Is Tarot a Religion?
Can I Practice Tarot if I Believe in a Religion?
These are some of the questions I’m often asked.
The Difference between Religion and Spirituality in Relation to Tarot
First of all, we need to understand the difference between Religion and Spirituality.
Religion is based on an organization with specific rules and structures, while Spirituality speaks to our ability to connect with a broader Consciousness that goes beyond everyday perception of existence.
Spirituality is free and inclusive. You can be part of any religion and have a “spiritual” view of existence – in fact, the origin of all Religions has deep spiritual roots.
So you can comfortably be “spiritual” and Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, or anything else.
On the contrary, Religions are mutually exclusive. You cannot be Catholic and Muslim at the same time.
Spirituality has no rules but is a way of being and understanding oneself. Religion, however, is based on specific rules to follow and includes sanctions – earthly or in the afterlife – for those who don’t follow these rules.
Tarot as an Archetypal Tool
Tarot is an Archetypal tool rich in symbolic references that are common to many Religions.
There are references to Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, and also to European shamanic traditions, which we can find common across other continents, precisely because the sense of human and divine are common to all populations of the planet.
Tarot is a Spiritual Tool
Tarot is therefore a deeply spiritual tool but with a soul-based and transcultural spirituality that makes these magnificent cards a very effective tool for Personal Growth.
Tarot is Compatible with all Religions
Tarot is therefore a tool compatible with any religion.
The only limitation comes from sects and dogmas that restrict personal freedom and self-determination.
This is because Tarot leads us toward deep self-awareness and supports Freedom of Choice. It is therefore not compatible with religious movements that limit their members’ freedoms for the sake of power.
Tarot is a tool that stimulates critical thinking and the development of personal and authentic spirituality.
In Tarot, there are no dogmas or things to believe in, only a mirror of your own personal experience.
Tarot, through the method of Tarology, brings us in contact with deep Archetypal structures that mirror the phases we experience in the journey between our birth and our death.
In Fact, Tarot and Tarology Take Us on a Journey to Discover Ourselves.
The only difficulty in this is that truly discovering who we are brings us in contact with those parts of ourselves where our wounds reside, and these often frighten us.
Are Tarot Cards Scary?
This is why Tarot is sometimes viewed with Fear.
These Archetypal images take us deep within ourselves, in contact with our Truth and therefore also with those emotions that we’re afraid to encounter.
That fear is therefore not of Tarot but of those emotions.
Tarot is a mirror, what frightens us is what we see reflected in it.
