Since I have been delving deeper into my studies of the Tarot, I have come across a rather annoying trend. When looking for books and resources on interpretations and meanings of the cards, I am often faced with authors who water down and sugar coat the cards. In other words, every interpretation, even for the darker, more serious cards such as Death and The Tower, are almost soft, gentle and reaffirming. Consider Doreen Virtue's Angel Tarot. Death becomes "Release", Tower becomes "Life Experience" (seriously?) and Devil becomes "Ego". I've put down several books I've picked up and paged through in bookstores because I'm tired of seeing soft phrases such as "new beginnings", "spiritual awakening", "greater self awareness", "chance for inner healing" and "cloud with silver lining" for the uncomfortable major cards, and for the more somber Cups and Swords. I realise that these interpretations can apply to these cards, but when only presented in that comfortable, unoffensive way the real message of the cards is lost.
Not to say that I want my cards to be all doom and gloom. In fact I am rather averse to the vampiric/goth tarot decks that are abounding. To me the Tarot is about illuminating the inner workings of the mind and soul, and sometimes those inner workings and the lessons that need to be learned aren't always reassuring. If newcomers to the Tarot become accustomed to these "fluffy" cards with the more scary or provocative images toned down with soft interpretations, it becomes more difficult to get a constructive experience out of using the cards, and Tarot will become another victim of the New Age "love, light and everything pretty and sparkly" scourge, if it hasn't become one already. I know there will always be people who prefer to sit on the sunny side of the fence when it comes to the occult, but it certainly makes it more difficult for serious seekers to find valid, warts-and-all information.
Not to say that I want my cards to be all doom and gloom. In fact I am rather averse to the vampiric/goth tarot decks that are abounding. To me the Tarot is about illuminating the inner workings of the mind and soul, and sometimes those inner workings and the lessons that need to be learned aren't always reassuring. If newcomers to the Tarot become accustomed to these "fluffy" cards with the more scary or provocative images toned down with soft interpretations, it becomes more difficult to get a constructive experience out of using the cards, and Tarot will become another victim of the New Age "love, light and everything pretty and sparkly" scourge, if it hasn't become one already. I know there will always be people who prefer to sit on the sunny side of the fence when it comes to the occult, but it certainly makes it more difficult for serious seekers to find valid, warts-and-all information.
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