Are Tarot readers responsible for things that happen to the client after the reading? Or are we free from the burden of responsibility that is so naturally placed upon us?
We all live in a blame culture. If something goes wrong, we look for people to blame. Often times these people are just … well, …convenient. They’re scapegoats, pawns, or the subject of some sort of Jungian projection.
If someone chooses to murder a member of their own family, who’s to blame? Is it the social workers who have been involved with the family since 1925? Is it the neighbors for doing nothing? Is it their friends who watched knowing that it would end horribly but chose to ignore it? Or is it the person who committed the murder?
Do we blame the person who did the crime, or the people we trust (cough) to prevent the crime?
Okay, that’s an extreme example given that this is a simple Tarot quiz. Nevertheless, it’s a good place to start when we begin asking ourselves about responsibility, particularly that of a Tarot reader.
Bear in mind that if someone is vulnerable, it’s considered good practice to be responsible for that person. It’s a sort of “ought” — a sort of peer pressured expectation.
Examples of when things can go wrong
I have two examples that illustrate consequences that can occur from a Tarot reading. The first one is from a friend of mine and the second one happened to me. Both incidents occurred a few years ago, when we worked for a psychic phone line.
Example one
A regular client phoned him and wanted a relationship reading. She was in tears, upset, vulnerable and wanted (possibly needed) reassurance. And that’s what my friend provided. He dealt out a bunch of Tarot cards, and told her to go to her ex-boyfriend’s place, “you’ll have yourself a good time!”
She phoned him the next day. This is a transcript from the phone call (as my friend told me).
- Client
- Hi
- My friend
- Hey, what happened last night?
- Client
- (sob) He hit me … he hit me!!!
The Tarot cards in this case were all really good – Ace of Cups etc.
The next example happened to me.
Example 2
- Client
- Hi, can I have a relationship reading?
- Me
- Sure. Things don’t look so good at the moment, but I reckon it will all work out eventually.
- Client
- Thank you!
Four months later…
- Client
- Hi, do you remember me?
- Me
- …er…no!
- Client
- About 4 months ago you told me my relationship would improve. Because of your reading I ended up in a mental institute!
- Me
- Oh, sorry to hear about that. What happened?
- Client
- Well…
I should point out that I could tell this guy was vulnerable, I could tell that something wasn’t right. The cards were ambiguous and I made a judgement call.
Okay, I got it wrong. But that was years ago and since then I’ve consciously tried to refine my craft. But here’s the thing, was I responsible for what happened to that client? Was my friend? How accountable are Tarot readers?
What I want for quiz II
The purpose of these quizzes is to look at some of the more obvious, or self-evident aspects of being a Tarot reader and revisit them with an open mind. I know that this question is kind of obvious, but that doesn’t mean the answer is obvious. In fact, the more you think about anything to do with ethics, the less obvious things become.
Front line Tarot reading is rarely black and white. It’s rarely obvious what the ethics are — especially after you’ve worked for a couple of years, particularly on the phone lines.
Now, I’ve learned a lot since the last quiz, and rather than try and do both ethics and practical tips as part of the one quiz, I’ve decided its much better to focus on one or the other. For Quiz number 2, I want this to simply be about the ethics.
I know ethics can get heated, I know that some people can feel very strongly about ethics but my vision (perhaps idealistically) is for everyone to share their views – and to feel comfortable sharing their views.
Quiz
Is a Tarot reader accountable for the actions a client takes after a Tarot reading?
- Yes, a Tarot reader is fully accountable.
- No, the individual is responsible for their actions.
Remember, what we are trying to do is figure out the most robust approach to ethics and responsibility. I’d love to read your thoughts, opinions and ideas on this question. Let’s learn from each other 
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31 comments… Let's discuss
I think that it is The Tarot Readers responsibility to let the Client know what they are to expect from the Tarot and the reading, that it is a guide. I tell all of my Clients that the cards give the guidance for what is happening at that moment but free will and choice are all theirs. If they choose to act on the reading they are doing so on their own account.
That is why I have also been taught not to read for people who are highly emotional at the time, they are only going to hear WHAT THEY WANT and are going to ignore any of the common sense they may have when they are calm and in a better frame of mind. Tarot as a crutch, I won’t read for those people ever.
So there is responsibility for both parties.
Hi Ethony,
What you’ve outlined here is an excellent way of protecting yourself. One angle that we haven’t looked at is the responsibility we have to ourselves as Tarot readers. It sounds to me like you have an effective code of ethics – you know exactly where you stand and so do your clients.
Thanks for sharing your methods
IMHO, the Seeker is responsible for their own actions after a reading. The reader needs to read the cards to the best of their ability, make sure that the Seeker understands what they are being told, and outline some options for them – along with possible consequences. A caveat here – if as a reader you feel there is something wrong at the end of a reading, engage with your client until you can see what it is. They may be upset enough that it would be appropriate for you to give them a toll free number to an appropriate agency that deals with the type of situation they are facing.
Blessings,
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie,
This is an excellent example of reader responsibility. The client can still be vulnerable after the reading no matter how good or positive it was, and perhaps would benefit from further assistance from appropriate agencies.
Thanks for dropping by
I agree wholeheartedly with Bonnie. Once they walk out the door, they are fully responsible for the route they take – they are always the masters of their own fates. That being said, as tarot readers we need to be very careful of the words we choose. If the client seems vulnerable, we need to use great care and be gentle. We must remain grounded so that we can be as present as possible to what the client needs.
And we must always remember – no matter how carefully we word things, there is no guarantee that the client will use the reading with common sense. So we cannot take full responsibility.
An example comes to mind – I had a male client that I read at a party. He seemed a little odd and sweaty but I thought it was just nerves. One of the questions he asked was “Will I ever get off my meds?” I looked at the cards and said “Someday you may be able to get off a few” (the cards were a mixed bag of positive and stagnant). A few months later, I talked to his sister and found out he immediately quit ALL his meds after the reading and some of those were for his bi polar condition! He had a breakdown and his family got him straightened out immediately. Now if I sense the same situation, I am careful to say that they need to consult with their physician! Lesson learned.
Thanks again for a thought provoking post,
Theresa
Hi Theresa,
Thanks for your comment and your brilliant example. You should write a book one day about your experiences as a pro reader
You make a good point. This is a great example of acting responsibly in the moment.
As long as a Tarot reader does the best job they can, as soon as the client walks out the door, they can no longer be fully responsible for the actions they take.
Thanks for the great comment
Most of ya are full of hokum, so I ain’t tellin’ ya my trade secrets. But I will tell you this – YES, you are responsible for clear and accurate information. If you (for some reason or another – aka, excuse – ) can’t provide clear and accurate information, you are not as good at reading the tarot as you wish.
Hi NunYa,
Thanks for dropping by
I’m sorry you feel that way. I certainly don’t think that I, or anyone else here has made excuses.
Even trustworthy, authentic and honest people stuff up every now and again. Mistakes are made – tempers are lost – bad days are had. No one is a complete angel and on those occasions where mistakes are made, the best way forward is to be transparent about one’s failures and own up to short comings.
What I try to do is own these failures and mistakes and learn from them. In fact in my experience – it’s sometimes when you own your mistakes and failings that you free yourself to become all the more authentic (and trustworthy?) as a Tarot reader.
I think there is one flaw in the assertion that if you can’t make accurate and clear information that you shouldn’t be doing it — the only way to get to a point where you can do so is to learn along the way, which means that you will make mistakes. Lots of them. And I agree with Douglas that no matter how good you are, you will always make mistakes at times.
Hi Dan,
Thanks for dropping by
I couldn’t agree more. Mistakes are how we learn
I think it is the readers responsibility to be responsible for how they deliver the message to the sitter, after that whether or not the sitter decides to make a decision from that reading or take any action is solely their own responsibility. In all my readings, internet, face to face I have a caveat which is given to the sitter ( I don’t do phone readings) and this says:
“Insights found in the cards are only suggestions. To act or not act on them is at your own discretion. Any decisions you make based on a reading are your own responsibility.”
This appears in two places on my website and also appears on their delivered reading. Face to Face it appears on a sheet I give the client on which they can make notes. Even when I offer free readings on my website, this caveat appears alongside with the offer – in clear vision.
I meant free readings on my blog not website. My website doesn’t offer free readings LOL
Hi Helen,
The good thing about your disclaimer is that it makes the client aware of their own responsibility, had they been unaware of it before. It’s a nice approach and a great contribution to this debate.
Thanks for your comment
I think the client does ( or should) have full responsibility for their actions but clients can be so dependent or reliant on what is said to them – particularly those on the phone/ text lines that’s it’s important to word one’s readings very carefully so they can’t be misconstrued. So both sides have responsibility.
Hi Lori,
A good point. One of the things that Paul mentions in his comment is this idea of “..to what extent is a Tarot reader responsible”. This idea centers on the fact that a Tarot reading will influence the client to some extent or another. The more vulnerable the client, the greater the possibility that it will influence them.
Being mindful of how we communicate to the client is certainly something that every Tarot reader can take responsibility for, However, the possibility that the client will misunderstand what’s being communicated is something that, to a large extent, is out of our control.
Thank you for sharing your ideas
My answer is that the tarot reader is at once responsible and not. I don’t wanna be vague, but to my mind the issue is more like ‘to what extent’ is the reader accountable… I totally agree that once the reading is done, the querent is fully responsible for his or her action. But I also think that the querent is to a certain extent affected by the reading. In that sense, perhaps the reader is partially responsible if the turn of events seem to diverge drastically from what he expected. But then again, should anyone tarot readers included, base their action and decisions solely on a tarot reading (or gut feeling) and nothing else? What about careful weighing for the pros and cons? What about a contingency plan to minimize a foreseeable risk, rather than staking everything on an either/or situation? Going back to the first example, it might be a misinterpretation of the cards (perhaps she has gone into the wrong door – a budding romance is on the horizon but with a different person!) or it might all be part of the plan. To go to the extreme, perhaps the reconciliation might not begin only until something drastic (the beating…) take place? Who is to tell…?
To look at things from a different perspective: if a querent, desperate in a situation, came for a reading and received a really hearty one, ended up faring far better than he believed, should the reader be ‘credited’? Of course it was in the querent’s ‘potential’ to achieve what he eventually achieve, but if he never came for the reading he may not be in the same place eventually. So I think, in either case, I tend to think the reader is ‘accountable’, but only ‘to what extent’. Just my opinion though.
Sometimes I maintain intentionally vague on cards that escape me, or admit frankly, “I am not sure on this particularly card, it could be one way or the other.’ Although this seems to spare me from giving too concrete an ‘answer’ that might or might not be wrong, I always berate myself for being less than helpful.
This actually stirs in me another question, is there really ‘no truths, but only interpretation’? I tend to think it is. But if that’s the case, is it more ethical or unethical to be ambiguous, (“Its very likely to be the case, but other factors and human interference and alter the result”) or to be ‘sure’, like giving time-related or Yes/No readings? Hmmm… I seem to be raising more and more questions…
Vague as it sounds, this is what we do: to make meanings out of the elusive and fluid…
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the thoughtful comment
You make an interesting point, “to what extent” is the reader accountable. Central to this point of view is the perfectly reasonable assumption (which I agree with) that a Tarot reading does influence the client.
In many ways, this is part of the ethical concern that some Tarot readers have over doing predictive Tarot readings. Knowing that the reading will affect the client is a heavy responsibility to carry (whether or not we actually are responsible after the reading).
The next point you make concerns a positive outcome. Should the Tarot reader be credited? This is a very interesting point. I’ve expressed my opinion on this in the follow up post, Tarot Eon Quiz II – Conclusion.
I’m not sure there is an easy answer to any of the ideas or points you raise in your comment. Perhaps one way to think about all the points you’ve raised is from the perspective of a code of ethics. It seems to me that whether or not you realise it, you have outlined a very personal and well thought out code of ethics that would work for you. For example, your thoughts on ambiguity would be a perfect component of this.
Thank you for a great comment
Another great quiz.
I feel that I and any reader are not responsible for the actions a client makes after a reading. I am not telling them what to do but show them options for what they may choose to do. But let me argue for both sides I guess.
Maybe we are responsible?
My problem with Free Will is we are not even sure if it is real (in the sense we believe it to be) You should make a posting about free will. Does a client have free will? Do we have free will? Well if we have free will then all of our actions are random, but our actions are not random there is cause and effect, something triggers us to do something. Ie I am hungry therefor I go eat. I don’t eat for no reason because of free will.
So with this in mind someone who comes for a reading then does something that impacts them or others negatively (on purpose or not) they did those actions out of the advice/guidance/whatever of the Tarot reading. So we can say the reading was to blame, they did not freely choose to act in the manner they did because the reading was the cause and what they did was the effect/reaction.
On the other side – We do not hold responsibility
Like I said I am on this side of the fence. I feel that I am not responsible for anyone other then myself. What I do is my fault, those who do not accept this have other bigger problems when they start putting blame on others and ignore what they did. We do have a responsibility to read the cards as well as we can and explain to the client how we read and what we can and cant do, explain that this is not set in stone and this reading does not dictate your future. Because people think the cards “know” the future 100% and we as readers we are authority figures.
They issue leads into big legal problems if someone wanted to go after a reader. We cant tell people what to do as readers, have you noticed that therapists don’t tell clients what to do? Yea because they can get into BIG trouble if the advice backfires.
Angelo, IMHO your answer couldn’t be better. If we help clients explore their options rather than give advice per se, we join them rather than direct them. Not only that, but we show them how to think about what options there are in situations.
In my view, readings should be at least somewhat collaborative. And so much depends on whether we are dealing with a repeat client or just a one-time client. If we know the person, we know how likely they are to blindly follow advice.
That leads me to the topic of vulnerable people. There are lots of people out there who are “vulnerable,” and I disagree that we are expected to be responsible in situations with them. Or maybe I don’t understand what is meant by that. If that means we are expected to responsibly avoid giving vulnerable persons advice, then I agree with it. And who decides who is vulnerable and who isn’t? If we have a repeat client, we might know. Meeting someone for the first time, we can’t know.
As an example, I have a friend who is very intelligent. She is a successful attorney, in fact. She looks “okay” and she isn’t entirely “okay”. She likes to have readings of all kinds, and once a reader gains her confidence, she will follow that reader’s advice without question. Last year she got sick and put herself under the care of a medical intuitive, who uses cards among other things. This person told her that her problem was malabsorption of minerals, and advised her to eat more chocolate so that she could absorb magnesium better. My friend wouldn’t listen to anyone else on this. She got sicker and sicker until she was finally taken to an emergency room, where she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with a “dead” section of colon. The medical intuitive was correct. Not only could my friend not absorb minerals, she couldn’t absorb any food or water at all by that time. Was the medical intuitive responsible for that? Not entirely, but maybe my friend would have gotten treatment sooner without her advice. Just a thought. An exploration of options might have been more helpful than advice to eat more chocolate.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for dropping by
You make some excellent points on dealing with vulnerable people. Unfortunately the harsh reality is that some people who come for Tarot readings follow the advice given absolutely.
Is this a good thing? Absolutely not! In fact it goes against almost everything I’m about and creates a massive conflict in me. I don’t like the idea that a Tarot reading could be taken so seriously that the client could end up endangering their health, or in the case of your friend, her life. This is one of those hyper-real and consistent ethical problems that most Tarot readers face.
I understand your position on helping the client explore options rather than direct them. I’ve often wanted to find a way were I would be able to tell who is vulnerable and who isn’t. The idea being that I could adapt my reading style depending on who the client is.
How might we go about this?
This is something that perhaps doesn’t have a definitive answer. We can’t even reasonably say that we will adjust our reading style depending on the client’s level of vulnerability because as you pointed out – how can you tell? Unless it’s completley obvious or they’re repeat clients it’s almost impossible to tell.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this particular area of reading the Tarot for other people and still haven’t found an entirely satisfactory answer, or solution. I think the hard truth of the matter is that it comes down to each Tarot reader making a judgement call – and of course, this is where responsibility kicks in.
Part of the reason for posting these quizzes was to help all of us better think through these difficult areas in the hope that we can each learn something that we can incorporate into our decision making processes.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment
Hi Angelo Nasios,
I’m glad you enjoyed the quiz
The subject of free-will is fascinating isn’t it? This is one of those subjects that continually occupies my mind. I did write some posts on fate, free-will and the gods. This one involves most of the big themes, Homers Gods, Fate and the Tarot. The rest of them can be found in the Myths category.
The Free-Will versus Determinism debate is complex and does lend itself perfectly to this quiz. One of things that you explore in your comment is to start by questioning free-will itself. If we don’t have any, then how can anyone be held accountable for anything. Good point, and impossible to answer definitively. That’s the beauty of that kind of questioning, we just don’t know the answers. Sure, there are plenty of theories to account for any number of views on free-will, but as yet, nobody knows the definitive answer.
One of the more interesting areas of the debate centres around Neuropsychology. Some people who work within this field even go so far as to question the nature of “personality”. Do we have one in the way poets and philosophers have assumed for thousands of years? Or is it simply a random neural pathway that was formed at birth? If so, should our very thinking on the nature of responsibility be questioned? Okay, as interesting as that is perhaps it’s little to abstract for this debate. The point is though, that the question of free-will is very much central to the whole debate of responsibility and it’s certainly worth while exploring further.
I agree with you:
I certainly don’t think we can take any responsibility for their actions after the Tarot reading. Like you say, we take responsibility for providing the best reading we can, for explaining what they can expect from a Tarot reading and for explaining what we can and cannot do – but beyond that, the client must be accountable for their actions.
LOL how true!
Interesting theory. I wonder if neural pathways change, though, because people’s personalities change throughout their lives. I know mine has.
Hi Dan,
Good question!
One of the big concepts of Magick is that it’s about changing neural pathways – deconditioning and so on
I wonder though, can a Tarot reading (being slightly different) start that process off in a client? Sometimes I think it can, other times … not! Deconditioning is certainly the name of the game as far as any Spiritual or Magickal practice goes. Does divination fit into this? I’m not sure – what do you think?
That is a good question. I believe it can if the influence is strong enough, something akin to enlightenment within the recipient. Just like when a person is inspired by other external sources (and sometimes internal). I guess it just depends on the person, whether they take ownership of the reading and what it suggests. Think about all the people who take action based upon a dream they had…
Quiz II part 1
My opinion, we all are completely responsible for our choices. No blame.
Let’s turn this around…based on your examples, most people may be responding to a situation where there is a contrary result. I wonder if each person’s response would be the same if it were a confirming response? For example, if a client called back and said that your reading was “spot on” and had the best effect, would you as the reader take some credit for this effect? is there a difference in your mind?
Douglas, thanks for keeping us on our toes!
P.S. Looking forward to part 2….
Katrina, this is a brilliant question to ask!
Hi Katrina,
Great comment! I really liked your suggestion to “…let’s turn this around.”
Good question! I think this is an excellent addition to the debate. What would each person’s response be if it were confirming?
For the most part, this is how we gain confidence – we gain confidence because we think we’re responsible for the positive outcome. But what your question prompted me to ask was, is this actually a good thing?
I was reminded of a bible story involving Moses:
Moses was asked to gather the thirsty congregation around a rock. Yahweh instructed him to -
Unfortunately Moses didn’t do as he was asked and Yahweh punished him. Why was he punished? Two possible reasons. The first was he hit the rock instead of just speaking to it. The second, he accredited the Water to himself, not Yahweh.
What’s the point of this story?
It reminds me of Attribution Theory in psychology. It reminds me of how we attribute our successes or failures to either something particular to us (like our skill, knowledge, ability) or the environment ( like being tired, hungry, or annoyed by other people).
I think that the point you made in this comment is very useful. It reminds all of us to question both the reading and ourselves, regardless of the outcome!
Thanks for a great comment
I think that we are responsible for everything we say or do if we are well and able to take responsibility at that particular moment. So we need to be mindful. And sitters are responsible for their own choices. We all learn by mistakes as well.
I guess that tarot readers learn with self-awareness and experience what they can deal with and what they can’t. If I read for others (rare now) I generally take a light hearted approach and try to involve them in the reading as much as possible. I love the interactive style because it invites the sitter to share and take some responsibility. Some don’t want to do this of course.
Hi KS,
Great comment
I liked the way you focused on our ability to learn from mistakes. I do think that making mistakes, being open to the fact that you’ve made mistakes and ultimately learning from those mistakes helps people become better Tarot readers. As you said, “I guess that tarot readers learn with self-awareness and experience what they can deal with and what they can’t.” I agree.
I also agree that the more involved we can make the client, the more likely they are to share “and take some responsibility”.
Definitely #2, the individual is responsible for their actions.
I do agree that sometimes we can be “off” when reading energies. However, most of the time, it IS right indeed – and no matter how carefully we can word something to empower choices of the client – sometimes they can twist words around in order to LOOK like it wasn’t them, it was “that darned tarot reader.”
Then, weirdly – the opposite can happen. Let me explain. One time, a guy came in for a general tarot reading, just to see how things were going. I could tell he never had a reading and was curious but didn’t necessarily “believe” in this stuff. After laying cards, I could tell that the cards were warning of an accident (and I dowsed the day with the pendulum to narrow the energy down better).
Now there is a big difference between saying “You will be in an accident of some sort on this day,” versus “You may wish to be extra careful on this day and plan ahead, as there is an energy presence of accidents if you are not careful.” In the first example I would say the reader COULD even have some responsibility here, and it is fatalistic and utterly un-empowering. The second choice is empowering and gives the client CHOICE – choice within a confined set of energetic signatures that cannot be changed, but choice nonetheless.
So that day happens and the guy didn’t take me seriously – and he unfortunately ends up in an accident. He comes in with a neck brace a few days later and thinks I must be GOD or something. How could I possibly know? My answer? “Well, apparently, I really wasn’t good enough as a reader for you, because the information I relayed to you for some reason didn’t prompt you to choose to avoid this accident.” Suddenly, it occurs to him — you mean this was avoidable? YES, it was most likely avoidable – in this case by being careful, of which he, the client, didn’t take seriously – by his own choice!
I guess the question sometimes is – why DO people get readings? Do they think it is fatalistic, or free will of their choices? While some energetic signatures are already in place and cannot be changed (and the cards always show these influences), the idea is to USE the energies available for the most desirable outcome possible under the circumstances, right?
Here is a further idea for Tarot Readers to consider: You do not charge for the INFORMATION – you only charge for your TIME. This had been a policy of where I worked in the past and kept people from seeking refunds, since the time spent cannot be replaced. Ideas?
I think there is an underlying theme here that deserves to be brought to surface, and that is the fact that while it may be the responsibility of the individual to choose how to live their lives following a reading, it may not be obvious. So while it is their responsibility, it is ours to make that clear, in addition to taking responsibility for whatever we say to them. We as readers can’t just toss out anything we want without at least considering the possible outcomes, because like it or not, we are affecting those possible outcomes.
As someone mentioned before, it might be a good practice not to do readings for people in highly emotional states. Another technique that I sometimes incorporate is I tweak the reading in some ways dependent upon what they are trying to accomplish. For example, any time someone asks me a question like, “Will I ever get married?” I don’t pay much attention to the cards at all, because to me, a person asking that I think needs more than a simple yes or no answer. They need more guidance on how to improve themselves in such a way as to increase their success in that area of life, which I happen to have significant experience in. And since I fully believe that people can accomplish anything if they believe that they can and have the drive to do it, I calibrate the person to find out which of these they need in order to proceed. I don’t think that’s unethical at all. I don’t think it’s any different than referring them to a professional if something is outside the scope of your abilities (therapist, doctor, nutritionist, etc.).
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