What is the Bible's stance on tarot cards?

Definition and Historical Context

Tarot cards are a deck of cards historically traced to medieval Europe, originally used for card games. Over time, they became associated with fortune-telling and esoteric practices. Though Scripture does not reference “tarot” by name, the underlying activity of seeking hidden knowledge or predictions about the future through these cards aligns with practices the Bible classifies as divination.

Scriptural Prohibitions Against Divination

Biblical teaching decisively opposes any form of divination or attempts to uncover hidden knowledge through occult means. In Deuteronomy 18:10–12, it is written:

“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or conjury, who interprets omens, or who practices sorcery, who casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD…”

The condemnation of divination and sorcery is grounded in an absolute reliance on the God of Scripture for guidance and truth.

Seeking Guidance from God Rather Than Cards

Throughout both Old and New Testaments, believers are called to look to God’s wisdom rather than relying on worldly or occult practices. Proverbs 3:5–6 exhorts:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Reliance on tarot moves the focus away from trust in divine revelation and places it onto an instrument that many regard as a channel for unseen spiritual forces. By contrast, the Bible’s consistent instruction is to seek wisdom, discernment, and direction through prayer, study of Scripture, and the counsel of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).

Strong Warnings Against Occult Practices

Tarot card use often involves accessing or invoking purported supernatural insights. Yet Scripture presents such practices as spiritually dangerous. In Acts 19:19, new believers in Ephesus who had practiced sorcery publicly burned their scrolls, signaling a total break with occultism:

“And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of these books was calculated, it came to fifty thousand drachmas.”

This account highlights the biblical call to abandon any engagement with occult or magical arts in favor of complete devotion to God.

Reliance on God’s Sovereignty and Worship

Rather than pursuing secret knowledge through divination, Scripture teaches worship of God as the true source of revelation. Isaiah 8:19 warns:

“When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, should not a people consult their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”

Tarot is sometimes seen as a means of “spiritual” insight, but the biblical perspective centers on God alone as the revealer of truth and the one who holds the future.

Evidence from Church History and Archaeology

Though early Church documents do not directly speak of “tarot,” they do consistently oppose divinatory customs present in pagan religions, reflecting the biblical stance against seeking forbidden knowledge. Archaeological discoveries of ancient pagan altars and inscriptions show how widespread fortune-telling practices were in the Roman Empire. Early Christians, in contrast, adhered to teachings like Deuteronomy 18:9–14 and dismantled these customs as part of following God’s Word.

Behavioral and Philosophical Considerations

From a behavioral science perspective, reliance on tarot can foster dependency on perceived supernatural signs rather than on informed decision-making guided by biblical principles. Philosophically, Scripture affirms that God’s sovereignty extends over all creation (Psalm 24:1), and humans should not attempt to manipulate or probe unknown spiritual realms. Placing faith in the reliability of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit offers both ethical grounding and spiritual well-being.

Summary of Biblical Stance

1. Tarot is essentially a form of divination, which Scripture clearly forbids.

2. Seeking the future apart from God contradicts the biblical principle of trusting in His providence.

3. Historical examples and Church testimony consistently reject occult and divinatory practices.

4. Believers are admonished to rely on God’s revealed Word, prayer, and the work of the Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom.

Conclusion

Based on Scripture’s unwavering prohibition of divination, tarot cards fall under practices that the Bible condemns. The biblical call is to trust in God’s sovereignty and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance rather than relying on tools associated with occult practices. This consistent theme across both Old and New Testaments underscores that God alone is the source of true wisdom and revelation.