Occult and Religion: You CAN do both

Growing up in a religion creates feelings of community as well as ones of inadequacy. It becomes an interesting mix as one grows up and begins having their own existential crisis. These situations create an amalgamation of feelings that need to be felt, discovered, and dealt with as one gets older. It is no wonder that many who grow up within secular religions, find peace in personal explorations of the occult or nature crafts. It becomes a way for someone to discover their personal feelings in a personal and spiritual way. 

Looking at the feeling of community growing up, it can be a major boon for people. One grows up with children their own age with similar values. Many children’s activities create a space where children can learn and grow in a way where they are protected and looked after. Many single parent households could not have survived without these communities to rely upon.

When one has a community with similar values and feelings it creates a bubble from the outside world. Anyone not within the bubble is looked on as a threat or an unwanted figure. Many fights arise when children who are within the bubble learn the difference between us and them. Some are forced to choose us OR them. It becomes a battle in some instances. That drama can create feelings of inadequacy which destroys the view of the bubble.

One interesting thing is people have started to go back to the old religions or the occult to feel a connection to history and ancestry. It becomes a way to connect to the inner turmoil and understand the difference between spirituality and religion. 

 

Where to turn? Occult history

The word occult can be defined as, “matters regarded as involving the action or influence of the supernatural or secret knowledge of them.” This definition is rather dry. Other dictionaries place it more into the realm of, “not being detectable by clinical methods alone,” or “not easily apprehended or understood: hidden from view,” or “come to terms with a disenchanted world,” by some instances, not revealed. It is beyond scientific understanding. 

In today’s day and age, anything within the occult are considered forms of divination, mysticism, rituals and ritual magic, and esoteric sciences. Basically in its simplest terms, anything that covers cosmic or spiritual mysteries. It was a way to distinguish oneself from other groups. This is a generalized view, but in today’s world, the occult is a way to practice mysticality in a world of rigid rules and thoughts. It is bringing back that feeling of magic one felt as a child. 

Spirituality and the Earth magics fall under this purview. The world is continuously trying to expand into areas where mother nature has taken root. It is a worry that technology will destroy everything natural and well made. There is that environmental prophecy from Alanis Obomsawin, “When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize too late that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you cannot eat money.” It is a sobering thought when one delves into it. Mother Nature holds a delicate balance between destruction and growth, if too much growth happens, fires come and cull things back. No trees lead to mud and rock slides, over farming leads to dust, lack of trees leads to loss of oxygen…the cycle continues. It is no wonder that natural magics are being looked into because of inflation and a lack of caring within the world.

Natural magics and the occult, help people return back to the world and create a way to become more symbiotic with it again.

The argument:

Traditional religious groups often view divination and the occult as a departure from true faith, as these practices shift one's focus toward magical influences instead of keeping it solely on a higher power. In certain circles, like the Catholic Church, tools such as tarot are dismissed as superstition because they place trust in hidden forces rather than divine authority. There is also a strong desire to avoid the "appearance of sin," where even a curious interest in the esoteric is seen as a betrayal of shared values that could cause a scandal. This tension is heightened by the "bubbles" these communities create; when a group is built on rigid rules, anything outside the norm is treated as a threat, often forcing people to choose between their community and their own spiritual curiosity.

Conversely, those who turn to the occult and divination often view these practices as a necessary reclamation of personal agency rather than a rejection of sacred values. For many practitioners, engaging with ritual or nature-based magic is a way to bridge the gap between a disenchanted modern world and a deeper, intuitive sense of mystery. By stepping outside the rigid boundaries of established rules they seek to build a private, symbiotic relationship with the natural world—viewing elements like the environment, cyclical history, and the self as living, accessible forces. In this light, the occult serves not as an adversarial power, but as a tool for personal healing and spiritual curiosity, allowing individuals to reintegrate the "magic" of existence that they feel has been eroded by modern alienation.

Can it be possible to have both? YES

Many people who turn to the occult and divination find that instead of turning away from their established religion from growing up, one can blend both together. There are those within the traditional religions who would frown upon this duality, feigning that, “no man can serve two masters.” 

This comes to a personal example. Growing up, I was (and still am) a part of the LDS faith. I am ashamed to admit that my time in the culture and bubble of us vs. them created a bit of a monster within myself. As I grew up and began to question the truths, I was able to connect to the spirit. I felt that where I was was important and I have always felt that I was in the right spot. What I didn’t really feel was the human nature aspect of it. A quote from Angels and Demons always felt quite appropriate for me, “Religion is flawed because man is flawed.” You are welcome to believe how you want to believe and feel the spirit reveal it to you…don’t just do it because man says to you have to. It is all about belief.

I also work within the realm of the occult or divination or spiritual side. I do not feel like this goes against the LDS faith because it has helped me become a better, more spiritually inclined person. I read tarot personally as well as professionally for people. I don’t follow your average readings, it comes more from an intuitive side.

Historically, tarot was a game for people in the aristocracy. The cards were used as a way to craft stories and tell the future. Fun albeit harmless. Today, there are numerous readers who read the rote definitions of the cards. There is nothing wrong with that method. 

As for me, I read tarot from an intuitive standpoint. I learned that the tarot follows a storyline. I could see the story and what the symbolism revealed. A mixture of psychology from Carl Jung, where he shows how the tarot symbolism helps the brain connect from the ego to the subconscious. I view the tarot as a tool to help people find clarity in choices in front of them, just like writing a journal or free writing would do. It helps connect the brain to the subconscious. 

There are times when the cards create those intuitive leaps, where my brain focuses on tiny aspects over the bigger picture. Many times these intuitive leaps are what the querent (the people who ask the question) needs to hear or know. I know with some it feels like magic, but to me, it's the brain getting clarity through viewing pictures.

There are those outlier readers, occultists, etc who actually work with energies that are along the negative spectrum. I do not deny that these energies exist, but I choose to stay away from the more negative energies. I believe that there truly is evil and if one goes against one's nature and searches for ways to harm others there are some very real consequences.

Human nature is a balance of dark and light. We cannot hope to stay bright and cheery, without understanding our shadow self. The shadow is not darkness, it is just our programming that has grown from youth. As adults we need to understand all of us if we hope to find true balance.

I truly feel that a person can be a part of organized religion and feel the spirit, as well as take part in rituals and energies from more occult paths. Occult doesn’t mean evil. The way I feel it is, the spirit that comes from the LDS church is more bright and warming towards the soul, heart, and mind. I have felt spirituality and different energies when out in the world. For example, when I visited the memorial for 9/11 in New York. There was a wall of static energy that hit me. It was like being in the middle of a room of screaming people or white noise. I couldn’t shut it out. I believe that people who pass away in pain and terror, tend to leave behind traces…and when it is done so in such a concentrated area...I could feel it. 

On a side note, when I went to the graveyard near St. Patrick’s, I could feel that there were energies there but they were more subdued, like travelers who pass you by. It is the same way with new people you meet or places where your skin gets goosebumps or your hair rises…you don’t know why you feel that way but something feels off. This is the energies and the subconscious speaking to you through visceral reactions. That is what I believe. 

Everyone is free to believe what they want to believe. Organized religion is flawed because man is flawed. Doctrine and spirituality can be attained when one truly wants to know. I believe that our energies become transmuted when we die. We exist on a new plane of existence. I also believe that if you do harm to others and are a complete jerk, you will reap your own consequences.

You believe how you want to believe, love who you want to love, do what makes you happy…THAT is what matters. No one deserves to be ostracized for being different or an outlier. You are a creation and a masterpiece, act like it. Just like in a museum, your viewpoint about the art will be different from other people. You have your view, they have theirs. No one is wrong or right about them. If you decide to destroy those beautiful pieces of art…the consequences will come to you for your actions.

You can be both.

Why I do what I do...Comments on the things I am working with.

I don't know why but recently there has been a feeling that I need to explain my reasons for reading tarot. I know it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I feel like it will make some things clearer for others. 

Starting from the beginning. I didn't just start reading tarot cards. It came from friends I had acquired over the years. I met some wonderfully magical people. I was using my other craft of doing photography and with these friendships I discovered their talents for reading cards. I never personally got a reading from them...but I was SO intrigued at the history behind tarot and why the pictures are the way they are. I actually got a chance to do an article for my degree which allowed me free reign to delve into the history. *Check out my Tarot history article and it will help you see. 

A little more history about me. Stories have always been my passion. From creating stories in the bathtub or with little cups on my hands...I would craft stories and situations. My stuffed animals and toys would anthropomorphize, and I would have worlds open to me. I actually received flak from a friend growing up because I didn't "play right". I would have aliens come down and park cars for a living or a T rex would want to eat at Denny's but couldn't fit through the door. These were fun for me. I liked random little things.

This is where my degree took me, into English, Creative Writing, and Journalism. I love how authors could use language to create visuals. It was something I was dying to do...or at least be a part of. I taught English at the high school level and absolutely loved short stories and the Shakespeare units. Honestly, if the politics of the school district weren't so awful...I would still be there.

Sorry, side bar. After I was introduced to the world of Tarot, I started learning more and more. I was absolutely intrigued. If you know anything about me, most people know I have a deep love of Ireland and everything about it. My husband got me the Celtic Tarot by Kristoffer Hughes one year, and I absolutely fell in love. I loved the artwork and the story. However, I noticed when I was looking at the cards, there were different things I noticed that would pop out to me.

I threw out my instruction booklet on the tarot and looked at it from an intuitive perspective. It finally clicked. I could SEE the storyline...how the action would rise and fall, the characters that the fool would meet, and how actions would cause different things. These archetypes are a big part of who we are as human beings. Everyone meets or experiences these things in their lives. That is why I love tarot so much. I love the symbols and how they pertain to everything we are as human beings. It is the human condition in picture form. Everything just clicked.

I love being able to help people see connections in their own lives. There is nothing demonic, I am not calling on spirits, or even doing anything remotely associated with energies. I don't deny that there are these energies out there, and if you go looking for them you will find them. But what I do is not about calling on spirits or energies...that is not me. The cards are a tool, just like using a journey to free write or free association writing. It is just a way of unlocking the brain and seeing things from a different perspective.

*On a funny side note, I actually told my aunt what I do and she goes, "Oh I can totally see that in you. You're just like grandma." My grandmother used to read tea leaves, and I have her copies of notes and book she worked from. There was my answer and feeling...yes this is a good thing I am doing. 

I like to say, "You provide the story, I just provide some perspective." 

What is Tarot? A little history....a little fun.

“How would you feel if we burned a cross on your lawn?” the voice challenged on the phone. 

“Go ahead and try it! I will let everyone know that some religious zealot…who will remain nameless, whose religion preaches tolerance, came against me.” E.B slammed the phone back on the cradle waiting for the backlash which never came. E.B proudly displayed her wooden sign “Stellar Thoughts” out on her front lawn inviting people into her place of business and home for tarot readings, homemade goods, and massages. The threat never came to fruition even though there has been backlash; it has been mostly in the background.

In a city flush with LDS individuals, there is a real prejudice against those who believe differently. E.B. opened “Stellar Thoughts” as a way to combine her psychic nature and her love of counseling. There have been some confrontations with citizens in the community but overall they have kept to themselves, albeit with a few eye rolls here and there and the random verbal threat. 

Outside of Southeast Idaho, there is a better connection with the different psychic arts. Florida and New York have spiritualist communities where one can receive card readings, psychics, crystals, energy healing and to be a part of it one must follow the rules and must pass qualification tests to become part of the community. This is a positive thing because patrons know if they go into the community they will get a good reading for a baseline price. In other areas, there is no regulation to pricing or ethics when it comes to psychic or tarot readings. 

E.B. has heard readers in Idaho Falls discuss openly clients or readings performed. There is a need of an ethical background for readers of the tarot. They are personal to the one being read and should not be shared with others.

Tarot reading is a world that is outside of religion. Many religions feel that one can define oneself through study and having a relationship with God or higher power. Tarot goes hand in hand with this idea. People have found the guiding influence in their life by little lessons learned from having their cards read. Some readers are intuitive and use different decks, but the stories seem to resonate with those who are having their cards read. 

Tarot reading is becoming more salient in our culture right now because a lot of people are looking for guidance within their lives. It is not taking the place of religion but it helps one find guidance from external forces that they might not have recognized before. It adds a sense of perspective. Tarot reading is not speaking with the dead, reading people’s minds, or telling the future. It is about helping a person tune in to their own intuition and finds a path to take them from where they are now. It is nothing more than guidance.

Many religions place Tarot in the same realm as Ouija boards, fortune-telling, and occultism. The main problem with this idea is a lack of understanding of its history and what the cards are used for. “The Court De Gebelin, who was an 18th-century clergyman wrote about tarot having mystic possibilities,” Paul Ratner, a writer on the Big Think website, states, “yet this mystical link to the tarot has persisted, even though there’s no real evidence for it.” This unholy connection still persists within religions across the country. 

***

E.B. has been reading cards, metaphysical counseling, intuitive readings, and crystals, along with performing massages like chakra cleansing, for over 25 years. She considers herself a psychic intuitive whose feelings guide her readings. She is a down-to-earth teacher whose genuine nature puts one instantly at ease. Her cats insist on making themselves known but are easy to ignore when the cards are being dealt. The walls are filled with books and crystals of all shapes and sizes as well as beautifully colored tapestries covering two Futon couches.

E.B. has had many struggles opening a metaphysical store in a city with a large population of LDS. She initially started doing readings part-time on the side but an underlying distrust, from employers, of her choice in life has propelled her to do it full time. The Idaho State Fair is a fun time for her, she sets up a booth and sells mystical items, homemade wall hangings, as well as readings. When she first set up the booth there was some backlash with her job in the school district. Parents began complaining and didn’t want a ‘witch’ being anywhere near their children. E.B. finished out the school year and started looking for another job. 

With her counseling degree, she looked to the private sector. To streamline the troublesome questions she said, “I am a psychic and read cards on the weekend, do not hire me if you have issues with this.” Even with this warning to her boss, she was hired. Over time, they started having prayers at meetings and using religion in discussions. There was an uneasiness from everyone who talked to her in the office. After her ‘mediated’ prayer in a meeting, “they stopped prayers altogether. I didn’t even use any religious terms which would hurt them.” She laughed, “I guess they couldn’t handle my weirdness.” 

E.B.
made it through three years before she threw up her hands, quit, and worked “Stellar Thoughts” full time. Her job has allowed her time to travel across the country to different fairs, where she makes the majority of her money as a metaphysical counselor and tarot reader. She loves meeting new people and feels more at peace in this world. 

***

Historically, the tarot was considered a playful game of divination and had nothing to do with the occult. In the 1500s, “Tarrocchi Appropriati” was part of the Italian aristocracy’s world. Random cards were dealt and the associations with the card design were put into poetic verse. Imagine the kids game ‘MASH’ with cards. It made a connection in the cards with destiny and the future. 

Wealthy families had their own cards commissioned. The designs were marked with suits and cups, swords, and coins. These suit cards were very similar to what many people today believe to be tarot. The most widely used design today harkens back to Rider Waite in 1909. William Rider, a publisher, worked with a popular mystic of the time A.E. Waite, and created tarot cards strictly for divination and mystical readers. “Gone were the games,” Gia Bathory says, “Tarot became a strong signifier of a metaphysical reader. One has to be intuitive to read the cards.” 

Though the beginning of the Tarot isn’t specifically known. It doesn’t really matter because it is claimed across cultures creeds and continents. Bakara Wintner, author of WTF is TAROT said “The tarot is becoming more popular because of its resonation with existence. Everyone has a collective history and with the guiding aspect of the Tarot people can be led.” 

On the other side of the world in New Zealand, “I sometimes receive visions of a person’s past and invite them to a reading,” Rebecca May O’Sullivan says, “I like to use this intuition to guide the reading more than the cards. They are a means to deciphering what the world wants this person to know.” Every reader finds their own niche within the world of the tarot and uses it to their advantage.

The tarot has gone through cycles of popularity and attrition. “We are beginning to see a drive to know oneself better because the media,” Bresnahan states, “although great, has disadvantages of intuition. This is where face-to-face readings come in handy.” 

Intuitive readings are different than cold readings when it comes to the cards. The directions of reading tarot are rather intense and are left to interpretation. Most readers learn the deck for themselves but then lets intuition guide them. 

The Raider Waite deck is the most common deck used in Tarot readings today. There are thousands of designs of tarot decks, depending on what an artist feels should be portrayed, and yet their basic tautology is the same.  Split into two distinctive sections, The Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Arcana follow an overall narrative which helps reveal things about our life. 

The Major Arcana is made up of 22 cards and is based on the major mysteries of existence including landmark lessons, the moral of a particular story, or the moments when we are at a pivotal point in our lives revealing some larger energies at play. The storyline follows with the idea ‘The Fool-0’ moves towards ‘The Chariot-7’. These cards are there to reconcile society. As one continues through the Major Arcana one meets ‘Strength-8’ through ‘Temperance-14’ which reconciles personal difficulties and issues. The final seven are ‘The Devil-15’ through ‘The World-21’ which reconcile spirituality and purpose. One can get into deep discussion just focusing on the Major Arcana. 

The story arc can be looked at in this way: We are growing up and getting ready to leave our home and safety net and claim our place in the world, it is our first glimpse at interdependence (the first 7 cards). We are continuing on and find our place in life and we have cemented our place in the world. We have gone through many issues, yet have made it through, and now face ‘Death’ (cards 8-14). Finally, we have reached our happy ending. We reflect on what we have accomplished, feeling whole. A long journey and we are arriving home. Yet we want to continue on a new adventure which leads us back to the Fool, and a new journey a little wiser than we have been before (cards 15-21). The Major Arcana is cyclical and teaches us when we are at a pivotal point in life, helps us find the moral to troubles we are experiencing, and helps us find the energies that affect us day today.

The Minor Arcana has four suits, Ace through Ten and the Court Cards. The Cups suit follows the elements of water and usually deals with emotions, feelings, and creativity. The Swords suit harkens to the element of Air with power, rationality, and intellect. Pentacles follow the element of Earth which deals with money, material possessions, and the physical realms. Finally, the Wands suit deals with the element of Fire which usually deals with inspiration, spirituality, and energy.

Reading the Tarot seems like a lot of memorization but follows a simplistic narrative arc and to understand what is involved means working the cards personally. It also means getting your cards to read from other practitioners. Doing so can help one gain a clearer understanding of the cards as well as learning to use one's intuition. Memorization is only a fraction of learning the cards.

***

The Catholic Church does not support people who are finding connections in the tarot. “The reading of cards is considered a form of divination,” Father Julio Vicente says, “it is a way to trust your life and future to superstition or power other than God.” Recently, the Catholic Church has recalled some of its higher priests to Vatican City to be trained in exorcisms due to a recurrence of people interested in the occult practices. Even though there is a larger call for exorcisms, the church is placing more credence on teaching priests how to discern between mental illness and the need to exorcise a demonic entity, which is rare. “People who are dealing with emotional distress should not find peace with the occult,” says Father Henry Carmona, “The Bible and religious leaders are trained to help with this trouble.” The Catechism gives guidance on tarot and divination, 

“Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, ex. When one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition” (Mt 23:16-22).

However, the Catholic Church does not throw out the history of the Tarot. As it was originally a game in Italy, the church has no issues using the tarot being used as a game. “I believe Catholics should take care not to cause scandal,” Father Carmona continues, “many people would be shocked to see a Catholic playing game with a tarot deck.” Many theologians feel that engaging in anything “offensive to pious ears” or giving the appearance of going against the church, no matter the innocence of fact, should be avoided at all costs. 

Many churches hold to the idea of avoiding the appearance of guilt. If a religion believes alcohol or gambling is a sin, going into a liquor store or bar will give the appearance that they are sinning. Going into a purveyor of “divination” can be considered the appearance of sinning. Religion is a boon to many people when finding peace within the books of scripture and guidance from their leaders. When looking at the issue of the appearance of sin, one cannot help but think of this scripture, “Those of you who are without sin, cast the first stone.” Judging others for one's beliefs is not something that should be taken lightly. 

***

Tarot reading will probably never be free of controversy but to the thousands of people who believe in its voracity, it doesn’t really matter. In a world that is continuously online and filled with problems, people are having trouble finding personal connections or guidance in their life. Tarot is more of a guiding hand than something that can give you specifics. One has to act to make it come to fruition, and sometimes the outcome is different than expected

Many people have found peace unplugging from their online world and focusing on themselves through personal readings. Though there is a large following of people who read cards online using Skype or Facetime. However, there is something visceral that draws people to the tangible handheld tarot cards. The profusion of tarot readers across the globe shows its ability to persist through persecution.

The popularity of the tarot and its history of being claimed by many cultures and creeds shows there is something that can be gained for many people. Tarot will continue to fascinate many people and there is a place for those who need guidance. If one can find peace and happiness in the guiding hand of the tarot, who are we to judge? As one affirmation read with ‘The World’ tarot card it states, “I am awareness, I recognize and accept all aspects of myself.”