Lesson 2 - Ethics, Misconceptions and Uses

[Amethyst Rose]

Hey everyone! This class is a bit of a mix of information... it's all little stuff, so I figured I'd just put it all together, but it came off looking disorganized for some reason, sorry about that. On top of that my brain isn't working very well today, so I appologize for the shoddy writing. If I find something I missed I'll add it in and let you know.

Tarot Ethics

Before we start working with tarot, we have to address what I concider to be the most important aspect of working with tarot: Ethics.

As tarot readers, it is important to establish what your morals are. What do you feel comfortable with? What questions do you feel it is okay for you to answer? What kind of person do you want to be seen as?

Think of any psychic you've seen advertized on the tv, or whatnot....like Miss Cleo. What does that make you feel about tarot readers, assuming you've never had any experience with tarot? What comes to my mind is that they're all frauds. This is also what has made "fortune telling", including tarot reading, illegal in many countries. It's important to have your own ethics, and follow them without question, so people know they can trust you.

For an example of what ethics include, here is my own code of ethics:


- I cannot fortell the future, because the future is not set, I can only predict what may happen based on your current situation. Any decision you make from now can change the future.

- I am not a doctor, lawyer, or financial consultant, therefore I cannot give you health, legal or financial advice.

- I do not do readings on/for third parties.

- I will always tell you the truth, I will never lie about what the cards have shown me.

- I will not read for anyone under the age of 18 without a parent/guardian's consent.

- I will remain objective and nonjudgmental

- All readings will be confidential.

- I will not read for the same person more than 2 times in one month.

- I will respect all of my clients, regardless of race, gender or handicap.


You will find, if you do any research on the subject, hat my ethics are pretty standard. The only one I haven't seen elsewhere is to limit the amount of readings. Most people won't do this because they are making money with their practice, and don't want to restrict the cash flow. However, I feel that I have a moral obligation not to let tarot become a crutch for someone...at least, not with me.

Common Tarot Misconceptions

1. Tarot is a tool of the Devil. -- While we pagans may find this to be a misconception, many Christians do believe that only God has the power to divine the future, and that if a human does it, the Devil is giving them that power. I just wanted to point this out, because I don't want any pagans giving Christians any flack on what they are entitled to believe.

2. Tarot cards originated with the Gypsies in Egypt. We already know from the history lesson that this is not true.

3. Tarot is a fortune telling device. Not true! The future is not set, and to fortell the future is to give away free will and our power over our futures. It can, however, be predicted based on the querant's current circumstances.

4. One must be a psychic to read the tarot. Not true! You don't need to be a psychic to read the tarot, although many psychics do start out that way.

5. Tarot cards are restricted to one faith system. Not True! There are Christian decks, Kabbala decks, Angel decks, Celtic Decks, etc. etc.

6. Never buy your own tarot deck, only use one that has been given to you. I really don't believe this one... the only deck I've ever been given didn't work for me at all. I think it's important for you to find your own deck...one that calls to you. Someone else can't do that for you.

7. Never let other's touch your deck. This is really a personal preference thing. I prefer people to ask before touching, but I don't have problems letting them touch them after they've asked. And I certianly have people shuffle their own cards. Do whatever you feel comfortable with.

8. Always keep your cards wrapped in silk. Again, this is personal preference...or your card's preference. My cards are currently wrapped in black velvet, in a oriental looking box.

9. Tarot cards predict death. Not true! The death card means radical transformation, and quite often, rebirth.


That's all I can think of right now, but I know there are more. List your misconception in the the thread and I'll add it to the list.

Purposes of Tarot

1. Divination. This is of course the most popular use of tarot. There are hundreds of tarot decks that can be used for divination, and, as you all know, all different skill levels of readers. Anyone can read the tarot though, it doesn't matter what age you are, what your beliefs are, if you're psychic or not. All that is required to read the tarot is the ability to listen to your first instinct - your intuition.

2. Past Life Readings. The opposite of divination, the cards can be used to determine aspects of a past life, most often: gender, age, place of residence, time period, life style and cause of death. There are many different spreads for past life readings, and even decks specifically for this purpose, such as the Past Life and Karmic Tarot (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/books/past-life-karmic-tarot/).

3. Counciling. Quite often a tarot reader finds her/himself in the position of a councilor. In such a case it is important to be sympathetic to the querant and to help them through their problem without giving advice. Tell them what the cards say about the situation and try to help them in anyway that you can without breaking your ethics. Many tarot readers feel that a background or knowledge of counciling is helpful for tarot reading.

4. Meditation. Many people do this on a daily basis, and it's a really good way to learn your cards. Every morning after you wake up, shuffle your cards and select one card. That card will tell you about what you have to learn or deal with that day. Hold your card and meditate on the image and meaning of that card, and how you can apply it to your day. This is also helpful if you're going through a rough patch. Pick a card and meditate on it...it can help you find a solution to your problem. The Osho Zen Tarot is amazing for meditation and insight.

5. Entertainment. Tarot can be great for parties. I always bring my deck with me to gatherings to read for people. Past life readings are very popular amongst friends. :) When you're reading for parties, don't be all serious and solumn...have fun and laugh. It can be really challenging, however, to concentrate when some's laughing about your querant's question about romance. :)

6. Games. There are so many different games that you can play with your tarot cards! Contrary to popular believe, it is not disrespecful to play games with your tarot cards. It is what they were designed for! Also, they are also a great way to learn about your tarot cards. You can find a posts I've done on tarot games, here: http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=3528 .

7. Spell Work. It's really quite popular to use Tarot cards in spells...it's also really simple to do so. All you need is good knowledge of the meanings of your cards. Then, select the card that will be appropriate for the spell. For example, for a love spell you could use the Lovers. (Note: I do not support the use of love spells, as they violate free will). The tarot card is used as any other tool in the spell...to direct energy and intent. They can be really helpful with visualization as well. I find that developing my own spell sequence works the best, so I'll let you develop your own. However, if I was to do a tarot spell, I would perform all other steps of the spell first, and then mediate on the card, sending out all energy built during meditation at the completion of the spell.

8. Spirit cards, lesson cards, personal year cards. Aidron brough this use to my attention, and he got the information from "Everyday Tarot Magic" by Dorothy Morrison. Basically, through math you can use the cards to determine different things about your life, it's like combining tarot and numerology. I really suggest you pick up the book. :)


Okay, that's it for this lesson. :)

[OriginalWacky]

Going along with the buy/be given a deck misconception, I've also heard it said that you should never use a deck given to you as a gift, you should only pick your own.

In my case, I think that both can work equally well. I was given my first (and currently only) deck, and it's a very personal deck. I don't know if I even want to buy another deck at this point, as this deck has a LOT of personal meaning to me.

Also, I don't know if this is a misconception, but I know there are those who don't realize that the tarot is not only a spiritual or religious thing, but also a good way for artists to showcase their work.

I've also heard it said that the Fool represents a fool, which isn't true in my mind. It represents ignorance, not in a bad way, but the same ignorance that a brand new baby has until he learns more about the way the world works. More like naivete.

I guess that's all I can think of right now.

[Anubis RainHawk]

AR, I have a few questions/thoughts on the lesson. First, did you mean:

"4. One does not have to be a psychic to read the tarot, although many psychics do start out by reading the tarot."

or that it is a myth?

That's the first. After I know what you meant, I can respond.

Thanks :)

Anubis RainHawk

[Aidron]

AR, I have a few questions/thoughts on the lesson. First, did you mean:

"4. One does not have to be a psychic to read the tarot, although many psychics do start out by reading the tarot."

or that it is a myth?

That's the first. After I know what you meant, I can respond.

Thanks :)

Anubis RainHawk


Maybe I can help answer this for you. It is not a myth. We do all in fact have psychic skills, ranging from severely lacking in development to developed to the point that it causes us grief. However, you do not necessarily need be a psychic in the popular culture sense (i.e. seeing ghosts, talking to spirits from the other side, experiencing premonitions, etc.) to utilize the tarot. It is, however, one method many psychics do utilize and often one they use to unlock their psychic potential.

That clear it up?

[Amethyst Rose]

AR, I have a few questions/thoughts on the lesson. First, did you mean:

"4. One does not have to be a psychic to read the tarot, although many psychics do start out by reading the tarot."

or that it is a myth?

That's the first. After I know what you meant, I can respond.

Thanks :)

Anubis RainHawk

Hmm... yeah, I tried to make it clear, but I guess I failed. The myth is that one has to be a psychic to read tarot. I 'll go fix t hat.

[Anubis RainHawk]

Maybe I can help answer this for you. It is not a myth. We do all in fact have psychic skills, ranging from severely lacking in development to developed to the point that it causes us grief. However, you do not necessarily need be a psychic in the popular culture sense (i.e. seeing ghosts, talking to spirits from the other side, experiencing premonitions, etc.) to utilize the tarot. It is, however, one method many psychics do utilize and often one they use to unlock their psychic potential.

That clear it up?

Actually, that's what I was going to say!

From what I've read, there are three opinions on the subject:

1) you must be psychic to use the tarot.

2) you don't have to be psychic to read tarot.

3) you have to be psychic, but everyone is has psychic abilities so it shouldn't stop you

I believe the third belief is most true because I do believe everyone has psychic abilities. In fact, I think it might even be possible to increase one's innate power through use of the cards.

I find it strange how authors like Dorthy Morrison in "Everyday Tarot Magic" wrote that you don't have to be psychic to read the tarot, yet writes that one should use intuition to read. But I could be wrong.

Anubis RainHawk

[Aidron]

Actually, that's what I was going to say!

From what I've read, there are three opinions on the subject:

1) you must be psychic to use the tarot.

2) you don't have to be psychic to read tarot.

3) you have to be psychic, but everyone is has psychic abilities so it shouldn't stop you

I believe the third belief is most true because I do believe everyone has psychic abilities. In fact, I think it might even be possible to increase one's innate power through use of the cards.

I find it strange how authors like Dorthy Morrison in "Everyday Tarot Magic" wrote that you don't have to be psychic to read the tarot, yet writes that one should use intuition to read. But I could be wrong.

Anubis RainHawk


I think I see where your confusion lies now. Psychism and intuition are not the same thing. A psychic is able to perceive through unknown means a wide variety of information, whether it be seeing spirits, channeling them the dead, experiencing premonitions or precognitive dreams, and much more.

Intuition on the other hand is merely a gut instinct, a first response within our mind to something.

While I agree that we all have intuitive capabilities, not all of us possess the potential to become a psychic, even more so few of us have the potential to become a psychic on such a grand scale.

Sylvia Browne, Edgar Cayce and John Edwards (disbelief or belief in them being frauds aside) are considered psychics. The average person who decides to take a specific route to work as opposed to their usual one in which a wreck occurred moments earlier is intuitive.

Obviously, you don't need to be psychic to read the tarot, for if you did there would be very few tarot readers. Intuition, however, is what matters and anyone can tap into it, usually with great ease.

[Amethyst Rose]

Exactly. :)

[Anubis RainHawk]

Amethyst Rose, your ethics say you will never lie about what you see in the cards. What if you see death? I know the card rarely means phsyical death, but if you were reading and you whole heartedly thought the reader would die, would you tell him/her? I remember reading about this a while ago and wanted toy know your thoughts.

[Amethyst Rose]

I personally believe that the cards don't ever predict physical death. They may predict a major upheaval in a person's life, for the worse, but not actual Death.

Case in point: A did a reading for my boss, years ago, that she would have a major upheaval, for the worse, that would catch her completely off guard. She got lukemia and died.

However, IF it happened, which I consider very unlikely (I'm not even sure if i would read it that way), I would probably tell the person that I didn't feel comfortable with the reading right then, and end the reading. If they asked why, I'd tell them there there was a lot of negativity that I wasn't happy with. It's not a lie. :)

[~Elise~]

Why not just tell them that you saw something health wise and that they needed to go check it out with their doctor? What if it is something that could have been stopped if they'd gone to the doctor for a checkup?

Just picking up the cards and not telling them anything is doing them a disservice, IMO, and I just may be naive.

JMO and YMMV,

Elise

[Amethyst Rose]

But what if it's not health wise? What if it's a car accident or a piano falls on them? If there's a health problem, I think the cards would say there was a health problem... not that they're just going to die. But like I said, I dont' think the cards will say that -- because they don't tell the future. They tell a possibility. If a person was just going to up and die, then I think the cards would give the path to that possibility, not the outcome.

[~Elise~]

agreed!

[Anubis RainHawk]

I personally believe that the cards don't ever predict physical death. They may predict a major upheaval in a person's life, for the worse, but not actual Death.

Case in point: A did a reading for my boss, years ago, that she would have a major upheaval, for the worse, that would catch her completely off guard. She got lukemia and died.

However, IF it happened, which I consider very unlikely (I'm not even sure if i would read it that way), I would probably tell the person that I didn't feel comfortable with the reading right then, and end the reading. If they asked why, I'd tell them there there was a lot of negativity that I wasn't happy with. It's not a lie. :)

Thanks for explaining that :)

Anubis RainHawk

[Aidron]

Oddly enough, I had a dream concerning death and the tarot last night and I agree with my unconscious mind. I feel the tarot can show a path that may lead to death and if so, I would explain to the person what the cards reveal as best I can, whether it be a pet, friend or themself. Examples might include:

The Nine of Pentacles and Death showing up in a spread, along with a few others that denote to me a pet will perish due to a lack of attention. Could be that the person ignores their pet a great deal and its going to die of loneliness or that they do not notice it running out into traffic.

The Nine of Swords, Ten of Swords and Death, symbolizing to me great depression followed by a sense of defeat and hopelessness, resulting in suicide. They could have been dealing with depression for a long time and just happened to visit me when they are primed to let go of this life.

Granted, I can't elaborate too much without actually reading the cards in a proper state, but I certainly won't place limits on them and what they can tell me in regards to such a thing. I doubt I would say anything along the lines of "Be carefulk, cause you're gonna DIE!" as that's just needlessly horrific. A gentle warning to mind their actions and look after their animals diligently would suffice in most cases, I feel.

[Amethyst Rose]

Exactly! A warning that they're walking a dangerous path, is really all that's needed, I think.

[Aidron]

Exactly! A warning that they're walking a dangerous path, is really all that's needed, I think.


Can you imagine if you actually laid out the cards, looked them over, then calmly placed your hands on the person's shoulders and started violently shaking them while screeching "You're gonna die!!!"? :hairraise

The cards never lie, and the point is that they would die... of a freakin' heart attack! :falloffch

[Amethyst Rose]

:lol: Oh, the horror on their face...... not a good thing. ;)

[piglet]

What makes the tarot games (linked to in this lesson) "games" as opposed to "spreads"?

[Anubis RainHawk]

Amethyst Rose, what about healing with the tarot? Since it's not listed, I decieded to write about if for extra credit. It's post #70 on the assignment 2 thread.

Anubis RainHawk

[Willow_starr]

Can you imagine if you actually laid out the cards, looked them over, then calmly placed your hands on the person's shoulders and started violently shaking them while screeching "You're gonna die!!!"?

I read for my partner last night and pulled a card (the four cups maybe) that I didn't know and he asked what it meant before I had the chance to fully read what the book said and I calmly told him it was the doom card and he was going to die. He took it pretty well actually :rotfl:

[Amethyst Rose]

What makes the tarot games (linked to in this lesson) "games" as opposed to "spreads"?

In my mind, it's because of their intent. The tarot games are a way for you to learn the cards and their meaning.... it's more for entertainment. While a spread is for personal reflection and divination, etc. It's more serious and contemplative.

[Amethyst Rose]

I read for my partner last night and pulled a card (the four cups maybe) that I didn't know and he asked what it meant before I had the chance to fully read what the book said and I calmly told him it was the doom card and he was going to die. He took it pretty well actually :rotfl:


:lol: Good one. :)

[goldcat79]

well i am redoing this quikly so forgive me
My Ethices-
I wont cast spells with my cards on anyone that does not want it

I wont do evil with them either for any reason

I cannot fortell the furture so i dont tell anyone that i can

I am only able to give advise on what the cards say to me on what is ask of them
i dont hold a P H D in any field lol so i wont give out my advice on those types of topics

My Uses-Spells

I believe that spells can be use in a positive way and not taking away their free will
like a love spell would use the lover card but it is not a spell that i would use but a protection spell i would or a money spell as long as it is used in a postive way


My Misconception-

I believe that the avarage person believes that tarot is part witch craft and foolishness
and pagon so for most part until they have had a reading by someone that has years of tarot under they belt those avarage people wont believe in tarot

[Jackiedanielz]

Just like a few of the people that have posted here, I feel the need to say that I never plan on using tarot for monetary needs. My cards are to show me more about myself. They are not just for recreational use either. Thus my ethics are short & true to what I believe.

I will treat my deck with respect.
My deck is a part of me. I keep it in its own box with my notes, away from the cats, hidden from the everyday turmoil, a place where they will be protected. I do not touch my deck if I’m in a horrible mood. I’m still learning about tarot but I know that it is based off of energy & intuition. If I am in a mood, why would I want to put that energy into my deck?

I will only read when my mind is clear, my energy is good and I feeling healthy.
Like I said, I do not want any negativity hitting my deck, I feel as if it will muck up my readings. I feel that when I am healthy & cleansed, relaxed I can be more open to listening to my intuition and to what the cards have to tell me.

I will not allow friends to become dependent on the Tarot.
Like myself I tend to have friends that have an addictive personality. If they are relying more on the readings I provide for them than their own problem solving skills we’re going to have an issue. These cards are to show them about themselves as who they really are, not an escape from real life.

I will not do a reading for anyone if I do not feel confidence in my knowledge of tarot or conviction in ability to do a reading for someone.
I’m still learning, I know I have a long ways to go. When I first got my deck I was asked to do a reading for someone. I told them I couldn’t. They understood. For myself I didn’t do a reading until I understood a little about Tarot. I’m still trying to decipher what the cards told me. The more I learn the more I see what they are trying to say. I’m not just going to start doing readings for the hell of it, I want these to become a permanent part of my life & I want to know the knowledge that they hold for me & for those I do readings for.

[Rowan MoonDragon]

K....here's my extra credit....I actually did it awhile ago, but everytime I went to post it I didn't have my notes. I hope its not too late. I did the Magic Wand.

The Magic Wand

My 3rd card was a wand

The Fool - frest start or beginning

Queen of Pentacles - generosity, security, magnificence, liberty

King of Wands - friendly, countryman, married, and honest

[Anubis RainHawk]

When I shuffle my deck and look through the cards, the major arcana always seem to be together, even after numerous shuffles. Do you think it's the cards or something else?

[Aidron]

When I shuffle my deck and look through the cards, the major arcana always seem to be together, even after numerous shuffles. Do you think it's the cards or something else?


I've actually noticed that occuring quite a lot in my own deck as well.

[Amethyst Rose]

Hmmm... I often come across pockets of major arcana in my deck, but I honestly couldn't say why. It obviously (at least to me) has something to do with the organization of the deck in relation to the spread that you intend to do.... either the MA needs to be together to answer the question in the reading, or they're together to stay out of the way of the reading.... kinda like a bunch of people huddled in a corner together, waiting for their names to be called. That's the best answer I can give to this one, I'm afraid. :)