Tarot Card Workshop Controversy at West Milford, NJ Library

By Vikki Anderson

I had scheduled a tarot card workshop for teens at the West Milford Public Library on July 25, 2007. I was shocked when I was called a few weeks after booking and told that there had been 32 complaints on the nature of the program. Though I have been teaching and lecturing about metaphysics and parapsychology for over 36 years without a similar issue, my first response to the library worker was, “If you would like to cancel the program, I am fine with that.”

The Library did not want to cancel the program, as I was informed they had never been forced to cancel one before and wouldn’t be bullied into it now. I was glad about their decision; I love teaching teens, as they are eager to learn and are very bright – they catch on quickly. Hosting my lecture after these complaints was a bold move for the West Milford Library and says great things about the character of those who work there.

On the afternoon of my program, there were people picketing outside of the library. I thought this was pretty amusing, actually. I believe these individuals were fundamentalists who expect the whole world to revolve around their beliefs and leave no leeway for the belief systems of others. I, however, am not easily intimidated and with the help of West Milford Library staff members, one of whom was an ex-student, I was escorted into Town Hall where my program was to be held.

Town Hall filled up quickly. Besides the enrolled teens, several of their parents stayed through the program, and the Town Council members were present. A few of the picketers looked on as well, feverishly taking notes. I felt a bit like a celebrity, but more-so, I felt sad that there were people in this world who had nothing better to do than picket harmless divination practices because “it was the work of the Devil.” For the record, I don’t even believe in this “Devil” character.

I brought extra tarot decks with me so the teens could follow along with my lecture and actually have a chance to work with the cards. I stayed an extra 45 minutes over my contracted time because I wanted the kids to have fun reading the cards themselves. The teens asked intelligent questions and really seemed to have a grasp of the basics of tarot which delighted me. Usually, I certify students in “The Totally Tarot Method” (based on my book) after 18 hours of lessons, but to be fair to these kids, they really were great and eager to learn, and they were clearly enjoying themselves. I was so honored to have been there to teach them.

The Library Staff thanked me for coming to their library, then insisted on accompanying me to my car, concerned that the picketers might still have been there to harass me, or worse, that they had damaged my car. Luckily, that was not the case. I went home and continued with my usual day’s appointments for tarot and astrology readings, house blessings, and Feng Shui consultations.

Two weeks later, friends brought two articles to my attention that had been written by West Milford residents. One was a letter to the editor which denounced tarot as the work of the Devil (sigh) and explained how she used to be a spiritualist but someone came into her life and actually threw away all of her new age books, tarot cards, and a Ouija board. She expounded on how she had even pulled a card a day to make decisions and how it wasn’t until this person came into her life that she found Jesus, realized the error of her ways, and realized that the Devil had a hold on her through the occult.

I felt so sorry for this woman, so easily led out of the enlightening world of metaphysics and parapsychology that shaped my life. She had obviously been a bit of a fanatic, since readers do not pull tarot cards to make every-day decisions and rely on common sense for most situations. That and her allowance of another person to throw away her prized possessions made me wonder how much of a blind follower this woman was. Did she not have a grasp on reality? Could she not make a decision for herself? Did someone else have to come into her life to save her? I understood that she had Jesus in her life now, but did that mean that everyone had to believe in Jesus? I am an interfaith minister and believe in many types of faith – and feel everyone should believe as they see fit, provided their belief neither harms anyone, nor infringes on the right of others to do the same. I wondered if she was aware that the largest metaphysical and astrological library in the world is in the Vatican, but figured this fact would be lost on her regardless.

The second article went on about how tarot is a religion into which one had to be initiated. That was news to me. I don’t remember getting initiated; however, I guess you never know with the Devil – it may have happened in my sleep! I wonder who the God/dess of the tarot is supposed to be… Anyway, the writer of the article was angry that his vote at the Town Council not to pay me my minimal fee for the workshop was overruled by others on the Board and thought that town funds should not be used to push religion on the town’s youth. There was some complaint about the semantics of calling my program a “Tarot Workshop” versus a “Tarot Card Workshop” – the difference is lost on me. Furthermore, someone had apparently complained about a clergyman saying a prayer at a town meeting and a decision was made to avoid prayer in which Jesus’ name was mentioned. As he felt tarot was a religion, he felt it should similarly be abolished. While I agree with the town council decision to avoid prayer centered on a specific religion, as that alienates all people with other belief systems – I hate to sound like a broken record here, but tarot is a far cry from being considered a religion, so I don’t see his point.

In response to this man’s assertion that town funds should not be used to teach tarot, I ask where the money comes from for all the functions the library hosts. There were 15 teens present at my lecture and unless they were all from a homeless shelter, I would assume that each of their parents pays property taxes – taxes that supply these town funds. I believe each of these tax-payers has the right to have their children benefit from their contribution, don’t you? Furthermore, I would assume that if a parent had a problem with what I was teaching their children, they would have pulled their child out of the class. Instead, I received a round of applause at the end of the lecture and a hearty thank you from the West Milford Library.

Now, I’m all for free speech, but my concern is with people making comments with no knowledge about this subject whatsoever. They not only don’t study tarot, but it seems they’ve barely looked into it at all before writing very negative complains and allegations. Tarot is simply a form of divination, just like astrology, numerology, or palm-reading. It isn’t based on any religion whatsoever and certainly does not constitute one on its own accord. There are spiritual cards within the standard deck, but the entity to which they refer has to be based on the belief system of the Querent (the person who the reading is for). It can be God, Goddess, a spirit guide, a guardian angel, the Source, the One, the All, general universal energy, the Alpha and the Omega, or whatever the Querent believes in.
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I visited Salem, Massachusetts in July of 2006. It was truly startling to see how several young girls in a fundamentalist society started a frenzy of panic and accusations which left many innocent people hanged and wrongfully imprisoned because of prejudice and misinformation. The last comment made by our tour-guide on the Salem Witch Museum tour was that this type of thing could never happen again in America because we have learned from our past mistakes. Well, West Milford residents, apparently not everyone has learned from past mistakes. Stop going on witch hunts and keep your fundamentalism to yourself.

This is America, “land of the free.” If I wish to practice the art of tarot, astrology, metaphysics, Feng Shui, hypnotherapy, Reiki, crystal therapy, palmistry, numerology, aromatherapy, or anything else, no one can stop me, especially not foolish letters to the editor in a small town paper. I didn’t even send a rebuttal, as it’s completely not worth by time, but this is my blog so I thought I’d vent my frustrations here in the company of like minded people.