The following is adapted from a chapter in “Occult Dangers Explained Safely” by Doug Harris and is available from Reachout Trust.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The simple question, “what is the Tarot” does not have a simple answer. Jess Karlin writes on the Internet,
“After establishing these few structural facts, we begin to encounter some more problems, which will explode in all kinds of confusing ways, in our attempt to confidently and conclusively answer the question ‘what is tarot?’. We will discover that the answer does not entirely reduce to ‘anything you want it to be’ but it often gets very close to that.”
The modern-day Tarot is really two decks of cards within one, both called arcana, which is Latin for ‘secrets’. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, which represent different aspects of human behaviour and character. A Minor Arcana consisting of 56 cards of which came today’s ordinary playing cards supports this. These 56 cards are divided into 4 suits of 14 cards each. The suits are normally known as Wands or Rods, Cups, Swords and Pentacles or Disks.
The cards of the Major Arcane are numbered from 0 – 21 and include, The Fool, Strength, Wheel of Fortune, Judgement, Devil and Death.
The first cards however were called ‘Trionfi’ and produced in Italy. These were later called ‘Tarocco’ or ‘Tarok’, and eventually became the French ‘Tarot’.
Today there are many different types of Tarot cards because of the influence from different cultures and belief systems.
A significant landmark in the development of Tarot came about when a famous occultist known as Eliphas Levi developed a close correlation between the Tarot and the Hebrew system of mysticism known as the Kabbalah.
Until around 1780, Tarot cards were not used for fortune telling, but were just an unusual complex card game. However, today, the prediction aspect has been made popular by radio, television and even Mensa.
“Julia Azipurvs has been reading the tarot for nearly 20 years. Recently she decided to share her knowledge with fellow Mensans in Ramsbottom. She gave an introductory talk on the history of the tarot and asked what the attendees thought of it. Most were interested in how the readings worked but there were one or two sceptics.” – Mensa Magazine, June 1995, p.28.
DIVINATION
Tarot cards are simply a way of divination – meaning the interpreting of signs in order to foretell the future. Such divination comes from the assumption that our lives or rather our fate is related to some predetermined events in the universe. It therefore follows that if someone can interpret the signs, omens, etc., the destiny and future of the person can be revealed before it happens. These assumptions, we would say, are incorrect and such thinking comes from supernatural evil not God.
There are indications that the use of Tarot has more to do with the occult than a ‘good’ supernatural power. For instance, when asked how does the Tarot work, most would answer, “no one knows.” In other words, people are using a power, the origin of which, they are ignorant. This, at the very least, is irresponsible and potentially dangerous.
MEANS
The client will be asked by the Tarot reader to shuffle the cards and then be encouraged to speak freely. The reader will be accomplished in observation and listening, which will help the pattern of cards laid, and the story they tell.
The cards will be laid out according to the readers set pattern or spread, which will help them to remember in which order they are laid. The predictions concerning the future will begin as soon as the cards fall and the random sequence emerges.
There will be some fakes and some Tarot readers will just be good at listening, observing and telling stories, and not have any supernatural power. Although of course there is still danger in changing our lives according to the story.
However, the real danger will come from those who do have the power of divination that comes from the evil supernatural realm. If we go to such a person, then we are opening our lives to that power.
Tarot readings have been popularised by certain sections of the Press. Some newspapers offer phone-in Tarot lines and others competitions surrounding the Tarot cards. As a result of this popularity, many will have regular readings in the hope of knowing the future.
DANGERS
Supernatural God has clearly shown that the sorts of practices that are part of Tarot reading are not from Him. He alone knows the future and divination is shown in Scripture [see Deuteronomy 18: 10, Leviticus 19:20 ands Acts 16: 16ff] to be wrong and coming from supernatural evil.
EXPERIENCE
One experience, we believe, proves beyond any reasonable doubt where the power of the Tarot comes from. Jim was a Satanist and was an expert card reader. At a crucial time in his life he discovered his power to read the cards deserted him. All was revealed a few days later when he discovered two Christians had moved into the flat above him and were praying to the Supernatural God. Jim lost his supernatural evil power. The story has a happy ending though – Jim was delivered from Satanism and converted to true Christianity. On top of this, one of the women that moved into the flat is now his wife. Jim’s story is told in full in The Vilest Offender (available from Reachout Trust)
