What does the Bible say about tarot cards?
Tarot cards have become pretty mainstream in recent years. They’re all over social media, pop culture, and even in some bookstores right next to journals and self-help guides. Some people use them casually, almost like a spiritual personality test. Others treat them more seriously, seeing them as a way to tap into hidden knowledge or get guidance about the future.
But for people who follow the Bible, that raises some big questions. Are tarot cards just harmless fun, or is there something deeper going on? What does the Bible actually say about practices like this?
Let’s dig into that, keeping the heart of your original message and adding some context from scripture and reliable sources.
What Are Tarot Cards, Really?
Before we look at what the Bible says, it helps to understand what tarot cards are and how they’re used.
Historically, tarot cards started as playing cards in the 15th century. Over time, though, they evolved into tools for divination—trying to gain insight about the future or hidden truths through spiritual or mystical means. A typical tarot deck includes 78 cards, split between the Major and Minor Arcana. Each card has symbolic meanings, and readers interpret them based on the spread (layout) and the question being asked.
People who use tarot cards often claim they help tap into subconscious thoughts or universal energies. But from a biblical perspective, any practice that seeks knowledge outside of God’s revelation—especially spiritual or predictive knowledge—is worth examining closely.
What the Bible Says About Divination
The Bible doesn’t mention tarot cards by name (they didn’t exist back then), but it absolutely speaks to the category they fall into: divination.
One of the clearest warnings comes from Deuteronomy 18:10–12:
“Let no one be found among you who... practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells… Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.”
That’s pretty unambiguous. In the ancient world, people commonly tried to predict the future or get guidance from supernatural forces—reading the stars, casting lots, consulting spirits. God’s instruction to His people was firm: don’t do it. Not because He’s trying to ruin the fun, but because those paths lead away from Him.
Isaiah 8:19 also addresses this:
“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?”
The underlying message is clear: when you’re looking for guidance, don’t turn to mystical or spiritual shortcuts. Turn to God Himself.
Why It Matters So Much in the Bible
It’s not just about rules. The Bible doesn’t condemn tarot cards or other forms of divination just because they’re “off-limits.” There’s a deeper issue at play—trust.
Practices like tarot cards imply that you can peek behind the curtain of life and find answers that God hasn’t revealed yet. But the Bible consistently teaches that we’re supposed to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). God calls us into a relationship that’s built on trust, even when we don’t know what tomorrow holds.
Trying to shortcut that process through divination often comes from fear or insecurity. We want control. We want certainty. But the Bible teaches us to trust God’s timing, wisdom, and goodness—especially when we’re unsure of the future.
In Proverbs 3:5–6, we’re told:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
That doesn’t mean God expects us to just sit in the dark. He gives wisdom through prayer, Scripture, godly counsel, and the Holy Spirit. But tarot cards and similar tools bypass those channels and look for answers in sources God doesn’t endorse.
A Clash of Worldviews
One of the reasons tarot cards stand in such tension with the Bible is because they come from a different spiritual worldview. The cards themselves may be neutral objects, but the practice is rooted in ideas about energy, fate, and hidden forces that don’t align with Christian teaching.
In biblical theology, God is personal. He speaks, guides, and acts in the world out of love. The spiritual realm is real—but also filled with both good and evil influences. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that we’re in a spiritual battle not “against flesh and blood” but “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
So when people engage in divination—whether through tarot cards, astrology, or spirit boards—they’re not just exploring “neutral” spirituality. They may unintentionally open doors to deception or spiritual oppression. That’s not fear-mongering—it’s a caution rooted in Scripture.
Not Just a Rule, But a Relationship
This is what’s so important: the Bible isn’t just a book of dos and don’ts. Its message is about relationship. God invites us to trust Him with our questions, fears, and uncertainty. And in that context, He provides wisdom—not necessarily instant answers, but peace and direction.
James 1:5 says:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Compare that with pulling cards from a deck and asking the universe for insight. One path invites you into a relationship with the living God. The other seeks impersonal answers from unclear spiritual forces.
What If You’ve Used Tarot Cards?
If you’ve ever used tarot cards—whether casually or seriously—you’re not alone. Many people explore spirituality out of a real desire for meaning, healing, or answers. The good news is that the Bible isn’t about shaming people for their past but inviting them into something better.
Throughout Scripture, God welcomes people who turn from old patterns and seek Him honestly. In Acts 19:19, for instance, people who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls and burned them publicly after coming to faith in Jesus—not out of fear, but as an act of turning toward something greater.
If you’ve relied on tarot cards in the past, you can absolutely walk away from that and move toward deeper trust in God. He’s not waiting to punish you—He’s ready to guide you.
Wrapping It Up
So, what does the Bible say about tarot cards? Quite a bit, once you understand the context.
Tarot cards fall under the broader biblical category of divination, which God clearly warns against.
The concern isn’t just about a method—it’s about what it says about our trust in God.
Scripture invites us to seek wisdom, direction, and peace through a personal relationship with God, not mystical tools.
For believers, practices like tarot cards don’t align with a life of faith and can lead into spiritual confusion.
But this isn’t just about saying “no” to something. It’s about saying “yes” to something better: a walk with a God who speaks, who loves, and who already holds your future in His hands.
Verses about tarot cards:
Deuteronomy 18:10-12, "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord."
Isaiah 8:19, "And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?"
Leviticus 19:31, "Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God."
Acts 16:16-18, "As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour."
Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
