Is astrology and things like tarots cards against being a Christian?

Astrology is a false science, its amusing at times to read your ‘future in the newspaper but its not real, at one point in time did combine with real prophecy like when the star of Bethlehem actually pinpointed the time of the Messiah’s arrival. Tarot cards are evil.
Interesting read: http://www.bethlehemstar.net/

The Bible frowns upon any form of divination. So yes, astrology and tarot cards would not be considered “Christian practices” and technically are forbidden.

But Tapestry – get realistic here – a deck of cards alone is not evil. That’s like saying the pen on your desk is evil, or the hammer in your tool box is evil (both could be used to either help or harm another – you could write a beautiful poem that brings cheer to someone, or you could write a hurtful letter…you could use a hammer to help in building a home, or you could use it to bash someone’s skull in – the intentions do not come from the tools themselves – they come from *you* – so take responsibility for them.)

What Christianity is against is divination. Astrology is considered bad, while the stars are not. Tarot READING is considered bad, but the cards themselves are not. In fact, the images on tarot cards are largely Christian in origin and have nothing to do with the occult.

Tarot cards were created in mid 15th century Italy, comprising of a standard pack of Latin suited playing cards and a fifth suit of picture cards. These extra cards took as their theme, not an occult philosophy, but a Christian triumph procession, hence their early name of trionfi, meaning triumphs and from which we get our word trumps. It was the invention of tarot that marked the introduction of trumps in card games – and that is what they were invented for, card games that have grown into a large family and which are still played throughout continental Europe today!

Many occultists have claimed that the Church attacked tarot as evil and drove use of the cards ‘underground’. In fact, the games of tarot spread and were played openly and without opposition, throughout the counter-reformation. The only exception to this was in Spain, where the Church did object – not because they saw them as un-Christian images but because they did see them as Christian, they felt that their use in a game trivialized the sacred.

Looking at the cards today, the cards often strike people as looking rather mysterious and perhaps heretical. However, we must remember that we are looking at them with modern eyes, and a vision coloured by popular myth. To really understand what the cards are, we need to look at them in the context of the time and place of their creation. Let me give two examples.

Occultists often cite The Female Pope as being a heretical image that the church opposed. Well, we know the Church did not oppose it – but why? If we look at 15th century Italian art, we discover that The Female Pope was actually an established figure in Christian art of the time, being used to represent such things as The New Covenant, and the Virtue of Faith. It was no heresy at all!

Another card that strikes us as looking very esoteric is The Hanged Man. This card was misnamed by French card makers who would have been as puzzled by the figure of a man suspended by one foot as we are today. However, we know from written sources that this card was called The Traitor in Italy – and little wonder, as in Italy at that time, the executed their traitors by suspending them by one foot and leaving them to die rather slowly and publicly. Not very nice but not very mysterious either.

For about 350 years, the only recorded use of tarot cards was for card games. It was not until the end of the 18th century that a French occultist, ignorant of their actual origin, puplished the claim that the cards came from ancient Egypt, codifying lost wisdom, and having a use in divination. For about 100 years these ideas were limited to just France but at the end of the 19th century some British occultists imported the cards and the French myths to the English speaking world – and this is where religious opposition began. It is not an opposition to the cards themselves but to the use that they consider evil – after all, it makes no sense to stop drinking tea because some people try to tell the fortune with the leaves.

Another way of looking at this whole question is: if fortune telling works, then its practice is supposed to be evil, while if it doesn’t, then it’s practice is just one big error. For myself, I would question if divination is actually possible – there are many reasons to doubt.

Some people will have you believe that Tarot cards and Astrology are evil. However, there are many “Christians” who go to Tarot readers, astrologists, palm readers, etc. Personally, I do not believe anything of that nature is necessarily going against being a Christian.

Although, there are some that will have you believe that. However, the Bible also speaks of not eating shell fish or pork, but you don’t see many Christians running away from their local Red Lobster or refusing to buy bacon do you?