I'm not sure what great revelation J. Neill Furr at Game of Tarot thinks he’s uncovering... his big thing is that Tarot cards were “invented” for game playing, not “fortune telling.” As one headline on his site screamingly insists: “Think you know Tarot Cards? Think again... they were invented for card games not fortune telling!” On another page is the headline: “The Chances are that you have been lied to!”Contrary to popular myth, tarot cards were invented for card games, not fortune telling.
Tarot isn’t “fortune telling” not in the simplistic way he clearly means, but we’ll move on. The assumption, one of them, is that people who read cards are unaware of this astounding revelation. As usual, the skeptoid universe is shown to be one of either/or, black vs. white, dichotomous mindsets that consider most things to be of sinister and dishonest intent.
Furr goes on, and on, and on some more, about all that. But what I find intriguing is his obsession, which isn't at all an unfamiliar trait among the skeptoid, but always a curious one. Furr has a nice website, chock full of information about the Tarot as merely, only, and truly just a game. But he doesn’t stop there, no, he wants to enlist the help of skepti bunkies everywhere:
This web site exists to promote these games to the English speaking world and to a large extent my methods will be that of a sceptic. After all, the two greatest obstacles to my goal are the myths of tarot’s origins and its perceived use as a tool for fortune tellers. I believe that sceptics should take special note of tarot’s history and games and so some of my efforts on this site will be directed at them. I shall also try to enlist your help in this project, as I cannot hope to achieve my goals aloneHe also has a little video clip that implores skeptics to help with his mission: “to be a resource for all -- both to take up the fight and to enjoy!” (You have to love the fact Furr sees a fight where none is intended... that’s one of the things I love about skeptoids. They’re so, well, damn contentious.)
There’s also stuff you can buy, promos to help spread the word about Tarot; the real Tarot as game that is, not Tarot as “fortune telling,” and pdf downloads, graphics to print out, links, a whole universe of resources to help the skeptic get the message out about Tarot as a game, not fortune telling, damnit!
He’s very specific about all this, and his purpose;for example, none of his stuff available for download can be used if:
3. The text may not be used to promote anything other than the games of tarot and the associated web sites. If your web site promotes tarot games.
4. The text may not be used in the in association with or in the context of the promotion of occultism, religion, or any form of divination.
5 comments:
I agree that Tarot isn't fortune telling. Tarot should also be understood by most people now as a classic trick taking card game and that Tarot is not only for Tarot reading.
As an American player of classic board game and card games including games played with Tarot cards, I think J Neill Furr (philebus)should be applauded for this effort. I think you haven't read the entirety of his essays. Furr is aware that many Tarot readers use the cards for non-predictive, non-supernatural purposes. "In recent years, tarot reading has increasingly encompassed non-supernatural application, using the cards to meditate or reflect upon personal matters, even using them in a similar fashion to Ink Blot tests. However, these applications, while novel, are not very controversial and are not of great interest to the sceptic."
Furr notes that many Tarot readers today are aware of the actual history of Tarot and of how the Tarot is also used in games. However, these facts virtually always escape the attention of the popular media. One recent high profile example of terrible Tarot reporting in the mainstream media appeared on ABC's The View. Psychic Sandy Anastasi told nothing but the usual lies about the cards without anyone offering real criticism.
Although I share Furr's skeptical worldview, my interest in this campaign is based on the fact that these common Tarot myths promoted by the media are harmful to our culture. While most paranormal skeptics are mainly intersted in science, my own personal interest is in humanities and culture. It is not only in debunking irrational thinking which attracts me to this cause but I'm also interested in promoting cultural diversity.
Here are some examples of how "new age" prejudices and myths are harmful to cultural diversity.
I remember on a lunch break playing around with some Spanish playing cards I've bought and some people thought I was reading Tarot cards because they thought the suits were Minor Arcana cards. Some fundamentalist Christian lady nearly left the room in panic. There's also a Mexican Bingo-like card game called Loteria which uses 54 cards many of which resemble the Major Arcana. I wonder how many times, because of its appearance, that this game was also mistaken for occult Tarot. There was also the flap over the Cardcaptors game offered at Taco Bell a while back because somebody thought this Pokemon type game resembled Tarot cards. It has even affected how a certain artifact was presented at the University of Minnesota:Center of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. When the University initially ran the article on the Boris Kobe Lager Tarock, they mistakenly assumed it was part of the Tarot divination culture as they had no other point of reference for dealing with this deck. They even linked to an "all about the occult" article written from a fundamentalist point of view dismissive of the topic. I had to contact them to tell them it was really a variant design of the standard 54 card Austrian Tarock which is completely independent of the use of Tarot for divination. They've since made the corrections with links to appropriate articles so we can thankfully see this Tarot or Tarock deck in its proper context. I have also seen Tarot game websites being wrongly classified as "cult/occult" by internet filter programs because the operators of them know not the difference between divinatory Tarot and the game of Tarot. The perception of Tarot cards common in the English speaking parts of the world badly needs some revision. We need to stop denying the existence of this other Tarot culture; the culture of Tarot game playing.
"Although I share Furr's skeptical worldview, my interest in this campaign is based on the fact that these common Tarot myths promoted by the media are harmful to our culture."
Ah, yes. There it is.
Oulder, has already said a great deal in my defence, so I shall just add one or two small notes.
"The assumption, one of them, is that people who read cards are unaware of this astounding revelation." - No, that is not my assumption at all, the assumption is that most members of the general public, including skeptics, are unaware of this. However, given the number of books and web sites by tarot readers that continue to promote the myths, the generous assumption would be that many of them are indeed unaware of this also.
As Oudler points out, you don't seem to have actually read much of the text. Could I refer to you the essay on skepticism - I do not simply rant, as you seem to imply, but I make very clear my objections to tarot reading, objections that you fail to mention, let alone offer any counter argument to.
"...information about the Tarot as merely, only, and truly just a game." - No, nor do I say any such thing. I am pointing out the non-occult origin of the cards as a game and wish to promote that with a view to changing people's perception of the cards from being simply occult objects or the tools of fortune telling.
I should note that, while I make clear that I am aware of the cards broader use in reading, I refer most to fortune telling because that is the dominant association in the eys of the general public.
"He also has a little video clip that implores skeptics to help with his mission: “to be a resource for all -- both to take up the fight and to enjoy!” (You have to love the fact Furr sees a fight where none is intended... that’s one of the things I love about skeptoids. They’re so, well, damn contentious.)" - The "fight" to which I am referring is the one to change public perception, and it is a fight. The popular media (and again, I make mention that propaganda does not require conspiracy, only market forces) is against the goal, making it a fight indeed, whatever may or may not be intended by others. Would you prefer (or actually need) me to alter it to read "struggle", or "challenge"?
"Could I refer to you the essay on skepticism - I do not simply rant, as you seem to imply, but I make very clear my objections ..."
Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron; "essay on skepticism", "I do not simply rant..."
Would you prefer (or actually need) me to alter it to read "struggle", or "challenge"?"
Thank you for the offer; since you're asking, I'd prefer that you wouldn't be the skepticical, debunking, tarot bashing culture fighting self-appointed illuminator of the masses you are, but I'd also prefer I live in Paris, wear a size 7 and looked twenty years younger. Neither can happen so that's all right.
Thanks for stopping by.
"I'd prefer that you wouldn't be the skepticical" - Skepticism is a perfectly sound position to take - by all means, dispute my conclusions.
"debunking" - if something is wrong, shouldn't we put it right? Again, I point out that I have set out a case for my position, a case you have still not mentioned or made any attempt to address.
"tarot bashing" - not at all, I am promoting tarot where other skeptics would see it gone.
"culture fighting" - or perhaps culter defending, given that my position is that falsehoods have so often replaced the truth in the media. That is cultural vandalism.
"self-appointed illuminator of the masses you are" - from a blogger! The words Kettle, Black, and Pot come to mind.
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