This is an image of Petra. Symbol of a great, robust structure that stood the test of time, exactly the kind of amazing craftsmanship that we should all aspire to as Tarot readers.
I thought that now would be a great time to reflect on people’s responses to the first Eon quiz. The quiz itself had nothing to do with health; rather, it was designed to test, or see how robust we are as Tarot readers, when confronted with such a question.
I’ll start by looking at a few of the general trends that developed in the comments section, offer my own opinion on those trends, and finally offer some decisive tips to help you confidently take on a health question.
This preparation will set us up for the next post, which includes an example health reading, a list of possible techniques to use with an underlying emphasis on finding the most robust one.
The trends
There were four distinct trends that developed in the comments section.
- Ethics, and ethical concerns: The ethical issues that some people felt surrounded health related questions, involved, as I understood it, the potential consequences for the client themselves. If a Tarot reader predicts wrongly, the impact on the client could be very counter-productive. Perhaps even damaging?
- Third-party readings: This links into the ethical debate. Is it ethical to do a third party reading if we don’t have permission from the third party in question?
- The question: Rather than answer the question directly, ( “will my husband make a full recovery?” ) some people felt it was good practice to reword the question. In this case, rather than ask, “will my husband make a full recovery?” It could be changed to “What do I need to know about my husband’s health?” Or, “What can my husband do to improve his overall health?” The overall thinking, as I understood it, was to empower the client.
- Psychological approach: There was also a very general trend towards moving away from predictive Tarot readings. The focus, rather than being on “predicting the future health of her husband” was more of a blend of spiritual/psychological & counselling approaches. The motive being simply to empower the client.
- Lack of confidence: Another reason for using this approach, as I understood it, was due to a lack of confidence in either the Tarot reader’s ability to accurately make predictions, or, a lack of confidence in the Tarot as a predictive tool.
- Legal reasons: An interesting trend amongst most of the comments, at least through implication, was the legal ramifications of answering such a question. I found this very interesting … simply as a reflection of our current society, and the current understanding of social responsibility, confidentiality etc. In many ways, we, as Tarot readers, have to protect ourselves legally. I don’t like it, but it’s par-for-the-course.
My opinion & what I’ve learned
Yes, I think it’s important to make sure we cover all the relevant legalities. Yes, I think it’s important to tell the client we’re not medically trained. Yes, I think it’s important to empower the client, but what I think we all have to be absolutely clear about is our own motives.
In my opinion, as soon as the client asks you to do a reading on health, or for a third-party, then you, as a Tarot reader, have to know whether or not you’re going to answer them. Is the question they’re asking, ethical, or unethical?
This may sound obvious, but I think this is something we have to be absolutely clear about. If you think the question the client is asking would be unethical, then don’t even deal out the cards. Tell the client that the question is unethical. If you think that it is ethical, then answer the question. There is no grey area; it’s black and white. Either it’s ethical, or it isn’t. If it’s not an ethical question, then don’t answer.
If you think it is ethical, but still don’t want to answer the question, then that’s okay. That’s a confidence issue, and one that can be worked on. It’s also something that we have to be completely honest with ourselves about. It serves us no purpose if we confuse a lack of confidence with ethical concerns, or at its darkest, we actually hide behind ethics, because of a lack of confidence.
In answering the “question”, the choice is yours and it’s based on your own moral code of ethics. It’s that very code of ethics though that you need to be clear about.
Psychological approaches
I don’t like a purely psychological approach to Tarot readings. I think this goes against the role of a Tarot reader and, more importantly, Tarot readings. We make predictions. That’s what we get paid to do. If the client really wanted counselling, they would go and see a “trained” counsellor. They choose to visit a Tarot reader because they want a prediction of the future, because they want to know what’s going to happen, because they want information unavailable through traditional channels.
People like to discuss their feelings and that has its place within a Tarot reading. The point I’m making is that they come to us because they want a glimpse into the future, the role of a Tarot reader, not amateur psychology.
I often incorporate some psychological elements into my readings, but no more so than I would when discussing something in normal conversation; “he’s moody”, “she’s worried about stuff and with the price of fuel going up, it’s just adding to it”, “he’s a thieving swine” etc.
I’m not a psychologist and I’m not a counsellor. I treat the Tarot on its own terms. It’s irrational, and doesn’t need to be justified by anything outside of itself.
The Question
The Tarot won’t answer the Tarot readers rephrased question, it will only answer what the seeker wants to know. The Tarot reader is only acting as a translator between the Universe and the seeker. In fact, in my experience, it doesn’t even matter if you do change the question, the Tarot will still tell you what needs to be known ( sometimes, even the client doesn’t know what they need to know 
). How many times have you done a reading, only to discover it’s not about the client (or based on their question, or your rephrased question) but rather it’s about their mother, say? It happens to me all the time.
Rewording the question, in-itself, achieves nothing. The Tarot will answer however it chooses to answer. Empowering the client happens through the reading itself, not through any external self-imposed approach. Treat the Tarot on its own terms and things will fall into place. It just takes a little bit of trust.
I only ever ask the client if they have a question in an effort to help the client relax. I know it has little baring on the reading, and so I don’t really care what they ask. I’ll deal out the cards and tell them whatever the cards show me.
Rewording the question
Philosophically, rewording the question is still asking for a prediction. What’s the difference between asking, “Will my husband’s health improve?” and “What do I need to know about my husband’s health?” In both cases, the Tarot is still making a prediction. It’s still projecting from the present outwards and into the future.
Are people more comfortable with this approach because it reduces their perceived risk to themselves, as Tarot readers? Does the rewording of the question remove a sense of responsibility on their part?
A sense of responsibility
Responsibility is part of being a Tarot reader. Taking risks (because it’s all so irrational) and treating the Tarot on its own terms is part-and-parcel of being a Tarot reader. We can never know if we’re 100% correct. We can never know because the whole process is irrational anyway. Part of being a Tarot reader is accepting this; accepting that if we get it wrong, we can potentially exasperate the distress the client already feels – perhaps even adding to it?
The use of psychology in Tarot reading has its place. However, even Jung brought the supernatural into the clinical world of Psychiatry – in certain circles, it cost him his reputation, because it was deemed irrational.
What I’ve learned
I’ve learned that it’s important to understand your own ethical or moral position before a client even asks a question. I’ve learned it’s important to understand the difference between ethics and having confidence in the techniques used to answer questions. I’ve learned that empowering the client is very important, but the extent to which we, as Tarot readers, can do that, is still something I’m thinking about. I’ve learned that thinking about the legal issues, and being prepared to respond to them, is perhaps one of the most important factors to ensuring a robust Tarot reading.
A robust approach to health questions
First, decide if it’s an ethical question or not. Is this question ethical? Do I feel comfortable answering this?
If the answer is no, stop immediately and end the session.
If the answer is yes, then answer fully, honestly, and completely. Treat the Tarot on its own terms, and even be prepared to do a reading on a subject other than health. What the Tarot thinks is important, what the Tarot reader thinks is important, and what the client thinks is important, can’t always be reconciled. By ensuring we constantly question our approach to a Tarot reading, we bring ourselves that much closer to refining our craft.
If the answer is, yes, I want to, but I lack confidence in my own abilities, don’t worry about that. In the next post I will focus on an example health reading. This will work us through some of the common place techniques that are available to us as Tarot readers. The goal will be to work out which is the best tool for the job. This post won’t be complete without your valuable contributions, and as always, I look forward to seeing you in the comments
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32 comments… Let's discuss
Hmm…what you said about using tarot for predictions and using it less for psychology is reminding me of the question Ric Minetti asked “Is tarot dying?” I guess I’m seeing the psychology come into view because one of tarot’s purposes has evolved into the psychological/therapeutic realm.
It causes me to think about why I resist doing straight up predictive readings. Is it because I lack the confidence in my skills to divine with the cards? Is it because I, personally, have a stronger interest in tarot as a psychological/therapeutic device and, hence, I will steer clear of any issues not dealing with that realm?
What, then, do I want my purpose and my path as a tarot reader to be? Do I train myself to do what my clients ask? Do I want clients? Do I maintain a strictly personal use for tarot?
In a way, a good way, this first quiz hasn’t really answered any questions for me, as it has prompted me to ask more.
Hi Kafka,
Awesome! A good craftsman never stops asking questions, never settles with the ways things are now, always looking to refine their craft.
Having more questions than answers is always good – it’s part of being progressive.
I still go back and forth on the predictive capabilities of tarot. I think part of it’s due to my desire to not know the future and to just enjoy the moment and take things as they come, so I’m less inclined to pursue predictive readings in general. But when I have done “free-style” readings (with no question asked, and no set spread), I often get cards that are intensely predictive–and turn out to be incredibly accurate.
I also subscribe to the idea that we are part of one big multiverse–every possibility exists somewhere, branching off into infinite alternative universes. Perhaps it’s just a foolish comfort to myself to know that the “road not taken” is actually taken in another version of this universe. And so any predictions I see in the card are simply predictions BEFORE the split in the roads, perhaps indicating one or several specific possibilities that WILL occur in the grand multiverse but that may not be the route I take in this particular universe I inhabit.
So those two factors combined might be why I prefer a more psychoanalytical/therapeutic approach to tarot for myself. But I also cannot deny that some people–perhaps through training, or through intuition, or some other means–seem to be much better at using the cards in a predictive fashion, so perhaps some day I, too, will end up swinging away from the “pseudo-therapy” end of the spectrum and fly right into the “fortune-telling” camp.
(Loving these posts by the way–very thought provoking!)
Hi Ret,
Interesting! Having clarity on why we prefer to read one way as opposed to another, or why we do one thing over another, is really the hallmark of moving towards a more robust reading style. My honest opinion is that a Psychological/therapeutic approach is good in so much as it helps us understand what’s going on (motives etc.), but it’s still predictive if we’re seeking an outcome. Perhaps a good mixture of all styles would be the most robust so long as we’re clear about their roles within a Tarot reading? I think that having absolute honesty in why we read in a particular style, or why we don’t like other styles is all part of delivering a well crafted Tarot reading.
The more clarity we have, as Tarot readers, over why we choose one approach as opposed to another, can only benefit our clients.
I’m glad you’re enjoying these post
Hi Ret,
I resonate with the way you describe the multi-dimensional aspects of time/space and it’s possible bifurcation points. I am also a go with the flow kind of gal, and most times look to the cards to help me get a broader perspective on the terrain, rather than narrow my options to a predictive decision.
Intuition, psychic awareness, card knowledge, all combine to describe the terrain, while prescriptions/predictions and conclusions tend to force me onto a designated road.
In the spirit of flowing knowledge and experience,
Katrina
Hello Douglas.
Personally I believe that is very important to have a clear code of ethics.
I work by appointment and I screen my clients. I tell them right away that I work best with clear questions. If they don’t have specific concerns and they are just curious about what the future has in store for them, I suggest a Numerology Reading instead. It is working well for me.
I know that with clear questions I can give them good answers, but I am not good at general predictive readings. I don’t read about health, and I don’t read about people other than my clients.
I disagree with you about the futility of rephrasing a question.
A client asked me recently If I would read about her niece’s troubled relationship. I answered that I would not, because it would go against my ethics. I told my client we could ask the Tarot to tell us what she needed to understand about the relationship but mostly, how could she help her niece, and what would be harmful instead. My suggestion turned out to be what the client wanted all along.
She loved the couple. Her niece asked her often for advice and my client was scared to end up doing more harm than good.
I believe the questions are very important because the cards can only answer you clearly if they know what you mean. Or perhaps, I can only interpret the cards accurately if I am clear about what they are talking about. I am not fishing for information, as I actually prefer to know as little as possible about the situation I am being asked about. The more I know, the more I could be influenced in my interpretation.
I have had a few readings answer questions that had not been asked, but they were about the client. It only happens when the client has not been clear with the question, and when the message of the Tarot suggests a more important issue needs to be explored.
I do agree with you that most clients want some kind of prediction.
I don’t have a problem with that, in the contest that we affect our present and our future. Our choices, our actions have repercussions.
With my readings I try to help the client see the situation clearly. I try to show the link between beliefs, attitudes, actions and the present situation and the likely outcome. I stress how the outcome that I predict is linked to the present behavior. As an example, if the client understands how she is sabotaging her relationship, she may change the outcome if she stops the behavior. I am giving a prediction, but I am also giving the tool to my cient to affect the outcome. Of course there are situations when things are out of the hands of the client, so I can only give her a prediction.
Thank you Douglas for what you do. You help me think. Reading your opinions and those of others help me clarify my own beliefs.
Hi Anna,
I agree with you about Ethics, and it’s awesome to see that you have a very strong sense of Ethics. It seems to me that you know exactly what you’ll answer, and what you won’t. This sense of clarity can only benefit your clients.
Do you use numerology within your Tarot readings? It’s interesting that you use numerology if they don’t have a specific question. Do you find them better for doing general readings (help you focus etc.)?
Have you ever experimented with the Romany spread? When I was first starting out, I found this to be a great all purpose spread, capable of delivering accurate general readings. Check out this link if you’re feeling experiential. The Romany Spread – How to use the Romany Spread in Tarot
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed these post
Hello Douglas.
I use Numerology in my Tarot readings in the sense that repeating numbers will be one of the things I will check for and I can get a lot of information from that. I sometimes give my Tarot clients their personal year number to get an idea of the opportunities and general energies they are going to deal with. This said, Tarot readings and Numerology readings with me are separate. The first one is in person and immediate. For the Numerology reading I first explain to the client the different readings available, and I help them chose the one that suits their needs best. I then gather the data I need and they pick up the printed reading at a different time, when I help them sort it out a bit.
This morning as an example I got a client for a Tarot reading. Her first question was about her health, so I explained to her why I don’t do that kind of reading. Her other questions were extremely general and very far into the future. Most of my Tarot readings concentrate on the present, and how it is going to affect the near future. It was clear to me that a Numerology Forecast would have been much more helpful to my client. She wasn’t sure at first. As I explained it to her and pointed out that I was going against my personal gain, since I charge less for Numerology that I do for Tarot , she agreed.
My client has since picked up her Numerology report, and we have quicky addressed it together and I am confident we made the right choice.
Thank you for the link to the Romany Spread. I would love to give it a try. Unfortunately the explanation for the 7TH line doesn’t work.
Could you please tell me what card 7,14 and 21 stand for?
Thank you.
Anna
Hi Anna,
Thank you for replying
Your approach to numerology is interesting. I like how you use it as a sort of pattern recognition method within Tarot, and also, how you use it as a stand alone device for general readings. Offering a complete package to your clients gives them the best possible experience
Lines 7,14 and 21 are the long term outcome.
Again, this comment shows me that you have a very strong sense of ethics.
This, in itself, is robust because you have clearly defined where the line is for you.
Let me know how you get on with the Romany
Douglas, you brought up a very important point. While I answered your prior blog post off the top of my head – I forgot to address entirely the fact that it was a third-party querent (a very close one, being his wife, but nonetheless not the husband himself).
So – what if the husband’s health issues were more about her than they were about him? Addressing the querent, even through circumstances that seem “outside” is to me a mandatory part of a reading – and in particular if the third party doesn’t know about the reading (for instance, the wife may not have even told the husband she would get a reading on this topic)!
I often find that the issues are present with the querent, even if it is being expressed by another (and often that other is close to them). So, it also seems like a good idea to look into things for her health, and even the health of the relationship. This can be guided easily by explaining this principal – what is outside of ourselves that we notice is also likely inside of ourselves. When they see that they, too, need to take responsibility for themselves to correct things for them (their insides, if you will) – often, the third party becomes a non-issue somehow (i.e. perhaps his health fully recovers). This is an example of best-case-scenario for this situation. A worse-case-scenario is that they decide to get a divorce, or the querent’s health takes a turn for the worse, or a myriad of other possibilities. As tarot readers, we cannot be responsible for these surprise outcomes, since people have free will. What we can do is explain the energies and help them get the best results possible from the energies, and be prepared for the bumpier parts of the energies if they cannot be avoided or corrected somehow.
If I need to explain further, please ask! Thanks Douglas, you are awesome!
Hi AarTiana,
If I understand what you mean, you’re saying that the husband’s health issues, being external to the client, might not be the real reason she’s looking for a reading. In fact, the reason she wants to know about her husband’s health, is that it might symbolise something within her?
You mention divorce as one possible outcome. This could be on a par with her inner-fear of needing to look after him? A sort of entrapment? A removal of choices?
In other words, his ill-health has brought to ahead, her own issues of which he may have been unaware. The health issue acting as a catalyst in her life.
It then becomes a total shift of priorities from what she had going on.
However, after all this psychology, she still wants to know the outcome regarding his health, which is predictive.
This is an excellent example of predictive and psychology working together, but she still wants to know the outcome as it will effect her choices and future plans etc.
The only danger of focusing so heavily on the psychology behind the question, is that it places the emphasis of responsibility on the client’s shoulder. Perhaps unfairly so. I’ve seen this done on many occasions, when the client actually ends up feeling they are responsible for the husband’s ill health. Although this is a danger, if handled correctly (the Tarot reader highlights their fears as issues), it can only help the client – so long as we refer them to a trained professional after the reading.
Thank you for your kind words, I’m glad you like these posts
OMG I do not know how I didn’t get notified about your follow-up post and I apologize for getting back only now.
Yes, I would agree that this is indeed a mixed question – one in which there is psychological implications, as well as a prediction of energies. However, I realized a long time ago a few things about me, as well as my clients that I attract:
1. I am first an Astrologer and a Healer. Tarot is only a portion of my practice. While the cards are very good at predicting energy patterns, as any diviner can tell you, nothing in the future is written in stone. Although I do find that the results turn out virtually 90% of the time or better (which is much better than any weather person on the news, that is for sure), it is often because of the person involved not believing in their own power to change the energy. Dowsing comes in quite handy for this, giving me permissions, as well as nailing timing (if applicable) sometimes to the minute.
2. My clients do not believe in fate or prediction. They believe in free will, and most are on a spiritual and/or healing path and actively creating their lives, rather than just reactive to conditions around them. My clients want to know if energy looks like it is going the way they intend it, and if it is not – how can it be changed, but within the highest good? In other words, we do not want to interfere with soul contracts, etcetera! You might also be surprised at how much wiggle-room spirit can provide in these situations – but nearly every time, I need to educate the client on letting go of limitations of the “how” and to just keep focused on their intention. Let the Universe deal with the details – and that is where the fun is. Even after all these years, Spirit still surprises me!
When I worked at a metaphysical book shop with other readers, most of the other readers did the predictive types of readings, and perhaps that is OK for them, and their clients. It was not OK with me, since I believe heavily in responsibility. I see my “prediction” as something the client can hang onto, and if it comes true, the thought of me having any contribution of energy to that outcome (especially if it wasn’t desired) was too heavy for me. I feel like I am more of a teacher, not a fortune-teller. I wish to empower my clients so they are in control, not giving that control to me. And, often – they can be at a moment ready for healing their lives and their approaches to things. Because this comment is getting WAY too long, I can give some specific examples – please let me know how I can get this information to you (if you are interested hehe)
Hi AarTiana,
I agree. Every reader attracts their own kind of client … and over time … the reader will become more of a specialist in that style.
Responsibility is one of the first things that a Tarot reader is confronted with. It can be kind of spooky to realise that some clients “hang onto” the readers every word … as if it’s LAW. This took me a little bit of time to get used to. I can imagine that a different “reader style” would develop if the clients didn’t believe in fate.
Thank you for your comment
Nice post Doug, and incredibly well put. It’s easy to get people’s backs up on this topic and I think you’ve been very diplomatic. There’s a whole industry of self help and pop psychology out there and I feel that while that has a place, it’s polluting Tarot and divination. I certainly don’t want to be lectured by a “tarot reader” about 2nd hand Freudian and Jungian psychology as I have in the past.
That isn’t to say that psychology shouldn’t be discussed – its part of contemporary parlance, but it shouldn’t be used as a blind to protect an insecure or uncertain Tarot reader.
The act of divination has always been tenuous and there will be times when the answer will be obscure or elusive. We shouldn’t take this personally, as long as we know that we are concentrating on the issue and the process of the divination. Clients understand this, in a way it’s a kind of egocentrism that makes us want to satisfy the querent rather than just read the F**king cards!
A tarot reader should be more of a professional translator rather than an amateur psychologist!
Hi Chris,
Glad you liked the post
I totally agree with your comment.
Nuff said
Well written observations. I do enjoy ur posts.
I love it how you bluntly say the truth that Tarot readers are here for predictions not amateur psychologists. While I think a healthy mix of two is best. We must not be the fortune teller stereotype and we can’t be Dr. Phil.
However imagine the things Dr. Phil could do with the Tarot!! lol
Hi Angelo,
Thank you for your kind words
The possibilities are endless
I missed the quiz, but upon reading the questions appreciate the ethical/practical effort you have made to examine a range of perspectives on addressing health, prediction, ethics in reading for clients. I tend to resonate with most of the “trends” you have highlighted.
When it comes to “ethics” I agree with Anna. I encourage my students to develop their own “Code of Ethics” and to decide how or if to share that with clients. This promotes forethought and responsibility about one’s reading style, boundaries, scope of practice, etc. In those states/countries where reading cards can touch upon legal concerns, it may be wise to word the code of ethics in a way that reflects what is legally acceptable.
I’m also with Anna on rephrasing and personalizing the question so it focuses on the client, not the object of the client’s concern. There is an art to this, working with the client to look at the thing behind the thing until they get to the heart of what they really need support for in their life. It is rarely about the other person, even in times of illness. At the same time, there is a belief that says we are all connected, your illness is my illness in a symbolic or energetic way. Thus, if I work on my illness, it might create some relief or support for you, the designated ill one. There is so much more to this than I can say in this writing. Please be directed to the work of Drs. Arnold and Amy Mindell (Dreambody and Process Work Psychology).
Yes, most people associate Tarot readings these days with prediction. To state that is the Tarot’s sole purpose is to ignore all the history and influences that have gone into developing this set of cards and the various ways oracles have been approached throughout history (see “Origins of the Tarot”). As a reader with 36 years experience, I know there is so much more to Tarot than a predictive tool, but also honor the fact that that is all some folks are interested in and there is someone other than me who is more than willing to satisfy their desire for that brand of certainty or preparedness for their future. I also trust that each client intuitively knows who to go to for a reading. If prediction is what they want, they’ll go to predictive readers.
Like Anna, I offer a predictive alternative for folks looking for future information. I have tested and trust the “Cards of Destiny” system as modernized by Robert Camp. I am fully capable of making predictions myself, but for me it would be like offering my client a band-aid, when they have the unfortunate habit of stabbing him/herself.
I’m not here to put down band-aids. If one’s training and experience only prepares them for applying a band-aid in the most successful way, that is an important service. This begins to touch upon the ethical issue of training and professionalism. I agree with concerns about psychologizing readings, but not for the same reasons expressed in these comments.
Whether using predictions or pop-psychology, you can be influencing and potentially interrupting another person’s life/psyche in a way that you are not aware or prepared. This is where one slips into unethical practices and possible legal issues, kind of like practicing medicine without a license. Yet, I’m all for experienced folks, confident in their knowledge, offering whatever their gift or specialty is to the public. That said, I trust that clients will find the best match for their readings and are responsible for their own choices and results.
One last perspective for you to consider in contrary to predictive readings. Reading the future has no meaning outside the context of a past. When you consider the past and the future, these are not isolated events, but represent a continuum in the client’s life. Most people live by habits and patterns. We are hardwired for developing routine pathways through our brains, using less brain-power, creating known concepts. So, to focus on a future possibility without consideration of how it evolved, and how it is maintained, consciously or unconsciously, does not resolve or create any real relief or satisfaction for the client. It might feel nice during the reading, much like a piece of candy, but it does not nurture or sustain the soul.
I accept that not all readers are interested in inspiring long-term effects for clients’ well-being and that few clients wish to make changes in their own lives. This confirms the modern interpretation of the purpose of Tarot as a fortune-telling tool … to satisfy the urge for quick fixes and fast foods…part of the very problem that creates illness. It can feed the very monster it thinks it is attempting to appease.
Now I’m getting into some very heavy material and should probably pause for now. Please consider this food for thought.
Thank you again, Douglas, for this forum for mind, heart and soul stimulating discourse.
Love & Light, Katrina
Hi Katrina,
Thank you for your comment
I agree with the basic premise of the above quote, but surely you must admit that most predictive Tarot readers will, by necessity, discuss the past (if for no other reason than to convince the client that a connection exists between you – that you’re good at your job). In examining the past, certain habits relevant to the client’s question will surface allowing for discussion, should the client want that. If not, it’s enough that the Tarot reader has convinced the client that they connected with them before looking at future predictions. Either way, in my opinion, I don’t believe that non-predictive readers have the monopoly on exploring the past, repeating patterns of behaviour etc.
For example, I’ve had several clients who have wanted a basic relationship reading, but when I explore their past, I can see repeating cycles of violence. I know that this person is attracted to a certain type of person and, through habit, will find someone else who shares similar traits. Likewise, their future partner will find them. However, the difference in the two styles (I’m predictive) is that I’m not looking to overly explore this, simply to let them be aware of it. Why? Usually because their future involves meeting the very type of person from their past. I do it to help them – but it’s not counselling, and neither should it be. Things will naturally come up about their past, the patterns or habits that have been formed – all this comes up within the context of the reading to inform them about their future. It’s not counselling because in most cases, were it to be genuine counselling, it would takes weeks of intense therapy to thoroughly explore all of the issues in as rigorous and professional manner as possible. This is outside the scope of a Tarot reading.
A lot of the above paragraph talks about what the Tarot reader can’t or shouldn’t do from a psychological perspective. Where Tarot comes into its own, in my experience, is helping the client realise the effect of the past on their present and future. I’ve seen this happen in three ways -
The Big issue is the very group of people we as Tarot readers have to accept require assistance outside of a Tarot reading. That’s the group we should be referring to a trained professional, a therapist or counsellor.
In this sense then, the Tarot reading uses the past as a way to help answer the client’s most common question … why? Why does he ..? Why does she ..? Why do I? Why do they? What are their motives? etc. But, again, it’s not counselling. It’s a Tarot reading, and no matter what area of the client’s life we are looking at in finer detail, all we can honestly do is provide a generalisation on the past, present, future. If they want more in depth answers to all those “Why’s” then its outside of the scope of a Tarot reading. They need to be referred to a counsellor.
Being a Tarot reader is awesome in and of itself.
I do think psychology has its place within a Tarot reading, but I think its important to be clear about what a Tarot reading can offer, but more importantly, the role of a Tarot reader. This to me is what allows for robust methods.
Thank you for your adding to the debate
Hi Douglas,
I have a funny feeling that our styles are more similar than different. Perhaps some of us are getting stuck on the words, such as prediction, counseling, psychology, without really knowing what the other folks are doing. There certainly is a diversity of styles, knowledge and experience, and as you said, we each contribute something significant to the art of Tarot reading.
I am a credentialed, professional and experienced counselor and that is the original reason I called by work “Transformative Tarot Counseling™”. This was to let prospective clients know the skill base I bring to my work. It also differentiates my work from a “Psychic Tarot” reader, etc. I wouldn’t want my clients to think I have skills that I do not possess. Sometimes I refer clients to appropriate counselors or support groups when certain needs arise in the reading. Just as there is diversity among us Tarot readers, this also exists among counseling professionals.
Knowledge of one’s “scope of practice” or knowing your limits, is something I file under ethics. Whether you are referring a client to another reader, a health practitioner or to a counseling professional, it can be a great support to the client to have a list of people that you trust to carry the good work you started with that client towards another’s capable care.
Namaste’, Katrina
Hi Katrina,
Yes, I think that might be the case. Perhaps we’re losing sight of the importance in diversity
That’s a good idea. I think honesty is very important when assessing ones own abilities.
This whole discussion has really brought into focus, for me personally, “just what is a Tarot reading?”
Great comment
Thanks Doug, for another thought provoking post. As you know, I prefer the predictive style of tarot because I do believe it can empower a querent. If you know what may be coming, you have more knowledge to change course. It’s like driving a car – if you know how to work the vehicle and can read a map, you can go anywhere you want. Knowing the roadblocks and obstacles ahead give you leeway to maneuver. But if you do not know how to work the car but only focus on what you think and feel about the car, you are limited only to the emotional experience.
People come to tarot readers for predictions. They go to licensed therapists for therapy. The two CAN mix but no tarot reader should ever be a substitute for a licensed therapist (unless they have a license to practice psychology!).
That being said, I have found plenty of people who have no interest in the prediction aspect – and plenty who have no interest in the psychological aspect. Hence, there is a lid for every pot and we all need to find a reader or reading style that speaks to us without thinking our way is the only way.
Blessings!
Theresa
Hi Theresa,
Couldn’t agree more
What a great way to put it!
Again, I agree
Thank you for your comment!
I disagree and yet I agree with this statement
“The Tarot won’t answer the Tarot readers rephrased question, it will only answer what the seeker wants to know.”
Yes Tarot will answer what the seeker wants to know, but its how it answers it. I did a reading just last week where the client’s question really was seeking a yes/no answer – I’m not going to get into whether tarot answers yes/no adequately here (after all with a yes no you have a 50% chance of being right or wrong) but by not looking at a specific yes no in the reading but viewing the question in a different light and laying a spread with pds that address some of the clients questions regarding the subject, not only did the client’s question get answered it was answered in a more specific and productive way.
There is always an element of prediction in every reading we do, but we still have to be mindful of what we say and how we say it. Reforming a question to say, the one you originally posed in the first article you wrote about will my husband recover from his illness or not – which really is a yes/no question, into a more empowering one as to what the client can do to assist recovery, is to my mind more empowering than predicting an outcome to which one could be wrong – as I illustrated in my comment last time.
Sorry to be so “old fashioned” about this.
And I do not consider myself to be a counsellor, I am a tarot reader, but it is a choice as to how we read the cards and in what light with an awareness of the responsibility of the words we speak to another and how that may or may not impact on their life.
You can throw things at me now Doug if you like:D
Hi Helen,
LOL, I always like reading other people’s opinions. What I’m looking at, idealistically, is to see if we can approach difficult questions (like Health) with a more robust set of techniques … brought about through clarity.
Thanks to all the people who have commented, there’s been a variety of different ways that have been discussed. This is great for people looking to tighten up, or think through their own approach. Its also got me questioning my own approach – in particular, how I write posts at Tarot Eon.
However, in response to your comment, I’m not convinced that straight prediction isn’t empowering.
I do accept your point in an earlier comment – that getting a prediction wrong can be damaging to the person in question! However, so can a psychological prediction done poorly.
What about this as a rather pedantic example
By suggesting we reword the question, we’re still, through implication, suggesting the husband’s health either won’t improve in the short term, or will take a turn for the worse. What if by doing a straight predictive reading we uncover the husband has a full recovery? In such a situation, the client doesn’t have to do anything to assist the recovery – apart from the obvious. We also need to be careful that we don’t interfere with professional medical treatment, by suggesting ways to assist that could be medically detrimental.
What I’m trying to say is that rephrasing the question doesn’t necessarily provide an empowering reading, nor does making the inner needs of the client the primary focus. Empowering the client can happen simply via the reading itself.
Thank you for your contributions to this post
Predicting an outcome can be every bit as empowering as a therapeutic angle. It is all in the choice of words. I believe you can show the possible outcome of an event AND find wiggle room to take charge of one’s destiny. Nothing is cut in stone and any good reader will make sure to tell the querent this.
I feel that readers who “worry about being wrong” can inhibit their own abilities. Like a weatherman, you have to put the prediction out there with the gamble that you won’t be right 100% of the time. It’s part of the excitement and mystery of the tarot.
Hi Theresa,
Yes, I agree. It’s all in the communication. Communication is such an important skill when it comes to Tarot readings. The manner in which predictions are communicated can go along way to empowering the client.
I also agree that a lack of confidence is the biggest culprit for affecting a Tarot readers decision to read the cards in a predictive style.
Thank you for your comment
I’ve been reading the comments of this post, and the last one, with great interest. What strikes me most is the division that exists between Tarot readers with regard to predictive tarot readings and psychological ones. Why are we all seemingly divided when we should be supporting each other, no matter what our reading style is?
There is a place for all styles of Tarot reading, and in my opinion, one isn’t better than the other and definitely shouldn’t be derided. It seems, by some, that the predictive camp are seen as second class readers. I find that incredulous and am amazed that such snobbery exists in what is thought of as a ‘spiritual’ arena.
As for the main points, I feel that ‘rephrasing the question’ needs the most attention. Seriously, what is ‘within’ the client, is what the Universe (or Source etc) will answer, not a rephrased question by the Tarot reader. That’s the Tarot readers question and unless it is in alignment with the client, it means nothing. Mostly, a rephrased question is still seeking a prediction, an answer about the unknown. Having intuited an outcome, then the ‘empowering’ part of the reading will come into its own.
Seeking to find out how to ‘best help the seeker’s husband’s health’ is presumptuous on the negative and is making its own prediction that all is not well. This needn’t be such a grey area, it’s just a matter of acknowledging that we are seeking to peek into the client’s future, or their husband’s, and make decisions and take actions accordingly. I fail to see why it should be seen with such disdain that a rephrased question is still a loaded, prediction seeking question. Call a spade a spade and be done. It’s easy and doesn’t need to be made complicated.
Another point I have to make, and it amazes me that no-one else has yet made it – why are we only asking one question? Why is it that this one rephrased question is seen as the only question the client can ask? How difficult is it that the client asks a prediction seeking question, then asks how best to deal with the potential outcome of the first reading? It is also entirely possible that both of those questions, and other related ones, will be, and can be answered within the same reading, such is the power of Tarot – it’s not restricted to one type of answer. There are a myriad of layers waiting to be unpeeled in any one reading and to imply, by suggestion of rephrasing the question, that only one answer can be sought, is demeaning the Tarot and its immense capabilities.
I found it interesting that you said this Catherine “It seems, by some, that the predictive camp are seen as second class readers. I find that incredulous and am amazed that such snobbery exists in what is thought of as a ’spiritual’ arena.”
Because I didn’t see that at all, all I saw here was a diversity of reading methods, opinions and beliefs. I didn’t think that anyone was saying that one way was better than the other, but that we each have our own preferences. As I said in my own post whether you read one way or the other there is always, at least I think so, an element of prediction in all readings.
I guess when people are expressing their personal opinion it can be perceived differently to what they mean. To express what you believe in just a few words is sometimes difficult and when we try to do that it doesn’t always encompass the whole, but rather just a fragment of what we are thinking.
I’ve waffled enough
You make great points, Catherine and say it better than I ever could.
Hi Kate,
It’s an interesting point you make. For me, I started this quiz to look at ways of making our Tarot readings more robust. The comments that other people have kindly left have illustrated totally different, and at times, conflicting views. Is it possible for us to take the best of each of these views and reassemble them into something that is bulletproof?
Going slightly off topic, predictive readings have a history of being second to the dominant trend of the day.
I agree with this completely.
I agree. The Tarot doesn’t restrict, only the reader.
Thank you for your comment
Hot topic!!
Thank you to Helen for focusing on the diversity of our opinions, skills and experience. I truly believe there is something for everyone. As a “Transformative Tarot Counselor™” I feel like I’m in the minority and thus my voice tends to be unpopular at times, although it is meant be add to the rainbow of possibilities in our world. As a person and a teacher, sometimes my style is to push the envelop of comfort and hopefully inspire folks to look deeper or broader.
The “snob” perception may draw from a culturally imposed hierarchy based on education, training, position. For me, personally, I look for the power, gifts and heart of each person and what they bring to the table. We all have something special.
For 16 years I have been a member of two psychic fairs where we offer a diversity of reading styles and services to the public. We are like a family and exchange readings, refer clients to each other, and appreciate that we each bring something unique to the mix. Often, a client will see several of us and report that we each told her/him the same thing, while covering the topic from different aspects or points of view. Because of our value for diversity, we do not compete with each other or bad mouth anyone, while we support the success of all. That is the attitude I bring to this forum.
Catherine brings up a valuable aspect of reading and being more fluid, not focused on just one question. Most of us probably know that no matter what you are asking, the Tarot usually has a mind of it’s own and can lead the reading in another direction than the original question. I’ve also found that when a client comes with more than one question, the same reading can address both questions if you go through the cards again as a fresh reading.
Again, thanks everyone for a stimulating and diverse discourse of ideas and experience.
Namaste’, Katrina
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