In the Tarot closet

[sandrang123]

I don't care who knows, though I don't necessarily bring it up with everyone, either.

 

My family is mostly fine with things. My father was a superstitious Hungarian man who said I gave people the evil eye. I'm sure he thought I was a witch or something...but really my family has always thought me a little odd with the things I sensed or knew, so they are pretty used to things by now.

 

The only person in my family who isn't fine with tarot is my hyper-religious brother. Which is fine, because I'm not so fine with his version of God and religion, either, so it's a wash.

 

Other family members get genuinely interested about the cards and readings. My sister-in-law wants me to help her learn tarot when we vacation together this summer, so I'm going to buy her a deck.

 

In high school, after I was ratted out about tarot (Catholic school), some snarky girls in my class sneaked down the lane to our farmhouse and wrote WITCH on the driveway. That hurt me a lot. But I was also very young then.

 

 

[Bookworm]

I am most definitely in the closet at work, but outside of that I don't really care. My husband knows about it and doesn't try (very hard) to discourage me, but couldn't be less interested. I think my kids, who are grown, think I'm a little nuts for my interest, but I don't mind that. I don't bring it up with people unless I know them well.

[Starlight]

Yup, pretty much in the closet. I don't talk about the cards with other people IRL, except for one other mum who is also interested in the cards. But it was she who expressed an interest in cards and energy healing first - that's how I knew it was 'safe' to talk about it with her.

[Petalene]

I keep quiet about tarot. Husband knows and it’s not his thing, but he’s fine with it. My kids don’t care.

 

We live with my mom - not completely my first choice - but she flipped out when I mentioned I have my dad’s James Bond deck (The one from Live and Let Die, but it says 007 on the back) that I’m 99% sure he never took it out of the box. I should “throw it away because it’s evil.” I asked if I she believed I could divine the future with it and she kept repeating “it’s dangerous.” So, she has no idea I have several decks and books about tarot in my closet. And I’m sure my two gothic decks are more evil than the 007 deck. I haven’t used the 007 deck because the art doesn’t really speak to me and I’d keep the deck as a remembrance of my dad even if I didn’t like tarot cards.

 

At work, everyone but me says a prayer before company potlucks. I don’t talk about tarot at work. Although I just transferred to a new location, so we’ll see.

 

If tarot comes up in conversation, I usually start by mentioning that I have my dad’s James Bond deck and see what kind of a reaction I get before going into more detail. For me, tarot is for personal use. I didn’t tell husband that I got a professional reading a few months ago, but he wouldn’t have a problem with it. I definitely don’t talk about it with my sister, because we don’t talk about important stuff which is sad, but it is what it is. The rest of my side of the family is Christian (when it suits them and they pick and choose which rules to follow) so they’d think I’m worshiping the devil. I’ll talk about it with husband’s parents and sis if it ever comes up.

 

[~D~]

I'm just curious - is there anybody else here who still tries to hide their Tarot practice from others? To whom do you conceal it, and why?

 

YES! and i hates it I do... I live in an apartment building....many religious folk live here...a couple witches also...and not sure what else we have...BUT, Im sure they would poop bricks if they knew i read cards...Its my place and i dont have my books out, which sucks...i do have my crystals out...I have my decks in my back pack with my other stuff....I hate snoops, but the landlords have been known to enter when you go away...I just dont like the bull---- and stress, but there you go...They pray to spirit and so do i...lol ::)

 

Dee

[DanielJUK]

I am sort of in the closet and sort of not, it's different with different people and situations. I've always been into alternative systems and occultism, maybe since about age 12 and my friends and family know and are neutral at worst about it but okay with it!

 

But I am careful on my social networks and with new friends, I have to feel confident that someone is open minded and shares my interests. I have posted in the past about eclectic ideas and it has had people challenging me and I think I don't feel confident in myself to justify myself (to be honest).

 

I am not ashamed of it and I am not really quiet about it, On my social networks, I follow many tarot and divination related sources and interact with them, so it's pretty easy to find it out about me. But I don't personally post about tarot or eclectic subjects much because it's a mixed audience.

 

I used to get all that side of my personality out on Aeclectic and it was the only place that I shared that but with it closing, I am active in a few places and taken many friends from there into my personal life and on my social networks, so it's much more complicated! But it's an important side of me that I am just a bit shy about!

 

I am envious of my AT friends who share tarot related stuff and pictures say on their instagram, I keep mine in the closet somewhat. I am thinking this year that I want to make a channel for myself with my tarot / divination / occultist / eclectic interests, a way to express myself away from communities and represents myself. I am not sure how I will do it yet, maybe a blog or instagram but I would keep it separate from my personal profiles. I want to avoid people attacking my interests and close minded people.

 

On the other hand, I couldn't date someone or have close friends who didn't support my interests. Even if they didn't agree with it, it's an important part of me  :)

[Raggydoll]

I used to get all that side of my personality out on Aeclectic and it was the only place that I shared that but with it closing, I am active in a few places and taken many friends from there into my personal life and on my social networks, so it's much more complicated! But it's an important side of me that I am just a bit shy about!

 

I am envious of my AT friends who share tarot related stuff and pictures say on their instagram, I keep mine in the closet somewhat. I am thinking this year that I want to make a channel for myself with my tarot / divination / occultist / eclectic interests, a way to express myself away from communities and represents myself. I am not sure how I will do it yet, maybe a blog or instagram but I would keep it separate from my personal profiles. I want to avoid people attacking my interests and close minded people.

 

On the other hand, I couldn't date someone or have close friends who didn't support my interests. Even if they didn't agree with it, it's an important part of me  :)

 

I feel that there is a certain vibe going on right now where more and more people are boldly stepping forward and taking their very first step to bring their ideas and dreams into reality. Maybe it is because of Imbolc and the sensation that mother earth is gently stretching and getting ready to once again emerge through the frozen ground. I don't know, but it sure feels magical to me  :). I encourage you to take the plunge and express yourself in any way that is meaningful to you.

 

I would also like to share with you a card from The Green Wheel Oracle that just felt very appropriate (I hope you don't mind!) Its a depiction of the Wren - a tiny bird that holds great courage and potential. It says in the guidebook that:

 

"Wren calls for you to have confidence in yourself. Hawthorn and Wren suggest the need for you to open your heart fully and give everything of yourself, trusting that it will be all right. Lay aside self-doubt and allow the person you want to be to step forward. Hawthorn energy can help us to open our hearts and to both give and receive love more freely. Love yourself and let your voice be heard".

 

 

[Guest]

Anyone that knows me thinks they know what I am about. So I am not in the closet in that manner...all the same I don't interact with people in general (i live in a small town perched in the middle of nothing so that is easy to accomplish) I could also say a great portion of my life is in a "closet," so to speak.

[Whisper]

In spite of the fact that I've been at this for a long time, I've never really had anyone with whom I can share my love of Tarot, cartomancy, Wicca, Shamanism, Druidry, etc. except virtually online like here.

 

My husband knows about and tolerates it, but he definitely has the perception that it is all "obeiah" and witchcraft and, therefore nefarious. I've tried explaining it all to him. He keeps asking me what all of this is doing for me and why, through it all, I can't, somehow, conjure up a fortune from the air.

 

At work, nobody knows. They wouldn't understand and would definitely think I'm crazy. The communities I deal with might even consider me "dangerous". Although I live in a big city, I have never met anyone else who shares these same interests, although I'm sure there are people out there who do. I just haven't met any and wouldn't know where to begin finding them.

 

So, I'm going it alone, so to speak. I've now decided to go back to it permanently and am avidly reading and studying. It is wonderful to be with you and I would love to have real life contacts with people who share these same interests. Perhaps one day.

 

I have a small family and none of my family members are interested. I know it has always called to me and continues to clamour for my attention.

 

So, thank you, Little Fang, for this oasis, and thank you all for being my travelling companions on this journey.

[Canid]

The last time I was in the hospital, by the 7th day nurses were asking for readings! I didn’t talk about it, they just kinda noticed what I was doing in my spare time haha. But I’ve learned the hard way to not even mention it, unless the situation warrants. If someone has preconceived notions, usually religious in nature, you’ll never change their mind so it’s senseless to try. Luckily, I acquired a daughter-in-law & a sister-in-law who appreciate a new deck as a gift.

[DanielJUK]

]

 

I feel that there is a certain vibe going on right now where more and more people are boldly stepping forward and taking their very first step to bring their ideas and dreams into reality. Maybe it is because of Imbolc and the sensation that mother earth is gently stretching and getting ready to once again emerge through the frozen ground. I don't know, but it sure feels magical to me  :). I encourage you to take the plunge and express yourself in any way that is meaningful to you.

 

I would also like to share with you a card from The Green Wheel Oracle that just felt very appropriate (I hope you don't mind!) Its a depiction of the Wren - a tiny bird that holds great courage and potential. It says in the guidebook that:

 

"Wren calls for you to have confidence in yourself. Hawthorn and Wren suggest the need for you to open your heart fully and give everything of yourself, trusting that it will be all right. Lay aside self-doubt and allow the person you want to be to step forward. Hawthorn energy can help us to open our hearts and to both give and receive love more freely. Love yourself and let your voice be heard".

 

 

 

thank you for posting that, it's really sweet and an inspiration!

I will be more Wren (one of the best little birds in Britain anyway :) )

[Shinsoo]

Nah, I'm kind of a brash person to be honest when it comes to my rather unorthodox beliefs.

 

I don't hide my Tarot habit from anyone--hell I plan to take it out to one of the local coffeehouses here soon and actually attempt some face to face readings once I get more comfortable.

 

And almost anyone I've worked with, or been in my family, I am very much unashamed of this passion.

 

Sometimes my beliefs are really out there tho, and the fact I live in the Midwest of the United States, it's not uncommon for people to view me as some sort of lunatic.  I've already been diagnosed with psychosis, depression, and borderline schizophrenia.  Not fun.

 

But my passion for the spiritual (despite my experience with Spirit being rather hellish for the most part), knows no boundaries, and it's through Tarot that I'm finding my groove so to speak. :)

[Whisper]

 

I don't hide my Tarot habit from anyone--hell I plan to take it out to one of the local coffeehouses here soon and actually attempt some face to face readings once I get more comfortable.

 

That will be a very interesting experience. Hope you do it and share it all with us.

 

And almost anyone I've worked with, or been in my family, I am very much unashamed of this passion.

 

Sometimes my beliefs are really out there tho, and the fact I live in the Midwest of the United States, it's not uncommon for people to view me as some sort of lunatic.  I've already been diagnosed with psychosis, depression, and borderline schizophrenia.  Not fun.

 

But my passion for the spiritual (despite my experience with Spirit being rather hellish for the most part), knows no boundaries, and it's through Tarot that I'm finding my groove so to speak. :)

 

I think many of us have been there in terms of people not understanding our passion for the spiritual and Tarot in particular.  If one finds this kind of attitude in big cities, I can hardly imagine what it must be like out in the Midwest!

 

Soldier on, Shinsoo.  ;D

[Celice]

My friends know about my interest in tarot but to my in-laws I'm firmly in the tarot closet. I'm not a professional reader or anything, but I have a very large tarot collection and keep my cards put away (young kids in the house that would make a mess of them), and my occult library locked up in a trunk.... mostly it's because my mother in law comes over once a week to spend time with my kids and she's a super Catholic. She was pretty average person when I met her almost 15 years ago but when her father passed away five years ago she became obsessed with the church, said her greatest regret in life was not becoming a nun and is now involved in lay Carmelite training (basically becoming a lay nun)... She spends every day in mass and most days volunteering for hours giving communion, etc. She routinely brings over holy water, holy salt, books on Catholicism and is trying very hard to get my husband "back in the church" even though he's never had any interest in it. Basically she's very pushy about it and to keep the peace I don't ever mention my various occult interests because I know it would cause stress in the family and I'd never hear the end of it. The only time they have mentioned anything remotely related is when somehow at Thanksgiving or another holiday one year at her house they brought up Wiccans and basically everyone but me joined in a session of mockery of their beliefs and how stupid it is. Even though my mother in law communes with angels and has all of her super Catholic interests.  In my opinion prayer is just a form of religious magic, Catholicism has so many ceremonial elements that remind me of ceremonial magick. Wicca is not my thing but I found it insulting they were just mocking it and I know if they ever got wind of the fact I'm a long time tarot collector I would never hear the end of it. Though I wonder if my mother in law suspects something since you know, she's always bringing over holy water... lol

[Saturn Celeste]

Though I wonder if my mother in law suspects something since you know, she's always bringing over holy water... lol

lol Oh dear, Celice!  It would be hard for me to conceal my life with the tarot.  To know me is to know my passions and aside from Fallout, The Sims there is Tarot!  >:D

[Annabelle]

I'm "out" of the tarot closet to almost everyone in my life. My colleagues at the office all know, including my boss . . . all the way up to one of the Associate Provosts, actually. I may live in an ultra-Christian, ultra-politically conservative area, but I refuse to hide important aspects of my life.

 

As far as family goes, my partner obviously knows, and any of my family who follow me on social media know, as I am constantly mentioning tarot on Facebook and the like.

 

My therapist knows, though we've never discussed it at length.

 

I'm deliberately not out to only one person -- my mother. I could give a very long list of reasons why, but the short version is that she is mentally ill, we talk on the phone maybe once every 3 to 5 years, and I haven't seen her in 12 years. She has religious beliefs that cross the border into delusion (for instance, she has come to conflate her father with Jesus, even now, 5 years after her father's death). Talking to her is challenging enough without mentioning tarot -- which I suspect she would take as an indicator that I'd invited Satan's demons into my home.

[aleatoryEpiphany]

It's a mixed bag for me. Like I am definitely in the closet to all of my family. Even the ones who aren't extremely conservative SDA. Although I know my mother has seen my book and tarot cards before so Im still not sure how she hasn't started yelling at me over it, hahaha.

 

However when it comes to my friends and peers I'm completely open about both my paganism and my love of Tarot. I even have several Christian friends who are just totally okay with me in general being how I am; which makes things much more comfortable for me.

[tarotnovice]

I'm so relieved that there are other people like this!  :) I'm totally 'in the closet' about my interest in tarot to everyone in my life. The main reason for this is I live with my aunt, who is an extremely superstitious Roman Catholic and terrified of anything even slightly associated with the occult  :-X

[DevonCarter]

I am still just dabbling, really, so it just doesn't come up. One of my sisters I would tell, and she'd be OK with it, the other and my parents I probably wouldn't just because there's no need. At work it just doesn't come up.

 

With friends, it also rarely comes up. However, once I was at a friend's house and she was showing us some fabric she had woven, and I saw the distinctive back of the Wild Unknown sticking out of a pocket just a hair. "Oooh, is that the Wild Unknown?!" I exclaimed, and her eyes lit up. She and her husband then showed me several of their decks and we talked about which ones we had and wanted. So if I want to talk about tarot, I'll talk to her!

[Lantana]

I'm out in that I don't hide it from most people, with some rare exceptions (like an older relative that is already mad that her adult son dabbles this sort of thing). I guess I'm lucky that I live in a major city, even if it's a rather conservative one, so I've never had a stranger approach me about it in a particularly nasty way. At most, when I would do readings during free class periods back in high school, someone might ask and then give a look of disdain. I'm also lucky that my family is open-minded and supportive.

 

At the end of the day, other parts of me (my queerness, my gender, my disability, etc etc) are more likely to make me catch hell, so I don't really care what some stranger thinks about me slinging cards for a friend at a cafe.

[PageOfCups]

This is a huge concern for me, TBH. Especially when it comes to dating. Thankfully, the other day (on the day of the Gemini new moon) I signed up for a dating app for spiritual people. Hopefully that'll fix my problem.

 

The world is so full of judgmental people. Just want to come home and live with someone who will accept me for who I am in the end of the day... I'd really like that.

[ThreeCircleTarot]

Firmly out of the tarot closet. Anyone wanting to branch out into IG and blogging: doo eet, I'm constantly looking for other tarot / divination / occultist / eclectic things to stalkfollow ;D

 

[Pixie]

I am pretty open with my immediate family and close friends, apart from that it just isn't really something I talk about a lot with people because I keep most of my life fairly private. As for work, I am very "closeted" there, I work in a public profession and although I do like my coworkers, I do not know that I could trust them not to talk about my interests/hobbies or judge me and that it could cause some issue if members of the public were to find out. I do live in a fairly conservative area. I really hate that I have to be so secretive about something as benign as my hobbies or spiritual practices, but unfortunately I do.