Tarot Ethics

Hi everyone,

I'd like to have some other people's input into this. What boundaries do you draw when doing readings all alone (that is, with no one sitting across from you)? What is fair game and what isn't?

I don't do readings about other people's relationships (unless I'm asked by those parties) and even then it's usually only one of them asking (and usually the other one doesn't even know that they are getting a reading). I just don't think that it's anyone else's business but that couple's. Even when asked to do a reading by one of the partners, I usually direct the question to how the seeker can improve that relationship, what the seeker needs to know, etc.

I feel when one asks about another couple's relationship (even a best friend, but one who doesn't know you're doing it), it feels to me like peeping into their windows at their house, especially when you really ask yourself the REAL reason you're prying.

I feel this is a slippery slope, and before you know it, I believe Tarot will stop working for you, as you're being a spy.

What do others think?
Shaymus

Hi Shaymus

I posted with the same question quite some time ago. I was also interested in this question. Got quite a bit of feedback.

Its posted as "ethics with tarot reading" and its in Talking Tarot.

sorry i`m not sure how to give you a direct thread to click onto. but if you go to the search engine and click on advance search you can find it. Or another way is to click on to my name and you will find it in " all thread started by cosmoline"

In answer to your question - you can`t really go wrong with possitive feedback where both are concerned, when answering concerns about a relationship.

good luck!

In my view it all depends. I would not do a reading for someone who is asking about other people's business like relationships ect.But if their is one person of a relationship wanting a reading sure Of course I can give the reading about the couple, I will not try and go into to deep with the other person but tell the clients his or hers feelings, thoughts, desires, so the client can get some basic understanding about their partner. But its in my own philosophy that what your not ment to know wont be told to you, so even if you do try and "Spy" if your not ment to know whats going on then you wont. Their was a topic on theTarotchannel about reading for celebraties, and if its ethical with out consent. We I think doing readings on celebs and other public matters such as the Iraq war are fair game. For 1, its good pratice, doing readings on these issues is a good way to tune your skills, becuase your feedback is comming quick and from many sources on the media. But its all up to the reader.

I don't mind doing relationship readings, but most questions are like, "Is he cheating?" or "What does she think?" and what you get, is what the sitter thinks the other person thinks, or about why she thinks he's cheating and not the facts. The personal bias of the sitter clouds the issue.

So the readings suck.

So usually this is explained as an 'ethics' issue. Reality is, the reading will only be a reflection of the sitters bias.

Only my opinion, you're free to disagree.

Umbrae said:

So usually this is explained as an 'ethics' issue. Reality is, the reading will only be a reflection of the sitters bias. Only my opinion, you're free to disagree.

Click to expand...

Actually, this has been my experience...I agree with you.

Shaymus

So Umbrae

So in reading for myself ( me being the sitter)

If i ask what another person feels about me - i will only get what i feel that person feels about me? Is that what you are saying?

If that is true then you have validated what i have wondered for a long time.

In here I see that people do spreads asking about realtionships and then get feedback and answers as if knowing what the absent person feels?

How can that be - tarot cards are a tool - the cards are not magic

am i correct - your thoughts?

Positions for spreads are funky.

(OPINION WARNING)

There are too many spreads created by folks who don't really know how to read very well. because they don't 'get' the results, they invent another spread.

When reading for an absent person - get a bit of them, a ring or something. that helps you read for the owner of the ring, rather than a reflection of the other person.

As for relationship spreads, I use one Umbrae's Relationship spread.

Because there's a column for person A AND for person B AND for the relationship itself (the result of A+B), this reduces the Bias angle.

All that said, yes - it gets very confusing.

And that's cuz folks who've been reading for less than five years (and most of it over the net), keep inventing more spreads, and then state opinion as fact.

To really learn about reading, you really MUST do it 'in the field' (read for strangers face to face).

And yeah - you get folks that look at you and say, "No." That's education. That tells you that you're not reading what the cards are saying, they're parroting.


I hope some of this makes sense.

Sounds to me like you're on the right track though...

I think that the cards will give you valid answers, but how can you know as no one ever really knows the heart and mind of the other? And the other is not present to validate.

Then, as umbrae says, the cards become filtered to the doubts, hopes and fears of the person asking and everything stays muddy.

I will only do a reading for and about someone who has requested it. However, I was always taught that people in the public eye are fair game - so I have been known to do readings about politicians before an election. And I believe it's also perfectly ethical to do readings about events - missing persons, for example.

99 % of the time, the sitter only wants to know about other people. What sitter is going to sit there and want to listen about advice on self-improvement or self-reflection? The sitter wants to know: Does X love me? Is X cheating? Who does X love if it is not me?
(Ok, so sometimes there are career questions or "When will I go on vacation?")
That has been my experience anyway.