First a bit of background about this poster... married, 2kids, 12 year old and 15 month old, wife and I inactive for about 4 years and spotty at meetings at best for various reasons.I've had doubts ever since 95 and the generation thing, and my wife, well she's always had some resentment from the truf being drilled into her when she was growing up. However I put off deciding what to do about the future of my own spirituality (and my family's) till recently when I got tired of feeling guilty about not following an outline for the only way to be a good person. Also my wifey wanted to know what the hell we were doing so she wouldn't feel like a fence sitter. So about this time, I found out that a good friend was also was having somewhat of a crisis of conscience and had also had done an amazing amount of research, coming to the conclusion of never going to meetings again. He, also being a poster on this board, suggested lurking here and learning what I could from other one's experiences, among other informative sites. It has been eyeopening to say the least and I know I still have a lot to learn.Being a new revert(antonym of convert?), and faced with the problem? of thinking for oneself and the future being even more uncertain in my mind, this opens up new areas once considered forbidden and "worldy" at best, which brings me to my point.. Wifey comes home yesterday and says she was out shopping with one of her new friends and they both decided to get their palms read...Didn't really bother me but the first thing I asked was how much did you get taken for?? ($40 BTW) She tells me, without her giving any information about me, that MS. Cleo says 1.I'm going through a major crisis in my faith 2.She says 3 kids for sure 3.There's some sort of danger for our youngest daughter in the next year or so. Now I'm pretty sure I've always been more sceptical than the average JW, so I can discount the last 2 statements but I'm not positive about the first. Is it common for the "midlife crisis" of some guys to include questioning the existence of GOD and/or questioning their faith? Not that I consider this a "midlife crisis" but this Cleo maybe is speculating on my age and fluked out? Personally I always hated when dubs said things like "if it's God's will" since the whole idea of predestination makes no sense to me! Why bother putting effort or thought into anything if it's predestined to occur? Any thoughts on MS Cleo's $40 predictions, and have you ever tried anything similar? Have any here tried anything like this and/or put any stock in it?
Palm reading and what not
by Tim Horton 18 Replies latest jw friends
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czarofmischief
I read the Tarot. It's not really mystical. It's like a game that helps you sort out what you know deep down but won't admit. Palm reading probably works much the same way, I expect. She was probably reading the palm and guessed about the kids and then watched carefully how your wife reacted to various ideas or postulations and relied on the human ability to focus on the one hit in a million and ignore the other failed attempts to garner reactions.
It's not exactly dependable, but it does give you somethign to think about. I do guarantee, however, that nothing mystical or supernatural was going on.
CZAR
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Tim Horton
Thanx Czar, it's true - she could have been answering questions and talking about other things that she never mentioned to me, she is a natural talker
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Been there
Welcome to the board Tim Horton & family!
I've gone to a few of those things purly for entertainment purposes. Like someone gambling. I know I am throwing my money away on them but it is fun to watch them try and pick something up from me when I won't give them anything to work with. My old neighbour used to read tarot cards for me regularly (for free) but she turned very christian and threw them away. Now I have no idea where I'm going in my life. j/k
You never know about that 3rd kid.....you could adopt or foster or inherit someone elses. I'm sure my granny at 55 said after 8 kids she would not have more, then she got me.
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Insomniac
A number of years ago, I did some fortune telling to make the rent. (This was while I was a witness!) If one does it enough, one learns to pick up all sorts of clues about the person you're reading. Then it just becomes a matter of telling them what the future will most likely hold in store for them, in a way that sounds very authoritative.
For example: Most women want to know about love. So, if they walk in all sad and mopey, they've likely had a breakup, or it's a case of unrequited love. So, you tell them that the romance they've been seeking is just around the corner, but first they have to break free of unproductive thought patterns that inevitably lead them to the wrong man, who never appreciates them properly. Once she stops wasting time on the wrong men, the right one will come along. And really, isn't that always the case? So it's a safe, truthful statement to make, and the lady leaves happy.
The palmist most likely picked up some of your wife's clues: if she seemed ill at ease entering the room, and was unused to the process, then obviously this was her first reading. At this point, the palmist would know that some unhappy situation, likely family related, but possibly of a spiritual nature, has brought her there. There are numerous clues if a woman has children (though less for a man), and you did mention that your wife is very talkative, I believe. So, it wouldn't have been very difficult for the palmist to make some educated guesses about her.
I'm not saying that palmists are con artists. They are astute observers of people, and can be helpful in pointing out problems and pitfalls we didn't even know we had. After that, the ball is in our court, and we are responsible for making the neccessary corrections to our course in life. Best wishes to you and your family, and welcome to the board!
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Sirona
Hi Tim
Try out this site: http://www.ofesite.com/spirit/palm/lines.htm
It even has a section where you tick details about your palm and it will email you a reading.
Sirona
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Special K
Hi Tim Horton
Welcome to the forum.
my wifey wanted to know what the hell we were doing so she wouldn't feel like a fence sitter.
Your wife is right about that..Sometimes after you sit on the fence for awhile. Well, it just feels yucky sitting up there. You can't do this on this side..but heck, it feels so un-you to be doing the J.W. thing anymore.
It kind of, leaves one STUCK..on the fence and not being able to become passionate and involved in life so to speak.
a poster on this board, suggested lurking here and learning what I could from other one's experiences, among other informative sites. It has been eyeopening to say the least
That is the way it was for me too. My nephew pointed me towards this forum just a little over a year ago. I counldn't believe some of the big switcheroo's the WTBTS has done since I was disfellowshipped in '92
faced with the problem? of thinking for oneself and the future being even more uncertain in my mind, this opens up new areas once considered forbidden
It took me awhile after being disfellowshipped to hone those decision making skills of mine. Making decisions for myself and not looking to all the publications to lay it out for me was different.
I had to THINK for myself. It's nice now, to be responsible for what I do and think. I have to take responsiblity for my mistakes (and not blame that darn Satan guy).. but also when I make good decisions and things work out right ( I take the credit and pat myself on the back..I don't say thanks to Jehovah who made it all happen).. I did it!.. and did a fine job
As far as the palm reading thing I've never done that. However, I did go to a friends house who had some kind of tarrot cards. A girl thing maybe.. and it was fun. I didn't necessarily put any weight in it all. Just had fun with it. It was a fun evening along with a chocolate fondue. yummy.
Special K
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Terry
Here is the bottom line:
We don't see ourselves as competant.
We look outside to "others" for direction.
The more bizarre, exotic, mysterious, ancient the source; the more OTHER it is!
It is hard work to run your own life. To be your own boss and make your own decisions is a struggle. Trial and error are not appealing strategies.
However, there is something to be said for teaching ourselves how to think and weigh and decide with optimum efficacy. But, it requires going to a source of actual information.
That is the first hurdle. Accepting an old book of folktales or the hocus pocus of a charleton is not going to work.
Knowledge is power. But, false knowledge steals our power.
LOGIC is man's method of reaching conclusions objectively by deriving them without contradiction from the facts of reality--ultimately, from the evidence provided by man's senses. If men reject logic, then the tie between their mental processes and reality is severed; all cognitive standards are repudiated, and anything goes; any contradiction, on any subject, may be endorsed (and simultaneously rejected) by anoyone, as and when he feels like it.
If we consult palm readers, tarot, ouija boards, the stars, bumps on our head, tea leaves---all we are doing is repudiating our grasp of reality and playing our life deuces wild in a winner take all world.
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franklin J
Hi Tim Horton, welcome to the forum
It sounds like you and I are leading similar lives.....
I have been out for 20 odd years though, I have 3 kids; 13, 10, 5
....and I have been to fortune tellers and laugh at what they say. Like many things in this "quirky" world we live in; fortunetelling can be fun if you do not take it seriously.
regards, Frank
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bikerchic
Welcome Tim Horton! I'm sure you'll do just fine here, sit back and do a lot of reading especially *gasp* in the Beliefs and Doctrine section. You'll learn a lot about the JW's that you never even knew.
LOL @ Terry!!
It is hard work to run your own life. To be your own boss and make your own decisions is a struggle. Trial and error are not appealing strategies.
However, there is something to be said for teaching ourselves how to think and weigh and decide with optimum efficacy. But, it requires going to a source of actual information.
Naaa you don't really mean it's OUR LIFE!? Bwhaaaahahaa......imagine, what a concept!
Kate