I came across a Facebook post from a Conservative Fundamentalist, condemning Christians that were partaking in meditation and yoga. He then commented that those are un-Christian, and then asked what was next. Christian Tarot? There is a bit of irony about that, considering that Arthur Edward Waite, the person behind the most commonly recognized Tarot deck, was a Christian himself. There's a bit more irony that a likely origin of Tarot cards came from Medieval Europe, a Christian dominated society. When looking at what would now be a standard Tarot deck, taken from the ideas of Arthur Edward Waite that were brought to life by Pamela Colman-Smith, you see several bits of Christian symbolism.
On the High Priestess card, she holds a scroll that says "Tora" on it. It is also implied that she is in the Temple of Solomon, as the pillars are labeled 'J' for Jakin and 'B' for Boaz. Between the two pillars is a curtain, which could possibly be in reference to the curtain covering the Ark of the Covenant. This all seems to have many references to the Torah and the Books of Kings. In addition to those references, she wears a cross.
The Hierophant card is literally a picture of a pope and monks. In fact, it was originally called the Pope card. The title of Hierophant is fairly new. However, in addition to all of that, the hierophant is holding a papal cross with one hand, has a sign of benediction with the other, and at the bottom are two keys crossing each other, which has been the symbol for the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Lovers card depicts Adam and Eve, with an angel above them. There's a tree by Eve with a serpent on it, representing the Tree of Knowledge. There's another tree by Adam, representing the Tree of Life.
On each of the four corners of the Wheel of Fortune card is one of the four Evangelists. The top left corner shows a man with wings, the symbol for Matthew. The top right corner shows an eagle, the symbol for John. The bottom left corner shows an ox with wings, the symbol for Luke. The bottom right corner shows a lion with wings, the symbol for Mark. In addition to that, each of these beings is writing a book, referencing them as the authors of the gospels.
Like it or not, the Devil card is filled with Christian symbolism. Although this is the card that makes nearly every Christian cringe, by the time Tarot cards came along, the devil had been a figure in Christianity more than in any other religion. The card also includes Adam and Eve, who are chained below the devil.
The Judgement card shows a scene directly out of the Book of Revelation. An angel is blowing a trumpet which has the flag of a white cross hanging from it, as the dead are resurrected.
These are only some of the examples. There are several examples that I skipped over, but my point stands. The Tarot cards of a standard deck are oozing with Christian symbolism. When designing newer decks, some people have gone out of their way to remove all the Christian symbolism while others have added additional Christian symbolism. There also are some who have simply not let that be a worry.
In addition to symbolism that is already on the cards, people have put together various writings, giving overtly Christian interpretations of the meanings of all of these cards. The Magician and the Hanged Man have both been interpreted by various people as representing Jesus, and the High Priestess and the Empress have both been interpreted by various people as representing Mother Mary.
What do I think of all of this? Tarot is extremely subjective, and the cards are open to interpretation. Personally, I think Tarot can be a valuable tool for reflection. I definitely think the Christian symbolism is nice to have. At the same time, I wonder if having that symbolism on cards also limits one's interpretation if they are a Christian, or is potentially a distraction. I guess it depends on the individual.
Do I believe that it's of the devil or anything? Absolutely not. Tarot cards are ink on paper. They're tools that one uses for reflection. A musical instrument is only an object. It is the musician who brings it to life and gives it meaning. The same goes for Tarot cards. There are some Tarot enthusiasts who believe differently, believing in some sort of mystical energy within the cards. If I have a belief like that, I sometimes wonder if God might be guiding the cards. However, I don't believe in any sort of demonic powers or anything within those cards, and I find it laughable to see these cards as being of the devil. I see them simply as printed images.
There are definitely ways I think that Christians can use Tarot. If one does daily Bible reading, they can then do a brief Tarot reading to reflect on what they'd just read from the Bible. There are several daily Bible calendars that pose questions for reflection after each reading. However, a nice thing about Tarot is you're not getting someone else's biased approach. You're getting something completely random, unless you believe the cards to be guided by God. Because what you get is an image that is open to interpretation, it isn't exactly the same as being given questions for reflection. However, it can be a valuable tool for a daily Bible reflection.
Although I'm not a preacher, and I don't have a need for this, I think that it can also be a useful tool for preachers. Many churches use some sort of lectionary, which is a yearly schedule of what Bible passages they are to preach on each week of the year. They're expected to give a speech on the meaning of the same Biblical passages every year, or with the most commonly used lectionary, once every three years. Tarot is sometimes a tool that writers use when they're feeling blocked, and preachers can possibly do that as well.
Tarot is also a tool that several non-Christians use for spiritual reflection. With what I've shown, I think it seems perfectly fine for Christians to use it for spiritual reflection as well. Prayer isn't strictly a Christian practice. Singing praises isn't strictly a Christian practice. Belief in God isn't strictly Christian. When the most recognized name in Tarot is someone who happened to be a Christian, it isn't antithetical to Christianity to partake in that activity
Shalom!
