The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Yes...years ago.
The card reader said a lot of things that came true. The one thing I do recall up front was when she told me that I'd meet a dynamic dark-haired guy with a bad past that was put behind him; I'd be in a long term relationship with the guy! At that time, I was finishing school for my degree, so I didn't really think about or care about a relationship. ..I did end up in a long term (almost 10 year) relationship with the guy the reader described. LOL.

I read for myself off and on, and one reading that stands out was when I was really worried about my finances...the cards stated that I'd get some money from something forgotten...it ended up being a small life insurance policy that was discovered, that I cashed in for over $1,500.00!

For the record I have witnessed a reader who did really insightful reading at social mixers, and she didn't bill herself as psychic at all.

I do tarot.

but,just for myself.
I don't trust anyone to do it for me,
cause all they want in my money.
lol.

It's strange,
it all came true,excepting for one reading.
And I have done many.

I hate having the death card.
cause everytime i get it,
some one dies within one week or less.
NOT joking.
It scares me,even though it dosent mean
death 100% of the time with other cards.

But,when it says ill meet some one,
or come into money,or get sick.
it happens.

So,
not shure...what its all about.
could be just life,and the cards are bull,
or maybe the cards say so much togeather that
anything is possible with anyone.
Or, maybe
there is somthin' within them.
although it feels like cardboard to me.

Yes... It was done by a friend using a Salvador Dali deck and that was a spot on reading, but a lot of it is being able to read and know the person receiving the medium.

But I for sure know that spiritual forces of some nature have validity to them. I have used enough ouija boards to know that stuff ain't no joke.

Actually Ouija boards are hyped. it is all ideomoter related, this has been demonstrated over and over, as far back as Harry Houdini.

Also for the record, both tarot, and Ouija boards were introduced as games.

Tarot reading is a firm of divination that, in the past, people who claim to have psychic abilities, used, to help people understand what would happen in the future based on their readings of the past and the present. There are many who can genuinely carry out tarot reading, but there are more who just claim to know, based on the techniques taught by and learnt from the Elders. Each card has its own meaning behind it and with that meaning, the reader would apply their own interpretation into the happenings of a person's life. Tarot reading originated in occultism and was based on truth when seers would often rely on it to dish out foretelling in an individual's life. Alot of readers do not believe in the mechanism of tarot reading nowadays. And thus, over the years, it has become for entertainment purposes.

I have had my reading done, the last being a couple of years back, in a shopping centre outside my college. I don't really recall what I received, but my near future(then) was that I would lose some control over the happenings of my life. It turned out to be true.

In a way, it is a good thing that tarot reading could only be practiced by a couple of people. It is a craft easily exploited, especially when people nowadays are not as gullible as the people back then. I believe in some divination practices. It is a gift to have an idea on where one stands in life. It can be pretty entertaining too.

Most readings depend on the PT Barnum Effect, or "Something for everyone." meaning that anything stated vaguely can appeal to, and relate to more then one person. Such as saying that "You will lose control in the near future" Who doesn't lose control occasionally.


Tarot cards would later become associated with mysticism and magic.[18] Tarot was not adopted by mystics, occultists and secret societies until the 18th and 19th centuries.[citation needed] The tradition began in 1781, when Antoine Court de Gébelin, a Swiss clergyman, published Le Monde Primitif, a speculative study which included religious symbolism and its survival in the modern world. De Gébelin first asserted that symbolism of the Tarot de Marseille represented the mysteries of Isis and Thoth. Gébelin further claimed that the name "tarot" came from the Egyptian words tar, meaning "royal", and ro, meaning "road", and that the Tarot therefore represented a "royal road" to wisdom. De Gébelin wrote this treatise before Jean-François Champollion had deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs, or indeed before the Rosetta Stone had been discovered, and later Egyptologists found nothing in the Egyptian language to support de Gébelin's fanciful etymologies. Despite this, the identification of the tarot cards with the Egyptian Book of Thoth was already firmly established in occult practice and continues in to the present day. Source Wiki

Ah yes, of course. Tarots still have their allure, though. The one thing that appeals to the masses is that a certain deck must "speak" to the reader. If you're not feeling it, then it's prolly not right. Tarot cards work on the Psyche and are rich in symbolism. I must say, though, compared to some out-there divination practices that are practiced in some parts of the world, tarot reading seems to be used more, even if in play. Its essence has permeated through various Cultures and their card games. There will always be that mischief element in any form of divination practices. It leaves much to The Powers That Be, that some find intriguing. Much better than reading tea leaves and the likes, for sure.

The funny thing is that if you go online you can see that the biggest condemnation of readers comes from other readers, they are always throwing each other under the bus as scammers, and frauds. When they themselves are likely operating in gray areas.

The appeal to most people is in having someone get to know them, or appear to get to know them. Psychic sittings appeal to people who seek advice, but don't like to be told what to do. So they think (and psychics let them believe) that the cosmos or mystic forces are guiding them.

Open-mindedness is not just being prepared to believe that something is true. You must also have to be prepared to believe that it could be false and look at the best evidence.

That's what separates open-minded skepticism from closed-minded gullibility.

Dabbler you really know this community well. I love the throw each other under a bus thing. My aunt used to throw money back at people and leave the room a couple times a month. She'd sometimes recommend another reader, mumbled while she ran away, leaving the client confused and often angry. Personally, I think that is a show woryhy of a dollar a minute I and of itself; especially since it is free, excepf for a little anxiety.

It is sort of like Midway Games at Carnivals (though less so now a days with regulation)As a one time carney myself I warn people that the games can be rigged. Yet simple because they see what appears to be a person winning they will then pay out a small fortune in an attempt to win a big prize. Yea it is fun to have an occasional reading but there are people who become desperately dependent on readings, longing to hear some sensational affirmation. They sadly are led to believe that it is a rational alternative to counseling.

They are a novelty, and most honest readers put "For Entertainment" right on their sign, or ad. So anyone that charges clinical prices should be suspect. A modest flat rate should be sufficient. I caught one reader on the mall in my hometown running a bait, and switch. He had on his sign, "5 dollar reading. 20 dollar analysis. I watched him do a reading, and toward the end of the reading he casually asked "Do you want the analysis.. and the person not paying attention would nod yes, and he would slide right into it. Then demand the balance.

Yes, I agree that they can be pretty accurate. A girl named Mickey that I was in prison with read my tarot.. She said in 10 months I would discover I was pregnant. I had that baby she predicted on November the 17th, 2013!! I also met the guy she told me about as well. The loser that I ended up leaving is the baby's sperm donor. Her FATHER is the guy that I am with now. He signed her birth certificate and everything. It's actually kind of amazing how ACCURATE her readings all were.. and the whole time I thought she was full of shit until the events actually transpired!

I`ve read Tarot since I was 7.But I very rarely get 100% accurate readings.It`s more like 80-90% with me.
I do These for complete strangers and I don`t ask them to pay me.If they ask how much I want,I tell them to leave what they think they should.Some People leave 10 euros,some a thousand.It depends
Though a lot of the People I read for tend to bring me gifts,a lot actually.
They tell me that I`m insightful,but I think I`m just lucky

I like the tarot as a symbol. Ten numeralogical stages plus four relationship aspects through four devisions of life. Add to that the personality archtypes, and you have an interestin g way of reading.

Personally I like a normal deck of cards for the simplicity of four seasons of thirteen weeks, being a whole year.

The deck is just a mdium for the reader, and a good reader doesn't need them at all. I've always prefered tea leaves, but again, not nessesary for a good reader.

The clients like a good ritual; the reader likes the way it drags out a read, giving percieved value; the incompetent use it as a mask; and as a device to sort your impressions, it can be invaluable with the hard to read, or with those who have dissimmilar experiences. Everybody wins with a tarot deck.

The best readers are not usually the most talented, they are the most entertaining. People who are talented, usually have an aversion to showmanship; people without talent often rely on the devices, and on cold statements. I have met a few who are both, however they often do not get trapped by doing readings for long and instead tend to progress, to finding ways of healing in a less tawdry fashion.

How can you read tarot without the cards??

You can read a person a memorized, as you lay out cards, and they would never know it. It is the known as..

Forer effect

The Forer effect (also called the Barnum effect after P. T. Barnum's observation that "we've got something for everyone") is the observation that individuals will give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically for them, but are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people. This effect can provide a partial explanation for the widespread acceptance of some beliefs and practices, such as astrology, fortune telling, graphology, and some types of personality test.

A related and more general phenomenon is that of subjective validation.[1] Subjective validation occurs when two unrelated or even random events are perceived to be related because a belief, expectation, or hypothesis demands a relationship. Thus people seek a correspondence between their perception of their personality and the contents of a horoscope. source wiki

correction that was {memorized} script.

A good reader could use face down cards, do a reading, reveal the cards as confirmation of what they said. Same wifh tea leaves or palmistry, or any other method.

An example of a cold statement migt be, "The cards tell me that you are quite outgoing when you want to be, but there are times when you just want to be left alone."

a reader might also say something like, "I see you doing something unhealthy, that you should not do, do not do this, it is not good for you, but I see that you will do what you want to do."

The good (or bad - however you want to see it) is that it can be learnt, using one's own intuition, capabilities and skills. This is unlike so, for more detailed science like palmistry or reading tea leaves, as that would require physically sitting down with a teacher for hours on end, learning that craft. I believe these divination tools were first taught and only practiced by a special group of people, like the Gypsies, for example, though persecuted they were. It has, since then, spread throughout various Cultures. It would be lovely to know that this special group exists today. Kglitterous, Sir, I often get that last comment you mentioned in your post. Or something like that. I believe the benefit of the doubt should be given to the reader. Afterall, if the customer ain't happy, the reader will know!

I actually got the hermetic based pack that I ordered today.. Beautiful deck with all of the symbols and meaning you could ask for.. jam packed on each card..

With these cards, there a several different translations and meanings, so the reading can be most accurate.

I played with them a bit earlier.. Sat down and cleared my mind. I set a question in my mind and pulled the ten cards that called me, putting them in the easiest spread-Celtic cross style.

I have not studied these cards in depth yet, but I do know all of what they mean due to studying in earlier times. I must say that all of the meanings are making sense, considering the question I ask. We'll see.

I was taught that the cards are a source of divinity.

I never read by a book.

had my own set of 'pretty cards'...

then stopped reading, for years; an when I read again, it was with a normal set of cards, which told me that soon, the cycle would be complete. It is, Now.

I love Tarot, I have several decks. I seek out beautiful designs like the Russian deck, St. Petersburg tarot, they're very pretty.

My favorite deck is by Ian Daniels, The Tarot of Vampyres.

I love giving readings and I do not charge. I have a couple of friends that do tarot readings at psychic fairs and at the pagan stores but me, well I just like to do it for fun and not charge people.

I also love the tarot. I have 4 decks. My favorite is the Rider Waite, mostly because its so popular. I do readings. Its very draining, but I still enjoy doing them. I always let people know that what the cards say isn't written in stone. It gives different paths, or choices. The outcome is in their hands. They make the choices, but I think the cards help them decide. I have a couple of friends who like the one card draw for the day. Its fun, and interesting. If you have a deck, you know there is a lot of detail on each card. It can be interpreted in many different ways. I enjoy that. Every day can be different.

I used to do the Mystic Tarot and normal playing cards.

They were right but not always clear in their answers. I nowadays prefer using dream symbols.

What are dream symbols? I've just started using the cards, so I'm new at this. Anything you can explain to me would be greatly appreciated and would help me immensely in starting out my business! :)

With magick and the powers contained therein, I would much rather there be fewer believers than more.

The unaware are much more susceptible to the powers contained within, because they are blinded by their own arrogance.

Arrogance is a powerful tool when used against those who fail to realize that their greatest accomplishment is the mundane power of the pragmatic, which itself is nothing but a belief.

Yes I believe that you can see the future with tarot cards a matter of fact i would like to practice reading tarot cards.

To begin with Tarot is very different to "fortune telling". The tarot tells you what you are experiencing in life, why you are experiencing, what you may be missing in your life lesson at the moment and the POSSIBLE out come if you change direction or continue on the path you are on.

Fortune telling is a psychic reading with cards specifically designed to read the future of a reader.

To me fortune telling is a hit and miss thing because you are telling the person what is going to happen and 90% of readers will consciously or unconsciously go out of their way to make things occur because they were 'told' it was going to happen. It is basically taking away a persons free will.
But the thing with fortune telling is its NOT accurate. Because for every thing we do, every decision we make their are a myriad of paths we could take there is no clear or defined direction in our lives.

I used to read tarot cards. It did work and I can say I am lucky to be taught by someone who took it seriously. It can tell the future but then again the future is so changeable that it is too hard to be correct even 50% of the time.

Just FYI:

One can use a regular deck of cards for divination too.

In regards to the reading, I wonder, I mean often some are influence and fake some are real, but I would like to try a little experiment and see what happens, something like you get 4 or more readers and without any contact between them and you act like in different ways depending on the reader, so to see if the reader is really reading the tarot and if it can be acurate or if its all fake and only people who are really good are "reading others and not cards"

As for reading I found out that out of my reading I get 80% right, but out of other's reading I dont get much expect one person who's reading is always always 100% acurate.

Still even tho I am still always in doubt as to , is this person reading me or is it 'some entity or worst... some evil force that tells the information to the reader who then transmits to me, I was told as young that those who reads cards are simply the devil's servant and have demons telling them what to say, they are being use by demons.

serinity,

Humbug all the preaching against tarot is humbug. Like I said it is all entertainment. A sly way to offer general advice to sitters.

I really like what Rogue had to say there. What kind of cards would one get to do said fortune telling?

Also.. can I bless my own tarot cards? Or do I have to get a witch to do it?

Witch is an archaic word for wise. Authority, the only definition that matters, is the ability to eliminate fear in others. Power is the application of knowledge to manipulate fear. Fear is uncertainty.

No plan survives engagement with the enemy; but the planning itself is a panacea, to alleviate uncertainty.

Tarot is a panacea, the reader is a witch. Regardless of paranormal ability.

To me tarot cards and crystal balls are just tools when i read i use none, I believe some tarot readers others had bad readings

I feel that the problem lies in not tarot reading per se, but in reading tarot intuitively. Anyone with a good amount of experience and memory power would be able to dish out a literal interpretation of the cards. It is this intuitive reading aspect that many falter in. I guess this is what "makes" a psychic. The more spot-on your intuition, the more credible of a psychic you are. Intuition is a tricky thing.

myself i am reader, i have not had a reading done on me by anyone but myself. i find there are to many cold readers out there

Estranged one, anyone who places such a sacredness on Tarot.. or Qijya fail terrible to see that they are not arcanic, or ancient occult tools, they are, and were both orginated as parlor games. There is nothing dangerous about them. Their i no forbodden consequence for using such devives.. unless one counts the gypsies that bilk peoplewith scams that sprout of one innocent reading, or if a person takes something offered in a reading and flips out on it.. but lets face it, it is a novelty. stared as a game, and when radios came out people lost interest in parlor troupes and magicians so they reinvented themselves a s mystics,and spiritualist.

My mom has tarot/oracle cards, she hasn't drawn a card reading for me in a long time since before she was pregnant. But every other day I draw a card that may hold a message for me or maybe answer a question that I've had. One time I drew a card that said I'd be introduced to someone new. A few hours later my best friend brought her guy friend to introduce to me as a potential guy to be interested in. Tarot cards are interesting!

because you have nothing but your sensational first post. All based on rhetoric, and whimsy, a facade build by those who sincerely want people to be spellbound by what they desperately pitch as occult, mystic tools, that are indeed nothing of the sort at all. So it is in fact an honor for you to call me mundane. As i don't need the sensational pap of such nonsense, to enjoy a parlor game, that is and was invented from a game. Which you cannot refute at all. so say say say what you want but I so know you'll come up short with any substantial support for your aggrandizement of innocuous tools, made from as I say again a game. man what is it with all these "Deep Occult" types.

The true-believer syndrome merits study by science. What is it that compels a person, past all reason, to believe the unbelievable. How can an otherwise sane individual become so enamored of a fantasy, an imposture, that even after it's exposed in the bright light of day he still clings to it--indeed, clings to it all the harder? --M. Lamar

The Cold hard Truth Put Bluntly
Keenehttp://holysmoke.org/keene.htm

I had a reading done just last week. The tarot deck utilised was related to Zen Buddhist cards. I had no idea there were Zen tarot decks! It just goes to show how these initial games have made their way into the various Cultures and beliefs. The card I picked was "New Vision". However, I am not sure if that was for the past, present or future. I am guessing it is just a general current life reading. It was most interesting.

i read tarot and runes. i am not psychic but a sensitive and i think it helps me read them better.

when i was in new orleans visiting i wanted to be the tourist and have my cards read in jackson square. it was 15 years ago and the last time i ever had anyone read my cards. message me if you want to know why i stopped having others do it.

great thread.

Just remember that it was first all just a game. That later was adopted by people with grand ideas to gain employment as psychics to needy people who wanted guidance, but with the pretense of the universe, or some mystical spirit guiding them via the reader. Like having the flattering notion that the very universe is taking time to bother with ones petty problems, or that some mystic deity is "breaking off some deep advice" for ones whimsical strife. http://www.skepdic.com/tarot.html

if one has grief, or uncertainty in matters pressing it is first a shame that there is no one they would first consider going to that knows them, and maybe a little about the actual predicament. Then a matter that a person would render to a stranger, or near stranger. Who then pompously detects the issue, and interprets (ambiguously) a possible approach to that issue. All with the charm of the pretty pictures.

Why do you have to bash beliefs?

I am not bashing beliefs, I am simply pointing out evidence that reveals that all the hype about tarot is misconstrued. it all points to people being misled to the idea that it is a valid form of counsel, and thus allowing unscrupulous people to fleece them. If tarot is kept in perspective, like I have said already, it is entertainment. Here I see people mystified by it, being mystified, is the same as being charmed, and deluded, i simply seek to break the delusion that people have built around the claims made by psychics.. psychics who seldom actually believe what they themselves pitch to their clients. I am only being as persistent as believers are. Persistent with factual data, and experience. making it so that even believers see that one can be discerning in their beliefs.

For someone who started a thread on alternative beliefs and those believers who are persecuted, you sure do not sound like you believe in the alternative. Sure, tarot started off as a game; you have made your point. Why keep harping on it everytime some one supports it. The object itself may be a game, yes, but one cannot deny the fact that it has been widely accepted and utilised in many cultures. It may be a game, but the belief attached to it lies in the eye of the beholder, otherwise it becomes a hollow vessel scenario. To criticise a belief, one has to at least immerse themselves in that belief. Otherwise, it is without substance. I am not sure if you are trying to inform others or convince yourself of what you are saying.

As my nickname implies I have run the gambit, and been behind the scenes. I have "chased the rabbit down the hole" and stood on the believers side of the fence. The difference being that once I become a seeking believer i didn't stop being inquisitive. I scrutinized the things I was a part of. talked to both proponents, and adversaries. If someone suggested I read x I read x, then i looked for info that sourced x. I just learned how to first ut things in perspective, and then priority. Tarot I assure you does not deserve the hype, and pomp it has built around it. As superstitions go it is a thin one at best. Here we are in the modern hay day of Thought, and Science, and we are still allowing people to be spellbound by mystic chicanery.

Also New Age is in no way sacred by my definition of protected alternative beliefs. The whole field is rife with financial fraud, and once a belief fleeces followers it is no longer to be tolerated. Like I said there are rare readers that make no claims at mystic influences that are remarkable readers. To them I tip my hat. They always charge fair, and entertain.. nothing wrong with that. But once you hear/read a file load of data, and sites on the abuses of readers one has to take a deep breathe and scream to get the attention of the potential victims.

That is what makes alternative beliefs alternative, I would say. I don't know. It is just coming across as persecution. This is, I believe, a place to discuss and share about topics that are not usually discussed in the open. Bringing in skepticism such as this repeatedly just seems like an attack on certain modes of thought. I am just saying.

I am sure everyone realises your story by now.

I guess what my ultimate goal here is to show that there is a moderation needed in these areas. Perspective , that it is not all as sensational as people would have others believe. It is just not all that it is hyped to be. So one shouldn't predispose themselves to such fantastical expectations. it is not required to claim to have had some grand experience relating to tarot.

Too many people get into the habit of one-up-ing the last testimony, and it sets off a chain reaction. Sadly this may push a person who hasn't had a phenomenal reading into the path of an unscrupulous practice. (and i assure you there are no shortage of unscrupulous practices out there.)

Also i should mention that tarot is more a practice then a ritual of belief. It also is commonly a sold service, same a mediumship.. and both have been notorious for charging progressive fees to clients who are slowly reeled in by promises of more revelations.. and greater clearance for their life. it is all just too grand an appeal isn't it?

It is in fact a good idea for believers to be vigilant, an scrutinize those who practice in their community. While they may believe. It is fair to assume that there will be a number of ill intent persons operating in their ranks (I have seen this in both the Spiritualist ranks/practices, and Psychic Faire circuit. So when crusaders rally to confront the issue they confront both the well intending, and ill intent with the same sweeping arm.

Dream symbols: Things you see in dreams.

****

About the thread:

Ok, I understand that people disagree with each other and often won't have the same beliefs, but please stay on topic and don't get personal. If we all agreed, and if this was not the Dark NetWork people won't have a reason to post threads.

Just post what you have to post and that's it, there's no need for a continuous conversation. It's a Forum not a chat.

You can prove links to support your post, but then other people have the freedom to post a belief, an opinion, whatever they like as long as it stays on topic.

After all, you don't need a proof to support a post, especially if it's just your opinion or a belief.

Let it be free to people to decide whether they believe in something or not.

My final post is "Caveat emptor." and be clear with the reader. Know what you are investing in. If it is not amusing, and a bit insightful, consider asking for your money back. If they allude to needing more "work" then consider that a red flag, you can say no..

I use tarot myself, but I use it as a guide moreso than a "fortune" telling experience. I no longer pay for readings simply because the they can be very subjective since the person giving you the reading does not know you on a personal level. To me, having the art of tarot for self-guidance helps bring to light aspects of a situation that I may not have thought of on my own, and then from the "results" of the reading, I then draw my own conclusion on how to proceed from there.

Thats the ticket.Even switching with a friend being the reader is better then going to a pro. In the long run owning ones own cards is cheaper considering the average pro cost 20 a reading.

i think just like in other areas of life- someone steps in and tries to make a buck and ruins it for others.

i have seen some readers who try to get you to buy this and that and a special reading for money if you bring them more money, etc

but at the end of the day. i really do feel some people can read the cards and its a very real experience.

you just have to be careful.

i don't believe cards can tell you your future or past, what i mean is the tarot cards are just a tool that is to be used just like a hammer and a saw, it's the person behind the cards, the one doing the reading who is intune and has the gift to do readings

I used to read tarot cards and they worked really well if the reading was on myself. If I tried to read for anyone else they failed and I lost the esteem I needed in order to be confident in my reading abilities.

However when I read for myself it was almost scary how often and well it would work. I would wonder if it was simply because I was using the cards to get a better insight into things that I already knew and know, or was I really gaining information from another source.

As time passed I began to believe that it was simply things that were already in my head, ideas that I didn't realize that I knew, and I stopped using the cards. When I tried to pick them up again a few years later, attempted to find that balance that I used to possess, I found that I could not read the cards accurately anymore.

Was it because I stopped believing in them whole heartedly? Was it because I stopped putting my love and energy into my deck? Was it just a side effect of getting older?

I don't know, but to this day I wish I would have kept up with my "silly little hobby" as my friends called it.

I am going to close my already slight involvement in this thread, with a little something that I would like a few people to think about (after such point, whomsoever wishes to believe me to be whatever they wish to believe, that is your own choice. I'm not here to argue a point; I am here to help 'clear the smoke', so to speak, and leave it as I usually do)--

Now, I won't deny that Tarot is known most well for being a 'game'. Such is the way of the world, in my personal opinion - as mankind often seeks entertainment. But I can tell that not many people here know the real history of the Tarot (I am not including "OUIJA", as is the Correct name, "MadScientist" (and yes, I am trying my best to be at least somewhat polite, in the matter), for a good reason. The post isn't even about Ouija, after all).

There are many 'versions' of the Tarot; all the way from "American" tarot, Asian (Japan, China, Korea, etc.), and there is even "anime" Tarot (which I can't understand the reasoning behind that one). There is also Celtic, 'Werewolf', 'Vampire', German and Italian. But the thing of it is that allot of people believe (or at least SEEM to believe) that the Tarot was 'invented' in Italy. Now, I'm not saying that it has only one 'root', but the Tarot actually stems from (and I kid you not) the " 'Ancient' World", as some might call it. Even Ancient Egypt, Sumeria, and other 'worlds' had their own 'version' of the Tarot. And though it is seen as a 'game' to many, there are some whom, like myself, do, indeed hold a certain "sacredness" to it, as someone here seems to enjoy calling it.
But the 'version' that was used, back THEN is much, much different from what exists to-day. In the modern age, we have actual cards, made from either hardened fabric or paper - each with a number/symbol and an image applied to it, as that is the 'design'.
BUT... in 'ancient' times, they used something a little bit different. Now, admittedly, I can't quite recall what it was they used, since it's been awhile since I was a pupil of it. But I can say that, again, it was much different. Although, back then, I'm pretty sure that it wasn't merely a 'game', though I will admit, I could be wrong in that.

The oldest form of the Tarot that I've ever heard of was, in fact, based from Ancient Egyptian creation, and it was even used by the High Priests. they were also among those who held a certain "sacredness" to it. but they did it in such a different way that even I would have a hard time properly explaining it (as, in Einstein's words, I don't fully understand it just yet).

Now, some may or may not think that I'm simply "blowing out my arse", here, but I can guarantee that those particular people don't know me, at all.
The Tarot may have multiple ties to what people consider to be the "Occult", whilst it is also considered a 'game'. But there is one little detail missing from that little statement-- For example, have some people ever thought about the real definition of the word "Occult" really is? It simply means "The Unknown". The original definition has absolutely nothing to do with 'magic/Magick', or singing chants around a fire. To be perfectly realistic, the "Occult" doesn't even have anything to do with Spirituality or "magic", in the least (and yes, I capitalize words such as "Spirituality"). The Real "Occult" is simply to do with things that people neither know nor understand, because it means "secretive or hidden from 'plain' view". That doesn't infer the use of what people think is anything to do with 'magic'.
The only reason that the Tarot is considered, by some, to be "Occult" is because they don't understand it. A true 'reader', or a 'specialized' historian would be able to tell you that, and most likely would. A 'game'? Yes, it can obviously be considered as such. A 'tool', however, as well? It can be and is used as such.

However, "fortune-telling" (in my eyes), is most often complete 'BS'. There are those who do possess a Real 'talent of the trade'. But most people (as a few here have already stated) have absolutely no real capability in the matter. To be blunt, Yes; it's a facade they use to swindle people out of their money. Any person who holds REAL capability in That one... doesn't usually 'charge' for a single red penny. At least, not to my knowledge or recollection (though, again, don't quote me on it).
"Fortune-telling" and Tarot are so different that they barely even hold a single similarity. Personally, I have yet to meet a single "fortune-teller" who can accurately tell me my "fortune". And that is because, as has been stated, already, everything one does holds its own reaction and 'response' to our actions. It is generally a ploy. But I'm not going to get any deeper than that, because the conversation won't end well, at all.

Even a 'Medium' only holds so much ability - which often entails merely speaking to the Dead (and say what you will; say I'm an "idiot" if you wish - I don't really care), of which is something that I know for a fact is possible. However, a "psychic" is not the same as a 'Medium'. nor is Tarot the same as "fortune-telling". You want "fortune-telling"? Go to the circus or carnival. You want real Tarot? That isn't very hard to find, either. You just need to know where to look.

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Now, again... whomsoever wishes to do so may call me whatever-under-the-sun you wish. I can and will only tell you that such is my own path. I didn't 'choose it', per say. 'It chose Me'.
Yes, I am a 'fool', of sorts, and I will admit so. Not proudly, albeit, but I will admit to it, nonetheless. However, I also do have my own knowledge. And I stick to it, even whilst I do whatever I can to learn more. However, I do also hold my own path and my belief and faith. We all do, as such is what makes the world go 'round. But a little something to think about, before one decides to "go off, half-cocked"... what do we REALLY know? Is our knowledge based from Unbiased Fact? Or is it only based from our opinion? Time to start thinking, isn't it, my friends?

Yes Tarot is real,and it works,but not all people are gifted to do a reading for someone else.And then there are those who are pro's at it.

used to do tarot readings from the time I was 12 or 13 til 26 got rid of my decks when I discovered my son playing with them he found them in the trunk I kept them in

Just as in all things, tarot is going to be up to the amount of personal belief you put into it. All things can be taken into our out of context, so every card in the deck has a meaning that can be taken into our out of context as needed or wanted.

I think it's important to recognize the tarot is a tool for one's own insight into their life. While the interpretation can be slanted into whatever you want, ultimately the important thing to acknowledge is that your interpretation is your intuition speaking up.

I've always believed the tarot is a good tool to glance inward at life's situations and challenges. There is no dark or light about tarot- it's only the way the person being read interprets their reading.

Also, tarot card readings aren't always supposed to be like a fortune telling. Sometimes they just give you messages/warnings.

Overall weither you beleive in it or not you do it or not you agree with it or not the mian thing to remember is to use common sens and good jugement

I mean no disrespect but there is good readers, those also who read without the need of tools, there are things that can't be explain and there is also fakes and liars and cons and all the similars.

It is hard at times but, taking a chance and have it read or reading it does not mean it will or will not happens, its like a lottery ticekt sometimes, (sometimes) if you got one you can win, if you don't then you never win, but also having ne does not mean you win :)

Anyhow it was my two cents :)

The cards depict events that are happening in your life, and you can use them for guidence on how to deal with certain situations that are going on in your life.