I’ve had similar experiences with divination, especially with Tarot. I decided to forgo it because as someone with OCD, it was getting in the way of my ongoing treatment. Seeking “certainties” was satisfying in the moment, but damaging in the long-run.
I was raised in and practice a non-Christian religion, so my beliefs on this topic may be fundamentally different from yours. But what a prohibition on divination would mean for me is not to take metaphors too far - tarot is metaphorically true because it presents one with certain generalizable human archetypes and images, which can prompt reflection or a new perspective on life. But it is not literally true in the sense that what tarot cards you pick actually predict specific events in your life or compel you to act in a certain way. In other words, it does not work unless you believe in it, and you are under no obligation to believe in it.
But your perspective on divination was so thoughtfully put it made me reconsider my secular-liberal-literary outlook on life!
I’ve had similar experiences with divination, especially with Tarot. I decided to forgo it because as someone with OCD, it was getting in the way of my ongoing treatment. Seeking “certainties” was satisfying in the moment, but damaging in the long-run.
An excellently argued piece once again!
I was raised in and practice a non-Christian religion, so my beliefs on this topic may be fundamentally different from yours. But what a prohibition on divination would mean for me is not to take metaphors too far - tarot is metaphorically true because it presents one with certain generalizable human archetypes and images, which can prompt reflection or a new perspective on life. But it is not literally true in the sense that what tarot cards you pick actually predict specific events in your life or compel you to act in a certain way. In other words, it does not work unless you believe in it, and you are under no obligation to believe in it.
But your perspective on divination was so thoughtfully put it made me reconsider my secular-liberal-literary outlook on life!
I enjoyed reading this essay. A lot to process. Thanks.