talkmagic.co.uk

Dang, I wish I'd get THAT tarot reader telling my fortune!

http://www.evilchili.com/mediaview/10613/The_Bunny_Boiler_3__Balls_Of_Steel

I wonder if any legitimate tarot card readers have ever tried to do something like that. They fool you into giving them tons of money, why not try to get laid as well?

monker59 wrote:I wonder if any legitimate tarot card readers have ever tried to do something like that. They fool you into giving them tons of money, why not try to get laid as well?

quote of the day right there!!!


i imagine that site will have your boss saying something like "we don't like people looking at that kind of site at work mr"

Don't have a boss. I'm the boss.

Yet another generalisation! I know Tarot readers who actually care about their sitters and don't "fool them into giving them tons of money"...

Ahh Balls of Steel! Not what it used to be... but good Friday night entertainment

Cardza wrote:Yet another generalisation! I know Tarot readers who actually care about their sitters and don't "fool them into giving them tons of money"...

i totally know what you're saying. but it doesn't stop it being a big load of b*ll*cks really though does it?

Lawrence wrote:

monker59 wrote:I wonder if any legitimate tarot card readers have ever tried to do something like that. They fool you into giving them tons of money, why not try to get laid as well?

quote of the day right there!!!
i imagine that site will have your boss saying something like "we don't like people looking at that kind of site at work mr"

Lawerence, I'm sixteen. Nobody's my boss. Well, except my mom.

monker59 wrote:I wonder if any legitimate tarot card readers have ever tried to do something like that. They fool you into giving them tons of money, why not try to get laid as well?

Sadly there are many, including a noted magician or two, that exploit the art of doing Readings for such low life antics. Aside from Jamie Swiss who seems to believe it's perfectly fine to use Readings for getting laid but not for making a living there are a few noted members of the Psychic Entertainer's Association that would brag about this kind of game as well as charging people fortunes for removing curses, hexes and all the other wonderful CONS that are out there.

No responsible, ethical Reader or magician for that matter, will misuse their trade in this way... and yet we can find how many threads here and on other forums discussing such exploitation?

I agree that it is exploitation - it is a human characteristic to want to believe in something - to expoit it - especially for gain is despicable - houdini spent a long time exposing their methods maybe we as magicians should do the same as Penn and Tellar in B&*(s$%t do....

[quote="Craig Browning"]No responsible, ethical Reader or magician for that matter, will misuse their trade in this way...quote]

The very act of "tarot reading," in the opinions of many (mainly the scientific-minded), is a misuse of the trade, as it has no scientific basis to be true.

RobLaughter wrote:

Craig Browning wrote:No responsible, ethical Reader or magician for that matter, will misuse their trade in this way...quote]

The very act of "tarot reading," in the opinions of many (mainly the scientific-minded), is a misuse of the trade, as it has no scientific basis to be true.

Let's not go down that ridiculous path... being "Intelligent" does not instantly mean you disbelieve everything and just because you pay the idea lip-service certainly doesn't mean you're intelligent. I've found, especially in the magic community, that the majority of those that hold to this sort of opinion are a.) new to mentalism and exposed primarily to the biased contributions of Brown, Rowland and other such recent contributors, none of whom ever made their living as a Reader... I have, I do, and I'm considered by most to be one of the leading authorities on the topic. b.) Most that hold to this negative idea are only paying lip-service as to what the various cynical sources tell them to say... it's much akin to a Sunday go'n to meet'n Christian; they can tell you what the preacher told them to say but they really don't know the scriptures, their meaning or anything about their cult's history.

I know for fact that I've done far more criminal investigation of genuine charlatans, dangerous cult situations, etc. than 99% of those that boast themselves to be "debunkers". I've had my life and that of my family put in serious jeopardy as the result of this sort of work and frankly, I know of very few magic buffs that would be willing to put their actions where their words are when it comes to this sort of thing.

In Old School Mentalism being a Reader was quite common and a given to the craft. This was so well into the 1980s prior to the JREF and a few other cynic's organizations gaining momentum but most especially in the past decade with the onslaught of materials from folks such as I named earlier. What "they" all leave out is the fact that 1.) the "legit" fields of human behavioral study and mental health ALL got their impetus via the study of esoteric symbolism, ritual and the skills of the Gypsy, so to speak e.g. the magick of our ancestors is the science of today or, as I prefer to put it... same thing just different terms used to explain it.

2.) most Readers are honest and do not generate anything close to big money. Those that do are the high profile "John Edward" types that have book deals, lecture circuits, etc. and simply don't do much in way of private Readings. The typical Reader rarely grosses more than $50,000.00 a year unless they are doing all that other money-grabbing stuff which few do. Most actually work from gratuity not a set fee and many instances get paid via barter not cash or things of extreme value. The "crooks" are the novelty and a strong minority when the truth is known. Further more, the Psychic Community is tenacious in exposing them and helping law enforcement agencies in prosecuting them because such operators hurt their business and legit acts of service.

3.) When it comes to the high profiled personalities like Browne, VanPraagh, Edward, etc. the "Believers" tend to see them as being "frauds" but not for the same reason you do; their perspective is that they are sell outs -- they exchanged their spiritual gifts and soul for the sake of worldly/carnal gains and fame. Those that are "true" are not gold diggers and do not misuse the gifts or knowledge... this is the perspective of the believer and the greater majority of those that practice this type of work.

Now, I do not have the desire to go into one of the classic round and rounds magicians love to move into at this point, moving absolutely nowhere on a topic that has been argued and debated to death for well over an eon or two. So let's not go there. Just know that there are many exceptionally educated and intelligent folks in our world that believe in God, Miracles and even the fairy folk so let's not try to insinuate that belief or the practice of such things equates to ignorance or worse, stupidity.

Intelligence, sir, I did not question

Proof, however, I did. In order to deem something a real phenomenon, some evidence needs to be put forth to prove its verity. I will leave it at that, because "round and rounds" are indeed pointless and unproductive.

Ciao,
Rob

I did send one of my nom de plumes around to the Genii forum to defend Reverend Browning.
Remember Barton? That was me. I did get them jumping up and down didn't I?

RobLaughter wrote:Intelligence, sir, I did not question

Proof, however, I did. In order to deem something a real phenomenon, some evidence needs to be put forth to prove its verity. I will leave it at that, because "round and rounds" are indeed pointless and unproductive.

Ciao,
Rob

Rob, you are regurgitating what all cynic say... I never said it was "real" phenomenon I said that I am a Reader as are many others in the world. You can be a Reader without claiming to be Psychic... this is where most get things confused but the two are not one in the same EXCEPT in the crux of the delusion some folks fall into and when the two terms are deliberately interchanged so as to allude to association.

Secondly, when it comes to the idea of "proof"... some folks out there keep changing the rules every time something comes up to sustain the contrary side to their position. The PSICOPS organization literally got caught changing statistical data on one of their only "scientific" tests. Then when it comes to the JREF Challenge (the supposed "gold standard") the majority of legit investigators and legit scientific researchers out there will all tell you that what Randi offers is a joke and a scam and nothing close to be legit let alone "scientific"... this is a view that comes from some of his former supporters as well.

What must be stressed is something I said previously; the magick of our ancestors is the science of our present... in other words, just because we have explanations today behind phenomena that was once understood and perceived to be "magick" or "surreal" does not negate it's existence, it proves it. The difference is, what science confirms and re-names migrates out of the realm of things esoteric and otherworldly into the plane of things mundane and "generic". The ego of man which evolves from these little triumphs of supposedly proving something isn't, ultimately robs the whole of their own life as well as society's of any and all things enchantment that stimulate the mind as well as the human soul.

The world needs its magick... it needs to have things and ideas it can still believe in and no one has the right to tell any of us that it is wrong or we are fools for our faith, etc.

surely craig (and i know you know your Stuff here so im only asking pwease dont crack up).....the reader tacetly encourages the belief from who their reading that they have some sort of powers that will help them complete the reading (and these powers are outwith the scope of "normal" people) what i mean is that wheras YOU may not believe that the reading is psychic ability the customer does.........if this is for entertainment purposes then sure fire in and its all good.....otherwise it may be percieved as a wee bit cynical

Again though i bow to your superior knowledge on the suject mate....incidently your name means trhe rock or crag in galic by the way (cause its mine too)