TABI - Tarot Association of the British Isles

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

hedgecub	30 May 2004
Anyone here a current/former member of TABI? They were at the Beltane Bash today, and I'm considering joining them. Apparently membership is open to anyone who is interested in tarot, costs £15 per year, and in return you get a quarterly newsletter, access to a free online beginner's course, and you can then take a test to become a reader with them and attend festivals to give readings and stuff. I just want to hear about anyone who has had experience with them before I join up. :)

fairyhedgehog	30 May 2004
I use their website a lot, especially the forum and the newsletter. But I haven't actually joined yet. There are some really nice people there but it's much quieter than on aeclectic. I've signed up for their course atm, I didn't have to join. Let me know how you get on :)

Sulis	31 May 2004
Same as Fairy Hedgehog, I use their site quite a lot - I'd like the forums better if they moved a bit faster. I started the free course they do but it's not for me - I think I learn more just playing with my cards and visiting AT. They use the course by Joan Bunnings and I don't think keywords are for me. Never bothered joining but that's only really through lack of cash, I'm sure I'll join one day :) Love Sulis xx

inanna_tarot	31 May 2004
Hey! I'm part of the TABI training newbies and i'm LOVING IT! When i pass the course (with my glowing certificate) i'm going to join, just for the keyring! A wonderful lively bunch, and the newletters are well worth printing and reading!! People who know and love Tarot! Sezo x

ribbitcat	31 May 2004
The forums are quiet compared to here because TABI run a lot of Yahoo Groups as well , and the members tend to use them rather than the forums - they're a lot busier :-) and also you know that there's an element of privacy/control . Hedgecub , did you have a reading ? How was it , quality and price-wise ? ribbitcat BTW , you don't have to be a member to do the course , and it;s free .

jmd	01 Jun 2004
Though it is good to see that the TABI has moved in the right direction from accreditation to endorsement (and hopefully will do away with this too, instead listing member readers who claim for themselves the appelation), the ongoing formalisation of mentoring, the codification of ethical standards, and the very statement quoted below remain, to my ethical sense, problematic: 'As there is no central governing body for tarot, and no qualifications, it can be difficult to know how to find a reader. Recognising this, TABI has created a system of Endorsement, whereby our readers agree to adhere to our Code of Ethics and undergo an ongoing process of mentoring to ensure that TABI readings are of a consistently high standard.' I am certain that in the UK as in other places, 'finding a reader' is not difficult, and does not require either central governing body or a substitute (which the statement paints the TABI as)... I am in favour of numerous ways and means of bringing people with Tarot interests together, but am also concerned when such a group then decides to make its peculiar views, ways of reading, or ethics codification as somehow having a broader implied merit than those who are either not members or do not personally agree. The codification of 'ethics', the formality of 'endorsed reader status' and the mentoring as somehow officially ensuring the 'high standards of reading' are a concern. Please note that I am certainly not opposed to any form of support and group or one-on-one mentoring, nor am I opposed to membership to bodies who seek to promote Tarot (I have been a member of the former International Tarot Society, and now the Association for Tarot Studies). Rather, it is when such a body presumes to present its membership as somehow better qualified than non-members, whether implicitly or explicitly, that I personally have reservations...

ribbitcat	01 Jun 2004
Hi JMD - Quote: Originally posted by jmd [b] Though it is good to see that the TABI has moved in the right direction from accreditation to endorsement (and hopefully will do away with this too, instead listing member readers who claim for themselves the appelation), the ongoing formalisation of mentoring, the codification of ethical standards, and the very statement quoted below remain, to my ethical sense, problematic: 'As there is no central governing body for tarot, and no qualifications, it can be difficult to know how to find a reader. Recognising this, TABI has created a system of Endorsement, whereby our readers agree to adhere to our Code of Ethics and undergo an ongoing process of mentoring to ensure that TABI readings are of a consistently high standard.' I am certain that in the UK as in other places, 'finding a reader' is not difficult, ** True . Finding a *decent* reader , however , might be more of a challenge . and does not require either central governing body or a substitute (which the statement paints the TABI as)... ** I don't think it does ; I think it implies that members have signed up because (amongst other things) they agree with the TABI's principles , and choose to abide by them : a commonality . I am in favour of numerous ways and means of bringing people with Tarot interests together, but am also concerned when such a group then decides to make its peculiar views, ways of reading, or ethics codification as somehow having a broader implied merit than those who are either not members or do not personally agree. ** To me , the statement merely shows someone what kind of thing they might expect from a TABI reader , that there *is*a process , that these people have bothered to study , bothered to practice , bothered thinking about a Code of Ethics , and are concerned not to be seen as charlatans/fakes - I didn't see any wild promises about lottery wins :-) The codification of 'ethics', ** I didn't see anything in the ethics code that was objectionable , and in fact , much that is common practice on individual readers' websites ; so why not codify it ? the formality of 'endorsed reader status' and the mentoring as somehow officially ensuring the 'high standards of reading' are a concern. ** Why ? I have come across one reader who told an elderly lady she would die within 6 months ; another who plagiarized a tarot book verbatim for their readings ; yet another who had a religious axe to grind . These are surely not things that we the tarot community want to encourage ? Endorsement and mentoring seeks to provide a check on such behavior , and provide a basic standard of quality in terms of interpretation . I think the question should rather be , who does the mentoring and endorsing , and what right do thay have to be the arbiters ? And as there are few (if any) qualifications , how do we judge *their* abilities to be the arbiters ? Please note that I am certainly not opposed to any form of support and group or one-on-one mentoring, nor am I opposed to membership to bodies who seek to promote Tarot (I have been a member of the former International Tarot Society , and now the Association for Tarot Studies ). Rather, it is when such a body presumes to present its membership as somehow better qualified than non-members, whether implicitly or explicitly, that I personally have reservations... /B] ** Not better qualified , but adhering to a standard of practice , and belonging to a group - which gives them the status of being more accountable .... ribbitcat

Tarot Galadriel	02 Jun 2004
I would highly recommend joining TABI. I recently joined and have access to the TABI yahoo lists as a result. Now I have been a member of quite a few tarot yahoo lists and most I leave within a few weeks as I get bored with the general mumblings and learn very little. With the TABI lists however I feel very differently. They are a great crowd of people and very supportive. I have learnt more in the month I have been with them, than in 4 months of being on 5 other lists !!! The mentoring system is brilliant too, it is great to be able to discuss your ideas and really get to grips with various cards. It helps to give a feeling of confidence in the early days of learning and reading for others. it is great to have someone look at what you have done and give it the okay, its is very reassuring. No one says that you must do things a certain way, your are openly encouraged to develope your own style and that is respected. As ribbitcat states, the TABI ethics are just common sense ethics that any tarot reader should follow as a matter of course. In fact they help you to really think about what is a viable question for you and what isn't, this may be something that some readers don't think about unless suddenly faced with something borderline ethically. This way, you think about your own ethics and decide in advance what is acceptable for you and what isn't. Let's face it, there are some readers out there with no ethics and will read any question without considering the consequences they could have on the querents life. I have only great things to say about TABI. I have found them to be friendly, supportive and help you to gain confidence in what you do. They offer lots of help in the form of course and mentoring and all for free (once you become a member). They are a non profit making organization too. So they are not in it for the money. TABI just want a safe, monitored place for readers and querents alike. I LOVE THEM !!!! Tarot Galadriel

jmd	02 Jun 2004
Welcome to Aeclectic, Tarot Galadriel... And great to see that you too have found this also wonderful place where various ideas are shared, and various views are undoubtedly held. As both ribbitcat and Tarot Galadriel have addressed some of the points I raised, I thought I may as well respond. Again, let me mention that I am personally in favour of people working together in mutual 'mentoring', and do personally encourage high ethical standards to be applied to individual situations - so that is not at issue. Where we have points of disagreement is on whether there 'ought' to be a codification of ethical position(s) (whether or not they appear to be 'common sense'), whether a formal endorsement of readers from a registered organisation leads to greater freedom and a sense for further development in Tarot, and whether or not a reader, as reader, 'needs' to have formal mentoring of any kind. Personally, and as I have mentioned in other threads, I personally consider the detrimental effects of such outweighs its facade of positivity. I also have absolutely no hesitation in assuming the TABI (or the ATA, or CTN, or TGA)'s motives in being for the best... but, and here is again where we disagree, not having those consequences. That there are charlatans or people with poor ethical stance would not prevent them from joining and presenting themselves falsely.

Sulis	02 Jun 2004
Hi ribbit and Sezo, I hope you don't think I was critisising TABI - I wasn't, I really admire you guys and as I said in my previous post, I'm sure I will join one day (if you'll have me :) ) I have become spoiled with the wonderful software we have on AT (which is very similar to that used by the TABI forum) - I enjoy reading posts as threads and find Yahoo groups quite difficult to use. The course which you run - based on Joan Bunnings is an excellent course; I have tried it before but some people just don't get on with keywords; I'm one of them. Lots os love to you Sulis xx

Tarot Galadriel	02 Jun 2004
Thanks for the welcome !! Thanks too for the continued discussion, i love talking tarot !! lol You mentioned 'That there are charlatans or people with poor ethical stance would not prevent them from joining and presenting themselves falsely.' While this could potentially be true, to become a reader for TABI you MUST go through a mentoring process where your first 25 readings have to be sent to your mentor before they go to the querent. Even after you have become an endorsed reader, you are required to submit a limited number of readings to be looked at each month. This makes sure the reading standard stay high and within the ethics. Surely any 'falsly' moitvated reader would not hold the facade for 25 readings in a row??? I for one joined as a way of making sure I was heading in the right direction. I knew no one who studied tarot so I was very much alone in my study. Being fairly new to tarot I felt I needed some reassurance and guidance as I learnt so TABI was great for me. This may not be the case for all, not everyone will like or need this kind of guidance, its just nice to know its there if you want it. I wanted to do a tarot course, and as you rightly point out, there is no one place that is the defined tarot association, so to my mind, paying over £400 to get a certificate on a course was a waste of my money. There are a lot of courses, most stupidly expensive, yet none can offer that one true qualification. None arw worth more than others and none are a recognised qualification. In this respect TABI is fab, the free course covers the same as most others and you get a certificate that is just as recognised as any other. Places like Aeclectic and TABI are VERY valuable to us, besides any of the other points raised, its great to be among like minded people. Both Aeclectic and TABI provide that for me, without them I would not be able to talk to other tarot enthusiasts. I completely see where you are coming from, honestly, and I mostly agree with you. I am not one to follow the crowd or abide by others rules, though TABI rules are just simple and obvious to anyone. I do however think it can be very valuable when learning tarot and for querents who are unsure of how to find a reader. They can have free readings and if they 'click' with a certain reader, could then approach them for private readings if they are listed. Just a thought!! hugs Tarot Galadriel

inanna_tarot	02 Jun 2004
Yes i'm back to rave about TABI! Sulis - I'm not a member, but i lately i've been appearing alot in the TABI world and when i pass the course, i will become a member. Partly its my 'reward' for sticking with the course through tonsilitus and a tonsilatomy. And, the idea of a tarot key ring! HELL YEAH! I had a thing about collecting keyrings when i was smaller than i am now and i still get excited about strange keyrings and ones of places i visit. Galadriel, glad to see you on board both TABI and AT! I love TABI and AT soooo much, its like having two tarot parents, only lots of bodies instead on one.. okay that worked better in my head, but they both help to nuture and help you experience the world of tarot in a very friendly way. Dont forget the easy HUH posts from time to time, with are gratefully not met with replies like YOU HAVE FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THE OCCULT ENERGIES, or kick you out for asking a dumb question. the one thing i really like about TABI is that its not pass the course and you are a great reader, sure the course and that helps, but its more about the COMMUNITY!! (Group hug anyone? lol) You get a good reputation and more importantly gives tarot and tarot reading credibility. AT and TABI gets you lots of tarot chums in good well organised groups like these. TABI is the only one i've heard of in the UK that has survived its first couple of years and its steadily growing and expanding. There was another group that was alot like TABI a year or so ago (my mum was asked to be a founding member person, but she declined) but it flopped because it got alot of highly prized all fluff readers to appear. It went for a more commerical angle than just spreading Tarot joy to the nation. The Ethics did make me thing ohh maybe i shouldnt be doing this (REBEL to the core, plus habits my mother has got me into!) but i completely agree with them, like the human rights act for tarot readers lol. We all agree with the different principles so why not codify it and make it crystal clear! Anything that brings tarot out of the occult back rooms and into the light - and hopefully no talk about devil's picture cards!! Blessings Sezo x

MysticHermit	02 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by ribbitcat BTW , you don't have to be a member to do the course , and it;s free . Thanks for informing that the course is free, i will look in to it. MysticHermit

jmd	03 Jun 2004
For those interested in reading through various previous threads which touch on some various aspects discussed in this thread (not the free course, of course, but other courses), here are a few - dating from January 2002 forward: Tarot Certification Boards - Are the standards valid? ; Tarot Certification Board of America ; Ethics and Certification ; Certification - Canadian Tarot Network ; and Tarot Ethics . There are also other threads, which may be found by doing a search for 'ethics' or 'certification'. My purpose here is to merely point out other threads which have touched on similar issues, and which have within them various viewpoints. To those who wish to work with a codification of ethical statements, that is their own prerogative, and trust they do not seek to impose the same on those who do not find merit in the same. Likewise, any group of individuals may decide to elect from amongst themselves tutor or tutors or mentors, and determine amongst themselves that those who pass their own determined examinations are good readers - but also trust that this is not broadcast in such ways as to imply that those who have not joined their own registered body are in any way lesser readers. As to the registered body itself, I also trust that it does not present itself as the sole or proper representative of the many individuals who may choose not to join - especially to bureaucratic government departments. These are some of the problematic areas of codifications and endorsement or certification. As I have mentioned above and elsewhere, the formal bringing together of interested parties, of the mutual sharing and supporting of each other, and the ongoing study of Tarot, are wonderful. Individuals who use Tarot in metaphorical dark alleys may certainly do injustices to Tarot, yet, their activities reflects only themselves, and likewise those who use Tarot in accordance with 'rules' determined, whether explicitly or implicitly, by a registered body: it reflects its members. In neither case does it reflect TAROT, though the incorporated body may give the appearance that it in fact does. Hence my concern with all Associations - including the one to which I am a member: awareness needs to be maintained that it is an association of people, not Tarot, and that its legitimate uses extands past the confines of the membership of the organisation.

ribbitcat	03 Jun 2004
Hi JMD - Trying to do the quote thingy , but haven't quite got the hang of it - apologies :-) Quote: Originally posted by jmd To those who wish to work with a codification of ethical statements, that is their own prerogative, and trust they do not seek to impose the same on those who do not find merit in the same. ** Absolutely - if one can't agree with the codifed ethics , don't join ;-) And there's nothing very unusual or unique about TABI's Ethics . Likewise, any group of individuals may decide to elect from amongst themselves tutor or tutors or mentors, and determine amongst themselves that those who pass their own determined examinations are good readers - but also trust that this is not broadcast in such ways as to imply that those who have not joined their own registered body are in any way lesser readers. ** I agree . As to the registered body itself, I also trust that it does not present itself as the sole or proper representative of the many individuals who may choose not to join - especially to bureaucratic government departments. ** TABI does not . If you can take the raised blood pressure :-) check out http://www.bprb.org They do make that implication . It costs £27 for them to assess your application , which they say does not guarantee admission . And oddly enough , their accredited courses are run by ...guess who ? the founders . And the courses are not cheap . These are some of the problematic areas of codifications and endorsement or certification. As I have mentioned above and elsewhere, the formal bringing together of interested parties, of the mutual sharing and supporting of each other, and the ongoing study of Tarot, are wonderful. Individuals who use Tarot in metaphorical dark alleys may certainly do injustices to Tarot, yet, their activities reflects only themselves , ** No , I don't believe it does ; their activities reflect on all tarot readers , by association (uninintended pun :-) To be topical . the allegations of abuse made against some military folk has reflected on the rest ; and the rest certainly perceive it that way . and likewise those who use Tarot in accordance with 'rules' determined, whether explicitly or implicitly, by a registered body: it reflects its members . ** Yes . Therefore , a querent coming to such an organization for a reading knows that there is a standard set *for that group* , and that a member of that group is accountable to that group . In neither case does it reflect TAROT , though the incorporated body may give the appearance that it in fact does. ** True . Hence my concern with all Associations - including the one to which I am a member: awareness needs to be maintained that it is an association of people , not Tarot , and that its legitimate uses extands past the confines of the membership of the organisation. ** Agreed . ribbitcat

Major Tom	03 Jun 2004
To start I first want to say that I am positive that the good people of TABI are motivated to the highest good of their clients and members. Having said that, I share many of the concerns expressed by my friend Jmd. Quote: Originally posted by Tarot Galadriel to become a reader for TABI you MUST go through a mentoring process where your first 25 readings have to be sent to your mentor before they go to the querent. Even after you have become an endorsed reader, you are required to submit a limited number of readings to be looked at each month. This makes sure the reading standard stay high and within the ethics. These conditions are precisely the reason I have not and will not seek certification through TABI. As a professional living and working in the UK, one of my own ethical considerations is the confidentiality of my clients and these particular requirements call for consistent violation of that. Another of my problems with these requirements is that there is (at least an unspoken?) expectation that these 25 readings are to be provided gratis until one is 'certified' to charge for readings. Further, despite the assurance by Ribbitcat, TABI does give the impression to the public that those who are certified are somehow superior to those who are not. I personally have no problem with charlatans/fakes or just plain poor readers. These people rarely stay in business long as they find it difficult if not impossible to generate repeat business. To my mind they only serve to make the rest of us look good. I do however find it extremely disturbing when an organisation sets out to encourage the public to buy services from its members by stating that their membership is free from charlatanism and of consistently high standard, thus implying anyone who isn't a member must be a charlatan and substandard. This becomes even more worrying when Governments get involved as they are wont to do. My own personal opinion regarding associations and ethics is that associations should foster discussion regarding 'best practice' while leaving the actual ethical practice and decisions up to the individual to develop for themselves. Again, in my opinion the best any association can do for tarot is to promote the uses of tarot and leave any value judgements regarding individuals and individual uses of tarot up to individuals.

ribbitcat	04 Jun 2004
Hi Major Tom - Quote: ** Hmm . I can see what you're saying here , but I'm not over-impressed with the quality of value judgments made by some readers ; and for some people , it's easier to develop their own judgment once a framework has been set out to agree with , develop - or disagree with ;-) ribbitcat PS Thanks FHH for the kind instructions on how to quote - let's see if it works :-)

The TABI - Tarot Association of the British Isles thread was originally posted on 30 May 2004 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.