What Tarot Readers See About the World

What Tarot Readers See About the World

What Tarot Readers See About the World

We tarot readers are known for what we see about people. It’s also true that, as a full-time tarot professional for more than two decades, I have been in a position to see societal trends from a unique perspective. I am sure this is true of every busy reader over time.

I had been working as a reader full time for fifteen years when the Crash of 2008 happened. Many people asked me if the Great Recession was something I had predicted. In a weird way, it was.

Back in the first few years of the new millennium, in my office in Central Village, Connecticut, I remember seeing client after client asking about the new homes they were planning to purchase. As I looked at their cards, all I could see was financial difficulty and loss. “I don’t think you can afford this house at this time,” I said gently to at least three clients a week in those few years. Each time, their answer was the same. “My loan has already been approved”. Their reassurance never made me feel better; the cards were very clear. The term ‘predatory lender’ wasn’t yet in our collective vocabulary. Logic told me that if the bank said they could afford it, they were okay. Should I tell my clients they would be better off trusting their tarot reader than their financial advisor? My ethics wouldn’t allow me to suggest that. In hindsight, perhaps I should have found a way to question those loans more stridently. Yet, the few times I did, clients looked at me as if I were crazy.

When the Crash hit in 2008, the memory of all those readings came rushing back. Suddenly, those same folks who had so confidently dismissed my fears for them a few years back were now calling to discuss their new situations; homelessness, short-sales, under-water mortgages and layoffs.

Another sad example of how what’s happening in the world shows up at the tarot table is the devastation of the opioid epidemic. When I first started reading professionally in the early 1990s it was rare that I spoke with someone who had lost a family member to a drug overdose. Things are a little better this year, but over the last few years I spoke with one or two people a week who had suffered this tragic loss.

Many of us do readings about the state of the world, but it’s hard to do such readings without filtering them through our own fears, opinions and beliefs. It’s interesting to note that, if we read for a lot of people, we are de facto performing a reading for the world, over time.

Another sad trend I notice is that year after year, corporate America becomes less and less geared to the well-being of the workers. I wish I could say that I see this trend turning around, but so far, it’s not.

I see trends that I view as positive, as well. There are fewer parents at my table distraught over their children’s sexual identity, or that their kids are marrying outside of their race or religion.

I am often impressed by the younger people I see at my table who are insightful, intelligent and hopeful for their future. Those young people give me hope for the future of the planet.

I suppose we all view the world through a lens given us by our profession. I’m glad that my chosen vocation offers such a crystal-clear view, not only of the individual, but of our society as a whole.

The Tarot Certification Quandary

For almost as long as I have been a professional tarot reader there has been an ongoing (sometimes heated) conversation in the tarot community about tarot certification.

Professional tarot readers like me appreciate the opportunity to work toward comprehensive educational and professional goals. We appreciate the credibility that certification can give us.

The problem is finding certifying organizations that are themselves credible.

Some of the problems I have seen over the years include organizations that grant certification for political reasons rather than merit, and well-intentioned examiners granting certification to candidates who clearly don't deserve it because the examiners feel badly about declining the request.

Another area of concern is the fee structure for many certifying organizations where the candidate pays to be examined and certified at each level. This creates an incentive for the organization to grant the certification whether or not the certification is merited.

One of the things that makes tarot so special is exactly the thing that makes certification so difficult. Each reader has his or her take on the cards. Each reader has his or her own style. There is a question about what is really being certified. Is it knowledge of the cards? Is it psychic ability? Is it the candidate's ability to give a passable reading?

Beyond providing credibility for deserving readers and vetting quality readers for the public does certification have another purpose? Could certification help us preserve our traditions and our roots even as we are exploring new ways to use, design and understand tarot?

There are so many tarot traditions, and tarot is quickly evolving. Most certified readers cannot demonstrate competence in every tarot tradition. Therefore, should certification be more specific than just tarot? Should we certify in Waite tradition and Crowley tradition separately, for instance?

Many designers of unique decks offer special certification programs in working with their specific deck. These certifications are granted after participation in an intensive workshop.

In general, certifications for the successful completion of specific classes seem to make more sense than an overall fee-based certification program. The rubric for completion is verifiable and quantifiable, and the fee is paid to take the class, not to certify the candidate.

As I continue to expand my continuing education program for students I will begin offering examinations and certifications for specific premium classes. If other educational programs offered similar programs for their classes these education-specific endorsements might be helpful in qualifying candidates for more generalized tarot certification programs.

If there are to be valid certification programs the certifying agents must be above reproach. Certification must be granted on demonstrated merit alone. The certifying organization must be responsible for perfect recording-keeping, displaying the certification on a website and verifying certification by phone and email.

It is very likely that tarot organizations will choose to create certification and endorsement programs because many tarot readers desire it, and with good reason. My certification has been extremely helpful in helping me present myself as a legitimate business person at Chamber of Commerce meetings, meetings with town officials and when obtaining business licenses.

Tarot is evolving, technology is evolving and our community must evolve with it. We do have a responsibility to preserve our traditions, educate students and provide the public with access to quality services.

The question we must answer is whether or not tarot certification is a viable way to accomplish these worthy goals.