Contents
What
are Tarot Cards?
Tarot
cards are a special deck of 78 cards used for divination or fortune
telling.
For
some people Tarot cards are just a bit of party fun, but mostly they
are recognised as a means of telling a person’s fortune.
A
large variety of Tarot decks exists, many developed within specific
religious or occult traditions, e.g. Egyptian, wiccan, magical, Mayan,
Gypsy etc. and have existed for many centuries of history.
Originally
believed to have been designed for theological or philosophical teaching
they have become a major occult tool for telling a person’s fortune.
Serious
Tarot Readers
As
we’ve indicated above, Tarot readings may be something done in a thoughtless
manner at a party “for a bit of fun”.
However
there are Tarot readers who are very much more serious about them: “Some
individuals have an innate psychic sensitivity to the cards, which also
underscores their occult potential”.
One
expert observed that “a gifted reader builds up a kind of rapport with
the energies of his or her Tarot set". It is not unusual for tarot
card readers to speak of having “conversations” with the cards, just
as if a second party were present.
Theologian
Dr. John Warwick Montgomery recalls, in his analysis of the occult,
‘It is most interesting to observe the reactions of a sensitive person
when he first examines these cards. Instead of the indifference which
accompanies contact with ordinary playing cards… there is generally
a deep absorption and hushed interest. The cards seem to ‘grab’ their
user’ “
(Encyclopaedia
of New Age Beliefs by Ankerberg & Weldon)
Occult
Forces
The
Tarot set comprises a variety of cards with different and specific meanings.
When the cards are “read”, the reader interprets the cards before him
for the person in question and, according to the specific cards laid
out, makes a declaration about that person’s life.
Now
there are three factors to be noted here:
1.
Pure Chance 
If
it is pure chance that the cards come in a particular order, then they
have NO meaning whatsoever ! They could be relayed a number of
times and a variety of possibilities produced. If the reading was repeated
on different days then different readings might be obtained.
2.
Interpretation
The
reader applies a meaning to the cards laid out and if the same cards
were laid out before a number of readers, we might expect a variety
of different meanings to ensue.
3.
Guided by a Power
If
the cards were to come up the same again and again, or if different
readers brought the same interpretation to the same cards, then one
would have to conclude that there was a force or a power behind the
reading that directed it. This of course is what serious Tarot readers
will maintain, even after only one reading.
Two
Possibilities
When
we think about these things, we must arrive at one of ONLY two possibilities:
•
The “reading” is pure chance and is simply the imagination of the
so called “reader”.
•
There is actually some force at work which brings comment on the life
of that person.
What
is the Power at Work?
Let’s
assume the second possibility for the moment. What force can there be
there that directs the order of the cards and imparts a meaning?
Séances
and other forms of “interactive” guidance clearly indicate a personality
that seeks to communicate. With Tarot readings we are on the same grounds
(see the earlier quote under “Serious Tarot Readers”). We must conclude
we have a spiritual force at work here.
What
spiritual forces are there? For the Christian the Bible is the text
book of the truth, the only such book that stands under scrutiny.
The
Bible declares that there is first of all God, who works for good, and
good angels who work under His direction. Then there are fallen or rebellious
angels, otherwise called evil spirits or demons, the chief of which
we call Satan or the devil. These are the ONLY forces at work in the
spiritual realm
What
does the Bible say?
If
you look at the page in this series on “Mediums
and Séances” you will see a number of verses from the Bible
that show that God is strictly against seeking out the future through
mediums or divination (which is what this form of fortune
telling is), so whatever happens in a Tarot reading it will NOT be God
directing it.
According
to the Bible this only leaves what are referred to as “powers of darkness”,
demonic powers that are under the control of Satan, powers that are
deceptive and destructive. To check this further we need to observe
the results in people who resort to reading the cards.
The
Fruits of Occult Guidance
People
who have turned to occult forms of guidance frequently find it incredibly
difficult to understand spiritual realities in respect of God, Jesus
Christ and salvation.
Very
often people involved recognise that there are “other powers” at work
but refuse to see them as anything but benign. There is frequently a
blindness to the power that holds such people or the fear that so often
under girds their lives
Jesus
said that the devil was both a liar and a murderer (John
8:44). Those who look for help, encouragement and security through
the means of Tarot readings end up enmeshed in a web of fear, that some
would say is superstition but others know has its origins in real evil.
The
Bible also describes Satan as “an angel of light” (2
Corinthians 11:14), one who seeks to make himself look good and
his works harmless. Many have found that that is pure camouflage and
the result of his works is deception and destruction.
Tarot
reading is not harmless. It leads people into a reliance upon half truths
or lies and takes them away from God or confirms them in their godlessness.
Very
often such people find themselves locked into the words that have been
spoken about them at such a reading, locked into a destiny decreed by
evil powers. Such a person needs to acknowledge the truth of their situation
and turn to God for forgiveness and deliverance.
You
Need Help?
Tarot
Reading can leave us with a legacy of fear and even a dependency on
occult guidance. Often it leads us into more things that, deep within
us, we know are not good.
Perhaps
you need setting free from this, perhaps to restore peace to your life.
That can come in the knowledge of the God’s love through
Jesus Christ.
Perhaps you would like to talk further about these things. If that
is so then the leaders of Rochford Community Church are available to
help you.
Remember,
if you want to e-mail Tony, it's tony.thomas@rochfordcc.co.uk
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