Yeah,
I know. How can you be a Born-again Jesus Freak AND a tarot junkie??! I ask myself the same question all the time.
Tarot came first, of course. I started reading when I was about 12. I had a cheesy 1970-ish Rider Waite knock-off and a book by Eden Gray.
Later, I got more serious, buying a reproduction of a 15th century Italian deck and some scholarly tarot books.
And then, I had this completely Holy Spirit experience that turned my life around, but since I wasn't a Christian, I started to explore the tarot on a much deeper level. I discovered, really, that tarot and astrology and kabbalah and all those other occult "sciences" were really just ways for people to try and understand the great creation of God. They were all ways of putting a system onto the chaos that is the universe. Once I realized that, I started getting interested in the source, rather than trying to organize the creation. That is when I began to take a deeper interest in God. Tarot got me interested in kabbalah, which got me interested in the Hebrew alefbet, which got me interested in psalm 119, which brought me to the Torah... which ultimately drew me straight to that crazy Nazorean. See how this works?
And here's another thing: The tarot, having been invented in the 15th century in Italy was almost certainly invented by Catholics. It started as a parlor game for the bored rich ladies in the Visconti-Sforza court. It makes sense, then, that the imagery on the cards is taken from Christian and Catholic symbolism. The trumps, especially, represent the death/rebirth salvation cycle. I honestly feel that 15 years of working with these images finally started to sink in. In large part, I have the tarot to thank for my conversion.
I suppose, ultimately, everything would have brought me back to God. But for me, it was the tarot.
Yes, Virginia, a born-again Jesus freak CAN be a tarot junkie.
So, the card for the day is: The House of God (aka The Tower)
Ha. Funny one, God! Like I didn't already know that you are in complete control!
PS: The gorgeous card image is from a reproduction by Jean-Claude Flornoy of the Jean Noblet deck from the 1650s. Check out his site.
5 comments:
I'm another Jesus person/tarot lover. I especially love the Mythic Tarot Deck, since my other great fascination is Greek Mythology. There are so many ways to connect with the Divine, I hate to see anyone feeling limited to just one.
I love Tarot cards, too, but they make my husband nervous. Since the good guys are frequently casting lots in the Bible, I figure there is probably a good way and a bad way to use such methods to gain insight into God's will. And at other times I think of them as a tool for self-discovery. I don't find Tarot cards incompatible with Christian faith at all, though I know many would disagree.
Oh, I sometimes visit www.facade.com just to look at all the different tarot decks.
My favorite tarot site is www.tarotpassages.com. There are reviews and photos of HUNDREDS of decks!
Oooo. Oh my goodness, a Klimt tarot deck! These are gorgeous!
I have friends that have tarot deck collections in the hundreds. Mine is small by true tarot-a-holic standards, at less than a hundred decks!
I do have some rare ones, though, tee hee!
I feel like I might have just opened pandora's box on you! Sorry! LOL!
Love,
Rachel
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