What Does The Bible Say About Tarot Cards

Tarot cards are commonly used today for readings about the future, relationships, personal decisions, spiritual guidance and hidden knowledge.

This raises an important question for Christians:

Does the Bible say tarot cards are sinful?

The Bible does not specifically mention the modern practice of tarot cards by name. Tarot cards developed centuries after the biblical books were written.

However, the Bible does clearly address practices involving divination, seeking supernatural knowledge, consulting spiritual sources and looking outside of God for guidance.

Because of this, Christians should consider not simply what tarot cards are made of, but how they are being used and what someone is seeking through them.

Quick Answer: What Does the Bible Say About Tarot Cards?

The Bible does not specifically mention tarot cards, but it clearly warns against divination, occult practices and seeking supernatural knowledge or spiritual guidance apart from God.

If tarot cards are being used to:

• predict the future
• receive supernatural guidance
• discover hidden knowledge
• communicate with spirits
• seek spiritual answers
• or determine what will happen in your life

then these practices closely resemble the kinds of divination and occult practices that Scripture warns God’s people to avoid.

The biblical alternative is to seek God for wisdom and guidance.

Deuteronomy 18:10–12 — God Warns Against Divination

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”

This is one of the clearest biblical passages concerning practices used to obtain supernatural knowledge.

Tarot cards are not specifically named here, but the principle is important: God’s people were commanded not to seek supernatural knowledge through divination or occult practices.

What Are Tarot Cards Used For?

Tarot cards are a deck of cards containing symbolic images and are commonly used for readings.

Some people use tarot cards simply as artwork or as playing cards.

However, tarot readings are commonly associated with attempts to gain insight into things such as:

• the future
• relationships
• personal decisions
• hidden information
• spiritual matters
• life circumstances
• or possible future outcomes

A tarot reading may involve interpreting the cards according to their position, symbolism or the reader’s intuition.

This is where the biblical concern becomes important.

The issue is not simply whether a card has a picture on it.

The issue is whether someone is using the cards as a means of obtaining supernatural or spiritual knowledge.

Does the Bible Specifically Say “Tarot Cards”?

No.

The word “tarot” does not appear in the Bible.

This is important because Christians should not claim that Scripture directly names something when it does not.

Instead, we should look at the biblical principles concerning the practices commonly associated with tarot readings.

The Bible repeatedly warns against divination and seeking supernatural guidance through forbidden spiritual practices.

Deuteronomy 18:14 — God Told Israel Not to Practise Divination

“For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.”

The surrounding passage describes several practices that God prohibited.

The central principle is that God’s people were not to imitate the nations by seeking supernatural knowledge through divination.

Is Tarot a Form of Divination?

Tarot cards can be used as a form of divination.

Divination involves attempting to discover hidden information, supernatural knowledge or future events through methods that are not ordinary means of gaining knowledge.

When tarot cards are used to tell someone:

• what their future holds
• whether a relationship will succeed
• what another person is thinking
• what spiritual forces are influencing them
• what decision they should make
• or what is going to happen next

the practice is functioning as a form of divination.

The Bible explicitly warns against divination.

Leviticus 19:26 — God Forbids Divination

“Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.”

This command appears within a larger section of instructions God gave His people concerning how they were to live.

The Bible consistently separates God’s people from practices designed to obtain supernatural knowledge through occult means.

Why Does God Warn Against Divination?

The Bible does not present God as wanting His people to discover every hidden detail about the future.

Instead, He calls them to trust Him.

There is an important difference between asking God for wisdom and attempting to uncover hidden knowledge through divination.

Isaiah 8:19 — Should People Not Seek Their God?

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?”

This verse presents the fundamental biblical alternative.

When people need spiritual answers, shouldn’t they seek God?

That principle applies directly to the temptation to use tarot cards for spiritual direction.

What If Someone Uses Tarot Cards “Just for Fun”?

This is one of the most common questions.

Some people use tarot cards casually and do not believe that the cards actually have supernatural power.

For example, someone might enjoy the artwork, symbolism or historical aspects of tarot without performing readings.

That is different from using tarot cards for divination.

However, Christians may still reasonably choose to avoid tarot cards altogether because of their strong association with occult and divinatory practices.

The important distinction is between owning or looking at cards and using them to seek supernatural guidance or knowledge.

1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 — Test Everything and Abstain From Evil

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

Christians are called to exercise discernment.

If a practice is drawing you toward occult beliefs, supernatural experimentation or dependence on something other than God, it is wise to step away from it.

What If I Don’t Believe Tarot Cards Have Power?

A person may say:

“I don’t believe tarot cards are supernatural. I just use them for entertainment.”

That is a different situation from someone genuinely seeking supernatural knowledge.

The Bible does not say that pieces of cardboard themselves have magical power.

The concern is with what a person is seeking through the practice.

If tarot is simply being treated as artwork or a historical object, that is not the same thing as using tarot for divination.

But if someone begins using the cards to discover hidden information, predict the future or receive spiritual direction, the practice enters territory that Scripture warns against.

1 Corinthians 10:23 — Not Everything Beneficial Is Merely Permitted

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”

Christian freedom does not mean that every activity is spiritually beneficial.

Believers are called to consider whether something helps them grow in their relationship with God.

What About Tarot Readings for Guidance?

This is where the biblical problem becomes particularly clear.

If someone is asking tarot cards:

“What should I do?”

“Will this relationship work?”

“What will happen to me?”

or

“What does the spiritual realm want me to know?”

they are looking to the cards for guidance.

The Bible tells believers to look to God for wisdom instead.

James 1:5 — Ask God for Wisdom

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Notice where James tells believers to go when they lack wisdom:

God.

Christians do not need tarot cards to discover what God wants them to know.

We can pray.

We can study Scripture.

We can seek wise and godly counsel.

And we can trust God with what we do not know.

What About Using Tarot to Predict the Future?

Predicting the future is one of the most common reasons people seek tarot readings.

Someone may want to know:

• Will I get married?
• Will my relationship survive?
• Will I become wealthy?
• Will I get the job?
• Will something bad happen?
• What will happen next year?

But Scripture does not encourage believers to seek the future through divination.

Proverbs 3:5–6 — Trust God With Your Future

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

The Bible teaches us to trust God rather than attempt to uncover every detail of our future.

You may not know what tomorrow will bring.

But God does.

What About Tarot Cards and Spiritual Guidance?

Some people do not use tarot to predict specific events.

Instead, they use tarot as a form of spiritual guidance.

They may believe that the cards help them connect with their intuition, spiritual energy, spirits or the universe.

From a biblical perspective, this still raises a serious concern.

The Bible tells God’s people to seek God, rather than supernatural guidance from other spiritual sources.

Isaiah 8:20 — Measure Spiritual Claims Against God’s Word

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

For Christians, God’s Word is the standard by which spiritual claims should be evaluated.

What About Tarot and the Occult?

Tarot cards are historically and culturally associated with occult and divinatory practices, although not every person who owns or uses tarot cards approaches them in the same way.

The Bible clearly warns God’s people against occult practices.

Galatians 5:19–21 — Witchcraft Is Among the Works of the Flesh

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The Bible takes occult practices seriously.

This is why Christians should not treat attempts to obtain supernatural knowledge as spiritually harmless simply because the practice has become popular or is presented as entertainment.

Does the Bible Say Tarot Cards Are Demonic?

The Bible does not specifically say that tarot cards themselves are demonic.

We should be careful not to make a claim stronger than Scripture does.

What Scripture does clearly teach is that God’s people should not participate in divination, witchcraft, consulting spirits or other occult practices.

Therefore, if tarot cards are being used for those purposes, Christians should avoid the practice.

Ephesians 5:11 — Do Not Participate in Works of Darkness

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

The biblical instruction is to remain separate from practices associated with spiritual darkness.

What About Tarot Cards and Demons?

The Bible teaches that spiritual deception exists.

However, Christians should not assume that every unusual experience associated with tarot cards is necessarily a demonic encounter.

Scripture does not tell us to investigate supernatural experiences for ourselves.

Instead, it tells us to exercise discernment and reject practices that God has forbidden.

1 John 4:1 — Test the Spirits

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Not every spiritual claim should be believed.

Something appearing supernatural does not automatically mean that it is from God.

What If a Tarot Reading Seems Accurate?

This is another common objection.

Someone may say:

“But the tarot reading was accurate. How could it be wrong?”

An apparently accurate reading does not prove that tarot cards are a legitimate source of divine revelation.

A prediction can appear accurate for many reasons.

It could be coincidence.

It could be based on information already available to the reader.

It could be sufficiently general that many people can identify with it.

And Christians should also take seriously the Bible’s warnings about spiritual deception.

The important point is that accuracy alone does not make a spiritual practice approved by God.

Deuteronomy 13:1–3 — Even a Sign Does Not Automatically Prove the Source

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

This passage demonstrates that an apparently supernatural event is not, by itself, enough to establish that a spiritual source should be trusted.

God’s truth remains the standard.

What Should Christians Do Instead of Using Tarot Cards?

The Bible provides a much better source of guidance.

Instead of turning to tarot cards, Christians can:

• pray to God
• read Scripture
• ask God for wisdom
• seek mature Christian counsel
• trust God’s timing
• surrender the future to Him
• allow biblical truth to shape their decisions

Psalm 119:105 — God’s Word Gives Direction

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

God’s Word provides direction without requiring us to uncover every hidden detail about the future.

What If You Have Already Used Tarot Cards?

If you have already used tarot cards, there is no reason to believe you are beyond God’s forgiveness.

You can turn away from the practice and turn toward God.

The Bible repeatedly shows that God forgives those who genuinely repent and turn back to Him.

1 John 1:9 — God Forgives Those Who Confess

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If you have used tarot cards for divination or spiritual guidance, you can confess that to God and leave the practice behind.

You do not need to live in fear.

God’s mercy is greater than your past.

What If Tarot Cards Are Part of Your Spiritual Practice?

If tarot cards have become part of your spiritual life, it is worth taking an honest look at where you are placing your trust.

Ask yourself:

Am I seeking God, or am I seeking answers somewhere else?

Am I trusting God’s Word, or am I looking to cards to tell me what will happen?

Am I praying to God for wisdom, or am I trying to obtain supernatural knowledge through another source?

The Bible consistently calls God’s people back to Him.

Jeremiah 29:13 — Seek God With Your Whole Heart

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

God does not hide Himself from those who sincerely seek Him.

You do not need tarot cards to find spiritual truth.

Why Is Seeking God Better Than Tarot?

Tarot cards promise answers.

God offers something much greater: a relationship with Him.

You may not receive an immediate answer to every question you ask.

You may not know exactly what will happen tomorrow.

But you can know that God is with you.

Psalm 32:8 — God Will Instruct and Guide You

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”

The Christian life is not about knowing everything that will happen.

It is about trusting the God who knows everything.

Bible Verses Related to Tarot Cards and Divination

The Bible does not contain a verse that says, “Do not use tarot cards.”

Instead, these passages address the broader practices commonly associated with tarot readings.

Deuteronomy 18:10–12 — Do Not Practise Divination

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”

Leviticus 19:31 — Do Not Seek Occult Sources

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.”

Isaiah 8:19 — Seek God Instead

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?”

James 1:5 — Ask God for Wisdom

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

1 John 4:1 — Test the Spirits

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 — Trust God

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Psalm 119:105 — God’s Word Is a Lamp

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Final Thought

So, what does the Bible say about tarot cards?

The Bible does not specifically mention tarot cards by name.

However, it gives clear warnings about divination, occult practices, consulting spiritual sources and seeking supernatural knowledge apart from God.

Therefore, Christians should not use tarot cards to predict the future, receive supernatural guidance, discover hidden knowledge or seek spiritual messages.

The question is ultimately not about whether a deck of cards has power.

The deeper question is:

Where are you looking for guidance?

Isaiah 8:19 — Should We Not Seek Our God?

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?”

That question remains relevant today.

When you need wisdom, seek God.

When you are uncertain about the future, trust God.

When you need direction, turn to His Word.

When you are afraid, pray.

And when you do not know what comes next, remember that you do not need to know everything about tomorrow to trust the One who does.

James 1:5 — Ask God for Wisdom

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

You do not need tarot cards to guide your life.

You can seek God directly.

And if you have previously used tarot cards or other forms of divination, you do not need to remain trapped in fear or shame.

Turn away from the practice, turn toward God, and place your trust in Him.

1 John 1:9 — God Offers Forgiveness

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The Bible calls us to seek God for wisdom, trust Him with our future, and remain grounded in His Word rather than looking to divination for answers.

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