Modern Tarot Books And Real Victims

[Tom]

I've been reading a lot of newer Tarot books lately.  One phrase that bothers me is the insistence that some court cards are said to be playing the victim.  We all know people who blame others for everything bad that happens to them.  I'm not taking about that. What bothers me is there is no acknowledgement that there are REAL victims.  There are people murdered, raped, abused as children, it the consequences of war and can have PTSD due to no fault of their own.  The survivors can have such low self-esteem that they believe that somehow they deserve the horrible things that happened to them. That's not going to solve anything.

 

I think there had to be an acknowledgement that not everyone can pull themselves up by the bootstraps--if they can't see past  what was done to them the cards can't magically make those horrors go away or break free on their own.  Metal health issues can make it impossible to analyze things.  That's why some people need mental health treatment, talk therapy and sometimes medications, to stabilize themselves.  When they are stable I do think the cards can help.  Books and Readers have a responsibility to advise people to get professional help if they can't see clearly.

Edited April 17, 2024 by Tom

[Misterei]

2 hours ago, Tom said:

I've been reading a lot of newer Tarot books lately.  One phrase that bothers me is the insistence that some court cards are said to be playing the victim. 

The modern psychological approach to Tarot is a double edged sword. It has some value but only a little. Nonsense like this is one of the problems with a psychological approach. Why I prefer the original book by Eden Gray. It was written long before this sort of drivel became popular.

 

Its judgemental for anyone to accuse another person of "playing the victim" unless it's literally a person who fakes a crime and calls the police on the fake crime.

 

Short of that ... I keep my mouth shut about judging others' pain and I avoid uninvited psychologizing.

 

As pop psychology it's become gratuitous. I had a friend recently mention not wanting to hear "people's victim stories" and I knew she meant me. I thought that's YOUR victim story ... you think everyone else's pain is a "story" and you dont want to hear it [never mind how many times I listened to her crying & complaining].

[Tom]

@Misterei I learned tarot by reading Eden Gray's books. I could easily read tarot by just going by her guidance and my own tuition.  Unpopular, as it may sound, I like the old way of doing things a bit better in many cases. People have had said that my readings are spot on, and that was before any of this sort of tarot analysis became popular. 

 

I'm trying to assimilate the new ways of doing things while still holding on to the old ways if that makes any sense.  But above all things I need to trust my intuition. 

 

Thank you for your post, it shows me that other people are thinking in my line of thought.

[DanielJUK]

I'm not sure that it's part of the psychology that crept into divination, I think the books reflect the current society of the time. Depressing but true.

When we get a book from certain eras (like 70's, 80's, 90's, etc), they reflect that time, some books seem very old-fashioned now and don't reflect societies views now but did at the time.

In these current times, victims are often not treated well by society. Look at any big story about someone where one side is a victim and the slurs and pulling apart of their personality and life. They might even have huge support but every personal detail will be splashed in the media, there is no respect there at all. I think society has become less and less respectful of victims and increasingly questioned them. So some modern books have added that to the cards. Ultimately, this comes from a lack of respect and listening to people's stories without judgement, but it's now being reflected in current books 😞 

[Tom]

@DanielJUK you're completely right.

 

I am staying on topic.  I revised this post.  My story was just to illustrate how I personally was victimized in my youth.  My point was I wasn't playing the victim, I was a victim.  Sometimes bad things just happen to people due to no fault of their own.  Modern Tarot teachers need to acknowledge that.

 

How do you other readers feel about the topic?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2024 by Tom
TMI

[joy]

Hey everybody can we please go back to the topic? Thank you all.

[Ix Chel]

@Tom which modern Tarot books do you mean? Would like to know the book titles.

[Tom]

@Ix Chel Examples of this can be found in the book Tarot Court Card meaning by Kate Warwick Smith and some in Fearless Tarot.  There a numerous examples in deck companion books and on YouTube videos (like The Easy Tarot). As started above it's a more psychological approach to reading cards.  Don't get me wrong these are good books by great authors, they have a a great fresh of helpful information. 

 

If you have been hurt badly it's hard to let it go.  People should try being compassionate if someone was hurt and expressed that.  People shouldn't assume everyone brings all suffering on themselves.

[Misterei]

6 hours ago, Tom said:

... Tarot Court Card meaning by Kate Warwick Smith and some in Fearless Tarot.  There a numerous examples in deck companion books and on YouTube videos (like The Easy Tarot).

I've not read these books myself ... but just considering the Courts themselves as I read them:

 

Queen Swords [and other swords courts] can show a person who has had a difficult life with much suffering. I find Swords most often indicate someone who had genuine hardships in life.

 

Queen Cups [and other Cups] can show someone who is so compassionate they want to help others. But the shadow side of this is when helping others leads to "overgiving" and then feeling resentful or victimized when people don't appreciate the help. In some cases, Cups people are vampirized by people who suck them dry. But in folklore, the Vampire can't enter your home unless invited. When I experienced energetic vampirism I came to understand I should have placed boundaries sooner and also that I had to kick the vampire out of my life. This was my personal Queen of Cups lesson about taking care of myself while helping others.

 

Queen Wands [and other wands courts] sometimes feel bitterness and envy when others do "better" than them. They seldom feel victimized per se but often get poisoned by their own bitterness if they can't enjoy the success of others. Again, this is the negative aspect of Wands. Positive, nothing keeps them down for long and they face obstacles with courage. They seem the least likely to feel "victimized" or be victims. They tend to stand up for themselves and fight back.

 

Coins Courts are the most practical. They tend to not worry so much about psychologizing their situation. If things get bad they might feel sorry for themselves but they're the types who make a plan how to improve their finances, lovelife, or whatever has them feeling down. Sometimes they drift or can't get out of a rut ... but they seldom blame others for these things.

 

Just my observations how the Courts' appear in my readings vis a vis this issue.

Edited May 2, 2024 by Misterei

[Tom]

@Misterei that's helpful. I identify with the King of Cups being a Pieces and being emotional he's the make removing of compassion with fairness.  I have dealt with those vampires myself and  I tended to have stayed in unhealthy relationships because I didn't set boundaries and was always of hiring others feelings. So maybe in the past I was more of a Queen of Cups but have learned to set limits now so I feel stronger and I have graduated to King.

 

[Fallon]

These are unique takes on the cups suite. I always assumed they were just highly emotional people. Or Scorpios. Maybe that's just me projecting.

[HOLMES]

I personally use reversals to point that the shadow of the respective court card is in full force. 

For me it clarifies, especially if lets say it is next to the devil card, or 10 of swords. That their fears or past defeats are holding them back. 

 

It isn't that easy to hear " get over it, let it go"  when one is not ready to. 

Course if your inuition/flow is guiding one to see it.. that maybe the client is ready.

Still it is hard to avoid ego, and not project our values on to the reading 

We are the filters, the readers.!. 

 

In the end, it is how much do we let the modern books be our Bible vs just a springboard from which to grow as tarot readers. 

 

[Tom]

@HOLMES I’m trying a more balanced approach.  I am using the “old” way of reading cards, I especially like Eden Gray, and mix some of the new stuff into it when it suits the spread.  I’m reading a good book called Tarot Interactions by Deborah Lipp and she has a good way of bridging the old and modern ways.  

 

Speaking from experience when we are badly hurt due to no fault of our own it is very difficult to “let it go”.  It’s a process—but I’ve never “played” the victim as if to absolve myself from anything bad that happens to me with interactions with others.