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Demons and the Occult in Tarot Cards
By Robin Duquette   

Last edited: Monday, November 11, 2002
Posted: Monday, November 11, 2002

Question from Reader: I'm concerned, about several articles I've read that link tarot cards to demons and the occult - does reading the tarot "open a door" for demons and nasty spirits to enter your life?

Question from Reader:

I'm concerned, about several articles I've read that link tarot cards to demons and the occult - does reading the tarot "open a door" for demons and nasty spirits to enter your life?

My Response:

I have been reading tarot cards for about 5 years now and in that time I have not felt the presence of any sort of demons or "evil" spirits. But one must be willing to imagine them in some sort of made real sense in order for them to populate the mind and to exist around you.

The only thing that did happen to me that was tarot card related was that for a short period of time, I was having occasional dreams at night that swords were hanging from the ceiling above my bed and were going to drop down and stab me! (Swords as you might already know is a suit in a traditional tarot deck.) I told my husband about my strange annoying dreams and he immediately related it to the tarot cards. I had to ask my dreams at that point, what message they were trying to convey. So I worked with it just a bit in contemplation and journal writing. After that, those dreams stopped and I had a better understanding of the symbiology of Swords and what that energy was doing in my life. I try and not read tarot books just before bed time now though! I have always been a sensitive person and a vivid night dreamer so it was nothing really strange for me, but another person might interpret that as an evil presence (or demon) caused by tarot cards.

The cards themselves are merely pieces of thick paper with plastic coating under which are printed images. These images are elements of every day life that also tend to populated our night dreams, the conscious and the unconscious realms, the soul, story and myth. I have found that the term evil (or demon or satan) is most often used to quickly explain something that one does not understand, and does not want to understand, because it frightens. (Label it evil, sweep it under the carpet, now I don't have to do the work of facing my fears.) The images on tarot cards are "representations" of energies and archetypes, just as words are representations of things, ideas, and energies.

What we do internally with these energy representations is entirely up to us. I believe that any energy that is felt in the cards originates in us and is something that we transfer to the cards. The decks that I own, carry my good and positive energy because I use them in life enhancing and personally empowering ways, with positive intent, for myself and others.

There are many new age beliefs in spirits, (channeling for one) of which I do not support personally. One might conclude that if a good spirit can be near and inside us, then bad or evil spirits can hover around as well. I question whether it is healthy to support and feed into these beliefs. (Schizophrenics hear voices and see things as well.) I tend to view "imaginings" in a symbolic sense and ask, "what message is being conveyed here?" "What energy is asking for my attention?"

We might imagine an angel or a spirit speaking to us and through us, but it is best to not leave from awareness the workings of the mind and imagination. Personally, I find it fun to imagine fairies and spirits existing in and around things of nature like trees and rocks. It is equally comforting to picture in my mind, angels who hover near by that protect and guide, but I also am aware that I "imagine" these things and it is not so much the image ( of the fairy or angel ) that is "real", (because the image is a mind construct), but that it is the energy that I feel is already inherent in the objects of nature or exist in the realm of the unseen. Most often what is felt, is our own emotional or spiritual energy (positive or negative) that we project on to things, other people, or places outside ourselves. This is a common psychological coping mechanism, a working of the unconscious mind. Imagination makes life enjoyable and interesting, it can bring us comfort, but often one can lose or omit an awareness of what is "real" and what is imagined.

With all that said, imagination can be a powerful tool and motivator. It is up to you to decide what energies you will put into your cards. I like to envision my tarot deck(s) being infused with white loving light that streams from the universe into and through me, through my hands and then into my tarot cards. Before doing a reading for myself or others, I silently say "Tell me what I need to know for the highest good of all involved." I make sure that when I read for someone that they know that I do not "predict the future". There is also a faith that what is meant to be revealed will come forth, and what the seeker needs to know, and can handle, will be made aware for them.

Many occult themes do run through specific decks, you should choose a deck based on your belief structure. For instance, if you are Christian, you may prefer a deck with a Christian feel. (The Connolly deck, Tarot of the Saints perhaps, or the Hanson-Roberts deck which has a light fairy tale feel.) There are also Wiccan decks and decks that reflect the Jewish tradition or Buddhism even!

There are virtually hundreds of decks available and each has a unique feel. Some decks appear dark and harsh, wile others are light and loving. Some are a balance of both. How you feel about your deck is important in the energies that will be felt (by you) to come from that deck. But keep in mind, this is all in how you "imagine" it.

You might like to do some study on how psychology views the existence of demons and evil spirits to gain a better understanding of why people retain a belief in them. Certainly if the tarot cards spook you, you should not use them. There are many non-tarot type decks that work as tools for opening inner wisdom just as well.

Recommended Reading:

The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan