The Trouble with Tarotscopes

Merinews, an English-language news service based in India, offers readers a Weekly Tarot Forecast.

Mimicking the "Tarotscopes" seen on other sites, the Weekly Tarot Forecast author pulls a card for each sun sign, then uses that card as the basis for a weekly prediction. (My week is supposed to feature ambition, temptation, and addiction -- which, in turn, is supposed to "bring me out of my shell." Gulp.)

A glance at the various Tarotscope sites reveals what, for me, is a real problem with Tarotscopes: since every author pulls a random card for each sun sign, a dozen different Tarotscope sites will offer a dozen different (and often conflicting) commentaries on my week. How helpful can that possibly be?

So ... what do you think about Tarotscopes? In terms of legitimacy, how do they compare to horoscopes? How likely is it that one reader's one-card reading can apply to everyone born under a specific sun sign? To what extent is Tarot a personal oracle (with readings intended for application to one person's life) versus a public oracle (capable of addressing, say, the future of one-twelfth of the population at once)?

Comments

[Janet]

I had thought the same thing when I first began doing my monthly AstroTarot Forecast over three years ago.

But then I had the feeling that if synchronicity works in a personal reading--and, in all of life--why couldn't it work for a general, *public* reading?

That, the right person would find my forecast at just the right time. If someone didn't need the information--or didn't resonate--they'd just move on. But if they DID resonate...then it could be valuable to them.

I've had many people order readings from me because they said my AstroTarot Forecast was "scary accurate" for them. I don't know how...or why...but apparently, it *was* for them.

Whether someone reads a horoscope or a Tarotscope--an article or a book--it all comes down to "take what works--and leave the rest". If something doesn't "work" or resonate--move on. But for those that a particular Tarotscope works for--it could provide valuable guidance, comfort, and clarity.

[Mark McElroy]

That's a reasonable response, and I'm glad to hear from someone who's actually published this kind of thing before. While I can come across as a bit cheeky, I'm genuinely interested in the questions I posted, and haven't made up my mind about the issue yet.

Out of curiosity ... I note that the AstroTarot Forecast section of your site is on hiatus. Just curious -- did you take a break because of the labor involved in drawing and interpreting cards for each sun sign over the course of several months? It sounds like a lot of work.

[Janet]

Hi Mark,

I put it on hiatus because I dreaded it. It didn't bring me joy--my heart wasn't in it anymore--so I took March off.

It only takes me about an hour or so to do for each month (I normally do the Forecast right around the last day of the month for the next month), but because my heart wasn't in it--the process felt a lot longer.

In fact, I was feeling the same way about readings. Despite making a lot of $ doing email readings, I felt that my energetic storehouse was more important than $. That to continue to do readings when I dreaded them was selling my soul...something I wasn't willing to do.

After take a few weeks off, I have a fresh perspective and a renewed desire to read...so it just so happened that I put my Readings page back up a few hours ago!

I'm thinking of re-starting the Forecast next month, too, but with a different deck. I just need to email the deck creator to see if I can have permission to use her images in the header.

Well...that's probably more than you wanted to know! :o)

Janet

[Stephanie Arwen Lynch]

Hey Mark! I just started doing Tarotscopes in May of this year. The idea of drawing a card and interpreting it for a particular sign has long fascinated me. I would love to hear what you think of my podcast. :-) Just google Arwen Tarotscopes and you will find me.