Want to know what else I’m very into? Tarot cards. They’re a journey, in and out, through the soul and our existence. With its 78 cards, separated as major and minor arcana, as well as being numbered, ranked, and embodying the four elements (earth, fire, water, and air), they tap into and take us through various aspects of reality. Yes, reality. More than a questionable divination tool, they can be a self-discovery and self-development tool if used wisely.
Tarot cards have been around for centuries. They brim with mysticism and the entrancing appeal of the occult. So it’s no wonder that they often come up in horror. What is scarier than the unknown, right? Plus, witches love them. And witches are scary, too.
Now, depending on the type of deck that you get, they may or may not be fear-inducing at all. Nowadays, Tarot decks have become collectibles for anyone who appreciates them and has access to them (and they're also less of a taboo). You can get the gentlest, most delicate kinds, ones that are incapable of unnerving you, even one bit, no matter what message they fundamentally bring. And you can get the more dramatic, theatrical kinds that make a point out of getting under your skin at any chance they get. There are decks of every kind made, being made, or about to be made. Not to mention, countless oracle decks that aren’t Tarot are also available to further offer insight.
Two Tarot cards, in particular, are frequently brought up in horror with the intent to cause concern: The Devil and Death. Usually, someone, likely a fortune teller, draws either or both of them out and, given the eerie atmosphere surrounding them as well as the impactful imagery that they contain, it immediately implies something along the lines of impending doom - or destructive forces beyond control. Which, granted, can effectively spook you if you know little to nothing about these two cards. So, you expect the worst.
I can’t help but chuckle or roll my eyes whenever this is the case. Although, I also can’t deny that it would have got me in the past, before I knew better.
Yes, The Devil and Death are dangerous and powerful cards indeed. However, what they mean would still depend on context and to what degree they manifest. For example, the Death card can represent something as harmless as a new haircut and it can represent something as catastrophic as an apocalypse. Whereas The Devil card may only be referring to overindulging in chocolate. Gotta love them cards.
Essentially, though, The Devil is about pleasure and the trappings of it. But we may assume that the literal King of Hell will come and enslave us for all eternity - if he hasn’t already. As for Death, it is basically about any sort of ending, even the natural passing of the seasons. Death, then, can actually be a very auspicious card if what it kills is something undeniably detrimental. Say, a bad habit that you’re much better off without. And at the end of the day, it might not be as abrupt as The Tower, with its sudden lightning, can be.
What are your favorite Tarot cards? Which do you find the scariest?