Thanks for your newsletters. You are writing some interesting stuff here.
What you are writing about on this page strikes me as being in similar territory to your other recent engaging and candid post titled "The Problem with Tarot".
I think the `problem` is that it is very easy to claim authority around Tarot and other `psychic` `spiritual` pursuits (as it is with all of the all of the other "wellness" things that you mention here). People are desperate for identity, so the process flows easy to and from supplier and consumer.
Bluntly speaking, an uncomfortably large proportion of people who present themselves as Tarot readers/psychics and so on are simply looking for ways to create a spiritual ID, feel important, get some kind of power and of course make a buck.
I say this as someone with a lifelong interest in Tarot and divination who has been doing regular readings here in Glastonbury (Newage HQ UK)for over a decade and has felt to put the resultant ideas into a book.
I know that this sort of talk comes over as too `judgmental` ,`cynical` or `negative` in most Newage circles, but the flip side of that is: If more `alternative` people had their critical questioning faculty more functional, would Qanon/conspirituality have had so much influence on them?
To me, the whole conspirituality story has simply served to hammer home the truth of Lily Tomlin`s great quote: "It doesn`t matter how cynical you get, it`s impossible to keep up"!
Two possible solutions to the "problem with Tarot" might to be:
1. Accepting the discomfort that comes with the ambiguity surrounding the whole Tarot project.
It has been there from the beginning and is likely to be sticking around.
Thank you so much for getting in touch, and apologies for the late response. As you may have noticed, I am not currently writing stuff--interesting or not!--about Tarot. For one thing, other work has been more pressing. And for another . . . having broached provocative topics, I feel I ought to follow up with some substantive ideas and information. Or try to.
Which just needs more time than I have right now.
I agree with both your "solutions," from the standpoint of how we might cope as individual practitioners. The problem I'm mulling over is more about what's happening on the cultural level. You're absolutely right that ambiguity has always surrounded Tarot--but now we see at least two unambiguous and highly questionable versions being very widely promoted, via social media. Do some of us need to be more assertive about offering a counter-view?
I have notes for a post about this, and will hope to get some words in a row soon! In the meantime, thanks again for your thoughts. I look forward to future dialogue!
I think I have an inkling about what you are referring to re. highly questionable versions. I very much look forward to hearing your views on the subject.
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for your newsletters. You are writing some interesting stuff here.
What you are writing about on this page strikes me as being in similar territory to your other recent engaging and candid post titled "The Problem with Tarot".
I think the `problem` is that it is very easy to claim authority around Tarot and other `psychic` `spiritual` pursuits (as it is with all of the all of the other "wellness" things that you mention here). People are desperate for identity, so the process flows easy to and from supplier and consumer.
Bluntly speaking, an uncomfortably large proportion of people who present themselves as Tarot readers/psychics and so on are simply looking for ways to create a spiritual ID, feel important, get some kind of power and of course make a buck.
I say this as someone with a lifelong interest in Tarot and divination who has been doing regular readings here in Glastonbury (Newage HQ UK)for over a decade and has felt to put the resultant ideas into a book.
I know that this sort of talk comes over as too `judgmental` ,`cynical` or `negative` in most Newage circles, but the flip side of that is: If more `alternative` people had their critical questioning faculty more functional, would Qanon/conspirituality have had so much influence on them?
To me, the whole conspirituality story has simply served to hammer home the truth of Lily Tomlin`s great quote: "It doesn`t matter how cynical you get, it`s impossible to keep up"!
Two possible solutions to the "problem with Tarot" might to be:
1. Accepting the discomfort that comes with the ambiguity surrounding the whole Tarot project.
It has been there from the beginning and is likely to be sticking around.
2. Keep a sense of humour at all times!
Keep up the good work
and very best wishes
Philippe St Genoux
Thank you so much for getting in touch, and apologies for the late response. As you may have noticed, I am not currently writing stuff--interesting or not!--about Tarot. For one thing, other work has been more pressing. And for another . . . having broached provocative topics, I feel I ought to follow up with some substantive ideas and information. Or try to.
Which just needs more time than I have right now.
I agree with both your "solutions," from the standpoint of how we might cope as individual practitioners. The problem I'm mulling over is more about what's happening on the cultural level. You're absolutely right that ambiguity has always surrounded Tarot--but now we see at least two unambiguous and highly questionable versions being very widely promoted, via social media. Do some of us need to be more assertive about offering a counter-view?
I have notes for a post about this, and will hope to get some words in a row soon! In the meantime, thanks again for your thoughts. I look forward to future dialogue!
Thanks.
I think I have an inkling about what you are referring to re. highly questionable versions. I very much look forward to hearing your views on the subject.