In today’s article, we are going to discuss the misuse and abuse of Tarot cards, and what kind of effects these practices can have on someone’s life.
Tarot cards’ divinatory uses can be traced back to the late 14th century, but they are so much more than that, they are a sum of esoteric and occult layers “trapped” in each of the 78 cards as if it were a looking glass into another dimension.
Tarot cards can be used for so much more than just divinatory purposes; one of these types of usages would be occult practices, aka magic spells and rites. It is said that in each of the Tarot cards, including both Major and Minor Arcana, there reside spirits.
Excluding the Major Arcana, which has its own, “big” spirits that rule over each card, Minor Arcana has spirits known as Salamanders, Sylphs, Nymphs, and Gnomes, and it is these spirits that help the reader take a peek into the future, and also help the practitioner with the spells and magic rituals.
Now, onto the main question – Can tarot cards ruin your life? What are the dangers of tarot card reading? Are Tarot cards actually bad? Why is it bad to read your own tarot cards? And finally, When not to read tarot cards? Let us see..
Can Tarot cards Ruin your life? Is Tarot card Reading actually bad?
It really depends. Like with any occult, esoteric or metaphysical practice – it is not advisable for mentally and emotionally unstable people to “dabble” in it. Tarot cards are a layered, complex, magical art form, and they need a sober approach in order for you not to end up in a metaphysical ditch.
As a Tarot reader and occult practitioner, I’ve met many people who were either obsessed to Tarot readings or approached Tarot’s occult properties without the proper respect and forethought that is required for such a layered and extensive diving into the Unknown.
You may think that – ‘when you know what will happen, you will have an easier time managing your own stress’, right? Wrong! This is one of the most frequent traps within the Tarot community.
In fact, if you are mentally unstable, and you seek guidance in the Tarot cards, you fall into the trap of becoming hooked or obsessed to Tarot readings because they can offer a (false) sense of control.
So first, you need to know whether or not you’ve picked a proper and really good quality Tarot reader and medium.
Then you need to ask yourself what kind of questions are you asking the Spirits.
On top of that, you have to be aware, at all times, of the power of your (subconscious) mind, and how it can create the reality from the readings, instead of you being in control over your own destiny and with your own focus and power of will, manifesting the reality you desire and want.
Tarot cards cannot cause disruptive and messy events like dabbling with an Ouija board can, but it still can cause you to have quite a bumpy ride if you delve into it without respect and proper preparations, so you better think twice before you reach down that rabbit hole.
How can Reading your Tarot cards ruin your life?
1. Reading Tarot cards everyday:
So, Why is it bad to read Tarot cards everyday? Because, here’s the answer to the question itself – if you do it obsessively. Nothing is good when you do it in an obsessive manner, especially when it comes with a label of ‘fortune telling’.
Modern people have really fallen into the trap of ‘being in control’ of their own destiny, totally ignoring that there is a grand(er) plan and multiple missions that were ‘set in stone’ before they even incarnated.
When you focus too much on one tree, you really can miss the (entire) forest. When people obsessively focus on one thing, and repeatedly ask the same question, if it means spending piles of money going from a fortune teller to a fortune teller in the pursuit of the exact “right” answer they want to hear, they’re missing the point, and the point is that they are so far down the rabbit hole, that they cannot see the exit anymore.
So when you obsess over Tarot readings, and when you lose control over your own impulses and over your own self, it doesn’t make much difference whether you’re hooked on drugs, or Tarot cards. Either way, you’ve lost the narrative and you need to go to rehab to get back in the saddle and be capable of living a mindful, and objective life.
2. Reading your Own Tarot Cards:
If you are a good Tarot reader, or you have a good Tarot reader to whom you go when you need answers to life’s mysteries, then Tarot has the power to impact various life aspects in a positive, or at least in a profitable kind of way.
On the other hand, if you read your own tarot cards, (and if you are not a professional) you suffer from one of the several spiritual bypasses mentioned above. As a result, Tarot can influence your various life aspects in a negative way, especially if you tend to focus on ‘what the cards said, and not on what is in front of you, and what you can deduce, be objective and calculative about.
Reading your own tarot cards is not ‘bad’ perse, it’s more like not quite accurate. I am a professional Tarot reader, I’ve done thousands of Tarot readings, and have been introduced to the Tarot mysteries when I was a child, and yet, I rarely open the cards to seek the answers to my own questions.
Why? Because you need very special and deep self-knowledge, and power of objectivity in order not to “influence” the reading, or what kind of cards come up.
Finally, When not to read Tarot cards?
You shouldn’t open the cards, or go have your cards read for every, simple question that might pop up in your head. People often don’t differentiate between ‘important’ and crucial questions, and everyday, mundane ones.
When you’re planning on making a big life change, then it’s absolutely normal that you want to see what the cards have to say.
If you’re hesitant about what to wear to a New Year’s party, or if you should call someone out on a date, or not, then you really shouldn’t bother the cards, nor your Tarot reader.
At the end of the day, it’s really important to differentiate between subjective and objective feelings, calm and present states of mind, and to recognize obsessive behaviors and patterns present in order to be able to discern whether or not something has control over you, or are you in control over it.
Stay safe, keep calm, and live mindfully.
Itana Rakic is a certified Theta Healing practitioner, Tarot reader, Astrologer, and a Reiki Master who lives in Belgrade, Serbia. She majored in Japanese Language and Culture at the University of Belgrade and went on to write many holistic articles for various magazines and sites, including 'Witch's Review'. Itana Haos Rakic is currently writing a fantasy book that has heavy uses of Astrology, magic and the occult sciences. She loves writing and is an experienced spiritualist too.