It's like all things-They run the risk of becoming part of another gray zone where its purpose once was to keep us flexible and forward thinking it runs the risk of being Industrialized. This is the world and that is always the danger.
Agreed. I think that the widespread commodification and commercialization of a spiritual/psychological practice threatens to tear all of the spirituality and benefit out of it. And that's something we need to at least argue against happening.
That serves to protect querents too, I think. We know that some behaviors on the part of querents can be damaging to them, such as reading for the same question, multiple times, seeking a different result. As generalized distance readings explode in popularity online, behaviors like this can cause real harms. Obsessions actually.
Thank you for the mention and writing this post. While my tarot-centered substack is about experimenting with tarot, I do have a solid foundation (almost 30 years). I am more in the “share my knowledge” stage of my craft.
I think it’s the TikTok culture that worries me the most, with vulnerable folks lured in by over the top collective readings. I don’t want the practice marred by a younger generation’s excessiveness with social media.
I do believe that Tarot can be read for a remote querent, and I also believe that broad generalized readings can be effective to illustrate trends. But the whole recorded 'if you run across this video, then this reading is for you' bit is rather nuts.
I also think that videos like that fuel an addiction of sorts. An ethical Tarot Reader wouldn't participate in a querent asking the same question over and over and over again, seeking a different result, because that would be exploitative, but I think negative behaviors like that are what drive a lot of this endless reading scrolling on TikTok.
I really don’t want to gate-keep! I welcome everyone who has an interest in intuitive divination! It just hurts my heart when I see people buying into “readers” who fly the cards in the camera and make big claims for the collective. Repeated questions of “when will my ex come back” or “when will they get rich”…. Omg.
Agreed. We shouldn't attempt to gate-keep. But, I think we have to try and teach when and where we are able. Let folks see that there is a lot more to Tarot than just asking the same question over and over again, driving towards a desired result.
I think this is a very valid question; Rune reading had a similar thing back in the 70's, when a chap called Ralph Blum started selling his own book on runes -it was largely made up, but came with a little bag of plastic runes that people bought and really enjoyed it.
The difference there is there wasn't a big existing runes market (or a vast amount of publicly popular or visible academic study) like there is with Tarot, so for a lot of people Blum was their introduction to runes, and he rode the "pop magic" second rise of wicca in the 80's and 90's.
Unfortunately as more serious academic study has gone on, we've learned that a lot of Blum's translations and symbology relating to the staves were simply made up by Blum from whole cloth, and that's the thing to watch out for with any resurgence of esoteric study - the number of people writing on a subject is proportional directly to the amount of bad information!
As long as serious practitioners are able to identify the bad sources from the good ones, and publicly discuss which are bad, which are good, and explain why to any new starters, with luck this will be a good thing for you practitioners of Tarot
I've never attempted to use Runes but have thought about it from time to time. I actually started making a set a couple of years ago out of some wood from one of my cherry trees. But, alas, I'm not done yet.
I'd like to thank you for this information about Mr. Blum and the popularization of Runes. That's really good to know, and I appreciate it!
Yes, you mentioned you were working on the same set when the topic of runes came up last year! Methinks you should set an afternoon aside in a few months as the days start getting longer and finish them off, they'll be their own reward. You're on the right track as well - I have been told a long standing "rule" of rune use is one should never buy runes, but instead be gifted or make them.
I would gladly and happily liaise with you, do some casts with you and give you any other tips or advice you may need.
This is probably the first and last book you would need, I don't think anyone has studied more of the history and practice of runecasting than this chap, he refers to Tacitus' study of Germanic runcasting from the Roman interactions with them all the way to references of Viking use, and everything in between, going so far as to learn ancient german to read many sources in the original language
You're right of course, I just need to sit down and finish them. Heck, the hard part, cutting the wood, is already done.
Once I do, I'd be very pleased to have your assistance!
I think it must have been you who recommended Edred Thorsson to me in the past, I know that someone did, and I followed up learning what I could about him. Fascinating.
I remember my first "appropriation" in the late 60's when the Summer of Love was monetized. All I can say more than 50 years later is that the authentic endures and the shallow falls away. Some exposed to Tarot silliness today will be inspired to take a deep dive. Others will move on to the next big thing. It's a next gain in the end but not pretty to watch.
It's like all things-They run the risk of becoming part of another gray zone where its purpose once was to keep us flexible and forward thinking it runs the risk of being Industrialized. This is the world and that is always the danger.
Agreed. I think that the widespread commodification and commercialization of a spiritual/psychological practice threatens to tear all of the spirituality and benefit out of it. And that's something we need to at least argue against happening.
That serves to protect querents too, I think. We know that some behaviors on the part of querents can be damaging to them, such as reading for the same question, multiple times, seeking a different result. As generalized distance readings explode in popularity online, behaviors like this can cause real harms. Obsessions actually.
Thank you for the mention and writing this post. While my tarot-centered substack is about experimenting with tarot, I do have a solid foundation (almost 30 years). I am more in the “share my knowledge” stage of my craft.
I think it’s the TikTok culture that worries me the most, with vulnerable folks lured in by over the top collective readings. I don’t want the practice marred by a younger generation’s excessiveness with social media.
I can't disagree.
I do believe that Tarot can be read for a remote querent, and I also believe that broad generalized readings can be effective to illustrate trends. But the whole recorded 'if you run across this video, then this reading is for you' bit is rather nuts.
I also think that videos like that fuel an addiction of sorts. An ethical Tarot Reader wouldn't participate in a querent asking the same question over and over and over again, seeking a different result, because that would be exploitative, but I think negative behaviors like that are what drive a lot of this endless reading scrolling on TikTok.
💯
I really don’t want to gate-keep! I welcome everyone who has an interest in intuitive divination! It just hurts my heart when I see people buying into “readers” who fly the cards in the camera and make big claims for the collective. Repeated questions of “when will my ex come back” or “when will they get rich”…. Omg.
Agreed. We shouldn't attempt to gate-keep. But, I think we have to try and teach when and where we are able. Let folks see that there is a lot more to Tarot than just asking the same question over and over again, driving towards a desired result.
I think this is a very valid question; Rune reading had a similar thing back in the 70's, when a chap called Ralph Blum started selling his own book on runes -it was largely made up, but came with a little bag of plastic runes that people bought and really enjoyed it.
The difference there is there wasn't a big existing runes market (or a vast amount of publicly popular or visible academic study) like there is with Tarot, so for a lot of people Blum was their introduction to runes, and he rode the "pop magic" second rise of wicca in the 80's and 90's.
Unfortunately as more serious academic study has gone on, we've learned that a lot of Blum's translations and symbology relating to the staves were simply made up by Blum from whole cloth, and that's the thing to watch out for with any resurgence of esoteric study - the number of people writing on a subject is proportional directly to the amount of bad information!
As long as serious practitioners are able to identify the bad sources from the good ones, and publicly discuss which are bad, which are good, and explain why to any new starters, with luck this will be a good thing for you practitioners of Tarot
I've never attempted to use Runes but have thought about it from time to time. I actually started making a set a couple of years ago out of some wood from one of my cherry trees. But, alas, I'm not done yet.
I'd like to thank you for this information about Mr. Blum and the popularization of Runes. That's really good to know, and I appreciate it!
Yes, you mentioned you were working on the same set when the topic of runes came up last year! Methinks you should set an afternoon aside in a few months as the days start getting longer and finish them off, they'll be their own reward. You're on the right track as well - I have been told a long standing "rule" of rune use is one should never buy runes, but instead be gifted or make them.
I would gladly and happily liaise with you, do some casts with you and give you any other tips or advice you may need.
This is probably the first and last book you would need, I don't think anyone has studied more of the history and practice of runecasting than this chap, he refers to Tacitus' study of Germanic runcasting from the Roman interactions with them all the way to references of Viking use, and everything in between, going so far as to learn ancient german to read many sources in the original language
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Runecasters-Handbook-Well-Edred-Thorsson/dp/157863136X
You're right of course, I just need to sit down and finish them. Heck, the hard part, cutting the wood, is already done.
Once I do, I'd be very pleased to have your assistance!
I think it must have been you who recommended Edred Thorsson to me in the past, I know that someone did, and I followed up learning what I could about him. Fascinating.
I remember my first "appropriation" in the late 60's when the Summer of Love was monetized. All I can say more than 50 years later is that the authentic endures and the shallow falls away. Some exposed to Tarot silliness today will be inspired to take a deep dive. Others will move on to the next big thing. It's a next gain in the end but not pretty to watch.
Thank you, this makes a lot of sense to me.