Internet Tarot Teaching: Let the Buyer Beware

"At the Fortune Teller's" by Alma Erdmann, 1900, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

The internet is one of the best things and one of the worst things that could have happened to professional tarot.

 When my generation of readers was coming up, those of us without a family tradition of tarot reading learned our trade in shops, adult education classes, and from tattered well-loved books by Eden Grey, Mary Greer, Rachel Pollack and their few contemporaries.

While modern tarot students have a wealth of free YouTube videos from which to learn, I had a single shaky VHS tape rented from my local New Age shop.

Even more important than the wealth of information now available to us is our ability to know each other as a community with common interests and goals. By comparison, my generation grew up in a veritable vacuum.

When I speak of "generations" of tarot readers, I'm referring to decades, not age. People begin their tarot journeys at different times of life, so members of a new generation of readers will vary in chronological age.

Our current generation's ability to use the internet to have face-to-face conversations with people all over the world, and to get the word out about our services, has redefined the possibilities for professional tarot reading and teaching.

On the other hand, that the internet has become the center of our education, business development, marketing and peer socializing does create an interesting secondary effect, which is this. Any bozo with a tarot deck, some graphic skills and a computer can start an international tarot business.

That, in and of itself, is not necessary a bad thing. I truly believe that the more people who have tarot in the lives, the better the planet will be. My concern is that there is no distinction made between a tarot “expert” who has done a few email readings and built a great website, and a tarot professional who has been actively giving live, real-time tarot readings for decades. If the person who has been sweating it out in the tarot trenches isn’t very tech savvy, or doesn’t have time to develop an online presence or become a prolific tarot author, a new tarot student might think expensive classes with the shiny website owner would be a better deal than a class with a true tarot veteran. Likewise, the busy tarot reader (who is busy because of their actual tarot reading skill) may not have as much time to devote to marketing their classes, as does the  teacher with a smaller client base.

That’s not to say that tarot education, where ever it comes from, is ever a bad idea. The more options we have to learn, the better. It is possible to have the seed of good learning planted by a deficient teacher, if the student ground is fertile enough.

However, it is important to recognize this fact. The names you see the most online may or may not be the most talented, the most experienced, the most ethical, or the most helpful. The names you see the most may the people who are best at marketing, not necessary best at tarot.

The fact is, busy tarot readers are busy giving readings most of the time. De facto, that means that often the most prolific tarot writers and teachers are able to be that prolific because they are not busy doing readings. Often, they base their work on an academic understanding of tarot, rather than an operational understanding of tarot.

Sometimes, teachers and small publishers feed into this loop by encouraging students to go pro long before they are ready. I once worked with a small publisher (now unsurprisingly out of business) who thought it would be great to have a brand-new tarot beginner write a tarot guidebook for beginners. I know that when I am ready to learn something, the person I want to learn it from is certainly not the person who themselves learned it five minutes ago.

Another problem is that a surprising number of teachers share obviously faulty information. In fifteen minutes this morning, I found the following two heinous bloopers in my Facebook feed, from two different tarot teachers. I researched each one to make sure they weren’t simple typos. The fact was, in both cases the teachers had systematically repeated the error, to the point it is clear they are just misinformed, and spreading misinformation.

1.       A tarot teacher wanted her students to bring their “Ryder” deck to class. A look at the teacher’s website showed me that this teacher had been using the “Ryder” deck for some time. For the uniformed, there is no “Ryder” deck. “Rider” was an early publisher of the Waite-Smith Tarot. For years, the Waite-Smith tarot was referred to as the “Rider” deck, but never the “Ryder” deck, because that is not (and never was) its name. Today, we call this deck the Waite-Smith, or the RWS (Rider-Waite-Smith).

2.       A tarot teacher made a series of videos to help students learn the “tarot suites.” I wish I could have a tarot suite – that is, a block of hotel rooms filled with all things tarot. I think this teacher meant to teach us about the “tarot suits.”

When we don’t take the time to learn the very basic nomenclature of our trade, and then position ourselves as teachers of others, we lower the overall standard of our craft.

If you want to teach tarot, that’s great. Please, learn the basic history and standard terms. If there is controversy, as in, for instance, the pronunciation of the word “tarot,” learn both ways so your students can choose for themselves. And, please, get some actual experience conducting tarot readings. Lose your voice doing readings at a loud party. Sit in the corral at a busy psychic fair and work the cattle call. Read at an outside event in inclement weather.  If you can give great readings under these conditions, you can give great readings anywhere, and perhaps teach others to do so as well. Paying your dues as a reader is the only way to be a better reader, and a better teacher. There is no shortcut, no matter what you might hear on the internet.

If you are a new tarot student, you best goal might be to have a number of teachers, rather than just one. Don’t be impressed by internet bling unless you are looking for a web designer. Pay attention to the content of the website to decide if you resonate with your potential teacher’s voice and message.

When you chose a teacher, you have a right to know their level of experience, and the type of venue reading experience they have. Ten thousand email readings do not equal ten thousand real-time readings. If you want to be able to give great readings at parties, expos and fairs, for instance, find a teacher who has made a career doing those kinds of readings. 

We are a self-regulated industry, and the buyer must beware. Overall, the amount of brainpower, intuition, integrity and dedication that exists in our community is staggering.

At the same time, as with any other profession, there can also be laziness, chicanery, stupidity, greed and ego at play. Sometimes the poorly educated and the poorly intentioned position themselves to appear to be greatest experts available.

It’s up to the wise seeker to find the differences.

Divination Signposts: Some Thoughts about Predictive Reading

I want discuss a phenomenon that most experienced diviners (tarotists, scryers, psychics, rune casters and the like) probably understand. Newer readers may find this phenomenon confusing when it happens to them.

Many folks have said that divination is like GPS for the soul. Some of us use a similar, but more low-tech, analogy.

Divination is like a roadmap. It points to a place and says, “You are here.” It shows you what is in your rear view mirror, what your destination may be, and some of the local attractions. It may predict the road hazards and rest stops along the way.

Sometimes, when making a future prediction, we get ideas, either from the cards (or other tools) or from our own intuition and vision. We are able to give details that may not come specifically from the cards. We might suggest that the romantic interest our client will soon meet will be a carpenter, or that the house they will buy will be green, or that the job they land will have a long commute to the north.

Clients appreciate these kinds of details because it gives them something specific to watch for.

When we hear back from our clients, sometimes we hear that our prediction was correct, sort of. Yes, the client did date a carpenter, just as predicted. She did get married, just as predicted. However, she didn’t marry the carpenter.  She married the dentist she met the same week. Another client did make an offer on the green house you predicted, but ended up buying the yellow house next door.

This phenomenon doesn’t happen often, but it happens often enough that we need to pay attention and recognize the possibility exists for this to occur, and understand what they may mean.

I call these points that emerge in a reading “signposts,” or “mile markers.”

The carpenter wasn’t the right guy, but meeting the carpenter was a signpost, or a marker, on the way to the dentist.

So why couldn’t the reading just reveal the dentist and leave the carpenter alone? Why couldn’t the reading skip over the green house and just focus on the yellow?

Well, sometimes that is exactly what happens.  Sometimes we are simply led to say “I think you will buy a yellow house.”

What does it mean, then, when a reading points to a precursor, or something in proximity to the goal, rather than the goal itself?

Sometimes it’s worth doing a reading on that very question. Sometimes the precursor is an important part of the journey.

Other times, though, the answer is even simpler. Like all weary travelers on the highway, we look for signposts. We look for the markers that tell us we are almost home. “When you see the old oak tree, you’ll know you are less than a mile away,” translates into, “When you meet the carpenter, you’ll be close to your goal.”

Most diviners realize that the Universe sometimes speaks in riddles. Perhaps this is to keep the element of surprise and the integrity of free will intact. Perhaps this is because divination pushes the boundaries of what is possible, or what we believe to be possible, to the point that some things get hazy. When traveling, we can’t always see the whole landscape ahead of us. Certain things shine more brightly than others do. Sometimes the things that shine brightest serve no purpose other than to light the way and let us know we are almost home.

The anomalies that occasionally occur may be a reason some diviners shy away from predictive reading. Clearly, predictions are rarely black-and-white or written in stone. The Universe speaks in symbol and allegory. Rather than celebrating this language of the Universe, we reject the miracle of divination for its occasional imprecision.

If we can appreciate these signposts as helpful hints along the way, we can more easily use the tool of psychic prediction without courting disappointment or confusion.

When is it Cool to Call People Out?

There is a growing trend in popular culture and social media to encourage people to speak out about the inappropriate behavior of others, and to name names.

I understand the concept of “silence equals consent,” and I understand that calling out bullies and harassers keeps people safer. Bullies and harassers only have power if we give them an environment in which to function.

I also know the courage to it takes to break silence and share our stories of abuse.

Sometimes our voices work to shine needed light into dark places.

Sometimes it is delightfully entertaining to call out hypocrisy, ego, stupidity and greed when we see it in the pompous, and the self-righteous.

I think, however, there comes a time that “calling people out” becomes another form of bullying.

When we decide to tell the entire world about someone’s transgressions, or when we issue an edict that none of our social media friends may also be friends with one who has offended us, I think we need to be clear about our motivation.

Calling people out is a way of protecting others from known dangers. Calling people out keeps bullies from lurking in the shadows and hurting others.

Sometimes, though, we name names because we are hurt, or offended. We want to strike back at someone whom we perceive has harmed us.

I think that is the moral line in the sand. Calling people out as a way of preventing further abuse helps our communities. Calling people out as a way of processing anger or hurt, or as a way of seeking revenge, can be a very low way of handling a problem.

Sometimes it takes courage to break silence. Sometimes it takes even more courage to keep it.

When the Answer is no Answer

When I was young girl in Sunday School at the United Methodist Church, our teacher used to say that God answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is “no.”

There’s a similar situation that comes up in divination. In my years of experience, it has been true that not every question is immediately answerable.

In some methods of divination, such as pendulum charts, there can be a designated position for “DWA,” which is “Don’t Want to Answer.”

Whether or not a specific divination method gives the Universe a DWA option, sometimes the Universe will simply refuse to answer. You can rephrase questions and pull cards all day, but the cards will keep referring back to what you already know.

Sometimes tarot cards will speak to your frustration. Sometimes the Two of Wands reversed says “Just don’t worry about the future right now.” Sometimes the Four of Swords says “Just give it a rest.” The cards will tell you, in no uncertain terms, that they will not answer your question at this time.

This doesn’t happen often, thank goodness. When it does happen, we often feel disappointed, or frustrated.

The thing to remember is this. Just as God answers every prayer, the Universe does indeed answer every question. Sometimes the answer is “Don’t worry about this.” Sometimes the answer is a lesson in trust.

Sometimes the divination will reveal why you are so obsessed with this particular question. When that happens, the opportunity for healing is profound.

The next time your cards stubbornly refuse to answer your question, take it as an opportunity to heal, and as a lesson in trust. You haven’t failed as a reader, and the cards haven’t failed you.

There are reasons we can’t know everything and answer every question. In divination, there seem to be safeguards that keep us from knowing what isn’t for our highest good.

That the cards so easily and completely reveal so much is a constant source of amazement to me, even after all these years. The rare times when the cards cannot, or will not, reveal something can be equally amazing, and equally useful, if we let them be.

Tarot Card Nicknames

Flávio Britto Calil  2006, released to public domain.

One of my tarot students recently told me that one of the things she likes about my teaching style is that I have funny nicknames for some of the cards. She suggested I write a post about them, so, here it is.

In our close relationships, we often develop pet names and nicknames for our loved ones. In the workplace, we sometimes develop secret snide nicknames for certain people. We keep them to ourselves, usually, but we have them.

A nickname is a sign of knowing someone well, or at least of being aware of a particular strong trait they possess.

So it is with tarot cards. As we get to know each card personally, we may develop a nickname for it. This can be a way to help remember something about the card. It can be a way of describing the card to others.

Much like key words, it is important that you not let a nickname define or limit a card for you. You might call your diminutive friend “Tiny,” but Tiny might also be a fast runner, or a great singer. His nickname doesn’t reflect those things, but you know they are there.

Here are six of my tarot nicknames.  Don’t let my irreverence fool you. Irreverence doesn’t diminish respect.

I call Temperance the “Cosmic Bartender.”  The best cocktails involve some mixing and blending, and some careful measuring. Life is like that.

I call the Nine of Wands the “Wounded Warrior.” So often, this card appears for those who are fighting a long battle, or perhaps still fighting, even though the battle is over.

I call the Three of Cups the “Party Card.” Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes not.

I call the Nine of Cups the “Happy Merchant.” While business is not the domain of the suit of Cups, often the image of the “wish card” is a happy entrepreneur. Life may not be perfect, but we are happy and successful.

I call the Ten of Pentacles the “Castle Card.” This card can talk about legacy and ancestry, but also about home and real estate.

I call the Ace of Swords the “Anti-Bullsh*t Device.” This card empowers us to cut through fear, uncertainty, doubt and deceit.

Feel free to borrow these nicknames for your tarot study if you like them, or add your own tarot nicknames in the comments!