I've been reading some interesting books lately about Paganism, witchcraft etc etc and have found that quite a few state that Tarot is a MUST for every Pagan. Personally I've never really held much store by it, a bit of fun maybe but nothing to be taken particularly seriously (sorry if I offend anyone for that, no offense is meant). I wanted to know what you guys make of it and why?

It's been years since I've used tarot for divination. It's also useful as a meditative device - a means of unfocussing your mind. It's years since I've done that, too. Nowadays I just wander around permanently unfocussed.

On the one hand I'm wary of anyone telling people it is a necessity. On the other hand, it's a useful tool, and if an individual had never explored it, I would wonder why.

I remember reading in a book of Yoga, the difficulty of expressing the correct attitude to it. Most Westerners either embrace it with frightening enthusiasm, or largely ignore it. Easterners tend (the book said) to think "I'd like to do yoga sometime, but not yet." Eventually they drift into it. It should be like that with Tarot.

unequivocally wot Fred sed, on all counts... and so well too

I tried to get into it a few years ago, and still have my cards wrapped up somewhere safe, but I struggle to remember them all, so I do hope it's not essential, as it might take me years to learn them again

it's certainly not essential. just another personal preference.

That's what I thought. Just reading "it's a must" from several different authors made me wonder what everyone elses take was.

The closet I have to a Tarot set is a pack of 1930s fortune telling cards which I brought becuase my gran had a set and I remember doing spreads with them when I was a kid. I've never used them. Just sentimental I guess

HI, I am a bit of a Taroholic, I have many decks which I use according to my mood, but I agree, it isnt a must. You have to go with what feels right always, for example I don't do spells at ALL! Some people gasp aloud at me and look like ive said a naughty word. Its just that it isn't something I feel I want to do, so I agree, its not a must at all, its a "if you want too" thing

I have found that there are virtually no "its a must" aspects of the Paganism.

I tend to use my deck for focussing in meditation or ritual but I haven't used them for divination in years.

Sabe

I've never tried it, I don't intend to, it's never appealed to me so why would I waste my time on it?

I would whole-heartedly agree with the previous posts with regards to a divination system. It's a matter of personal choice.

However, from a magical significance point of view, I have spent hours at a time looking at the huge amount of magical symbolism on some of the more traditional decks e.g. Rider-Waite. It can really help to understand the correspondances between different systems including (but not exclusive to) Qabbalah, Judeo-Christian, Rosicrucianism and Pagan symbology.

Not "Essential" though... I guess I'm the esoteric equivalent of the school nerd ;-)

Galoiwin

I've not really explored the different methods of divination yet for myself... but I'm a born cynic and this is no exception.

I always thought that tarot, runes etc were more of a way of providing a springboard for thinking about important aspects of your life in small, manageable chunks. Pictures representing certain themes which can be used to focus on.

Someone I know did a 'demonstration' reading for me ages ago, but I was just sitting there thinking that this reading could apply to any person. They show vague, common themes which will be present in any person's life at some point or other. The rest is done by cold-reading and non-verbal clues (whether the 'reader' and 'subject' are consciously aware of this or not.)

But hey, if there is more evidence for a more 'mystical' process (which can't be explained otherwise) then I'll happily change my view!

I've been thinking about this today.

I don't think it's a must. The thing I adore about Paganism is that there is a lack of 'musts'!

I am curious though. I'm curious because I want to know what Tarot can mean to different people. I like studying things like an anthropologist - immersion and study, and sometimes I find out things that hit home. I'd be lying if I said I'm completely open minded, because I'm not (and don't want to be), and I don't think it'll be for me, but I'm not going to rule it out completely because even if it has no place in my spiritual life, that doesn't mean it won't be useful knowledge and understanding.

The symbolism of the tarot comes from Ceremonial Magic which as has been pointed out is a mixture of Judaeo-Christian and Egyptian. It jars particularly badly with Druidry and Heathenry so I would not claim it was a must for either of those paths, but they have Ogham/Coelbren (yes I know it's a modern invention but it seems to work fine) and Runes respectively.

The Tarot is a tool that allows us to bypass our reality filters and connect with our unconscious mind, if you are fighting against the sybolism then it makes the job far harder. In the end it is no more effective than scrying, reading tea-leaves or patterns in the fire, you choose the tool that suits your own beliefs or temperament.

I would go with Bob on that. Tarot acts as a focus for your own intuition. The cards are similar to mantras in meditation which allow the mind to become quiet and for intuition and empathy towards the subject to become stronger. The symbolism in the card acts as pathway, directing the reader in certain directions.
I have a preference for the Sacred Circle tarot which is not christian in symbolism but looks to Celtic mythology instead. So, my readings are flavoured by the past being reflected in the present.
However, for something capable of scaring your pants off on occasions, look to the I-Ching !

I have done a certificate in the tarot and also two diplomas and i eventually used mine as a tool to tap into my mediumistic abilitys as i found i hid behind them lacking in confidence unless i had them with me ,.
I have many decks and havnt looked at them for a while now but can still remember every one as my tarot courses were quite grueling well two of them were..
I love the tarot and have allways ben fascinated by it i even remember buying a deck when i was about 8 years old..I think if it feels good then go with it i am quite sure its not for everyone as we are all different

I wonder how the word "must" was meant. Were the books saying that tarot is essential to Paganism, or were they saying that tarot is just really good.... as in........ "you simply must have another cake daaaaarling".

No tarot is not a must for Pagans. Nor is divination in general if it doesn't float your boat. I happen to use runes, but I share the view of Goldeneagle (and others) that divination is a way of finding hidden trends and pattern rather than fortune telling.......... so I believe you can use just about anything so long as it works for you.

Mike

Yes i can read the tarot realy badly, so if you want a really daft crap reading i am the girl for the job. I also dont think its a must. People divine in differant ways and even if they dont it is no problems.

I've had a tarot deck for years, and it's only recently I started getting anywhere with it. A lapsed-pagan friend of mine, on the other hand, was so good with the cards that usually-sceptical family members would ask for readings before important events.

So it's not for everyone. I'd say just go for whatever you're drawn to.

The Origin of the Tarot can be found exclusively in its original form in the Book of the Dead. Here we have the minor Arcana with there original symbols and the first names of the four suits, which are in the Temple of Isis in Philae. They are Fourteen Ureaus Serpents greatly feared, Fourteen bulls great roarer, fourteen Hawks lord of the knife, fourteen lions lord of the sphere. The trumps are given also and pretty much correspond to the current pack. (1400 bc in Egypt!). The original teaching is a path working ritual in Abydos. One teaching is missing in the current decks. The teaching of the 7 gates. You can check all these immediately from any BoD eg Budge or Falconer. Budge's matereial is more voluminous with several trump translations. Falconers is more fully translated. The teaching is scattered in the region of chaps 144-6. See a diagram of the original Temple at http://www.followersofhorus.comule.com/FOH...of%20Egypt.html

Tarot of Egypt

Please forgive me, but I found this answer completely incomprehenisble. The link did not give any clues as to meaning or source; it merely repeated the text in the posting.
What are the serpecnts? what are the bulls? what are the hawks? what are the lions? How does each relate to the modern Tarot? What are the trumps and where can they be found? How far is the link back to 1400 BC accurate and evidenced? What is Abydos and who or what created a path working and with what intent? What are the 7 gates? Who or what is BoD/Budge/Falconer? Where is this teaching to be found? Howreliable is it? What connection does it have with Egyptology?

The Hawks bulls serpents and lions are the names given to the Tarot suits in the Ancient Egyptian Teaching ie wands cups swords pentacles. The picture on the site is of one of the 14 Serpents in the Temple at Philae.
The Chapter references are to the chapters of the Egyptian Book of the Dead which are fairly standard.
I am afraid you will have to get a copy of the Book of the Dead yourself as I have not yet time to transcribe all the material yet. Abydos is the city of Osiris in Egypt where the gods are often known by the names of their cities.
Budge and Falconer are famous translators of the Book of the Dead (BoD) more correctly known as the coming forth by day.
Nu[the dead bloke and his missus] has his chap 146 say " here are the chapters of entering in to the secret pylons [better pillars] of the house of Osiris in Sekhet-Aaru [Abydos] " .If you read this chapter you will find it is a graduated permissive ordeal with a herald a watcher and a guardian whose names you must know. ie put simple a path working. The gates relate to the diagram because as I am sure you will realise a 7 point star has 21 lines for complete connection requiring one to go from path to gate until you get right round. These 21 pylons or pillars are of course the Tarot trumps. The 22nd is the Fool ie the traveller or initiate.
I don't know how old this work is except that it is most popular by about this time ie1400BC.
It is the Real Egyptian teaching and there is nothing to imagine and little to construct. It is all ready to use and understand without speculation or fictionalising.
Put bluntly The Tarot did not romantically originate in Ancient Egypt - it actually did and all that needs to be done is read and understand it.
The 21 trumps to the Egyptians were more than the paths, they corresponded to the parts of the body and the parts of the boat of Ra.

i like using the tarot cards, haven't in quite awhile.. but usually when i use them, just for me.. a simple 3-5 card reading, it almost always picks up, on what i'm going thru.. unconsciously.. and helps to clarify things and things, I need to work on.

I have a terrible memory, too many meds lol, so i may pick the right cards, for someone but not have a clue to how to read them

I have a good friend, who would get free passage , on cruise ships, for reading people's cards and she apparently was very on , w/ the majority of them.

She's too close to me, bc she knows what i want, lol.. so btwn the both of us, our vibes always seem to shift the cards , to what I want.. but isn't neccesarily true, lol.

noo... there are no musts, musts in paganism.. you make your own choices..
like runes, tried those and i just didn't connect to them at all.. but tarot , and
esp Animal guardians/ Totems.. very attuned to that..

Go w/ your gut, your heart, just follow your own intuition and you'll figure it out.. it takes time, and just enjoy..the adventure~

I've always been more drawn to rune casting than tarot, though I think I am going to get a deck at some point. More for the fact a lot of tarot decks look quite cool, and have interesting designs than any real desire to learn them (got my hands full learning runes still! )

I have used the tarot for about 8 years now. I would not say it is essential for every pagan to do it though.

Of course there is the personality type that tends to find paganism to take into account too... I expect there are many of us who, if told we MUST do something in order to be doing it right, we'd go out of our ways to forge our own path...

...not that I'm the contrary type or anything



It's not just me, it's pretty much every friend I've had who have been properly pagan in one form or another!

Never really thought about Tarot, until one day I just saw a need in my life for them. I spent a year working with the Rider-Waite set learning all I could about meaning and trying different spreads.

Then I went out and found a tarot set that appealed to me, it ended up being the Robin Wood Tarot, and I found this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/2-hour-Tarot-Tutor...83&sr=8-3-fkmr0


It is fantastic and really helped.

If Tarot is not for you then that is your choice, but I would say that studying them from a Pagan point of view it has really helped me understand and get to grips with the Elements.

I do not use it for Divination in the sense of trying to tell the future, but I do use it as a source of understanding for why things are the way they are, and possible ways of moving forward, to aid my inner journey I suppose.

I must say that they have foretold some pretty significant things though, and lately are proving very helpful in making a few tough choices I am facing.

I have never done a reading for anyone else though, nor would I consider it as they are a very personal tool for me.

I suppose, yes, the tarot can help with focus and meditation but I would not say it was a must. Personally I used to work on a tarot phone line and we had readers that started with tarot then went on to dice / numerology and other forms of 'focal points'.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Your views seem to sum up how I've come to view Tarot, that if you find it a useful tool than great, if it's not for you than thats great too.

In response to your comment Mike about how the term "must" was meant... The couple of books I read seemed to say that Tarot was something every Pagan should be using. I have more recently read other authors who don't place any emphasis an it at all.

I agree with the comments about Paganism being about a lack of "musts", it is one of the things which I liked about Paganism in the first place, and I found it curious that some well-known Pagan writers where saying somethings are a "must".