Does anyone here practice tarot in a healthy way? I really want to do it but feel like I might be setting off ‘magical thinking’ and scrupulosity ocd I wanted to use it for secular introspection/inspiration. But people tell me to not ignore the spiritual part of it bc its like talking to the universe. And I admit sometimes the cards feel eerily accurate or relevant. But thats the problem? Ideas like manifestation and “looking for signs” have given me problems before. I even feel like I hear weird noises after using tarot. It made me paranoid. anyone relate to this ? I spent too much on these cards and don’t want to return them lol

Religion & Spirituality OCD

RogueKing

Date posted: 4y

So there is a Reddit dedicated to secular tarot. You could check that out or the SASSWitches reddit. I use trarot cards for RPG purposes. But honestly I think for an OCD brain there is a serious risk. You have to decide if benefits are worth that risk.

rootytooty

Date posted: 4y

Never heard of that reddit, will check it out ! And yeah for creative stories seems like a fun use for it at least

Lunetta

Date posted: 4y

In my experience, if you’re reading to try to divine your emotional state, what you should think/believe/do, or anything major like that, your cards will tell you the truth, but if you’re deep in your OCD you may not be in the right headspace to accept and internalize what they’re telling you. (You may also have a hard time correctly interpreting them, as your brain is pulling especially hard for you to believe the Worst Case Scenario). This is, of course, assuming you have a trustworthy deck...I’ve had very mischeivous decks in the past that I would NOT trust to help me through a crisis. You might want to set Tarot aside for now until you’re in a more secure place emotionally, or at least strictly use your cards for hobby purposes (like coming up with plots for fictional stories or RPGs, if that’s your thing) instead of anything serious. Tarot has many uses, and if you’re not in the right state of mind to work with your cards for The Big Stuff (personal introspection, communing with the spirit world), it is totally okay to just play and have fun with them, or to set them in an honor spot and let them rest until you’re ready. They won’t be offended 💜

rootytooty

Date posted: 4y

This did calm me down a lot, thank you. I actually had put them in my nightstand drawer wirh crystals for now. And even though I’m not as familiar with spirituality, I did talk to them to make it feel easier (i.e. saying this is just for now because I’m not doing good) I was worried that using them for for writing / rp purposes would “annoy spirits” as a friend said. But idk, maybe if my worry is at this level I can get something that’s not tarot but still fun for now? Ps: I did an interview for my deck and got The Sun and King of Swords for how it described itself. This seems positive at least But yeah I’ll only pick them up when I’m in a better place

Lunetta

Date posted: 4y

@rootytooty I think that was very respectful action you took towards them :) I’m sure they appreciate it. Hm. I think if you have YOUR deck, the one that gets you and you can rely on, you can interact with it however you want so long as it’s not insulting. My best, favorite, most trusty deck has occassionally trolled me, but it’s never indicated that it’s upset with me, iirc. But if you’d rather, there are tons of Oracle decks that don’t lend themselves to complex spreads/readings, but can be drawn in the morning to give you a “theme” for the day. For instance, I might pull out my Archangel Oracle deck of a morning, to see if Jophiel wants me to spend time outdoors today, or if Michael wants me to meditate on my status as a beloved child of God. Depending on what your OCD is like, even an Oracle deck might be too much for your headspace right now, but I think their comparative simplicity makes them safer than a traditional Tarot spread. That does seem positive! I would interpret their personality as wise and authoritative, but good-humored. Not a deck that pulls punches, but it isn’t out to make you feel bad...quite the opposite, in fact :3

sks2011

Date posted: 4y

I LOVE tarot, and though I'm not good at it I think it can be a problem when I am feeling like I'm reassurance seeking. I say if you wanna do it, do it when you arent having a bad ocd day. When you feel like you're really wanting hope dont use them because that might set you off or reassure you in some way.

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