Re: Enough already

["Stuart M. Castergine" <scasterg@cd.columbus.oh.us>]

On Fri, 9 Dec 1994, Karen L. Newcombe wrote:

> 
> Dear Mantau, bug off!  I thought Chris and Stuart were pulling my leg and 

Gosh [blush], was that *your* leg I had my hand on? I thought it was my 
wife's leg, honest! ;-)

Seriously, I thought I was yanking Chris's chain more than pulling your 
leg. :-) I think the Tarot idea is neat, but it does seem like a *huge* 
job requiring a lot of talent. I was actually tempted to plop down with 
my copy of Adobe Photoshop and see what inspiration brought me on a card 
or two, but I know I don't have time todoit right.

> You are right about tarot being a tool, not a belief but since you're 
> obviously either new or a lurker maybe you should hold your remarks until 
> you have a better idea of the dynamics of Love Hounds, which thrives on 
> the variety of opinions we all bring to it.

Gee, I wonder how many angels can dance on the head of this pin? (That's 
a warning that I am about to engage in a bout of silly, pointless semantic 
bickering)

True: Tarot cards are a tool, not a belief system in themselves
True: A hammer is a tool.

A hammer does not require that you believe in it in order to work. No 
matter what your tortured mind tells you, it remains a hammer and is a 
fine and knacky tool for pounding things.

Tarot cards are an entirely different order of tool. To people who 
suscribe to a belief system which views Tarot cards as a useful tool they 
are a tool that is useful for gaining certain insights. To people who do 
not subscribe to any of those belief systems, Tarot cards are just fancy 
decks of playing cards with one too many face cards per suit and entirely 
too many jokers. :-)

Thus, while Tarot cards are a tool not a belief, it is entirely approriate
to speak of "believing in them" as a short-hand for speaking of believing
in their efficacy for the types of tasks which people who use Tarot
cards typically employ them. 

Note that this argument does not take into account the question of
"ultimate truth." It may be postulated that certain things about the
universe are essentially true while others are false, though we have know
way of knowing which things are true or false in many cases. Given that,
one might postulate that there is a truth value that can be assigned to
the use of Tarot cards. Either they are in some way useful for the
purposes for which they are used, or they are not and the whole thing is a
bunch of hooey (technical term used by philosophers).  Were that truth
value ever definitively determined, then we would know what sort of tool
Tarot cards really are. 

...Now who's pulling whose leg, karen? Om mani padme. ;-)

> 
> So anyone trying to stir up trouble between Love Hounds should consider 
> carefully where they tread, Mantau, for I'm not short and blond but tall 
> and dark and I don't like people messing with my friends!
> 
> Karen (Now where did I put my Babooshka outfit? That brass brassierre is 
> sure to deflect the slings and arrows to come!)
> 

ObChauvinistComment: Gee, Karen, do you think you could post a gif of
that? :-) (Reallyreallyreally just kidding, for those who don't know me or
who are easily offended). 

scasterg@cd.columbus.oh.us == Stuart M. Castergine                  ---
"Beelzebub is aching in my belly-o. My feet are heavy and I'm rooted |/
in my wellios. And I want to get away and go from all these mirror   |\
windows." -- Kate Bush, Kite