Tarot: A Wonderful Servant but a Terrible Master

Or, how to maintain a healthy relationship with your tarot cards

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One of the most common things trolls - whether they are on YouTube, at your workplace, or in your own family - say about tarot is that it’s irrational and unhealthy to replace one’s own judgment and decision-making with a superstition like pulling a tarot card and doing what it says.

My own mother said as much to me once, and my answer to her was a personal one:

“Have I ever in my entire life struck you as somebody who would forego her own judgment and perform an action - whether choosing a college or choosing an appetizer - willy-nilly?”

(Fun fact: I have to close my eyes and imagine eating the dish I’m reading about on a menu to decide whether I want to order it or not. I am pretty much never in danger of not thinking through a decision. In fact, I am never in danger of not over-thinking through a decision.)

But before you join me in completely writing off my mother, every tenth or so commenter on my YouTube channel, or anybody else, it turns out they are not completely off base.

Unhealthy or problematic tarot reading is a thing. Here’s what that might look like and what I do to keep my relationship with my cards rational, healthy, and supportive.

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