How would one prove Tarot Card Readings have validity?

This question came about from this video I watched, which this Arcanum guy, had a Tarot Reading done live, and wanted to see if they have validity. It was an interesting video, however I guess as I thought about it, What would it take to prove something like this. Especially since they vary so much from person to person. Does anyone have an idea of how one would go about proving something like that?

a reply to: BStoltman

In the morning, try drawing three cards from your deck and lay them face down without looking at them. When you get home that evening, turn them over and see if they corroborate any experiences you had that day.

The point of this is to demonstrate that there is no objective validity to Tarot. You create the validity by observing the cards and projecting your observations into the real world, but the validity itself is subjective.

however in this example

In the morning, try drawing three cards from your deck and lay them face down without looking at them. When you get home that evening, turn them over and see if they corroborate any experiences you had that day.

this would also have flaws much like a horoscope read in the newspaper. If you read that your going to have a good day, you have a likely chance that you focus on the good things in the day, and vice versa. Good idea though

a reply to: BStoltman

Just need a little science:

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

HAHA... Enjoyed that clip... very nostalgic.... however not really an answer...

a reply to: ColdWisdom

In a way you just created a test for a person to see how much in the synchronistic zone a person is.

If the person is 100% in the zone the story in the cards will corroborate the experiences during the day. But then if the person is 100% in the zone already then Tarot has long since lost it's usefulness to other tools that give information that is more spot on than Tarot.

You should on that level be able to read any information stored on any medium and have that information rise thru the unconscious to conscious without information degradation. Become an objective awareness.

I read Tarot cards and they are pretty hard to test. I did come up with an easy, DIY test that works for testing psychics and for testing the mind's ability to affect reality. You use a normal deck of playing cards and either psychically predict or mentally influence the card and to be "red" (hearts, diamonds) or "black" (spades/clubs). Then you put them in two piles "correct" and "incorrect" and count them up at the end. Chance is 26 in each pile. If you do the test multiple times and record your scores, EVENTUALLY you will be able to tell if you have one of those talents. If I was going to scientifically test the validity of divination (fortune telling) in general, I would use something like pendulum that yields entirely "yes" or "no" answers, otherwise your test will become too subjective and complex.

palm reading is very accurate
go to a palm reader, but , well, best to go to one in asia, where you have a translater read your palm, well, done all on computer with printer now, but it tells you pretty much the truth of the line of life

a reply to: BStoltman

I have used Tarot for over thirty years now.

Tarot popularity is huge. I have watched them go from something Bohemian to widespread use through all society all over the world. What started with 1920s fads and fashions for occultism among the aristocracy has trickled down big time. The origin is fascinating, too.

I think the gain in popularity has arisen at the same time as patriarchal religion in the West is decreasing in practice. I use them because I don't want to be alone in my decision making and value the interaction of my consciousness with the random image. I am always looking for an edge and thirty years means they have enhanced my skills of survival. That speaks for itself.

There will never be any way of proving their power. That is because it is a subjective experience, either first or second hand communicated. I think they are very "quantum". They amaze me to this day. I still have good and bad days with them, where sometimes they work much better than others. Right now I am particularly fond of them as I am finding life to be a real trial. More than anything it is soul company on a level that fellow humans can not provide.

The great psychologist and author Jung legitimizes the Tarot as I see it in terms of archetypal reflection of one's will on all levels. He was quite the psycho analytical genius of the modern age and I go along with much of what he observed in terms of archetypal manifestations in the human experience.

However, they are beyond science to me. They are a morning ritual I do with a coffee. I reference an archetype for the day and as a reflection of my daily experience. It keeps me psychically aware, gives me an imaginative edge.

It is strange, but I do find it so helpful. I don't think I am being evil doing this. It is not even divination as such. It is more a psycho analytical experience for me; a quantum experience. They are totally subjective and work in the realm of myth, imagination and self reflection. Self reflection and consciousness are vital components of true civility. On that level anything that encourages the interaction of self with self to reflect on behavior on a constant daily basis is encouraging a conscious mind. The Tarot, I Ching, all manner of reflective tools do go some way to putting a little thought into action so we might make a few less mistakes having considered our actions before we actually act; they are a buffer against haste in decision making.

Has anyone seen the recent movie "Personal Shopper"? At the end of the movie Kristen Stewart''s character asks "Is there anybody there...Or is it just me?" Interesting question to ask of the universe and the question that manifests a need for spirituality and religion. Communism even could not wipe out our need for spirituality. It is the obvious conclusion to draw that there is a real human need for spirituality. If there is a need for it on such a basic universal level in our collective experience then it is obvious that spirituality exists in nature and evolution.

a reply to: BStoltman

That's an easy one..... They have no validity at all. Next question?

Ascribing any kind of validity to some ink and dye printed on pieces of cardboard is an exercise of fantasy and shouldn't be taken seriously let alone be used to find meaning or direction for ones life.

a reply to: Revolution9

Even down to the Jung reference, you said almost exactly what I was going to. I agree 100% with your post.

a reply to: musicismagic
Online Palm Reading

I just did this for both hands.
The majority of the reading was pretty accurate for me. A few aspects were way off base though.
I blame that partly on a lack available answers. A few questions did not have answers that accurately represent my hands.
I also partly blame it on the fact that there is no actual human interpretation.

I am not saying I believe in palm reading, but I do find it interesting.

mumbo jumbo, cards can't tell you sh@@!

a reply to: BStoltman

The same way one would prove monopoly is there way to define economics

I read the cards also. For me though they basically paint a picture for me. I tell anyone I read (preferably strangers) not to say anything or ask any questions until I'm done. I do tell them to think of a question they'd like answered, but not to tell me their question.

I also tell them I am just the middle man. I can only tell you what comes to me which I figures is whatever you need to know. When I'm done I'll ask them if I have answered their question. I usually do, but the answers for the futures take longer to find out.

Some people I can become very attuned too, others I just seem to hit a wall which I usually know right away.

I can hand a person a deck of regular playing cards and all that does for me is tell me which tarot card it is that help me tune in. In all actuality though, if I really choose to focus and I have a good connection with the person, I don't really need the cards. Or, they open the door for me and once I'm keyed in I just begin to trust me senses.

Like I said I prefer to read strangers because they know I would have no idea of things, such as what kind of dogs they had when they were growing up and how many, or where they buried their treasure and what it was, or, well that list can go on and on.

Some people I end up telling them what's coming their way and they walk away like yeah sure, but its usually not too long before I hear from them that I was right.

Personally I think we all have the ability to do this, it's just a matter of focus and trust really.
This is just me though. So am I proving the cards, or my ability? Tricky question because as I said, the cards have also helped me know which direction I need to tune into.

a reply to: BStoltman

It would be quite easy actually..

All you need is a repeatable specific prediction..

Or hell, you could have one person "draw " the the same cards repeatedly, even when the person preforming the reading is changed.

That is the thing about all the supernatural conspiracy theories..

Just one single repeatable experiment would prove the existence of the supernatural..

Just one example of a prayer that always worked, or a person who could predict the future repeatedly, exc is all it would take to change the entire worlds minds...


And knowing that, what do we have to show for it???

Nothing..

For all of human history nearly every human being that has ever lived has tried to find some concrete evidence of their religion of the supernatural, and what do we have to show for it????

Testimonials that conveniently can never be replicated...

And a sudden drop in reported cases as soon as everyone had cameras at all times....


Shouldn't we be getting awesome videos of angles , UFO's and ghost sightings on a daily basis???

a reply to: ColdWisdom

That doesn't really work because the interpretations are too broad and how well they match up is subjective.


I think you would either need a very specific and repeatable reading Such as doing readings of a death row guy on the eve of execution, and having dozens of psychics do multiple readings and EVERYONE (assuming you can validate your psychics) gets either exactly the same readings..or close enough to call it correct. With the cards symbolizing long life and prosperity never surfacing at all.


That is science..

Only evidence for with zero evidence against.

a reply to: anotheramethyst

How many times would be required to ensure you were factoring out the randomness??

How high is considered a win???


I agree the test is hypothetically pretty solid, but I'm wondering what numbers you considered a "win"??

a reply to: JoshuaCox

I think you would either need a very specific and repeatable reading Such as doing readings of a death row guy on the eve of execution, and having dozens of psychics do multiple readings and EVERYONE (assuming you can validate your psychics) gets either exactly the same readings..or close enough to call it correct. With the cards symbolizing long life and prosperity never surfacing at all.


That is science.

No it isn't. There is nothing scientific about what you suggested.