This interaction describes a very similar dynamic between me and my mom. There’s a lot she doesn’t ask my about anymore, and I’m pretty sure she believes I’m going to burn for eternity in hell. Fun.

Dixie,
I have a couple of things that I do with my parents. First, I don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, that is, I don’t ever claim to do my tarot separate from my Christian faith. It’s NOT either/or but Both/and. This makes it harder for them to hate what I do. Plus, I point out the similarities among the two.
And, also, you might wish to use a little deception strategy called “misdirection”. It’s easy to use. Just make sure that you also have something ELSE that they might not approve of as much as the metaphysical stuff. In my case, I’m gay so they have such a tough time with this they can’t even go to the tarot stuff. The “gay thing” is a much bigger thing for them to deal with. LOL
Mark
Aurora, CO
USA

Dear Dix,
Deception is not one of my strong suits but very infrequently I’ve mustered my resources in self-protection.
Thanks for the laffs: you as a ‘handpuppet of Satan’ is too much!

Dixie – I had a similar experience with the same book *wide eyes*

I found Sun Signs in the library, brought it home, and practically memorized it. My mom found me reading it one day in my room, and told me not to take that “stuff” too seriously. After saying it was silly to believe in astrology, I vehemently told her there was a lot of truth to what I read about Aries (big mouth me..). She got mad, told me take the book back, to quit wasting my time and would not allow any more of that “garbage” in the house.

I didn’t take anymore astrology books to the house, just waited until I visited the library to read more…

I knew an astrooger when I was 16. I made the mistake of letting him do my chart. I really wanted to learn more but he was more interested in taking avantage of me. I felt betrayed. My parents are horrified by my interest in astrology. My brother, sister and kids think of my interest in astrology as an idiosyncrasy to be tolerated. This board is my second attempt to share my interest in astrology.

Our families are very similar. I have lived with my grandparents for most of my life (I’m almost 22), and they are extremely conservative, legalistic Seventh Day Adventists which is perfectly okay, except that they push their beliefs onto everyone else and brow beat them with religion and Bible versus until you agree with their point.

I do not like going to church at all, but during my last stint of staying with them (a few months ago) I went faithfully every Saturday just to keep the peace. While they took a nap in the afternoon I would sit outside and lurk around this blog. I think my grandmother can sense that I don’t share her faith, and if she ever asked I would be truthful and tell her that I’m not SDA, but she’s never asked and I think it’s better that way- it saves us both a lot of grief.

I think a fair use of deception is to not upset someone who might be dangerous. What I do with my dad, is not tell him I do not believe a word of the religious crap he has been attempting to pound into my brain since I was a child. I just let it go in one ear and out the other, because there is no reason to upset him. He is autistic/bipolar with a touch of schizophrenia. Who knows what he might do if I told him “really I believe religion is harmful and the bible was put together to control the populous….” He’d go stark raving mad (more) and I don’t know what he is capable of (he has done such crazy things that I dont know) I try to keep him far away from me. I call him once a week to make sure he is still alive, and he sings me bible songs. And I just say, Amen.

Welcome, Nancy.

Dixie, I love your “creative” truth! I used to tell the truth ALL the time.

Until I moved in with an elderly aunt who is somewhat mentally ill. She took great issue with me taking care of myself in the ways I needed to in order to heal. (It isn’t that important, she said.) So I learned to lie. I still wasn’t comfortable with that, so I too learned to “creatively” tell the truth. As in, “I’m going to so and so’s to help her move dishes out of her cupboard.” Yep, we moved them out to put lunch on them, and after we ate and washed them, we put them back in.
It’s gotten to be a game with me – to find a way to tell the truth, but not all of it. I do it when someone is being totally unreasonable.

But I will also flat out lie to people who insist on my living my life THEIR way by pointing out what I need to do or not.
As in….”You need to get rid of your horses. You never ride them.”
To which I answer, “Well, I just rode them yesterday!” (Even if I didn’t.)
They don’t think I’d lie, and they run out of accusations. And I just want them out of my face. Works for me!

Dixie, thank you so much for offering this interpretation of the VII of Swords. I’ve never quite been able to settle in my gut on an interpretation that “clicked”. Your does. In my mind, I’ve had the word “tact” associated with this card. I really like the addition of an under-the-radar approach. Tip-toeing away or around something for the sake of peace when that tactic upbuilds rather than tears down, in general. Thanks again. I feel like I’ve finally made friends with this 7.

Thank you, Elsa. I appreciate your website so much! I’m an American (from Colorado) living in New Zealand. It’s like a little visit home when I come here, which is daily now.