02.12.07
On “debunking” the Tarot.
From The Tarot Channel:
As a former skeptic myself, I love hearing accounts of skeptical efforts to debunk Tarot. I’m intrigued by the mental gymnastics involved in claiming, on the one hand, to be all about objectivity … while clinging to, on the other hand, a metric ton of assumptions, judgments, and preconceptions about Tarot.
When Blogger “Debunkette,” for example, sets out to debunk Tarot, she begins with the assumption that Tarot readers are nothing more than cold readers — charlatans who pretend to be psychic by “reading” personal appearance (clothing choice, hairstyle, jewelry) and drawing information from open-ended questions. With that preconception in place, she decides to visit a Tarot reader.
(Editor’s Note: For a rude and irreverent take on cold readings, take a look at this fluffy, over-the-top post from a blog called Violent Acres.)
To prevent the “cold reading” she expects, she refuses to interact with the Tarot card reader at all. As a result: “The Tarot card reader seemed perplexed by the cards in front of her and added more pregnant pauses hoping that I would break the silence.”
At its very best, a Tarot card reading is a conversation — a discussion about options, ideas, directions, and possibilities.
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