Tarot cards are often associated with fortune-telling and occult practices, which are contrary to the principles of Christianity. The Bible warns against divination and sorcery, urging us to seek guidance and wisdom from God alone. Let’s look into these verses together and learn how to discern and avoid practices that lead us away from God’s truth and into spiritual darkness, trusting in His word as our ultimate source of wisdom and guidance in all things.
What Does The Bible Say About Tarot Cards?
As believers in God’s word, it is essential to seek guidance on various aspects of life, including the practice of tarot card reading. The Bible does not explicitly address tarot cards as they did not exist during biblical times. However, it provides us with principles and teachings that can guide our understanding of engaging in such practices.
Tarot cards are often associated with divination, the art of seeking supernatural insight or knowledge about the future through occult means. In Deuteronomy 18:9-14, God strictly warns against participating in any form of divination, including witchcraft, soothsaying, or casting spells. These practices are seen as detestable to the Lord and contrary to His desire for us to seek Him alone for guidance and wisdom.
Moreover, the Bible teaches us to avoid anything that opens the door to spiritual deception or detracts from our devotion to God. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, we are warned against yoking ourselves together with unbelievers and participating in activities that compromise our faith. Tarot card reading may involve seeking answers from supernatural sources that are not aligned with God’s truth, potentially leading us away from a genuine relationship with Him.
As followers of Christ, we are called to cultivate a strong, personal relationship with Him through prayer, worship, and studying His Word. The Bible assures us in James 1:5 that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God, who gives it generously without finding fault. Relying on tarot cards, rather than seeking guidance from the Lord, can be seen as a lack of trust in His ability to guide and direct our lives.
Additionally, the Bible teaches us to discern between what is good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). Engaging in tarot card reading can blur these lines by combining elements of the occult and supernatural practices. Instead, we are called to renew our minds and focus on what is pleasing to God (Romans 12:2).
While the Bible may not explicitly address tarot cards, its teachings guide us to seek wisdom and discernment from God rather than turning to occult practices. Pursuing a relationship with Him and relying on His guidance and truth is the path we are encouraged to follow. Let us strive to strengthen our faith, seeking wisdom only from our Lord, and embracing practices that align with His word.
Also Read: Bible Verses About Lying To Parents
Bible Verses About Tarot Cards
Leviticus 20:6
“I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.”
This verse clearly condemns the practice of consulting mediums and spiritists. It warns against seeking supernatural guidance outside of God and emphasizes the consequences of such actions.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.”
This passage lists various forms of divination and warns against engaging in these practices. It emphasizes that these actions are detestable to God and should not be practiced by His people.
Acts 16:16-18
“Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’ She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her.”
This passage depicts an encounter where Paul casts out a spirit of divination from a slave girl. It shows the apostle’s refusal to allow such practices to be associated with the message of salvation and highlights the power of Jesus’ name to deliver people from spiritual bondage.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14
“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”
This verse recounts the downfall of King Saul, who sought guidance from a medium instead of seeking the Lord. It serves as a warning about the dangers of turning away from God’s word and seeking supernatural guidance from sources contrary to His will.
Isaiah 8:19-20
“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.”
These verses exhort the people to seek God for guidance instead of turning to mediums and spiritists. It emphasizes the importance of consulting God’s word and warns against seeking wisdom from sources that do not align with His instructions.
Galatians 5:19-21
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
In this passage, witchcraft is listed among the acts of the flesh that are contrary to God’s will. It highlights that such practices are sinful and warns of the consequences for those who continue to live in these ways.
2 Kings 21:6
“He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.”
This verse describes the actions of King Manasseh, who engaged in various occult practices. It shows how such actions provoked God’s anger and stands as a cautionary tale against participating in these forbidden activities.
Isaiah 47:9
“Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells.”
These words in Isaiah speak of the consequences that will befall those who practice sorcery and rely on spells. It emphasizes that no amount of occult power can protect someone from the judgment and suffering that their actions may bring upon them.
Exodus 22:18
“Do not allow a sorceress to live.”
This verse reflects the severity with which the practice of sorcery, particularly sorcery that involves manipulating or calling upon evil spirits, was viewed in biblical times. It was seen as a serious offense punishable by death.
1 Samuel 28:7-25
“Then Saul said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.’ ‘There is one in Endor,’ they said. … The woman said to Saul, ‘I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.’ … Then the woman asked, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ ‘Bring up Samuel,’ he said. … Then Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’ … The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David.’
This passage narrates the account of Saul consulting a medium to summon the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel. Despite Saul’s desperation for guidance, this incident ultimately seals his fate as God had turned away from him. It serves as a stern reminder of the futility and disobedience involved in seeking the assistance of mediums.
Revelation 21:8
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
In this verse, practicing magic arts is grouped with various sins that are contrary to God’s righteousness and grace. It underscores that those who persist in these practices without repentance will face eternal consequences.
2 Chronicles 33:6
“He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.”
This verse describes the actions of King Manasseh, who engaged in numerous occult practices. It reiterates that participation in divination, witchcraft, and consultation with mediums is evil in the eyes of the Lord and brings His anger.
Micah 5:12
“I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.”
In this verse, God declares His intention to put an end to witchcraft and sorcery. It portrays His power to break the hold of such practices and remove them from the lives of His people.
Acts 19:19
“A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.”
This verse recounts a significant event in Ephesus where believers who had previously practiced sorcery renounced their involvement in the occult by openly burning their spell books. It demonstrates their commitment to fully turn away from these forbidden practices and live according to God’s truth.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
These verses provide a warning against false prophets who perform signs and wonders but lead people away from the one true God. It cautions believers to be discerning and to hold fast to their love and devotion for God above all else.
Acts 8:9-11
“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great and claimed to be someone great. All the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.'”
This passage describes Simon, a sorcerer who had captivated the people with his magical abilities. It reveals the danger of being drawn to those who claim to possess supernatural powers and reminds us to discern the true source of such abilities.
1 Samuel 15:23
“For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
These words were spoken by Samuel to King Saul after he had disobeyed God’s commands. It draws a parallel between rebellion and divination, emphasizing that both are sinful acts that bring about God’s rejection.
Ezekiel 13:18-23
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live … Therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.”
This passage addresses the false prophets who were deceiving the people with their divination practices. It exposes their greed, exploitation of others, and the consequences they would face for their deceitful actions.
Revelation 22:15
“Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
These words come from the final chapter of the Bible, describing those who are excluded from the eternal kingdom of God. It includes those who practice magic arts, along with other sinful behaviors, emphasizing the need for repentance and holiness.
Acts 13:6-12
“They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.’ Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.”
This passage recounts the encounter between Paul and a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, or Elymas. It demonstrates the power and authority that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit and the consequences that individuals may face when they oppose the preaching of the Gospel with deceit and trickery.
Isaiah 47:12-13
“Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.”
These verses speak of a people who have relied on their own magic spells and sorceries for protection and guidance, despite the warnings and counsel of the Lord. It reveals the fruitlessness of such practices and the futility of seeking help from astrologers and stargazers.