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Tarot Is Not Witchcraft

4/29/2015

11 Comments

 
Tarot can be wonderful & witchery can be wonderful, but they’re not the same damn thing.

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We’ve seen an occult resurgence for a while now, especially among millennials, and witchcraft has been trending in fashion and media. I’ve been watching this all like a hawk. It’s odd to see anything occult, including tarot, treated as a mainstream fad. Pros: lacy, black, boho, granny clothes are my favorite clothes, and now they’re everywhere! Cons: the buzz over all things occult & witchy kicks up some old superstitions and misconceptions, including that tarot and witchery automatically go hand-in-hand.


I’ve heard people use the words witchcraft and tarot interchangeably, as if reading tarot makes a person insta-witchy. In this article for The Guardian, Sady Doyle sites Autostraddle’s tarot column as evidence that modern women are flocking to witchcraft because the patriarchy. (The lesbians have a tarotist - they’re witches!) It’s true that more and more people are dabbling in witchcraft, divination, and spiritual practices and expressions outside the Big 3, but mainstream writers tend to gloss right over the fact that all of these things are nuanced and distinct.

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I’m actually excited to see the occult get any media attention that isn’t flat-out hostile, but the part of my writerly soul that loves specificity above all else is dying here. Interest in one occult thing does not imply interest in all the occult things. If we’re going to talk about the occult, let’s please be nice and accurate about it.


Witchcraft can be a wonderful thing, but the word “witchcraft” means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, for better and worse. What it doesn’t mean is tarot. Witchcraft is a practice and a lifestyle. Tarot is a tool. The two don’t always mix.


There are many witches and Pagans out there who read tarot cards, but so do a lot of other folks. Buddhists, Christians, Agnostics, Atheists, you name it. Likewise, there are witches and pagans who don’t read or even like tarot cards. (Side note: “witch” and “Pagan” aren’t interchangeable, either. Not all witches are Pagan, and not all Pagans practice witchcraft. Pagan is a religious designation. Witchcraft can be religious, spiritual, or secular, depending on the personal approach of the practitioner.)


I’d like to further hammer this point in with a metaphor:

Tarot ≠ Witchcraft. Tarot = Candles.


Think of tarot cards as candles. Witches love candles, right? Have you ever seen a witchy scene in a movie or TV show that didn’t have a million-billion candles on set? No, you haven’t.

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Every TV witch scene ever, you're welcome.


Many (but not all) real-life witchy folks use candles, it’s true. A witch may light candles for rituals, spells, meditations, or holiday celebrations, to name a few things. Does that mean lighting a candle makes you a witch? 


That’s a rhetorical question, but in case you got stuck, the answer is no.


Almost every religious and spiritual practice uses candles. They embody light, energy, and illumination - things we’re all after. Most people also keep candles in their homes for secular reasons. We light candles and make wishes over birthday cakes (arguably a magical practice, but one that we see as totally secular and ordinary). We decorate our dinner tables with candles, we rely on them for romantic ambiance, we use them as air fresheners, and we use them as a light source if the power goes out. We even ward off mosquitos with citronella candles in the summer. Candles are a tool for anyone so inclined to use—for decoration, entertainment, spiritual practice, and practical matters.


As with candles, so with tarot.


Tarot cards are a tool for anyone so inclined to use—for decoration, entertainment, spiritual practice, and practical matters.


Decoration
You can collect decks for the artwork or for historical value without ever reading them. That’s a thing.


Entertainment
Learning tarot is fun! Trading readings with a group of friends, preferably over wine and chocolate, makes for a great evening. Tarot can be approached in a really lighthearted way. It doesn’t all have to be so serious or precious.


Spiritual Practice 
The lessons and metaphors of each card alone can teach us about spirituality. A whole deck is a little microcosm, and tells another story. You can use spreads and detailed readings to explore the spiritual and philosophical questions that keep you up at night.


Practical Matters 
Just as lighting a candle can freshen the air in your room, drawing a tarot card can give you a fresh perspective on a stale situation. Just as you might use a candle for light in a power outage, you can use tarot cards for brainstorming and meditation, to spark new ideas when you’re in the dark. And if all else fails, you could probably grab a short stack of them and shim a bookcase or something. Practical! 


Are there instances and practices where tarot and witchery overlap? Yes. Absolutely. But I think it’s important to underline that witchcraft and tarot do not automatically overlap, and nor do they ever have to overlap in your own practice.



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Top image from "The history of Springfield in Massachusetts, for the young; being also in some part the history of other towns and cities in the county of Hampden,” courtesy of Internet Archive Book Images.


All other illustrations by yours truly.

11 Comments
Marie
8/3/2018 05:42:02 am

Hello! Thank for this post. This enlightened me. I'm still discovering myself as a witch because i have strong feeling that Nature is calling me. Thanks! :)

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Evvie
8/3/2018 10:36:25 am

Thanks, Marie! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Best of luck with your journey!

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annon
5/21/2020 01:46:24 am

Awesome guide!

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Melissa
2/17/2021 07:52:37 am

thank you for this! I was pretty hesitant to start since I have always been and am christian. I did not want to practice witchcraft (not that it is bad) but I was looking for something more in spirituality. I think this is it

Reply
Evvie
2/17/2021 08:16:30 pm

Thanks, Melissa! I'm so glad this was helpful for you. You'll find a lot of folks out there blending tarot with witchcraft (and this is a witch-friendly, interfaith space), but that side of tarot is entirely optional. You can certainly learn tarot within a Christian framework. You can even find decks designed for Christian or Christian-inspired readers. The first known tarot decks were commissioned by Catholic noble families during the Italian Renaissance, and a lot of historic tarot iconography has Christian roots. While I don't subscribe to any organized religion myself, in my years studying tarot, I've come across quite a few options and resources for readers who are religious. The Aeclectic tarot forum is no longer active, but all their past deck reviews are still up. You can scope out some Christian decks to start with there: https://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/christian.shtml (Note that some of these are quite unorthodox or syncretic in their approach.) Cat Black's Golden Tarot is a gorgeous deck collaged from classical gothic and Renaissance paintings, so it includes a lot of religious iconography and allegory from the source art. I think that one would also lend itself very well to readings through a Christian lens. Good luck on your journey!

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Tez link
2/23/2021 02:17:25 pm

That makes sense that tarot cards are more about prediction than sorcery. I need to get a witch to help bring the sun out. It is just too cold and snowing to bear right now.

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Evvie
3/18/2021 04:49:20 pm

Hi Tez! Pardon the awkward super delayed reply--I missed this. Lol, let us know when you find one, it's still too cold and gloomy! And yeah, tarot can be applied to sorcery if you like, but that takes extra steps. Cheers!

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May
3/14/2021 10:11:35 pm

Thank you so much for this. I would consider myself a eclectic witch, but I do not use, or really like tarot cards. It just doesn't match my interests or work with my workings or beliefs. I don't have anything against anyone that uses them, they just aren't for me. Since they are being smooshed together so much I almost felt guilty NOT using them in my practice, but now I feel better about not including them in my practice. Thank you for making me feel seen.

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Evvie
3/18/2021 04:55:10 pm

Hi May, thanks for sharing that! It's cool to hear that this is helpful to folks coming at if from different angles. It's totally valid not to include tarot in your witch practice, and I'm sure you're in good company! Besides, there are so many other divination tools to explore, and so many facets of craft outside divination. No shortage of other stuff to do, right?

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John link
6/14/2021 08:55:34 am

I had no idea that you could collect Tarot decks for their historical value. It makes sense since this is an ancient practice and many people believe in it. My cousin was talking about how she wanted to do a Tarot reading and wanted to find someone that could make accurate assessments, do you know how to find one?

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Evvie
6/14/2021 01:00:56 pm

Hi John! Yeah, even contemporary decks that go out of print can become collector's items these days. Some people who don't even use or believe in them like them solely for the art. To find a tarot reader, I'd recommend asking your friends for word of mouth recommendations. See if anyone you know has gotten good readings from someone in your area. Avoid hotlines and websites with long lists of anonymous psychics. Go in knowing that different readers have very different styles, and not all identify as psychic. So if your cousin is looking for a psychic reading, she'll want to find someone who identifies and reads that way. If she's looking for counseling, she might prefer a therapist or life coach who uses tarot as a supplement. If you can't find any recommendations from your social circle, see if there are any occult or metaphysical shops in your area who host or recommend readers. Check that the shop has good reviews and knowledgable staff. And if there are no shops like that around, look for readers online who have good web presences--an updated instagram feed, a Facebook business page, or a website or blog. Look for positive reviews, a steady track record, and a style and personality that seems compatible with your own needs. There are a ton of great readers out there! But not everyone who reads tarot has the same style or skill set. If a tarot reader ever tells you that you're cursed and offers to lift the curse for you for a heavy price tag, or increasingly expensive follow-up readings, that's a classic fake-psychic scam. Leave immediately.

Reply



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    My name is Evvie Marin. I'm an artist,  writer, and ever-loving sucker for the woo arts, especially  tarot. I have a B.A. in fine art and theatre and I've been reading tarot cards for about nineteen years.

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Unless otherwise credited, all works on this site are by multimedia artist Evvie Marin (they/them/she/her). Check out my sibling site, www.evviemarin.com, for interdisciplinary art inspired by folklore, natural history, and subconscious fantasy. Join me on Patreon to support my work and receive rad, exclusive content! © 2023 Evvie Marin. All Rights Reserved.​