How can I stop watching tarot readings? + Other questions

[TheOliveSeed]

I started watching tarot readings/tarot card readings on YouTube in November 2017. They shuffle tarot cards and read them. I had had a bad year then and wanted to know if the next year (2018) would be better. I had only searched for my zodiac sign's horoscopes for the next year and what came up were tarot readings/tarot card readings for my sign. I didn't know about these readings before then. I started watching them and was intrigued, as they were saying things I had gone through that year and what to look for in the coming year. That was how one of the readers predicted death- that someone I knew would die. She gave the gender and a clue about the age. She was adamant that it would happen very soon or in the next few months, said that it was meant to happen and that there was nothing anyone could do about it. I remember one or two people in the comments' section asking who she thought she was thinking she could predict death. They're collective readings with specific messages for different people, or all, and the readers usually tell you to contact them for personal readings if you want a more in-depth look at your specific situation. I've never gotten a personal reading, though, nor am I interested in one. Ok, so I brushed it off, rejected it and prayed about it. I thought it wasn't a message for me and didn't dwell on it, but I was scared, so I stopped watching the videos altogether. Lo and behold, what she said happened two months later in February 2018. It wasn't until that very traumatic, shocking and sorrowful day that I remembered that video and was shocked because the tarot reader had predicted it. I stopped watching the readings on YouTube since then.

Fast forward to last year, I had a very difficult breakup towards the end of the year and I started watching tarot readings again in December. This was my second relationship and it lasted 8-months. Before him, my previous relationship was when I was 25, and last year just when I decided to open my heart to love again someone came into my life to shatter it. Being the kind person I am I did a lot to better his life and help him out, but he wasn't who he said he was and I got played. Idk why someone as horrible as he was had to come into my life. I didn't deserve it! The readers have all given me some insight into what had happened and again I'm shocked by the accuracy and by other things I didn't know about him. One reader actually said his first name (an uncommon name) along with the country he's from, like damn. Most of the things they've said, I already know, because I went through them, but it's still surprising to hear them relay them and relay other things I didn't know regarding him and the situation. I also find them comforting to watch, esp when I read in the comments section and find that others have had similar experiences. Lastly, they give me insight about other aspects of my life, things to be aware of, and to look forward to. It does seem that I'm more prompted to watch them after a bad experience.

I'm trying to stop watching these videos. I feel I'm becoming a bit addicted to watching them now. I love God and believe in Him, and I don't want Him to be upset with me that I'm watching them. I usually pray and ask for forgiveness after watching them but the next day I'm back to watching them again.

Sometimes during the readings the readers will say things like: "spirit, can you tell me....", "source", "thank you, spirit", "thank you", "they're telling me", "I'm hearing", "angels, ancestors I'm calling on you...". When I hear the word "spirit" I always close the video to watch another, as there're readers who don't say that but they're still accurate with their readings. Of course, I've watched some that didn't resonate with me. There're readers who are always accurate with the things they say and I tend to watch those. Some of these tarot readers have thousands of subscribers on YouTube, meaning there're many other watching them, although I know that doesn't make them right. One reader I watched once goes by "lightbringer tarot" and when I googled what lightbringer meant I found out this is another name for lucifer and I haven't watched his readings since.

• Where do these tarot readers get their powers from? By "powers" I mean their accuracy. There's only one God/Jesus and only He has power. Perhaps I should ask "Where do they get their information from?" or "Who is behind their accuracy?"
• Are tarot readings the same as psychic readings? I know they're kinda intertwined...
• Why do so many people watch them and consider them harmless? Are they harmless?
• Is it a sin to watch them and what are the implications for a Christian who does?
• How can a Christian like me who wants to stop watching them completely stop?

 

[Sketcher]

They either have no power, in which case it's all guesswork and some of it appears to come true because of probability, or they have demonic contacts. It's possible that some of them have demonic contacts without receiving one whit of foreknowledge from them.

They seem to be different kinds of psychics, they're both New Age.

I would consider it risky activity. Bad things don't need to happen every time one does something for that thing to be a bad idea. And remember that the devil is all about deception - not having bad things apparently happen every time you do it fits with a strategy of luring you further in. Kind of like how Eve not dropping dead instantly when she ate the fruit furthered her deception and she gave it to Adam to eat.

A non-exhaustive list of the risks - you are sinning before God, and the influence of evil spirits on your life might grow. You don't need that.

I can't tell you how to stop. I do believe that being intentional with worshipping God is going to factor in.

 

[Saucy]

I think you're being pulled into a strong delusion. Only God has the ability to know the future. Not demons, not the devil, even though you are opening yourself up to the demonic world by continuing to engage in this. It is easy for the devil to cause something to happen that was "predicted" in order to convince you further they are telling the truth.

That doesn't mean there aren't powerful evil forces out there. Even the Pharoah's sorcerers and magicians were able to match Moses' "tricks" up to a point, like turning the staff into a serpent.

Instead, watch videos of psychics and fortune-tellers being found out as frauds. There are a ton of videos like that which exist on YouTube.

 

[trophy33]

Where do these tarot readers get their powers from? By "powers" I mean their accuracy.

Its a skill to tell things that are highly probable to exist with the most people. For example breakups.

Why do so many people watch them and consider them harmless?

Its mostly a women' thing. They are from some reason attracted to occultism, witchcraft, astrology etc. Thats probably something you can explain to us, mostly men here on CF, why is it so attractive for you.

 

[Lost4words]

Willpower. Just stop.

Concentrate on Jesus crucified for your sins instead.

Be strong.

God bless you

 

[Rene Loup]

• Where do these tarot readers get their powers from? By "powers" I mean their accuracy. There's only one God/Jesus and only He has power. Perhaps I should ask "Where do they get their information from?" or "Who is behind their accuracy?"
• Are tarot readings the same as psychic readings? I know they're kinda intertwined...
• Why do so many people watch them and consider them harmless? Are they harmless?
• Is it a sin to watch them and what are the implications for a Christian who does?
• How can a Christian like me who wants to stop watching them completely stop?

1.) It's a form of divination, an occultic activity which the Bible strongly prohibits (Acts 8:9-25, Deut. 18:9-14, Ex. 22:18, Gal. 5:19-21, Lev. 19:31, 20:27, Rev. 9:18-21, 18:21-24, 22:12-15). They get their 'info' from demons (Acts 16:16-19).
2.) See above.
3.) They're not harmless. It's the same as children playing with fire (1 Cor. 13:9-13). People are often desperate for answers or see this as a simple entertainment (2 Tim. 1:7, Prov. 13:20, 26:12).
4.) Have nothing to do with them (Eph. 5:8-14, John 3:16-19, Gal. 5:19-26, Isa. 5:20, 2 Tim 3:1-9). God will never tolerate hypocrisy, even if we're saved by faith (Eph. 2:8, Isa. 5:20, James 2:14-26, John 3:16-19, 6:28-29, Luke 11:37-12:12). If these YouTube videos are getting ad revenue, you're only fuelling this industry by watching them (Acts 16:16-19, Luke 16:1-15, Matt. 6:19-24, 1 Tim. 6:1-10).
5.) Find healthier distractions, like God (Eph. 5:1-20, Phil. 4:4-9, Ps. 146, 150, 2 Tim. 3:15-17). Easier said than done, I know, but it is worth it!

On another note, it's wise to avoid anyone with occultic tattoos, such as that of a tarot card.

 

[bèlla]

You’re exposing yourself to spirits of divination and deception. And subtly agreeing with their statements by continuing to engage. It has compromised your spirit to the point where you’ve done it for years and know its wrong.

But stopping is hard. Now you have a third to contend with called addiction. Do you see the pattern? They’ll add more in time to deepen your ensnarement. Cutting the chord and repenting is a must.

You must renounce your involvement and every proclamation you’ve affirmed. Be brutally honest about the circumstances that led you there. That’s the door. The hook that pulled you in.

Confess the hurt and ask the Lord to heal and strengthen you. And don’t go back.

 

[Rene Loup]

More info on different kinds of demons, such as occultic ones.

Rebuke, Pray, and Quote Scripture too:

Rebuke: "The Lord rebuke you." (Jude 1:8-10, Zech. 3:1-2)
Pray: The Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:5-15)
Quote Scripture: Self explanatory (Luke 4:1-13, Matt. 4:1-11)
Fast: Detox, medication, physical and psychological therapy, and anything else that helps us biologically. DO NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER!!! (Mark 9:28-29, Matt. 17:19-21)
Discern: Practising Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [1][2][3] helped me this way: Write down what is known rather than "what if," line it up with Scripture, God's principles (Matt. 22:34-40, for starters), and does it give you peace (as in hope)? It's a way to test the spirits too (1 Cor. 12:1-3, 1 John 4:1-6, 1 Thess. 5:19-22), because God Himself doesn't change, He only changes His mind because He adapts accordingly to our free will.

BELIEVE THEY WORK, GOD REQUIRES FAITH, NOT WORKS (Eph. 2:8-9, Heb. 11, Luke 17:5-6, Mark 11:24, Matt. 14:22-33, 17:19-21)

 

[Somber]

As with everything in life, things can be used for good or for bad, in my opinion. Tarot originally began with a normal deck of playing cards, and normal decks of playing cards have often been used for gambling and other such purposes, but that doesn't make it wrong to pull out a deck of playing cards for family game night. They are just paper with symbols which are completely up to the interpretation of the user. I always look at the fruits and motives behind things, and have Christian friends who have used them and I have found them to be some of the kindest people I know, but I have also seen many people trying to profit and manipulate with them, so you can see with different people in what spirit it is from, but this is just my personal experience. A lot of the things Christianity now practices were adopted from pagan customs, such as the holidays, but does this make the holidays wrong? It's what a person chooses to do with them as with anything, in my opinion.

I used to really reject anything like this and avoided people who believed in occult, but now I realize my thought processes originated from a spirit of fear and rejection and not from a heart of love and compassion. To me fear and a condemning thought processes gives the devil far more power than anything else can. I believe that if one is in God's love then there is nothing to fear. These are just my thoughts though. If it is affecting your conscience I would definitely not ignore it, but I wouldn't beat yourself up about it too much either. I don't know if I should speak here on this subject though.