Tarot Cards, Oracle Cards, and Christianity: Spoiler Alert. Tarot Cards Are Not Evil

“Tarot cards are evil!” “Divination is of the devil.” These are the things I heard about Tarot growing up, so I never dared follow my curiosity about them when I was younger.

I was born and raised in the Christian church. I was raised to believe that the Bible is the word of God, that I was a wretched sinner who was saved by grace, and that God is in heaven keeping an eye on me and is ready to smite me at any moment for my sins.

Now that I am a free-thinking adult, who has spent much of her life exploring faith and searching for the God of my understanding within, I have come to my own beliefs and conclusions about the ideas that were instilled in me as a child.

In 2016, I encountered Kiala Givehand online. She is a mixed-media artist, book artist, writer, and teacher, and an all-around fascinating human being. I have had a life-long interest in journaling, and she was the first person I met who validated my penchant for having several journals for several different purposes. In 2017, Kiala launched what I believe started out to be a 30-day class called, “Pull, Pen, Paint.” I loved everything I was reading about this class, but I was feeling conflicted about the “pull” aspect because that referred to Tarot and other oracle cards. In my mind, I dismissed Tarot and other forms of divination because I was told that these things were evil and that I should have no parts of any of it.

Around the same time, I was working with a spirituality and business coach, Rev. Valerie Love. Here was a powerful, dynamic woman of God who also used Tarot cards! She assured me that they were not evil and reminded me that the cards themselves have no power.

But I did my own research and I learned about the origins of Tarot and oracle cards which served to demystify the whole situation for me. Tarot cards are a specific type of oracle card. So all Tarot cards are oracle cards, but not all oracle cards are Tarot.

Although there are many conflicting stories about the origins of the Tarot, the first decks were originally created to be playing cards for entertainment in the mid-15th century in Europe. Later they began to be used for divination.

A Tarot deck is made up of 78 pictorial cards. The first 22 cards comprise the major arcana and are numbered from 0 to 22. The minor arcana comprises the remaining 56 cards and is divided into four suits: swords, wands, cups, and pentacles. Every suit has ten numbered cards and four court cards depicting a King, Queen, Knight, and Page.

Because entire books have been written on this topic on which I am but a novice, I am simplifying it to my understanding to say that Tarot cards are just a tool that draws on universal energy and wisdom. The skilled reader learns to interpret the elaborately detailed pictures to tell the story of a spread of cards that are pulled with intention for the client.

When a Tarot reader does a reading, they are tapping into the energy of the client. The subconscious mind communicates through images. The images on the cards simply depict a wide variety of human circumstances and conditions. Any power at work is in the consciousness of the client from which the reader is drawing during the reading.

In Pull, Pen Paint, we do not use engage in “fortune-telling” or in trying to divine the future using any kind of divination method. The cards tell a story of what could possibly occur for the person being read for if nothing changes. A card reading represents a potential outcome, it is not set in stone, and the person always has free will and the ability to change course or do something different.

Oracle cards are decks of cards with images and words, or sometimes just images with no words, or words with no images. Oracle cards can be created using a structured system or in an unstructured way according to a theme that the author of the deck has developed. As an artist, I love oracle decks because I can appreciate all of the thought, care, and devotion that the artist puts into each card which is really a miniature work of art. A person can ask a question of the universe within and pull an oracle card that gives a possible answer or solution. Working with oracle cards helps a person develop their intuition. People who read oracle cards for other people share their intuitive gifts with others through a card reading.

In Pull, Pen, Paint classes and workshops, there is often developed a wonderful, synchronistic energy among and between the members of the group despite being separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles. Working in a group of like-minded souls is a wonderful way to learn to develop and trust your intuition, to be reminded that we are all one and that the powers of good are always leaning in your direction.

If you are a Christian, and you ask the God of your understanding questions in prayer, and you feel hesitant about satisfying your curiosity about the Tarot, oracle cards, and other forms of divination, I offer that you pray about it and ask for clear guidance. If you ask in prayer, your prayers will always be answered.

After you pray, do your own research and come to your own conclusions as I did. Do not let those old voices from your childhood hinder your ability to be freely expressed today.

Another cool thing about Oracle cards and Tarot is that you can use them in combination with your prayers. It opens so many amazing possibilities for your personal and spiritual development.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, and you would enjoy working with a wonderful group of people who are interested in creative expression, developing their intuition, personal development, and exploring things like divination, astrology, sacred symbols, and more, I invite you to consider registering for Pull, Pen Paint. Click on the link to explore more.