Tarot and the Atheist

[ArcanaXV]

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[cheddarsox]

I have beliefs similar to yours, however, I identify as a pantheist, rather than an atheist.

Question, what do you think is "behind" Tarot? I mean, what makes it work?
Is it that same "force".

I have very little personal experience with Tarot, so I am curious how someone who doesn't believe in the supernatural (I think that is what you were saying above) understands Tarot.

Thanks!

[halfwaynowhere]

I'm a humanist, and I read tarot cards. I see them as a way to illustrate an idea, not to necessarily predict the future, but to provide insight on a situation, through symbolism. I see them as a visual aid, more than magickal tools. I probably don't make any sense, I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words...

[Windsmith]

I have beliefs similar to yours, however, I identify as a pantheist, rather than an atheist.

Question, what do you think is "behind" Tarot? I mean, what makes it work?
Is it that same "force".

I have very little personal experience with Tarot, so I am curious how someone who doesn't believe in the supernatural (I think that is what you were saying above) understands Tarot.

Thanks!Obviously, I'm not ArcanaXV, but if I could take a stab at it?

What makes Tarot work is the human mind. The key is not any specific cards or group of cards, but simply the chance Tarot gives us to consider our situation from a different angle.

To give an example: if I drew the 7 of Swords in the atmosphere position of a spread, I could say, "Someone involved in this situation isn't dealing forthrightly with everyone else; they're up to something in the shadows. This may be completely necessary, but be aware that when you're making decisions, you don't have all of the information." My querent goes home thinking about the other people involved in their situation, and what they might be leaving out of their dealings with them. Or they might realize that they themselves are the stealthy "someone" in the card and start to look at how what they hold back affects other people they deal with.

If I were instead to draw the Sun in the same position of the same spread, I might say, "The Sun shines light into every corner, without bias. It illuminates everything - things that were hidden; things you or others might prefer stay in the shadows. You'll have all the information you need to make your decisions, but you won't necessarily like it." The querent leaves wondering what's hidden that needs to/is about to have a great big light of revelation shone on it.

2 different cards, 2 different interpretations, same general line of thought. But I could substitute any card in the deck here. If it's the World, they think about cycles needing to end so new things can begin. Ace of Wands - a startling new idea that needs to be explored further. 4 of cups - boredom may be making you complacent. I could do this all day. In the end, what matters is that, through the cards, I open a door for the querent to get out of their normal patterns of thinking about a particular problem and come at it from the fresh angle they may need to resolve their problem.

[Infinite Grey]

I'm a mild transhumanist, I believe to main purpose of tarot cards to a focal point for a person's intuition. There is no "force" behind it beyond that of the human mind ;)

[cheddarsox]

Thanks folks, those are the same ways I understand divination methods to operate, as a window into our own perspective, offering us a framework with which to understand a situation.

But I know that some people understand them differently, but those might be the theist/spirit folk.