The cards are complete | | | | around those cards and four cards stacked running |
| with gold backgrounds and symbolism that the reader | | | | up the side of the circle. The cards that are in and |
| has to interpret that ties this particular deck with the | | | | make up the circle detail someone's issues, obstacles, |
| esoteric tradition of the tarot. Because each tarot | | | | and past and near futures. The cards that run up the |
| deck is different, the Scapini deck includes the suits | | | | side detail a person's inner thoughts and feelings and |
| of swords, cups, wands and coins. These suits | | | | environment, ending with the final outcome prediction |
| correspond to the traditional tarot suits of swords, | | | | to that person's question. |
| cups, wands and pentacles. Playing cards can also be | | | | She was correct in predicting some things in my |
| used as tarot cards. The suits of the tarot | | | | reading, such as my past relationships and general |
| correspond to the four suits of a deck of playing | | | | obstacles. However, she didn't get many of the |
| cards: spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds. | | | | future predictions correct, the predictions that she |
| Occultism has been a part of American culture since | | | | told me would happen within the next month. |
| the mid-nineteenth century. In 1871, there were an | | | | As we were sitting down to dinner, my grandmother |
| estimated eight to 11 million psychics and occult | | | | asked me if I had gotten rid of the cards yet. My |
| followers. By 1979, according to Time magazine, and | | | | parents looked up from their plates and listened |
| estimated 40,000 "witches" were active in the United | | | | intently, wide-eyed, wondering what I would say. |
| States. Today, that figure has quadrupled. Over 300 | | | | "No." I said simply. |
| educational institutions, including universities, offer | | | | "Why?" Grandma asked calmly. |
| programs and even degrees on New Age topics. Of | | | | "Because Grandma..." and I proceeded to tell her |
| these institutions, about 100 in America alone offer | | | | what I had learned about the Tarot. This was |
| courses in witchcraft. According to The Stateman's | | | | something I wanted to pursue, and I didn't like for |
| Yearbook 2007, In 2000, Illinois had a total population | | | | anyone to be angry with me, especially her. I always |
| of 12,419,293. Of those, 6,457,000 were Christians | | | | wanted my grandmother to be proud of me. |
| and 270,000 were Jewish. The other 5,692,293 were | | | | When I was finished explaining, I expected her to |
| unknown. Those unknowns might be Occultists. | | | | scream and holler, but it never came. "Hmm." Was all |
| The reason for the high number of occultists in | | | | she said, and that was the end of it. |
| America is the abandonment of orthodox Christianity. | | | | People either read or go for readings of the Tarot |
| It is a fact that wherever Christianity is biblically | | | | because either they're looking for some interesting |
| practiced, occultism is rejected. | | | | fun or they're turning away from their religion and |
| People leave the Christian religion for many reasons, | | | | looking for different spiritual outlets. |
| some of which include interests in other religions and | | | | I had talked to several different people that all told |
| wrong-doings by the church. However, most leave | | | | me that they read the Tarot because it's "fun," |
| the religion hesitantly. For example, a man named | | | | "interesting," or "because my family hates it," but only |
| Jason* left the Catholic Church mostly because of his | | | | one person said to me, "I read the Tarot because I |
| homosexuality. He simply did not agree with the | | | | like to know what's going to happen tomorrow. I |
| church's teachings on not only homosexuality, but | | | | hate surprises." |
| women's ordination and papal infallibility. Jason still has | | | | This surprised me. "You really believe that you can |
| a great respect and love for the Catholic Church, but | | | | see the future through the cards?" |
| won't go back unless he sees a change in the things | | | | "I don't believe it, I know it." |
| that he didn't agree with. | | | | This sent up a red flag for me. This is some insane |
| The tarot is studied by occultists and Pagans. | | | | individual who bases their life off of the Tarot...get |
| Paganism has had a tremendous influence on | | | | away! This is what I instantly thought. However, |
| Christianity. For example, the Catholic baptism of | | | | through my research I've learned that most |
| infants was derived from a Pagan ritual. Many Pagan | | | | individuals who read the Tarot do it for spiritual |
| rites were incorporated into Catholicism: the use of | | | | purposes and believe what they see in the cards. |
| incense, genuflections and the practices of facing | | | | Because of what is portrayed in the media, I took |
| east for prayer. Sadly, most Christians have either | | | | this person to be absolutely crazy. |
| denied or forgotten this. | | | | Through the research I've done, I've learned several |
| In biblical evaluations of the tarot, it is stated that the | | | | things about the Tarot and maybe have matured a |
| cards ignore man's sin, it contains a "secret doctrine" | | | | little while I searched for answers. |
| that only a few are privy to and that the cards are | | | | "Your grandmother's leaving." My father called to me |
| dangerous when used to control one's destiny | | | | as I rushed down the stairs to say goodbye to her. |
| because of the symbolism. The realization is that | | | | "I'll see you next next month." She said to me as she |
| Tarot cards correctly say that man needs help | | | | kissed me on the forehead. |
| spiritually. | | | | As I turned to walk away, I heard her call after me, |
| The four suits of the minor arcana have also been | | | | "What you said last night at dinner really made |
| identified with the four symbols of the legend of the | | | | sense." |
| Holy Grail: lance (Wand), cup (cup), sword (sword), | | | | I turned to her and smiled. I just wanted her to |
| dish (pentacles). The major arcana also has Catholic | | | | understand. That was all I wanted. |
| symbolism. For example, the hanged man, card | | | | |