Tarot Morals

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Jan 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

scheherazade	30 Jan 2003
I'm aware that some things are taboo in the using of Tarot Cards, and that these things include reading for deaths, or using the cards to cast black magic, or to play with love, etc. Are these things true? Would anyone else know what is against Tarot morality?

Phoenix	31 Jan 2003
Morality is totally subjective. Some people will say that those things are immoral, but ultimately, it is up to you to determine what is right or wrong. Of course, there are still things that society as a whole have determined as immoral. Laws are based on these things.

jmd	31 Jan 2003
Personally, I do not see that there is a particular category of Tarot 'morality' - either a word, thought or deed is moral, or it isn't. The questions which are asked in the first post by scheherazade do, however, highlight whether or not there are specific kinds of actions which most of us are not usually faced with outside of our usage of the Tarot - ie, its divinatory aspects. In order to ascertain a specific act's ethical position, it seems to me that that specific and individual act, in its specific context, needs to be looked into. I cannot see, for example, how any acts which aim to control the behaviour of another can generally be deemed morally correct - yet, in our times, I'm pretty certain that we could each think of very specific individual situations which would condone such actions as morally right. Likewise, to do a reading about a future death of an individual may, in some specific cases, be acceptable (eg, on the merely possible imminent death of a CVA victim). To my mind, ethical considerations are neither subjective, relative nor merely socially determined but, on the contrary, objective and transcendent of relativistic socially determined deontic generalisations. Usage of the Tarot, then, as usage of any instrument which can bring us in closer rapport with the spiritual dimensions, needs to be carefully considered.

magpie9	31 Jan 2003
I believe that we have to be pretty well "open" to read well and deeply, and it's best not to have spiritual dirt and grime and mud and etc stuck all over our spiritual selves, as it can attract spiritual flies, etc. (Pigpen from Peanuts?) "An ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will " is the Wiccan rule for what it's ok/not ok to do magicaly. I know you're not Wiccan, Shaharazade, but it's a good rule of thumb for Tarot, too. If you consider overiding someones' free will as harmful or unethical, you'll probably say out of trouble with the Tarot Karma Kops. The free will consideration comes in, for instance, when someone asks you to do a love spell for her and her ex-sweetie with the cards. She's really sincere, she really wants it, she makes a good case for doing it, she's sure he would want it, too, if he where speaking to her at that point. So you have her free will saying please do it..........but you don't know what his free will wants. I believe you would have to ask him that before saying yes to her. (If you wanted to say yes.) And it is so easy, so tempting to want to fix it. So easy and tempting to think that we know what's best for other people, and maybe have the power to put things right for them. Some people feel that its ok to do love or nasty spells for other people because it goes on the Karma of the person you're doing it for. Probably does. But I believe it absolutely goes on yours for having done it at all! I'm not trying to define right/wrong or black/white/grey here, or considering it from some lofty philosophical vantage point. I take a very practical approach to this issue. I guess it comes down to really thinking hard about the ethics of it all, and not doing anything you're not comfortable with. If it feels wrong, it probably is. Sorry if I've gone on too long about this, from your p[osts I do have very strong feeling that you'll do very well with this issue as a reader and taroist. :)

Francesca	31 Jan 2003
I don't know why reading for deaths would be immoral or unethical unless you mean predicting a death for a querent. That does sound like a bad idea. Performing black magic and love spells are considered VERY bad ideas among witches. BUt I feel like too many tarot readers will only give positive readings. That's very nice, but if a reader predicted nothing but sunshine and roses with the occasional thorn one day, and the next day your house burned down, well, if it were me, I'd be mad at that reader for not warning me. Francesca

lupo138	31 Jan 2003
well I heard that there are witches that do even love spells :) and then there is a saying, that magic is always regarded black - from others. bb

Jewel	31 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by scheherazade I'm aware that some things are taboo in the using of Tarot Cards, and that these things include reading for deaths, or using the cards to cast black magic, or to play with love, etc. Are these things true? Would anyone else know what is against Tarot morality? I would have to say that what is taboo in your use of tarot is really a personal decision that only you can make. Many (including my mother) believe that even using the word tarot is a taboo, therefore the use of tarot in any manner is taboo *LOL* Perhaps because divination is not forte or primary use of tarot I would say that I would not read for death because I would hate to end up giving false hopes, or on the hand scaring someone (or myself) unnecessarily. Use of cards for black magic or play with love ... I am assuming you are talking about tarot spells. This again would fall back onto your own value system and what you consider moral, ethical or not. As a general rule of thumb, I would say that as long as it harms none and does not interfere with anyone's free will then it is OK, but that is my personal view and not everyone elses.

Laurel	31 Jan 2003
Scheherazade, when you ask "are these things true?" are you asking if most tarot readers, who consider nothing immoral about generally owning/using tarot cards, would consider certain applications to be immoral? The answer to this question as I've reframed it would be yes. However, the process of detailing what is/isn't a moral/ethical use of tarot might be subject to a little personal interpretation. For example, if you asked if murder is generally immoral, the answer would be generally yes. However, if you asked if specifically killing a man caught raping a child was immoral, and even if immoral, is it forgiveable.... that's where things become more complicated. Life, unfortunately, tends to throw us very "grey" moral quandaries as often as "black or white" ones. I think in the end, all of us have to rely on our own conscience and look deep within ourselves when it comes to moral and ethical issues.... and make the choices, involving tarot, that we know in our hearts of hearts adhere to our personal principles and strive for the good. The examples you offered of immoral tarot uses were worded too vaguely and cover too much ground for me to respond definitively that I consider then immoral or moral, but I could build off them with a slightly more concrete statement. I think its immoral to maliciously harm a person or deliberately destroy that person's reputation, self-respect or physical property- including through the use of magic/tarot. The key words are "maliciously" and "deliberately" which separate an act from an accident. ~LAS

Teranar	31 Jan 2003
My feelings on this are such: If it feels right, do it. If it feels wrong, do not do it. If casting a spell using cards feels wrong, then cease, whereas if it feels absoutely right, do so with a full heart. Whatever it be, be it spellcraft, tarot reading, anything, if it feels like you should do it do it with a happy open heart and things will take care of themselves!

Rhiannon	31 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Francesca BUt I feel like too many tarot readers will only give positive readings. That's very nice, but if a reader predicted nothing but sunshine and roses with the occasional thorn one day, and the next day your house burned down, well, if it were me, I'd be mad at that reader for not warning me. Ah, but Francesca... some people only want to hear about the roses and will ignore the thorns anyway. And my defense will always be: "Well... you asked about your boyfriend, not your house!" :D I, for one, do not try to sugarcoat my readings. I know most others here don't do that either. I think when people do that, it defeats the purpose of the reading. I may try to soften the blow with kind words, but I won't hide the facts. In fact, the only time I've ever heard of this happening is when someone is having a difficult time reading for themselves. Check out what some others have had to say: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?threadid=10426&highlight=ethics R :)

lunalafey	31 Jan 2003
Take the ground rules of respect. Apply that to tarot. There are morals in life we all must follow. Death in a reading, if it appears...what do you morally do? speak up or keep silent? If one is seeking a time of death for an enemy? right or wrong? Trying to influence one's actions for the purpose of self (or another)? What ever the choice is one must be responsible for it in the end.

scheherazade	02 Feb 2003
An ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will. Responsibility. I suppose it always comes with gift. Thank you. I wonder, do any of you here use tarot cards to perform spells? And, if so, why is there no discussion forum about it on the boards?

Phoenix	02 Feb 2003
There have beed several threads about Tarot Spells, but I can't remember where they are at the moment.

Hummingbird	02 Feb 2003
Don't take excessive money from psychic junkies. The ones who call for readings once a month. That is excessive and unnecessary. I never tell people when I see a death in the cards. I do not overcharge.

truthsayer	03 Feb 2003
there was a show recently about con artists. one segment featured a tarot reader. even showed her doing a spread and interpretting it. however, this was a person who was raised to use tarot as a con game. she knew how to read people's during a reading then she's hook the person into coming more and more often. the more often the person came, the more money she would demand for services. this woman said read tarot for 15 years until she realized she was being a bad influence on her daughter. she had been raised to believe there was no life but faking being psychic. she never felt she had a choice in what she did for a living. so she quit and now does something else b/c she wants to show her daughter a different way of life. if you see tarot as a con to get money out of people... if you see tarot as being a bad influence on your child... if you feel that you are doing something morally unethical... then you are violating tarot ethics/morality. if what you do bothers you then do a self-assessment. your answers only reflect your personal values. they can't be mine or anyone else's value system.

scheherazade	03 Feb 2003
It may be a good idea to add a Tarot Spells section. Just a thought.

Kiama	03 Feb 2003
When it comes to morals with Tarot, I think they're pretty much the same as with everyday life. I would never do a reading about somebody's health. If they wanna know whether or not they've got cancer or some form of STI, then they can go to a doctor, not a Tarot reader. Neither will I do a reading about whether somebody's great great granny will die soon. I think the future is always far too much in motion to try and predict such major events, which can, in the end, depend solely on a tiny incy wincy little acton in the present as to whether they happen or not. And when I do readings for people, CONFIDENTIALITY is the key. I won't tell anybody about Karen's problems with her ex-boyfriend and the threesome she had with her next door neighbour and his sister. It just feels really wrong to go blurting out people's private worries and problems to others. As for casting spells on people with the cards... I don't do magick with the cards, so can't really speak from experience, but theorretically, I would not do it if the person(s) in question didn't want me to, unless it was for healing... But then we're getting into a whole new kettle of fish, which was looked at in a thread in Spirituality a while ago... *Kiama runs off to find the thread* http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?threadid=6615&highlight=Healing+Magick+and+Freewill Gots it! Enjoy! Kiama

The Tarot Morals thread was originally posted on 30 Jan 2003 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.