I wrote out a full blog on this topic to really detail my thoughts on this.
http://thatstotallytarot.com/?p=2136
Education is essential. Period. My High School yearbook quote was “ignorance, the root and stem of all evil” by Plato. Education remove ignorance. However, I do not hold much weight in the organized education system. For the most part it is a big joke. In our day in age with the free flow and accessibility of information we can learn whatever we want outside a college classroom. We can learn more independently than in a college class. Granted, there are some things you can only receive from a formal education and we do need a formal education in some fashion, my point is knowledge and facts are a quick google search away. Teachers today cannot simply tell us facts, we can find out the facts ourselves. Educators need to focus on how to present this information and make students think! I digress..
While you do not need a formal education or training to be a professional tarot reader, most are self taught. I do believe firmly that education will only help you be a better reader. You can go a traditional route or non-traditional.
There are no college degrees for tarot reading. There are, however relevant fields that can help you be a more insightful reader. The following degrees in my view are helpful. While you may or may not want a career in one of these fields, they can help you with the tarot profession.
Psychology – The first choice and most popular degree a tarot reader my pick. Psychology in general is a popular degree option for many undergraduates. However can also be one of the most useless because to do anything in psychology you need a master a minimum and Ph.D for serious work. For the tarot reader, though an undergraduate would be fine as a means to give you the foundations needed to understand the mind. A psychology degree in counseling, is very helpful, but do your research on the laws in your state regarding counseling. Transpersonal Psychology is highly relevant for a tarot professional. Transpersonal Psychology (Spiritual Psychology) integrates the spiritual and transcendent aspects of the human experience with the framework of modern psychology.
Sociology – While psychology deals with the mind of the individual, sociology focuses on groups of people/society. Sociology deals with the social behaviors of people, beliefs, ideas, and the relationship between people and institutions. A Masters in Social Work (MSW) people work with people and can do counselling work (after obtaining a license in your state, again do your research).
Philosophy / Religious Studies – Philosophy teaches you how to be a critical thinker and I find that philosophy is often overlooked in favor for psychology. Psychology was philosophy at one point before it split into its own independent study. The Greek philosophers produced some of the first psychological ideas. Studying philosophy gives you a background in understanding some of the big questions that have ever been asked. What is the meaning of life? What am I here for? Ethics, logic, epistemology, metaphysics and so much more is covered in philosophy. These areas of study can benefit you as a reader because philosophy can be applied in a tarot reading. Many of the philosophical teachings can be found in the cards themselves, which gives you a deeper understanding of those cards. You can also apply these teachings as advice to your clients. Religious studies, one of my favorite subjects. How does learning about religion apply to tarot? Like philosophy, religious ideas are represented in the cards. So once again, you gain a deeper understanding. Depending on the school, Religion may be a social science degree, in line with sociology and psychology. You people are studying, their culture, ideas and beliefs. As a tarot reader, you encounter different people from different walks of life, knowing about their religion is important. You understand their background and belief system. You would not necessarily talk about reincarnation to a Christian, but you would with a Hindu.
Art History – studying art history would give you a background in the development of art. Tarot is all art! You would learn the historical context of art and its meaning to the culture it created, along with other things. This would help you with understanding symbolism. But I see little application to the actual art of reading the cards (I may be wrong).
Western Esotericism – The Holy Grail for tarot readers. I cannot find a college in the United States that offers this, but the University of Exeter in the U.K does. They offer a Masters and Ph.D in Western Esotericism. Tarot is an esoteric discipline, so a degree in the esoteric traditions would be amazing to have. I would kill to get this degree!
The purpose of the Master’s program in Western Esotericism is to introduce students to this new and expanding field of academic study, providing an adequate grounding in its historical, theological, and philosophical aspects. The MA course is designed to enable students to investigate the Western esoteric tradition from the Hellenistic period in late antiquity through the Renaissance and early modern period to the present.There are three main objectives. Firstly, to develop an understanding of the fundamental characteristics which define esoteric spirituality (correspondences, living nature, intermediaries and hierarchies, transmutation of the soul). This spirituality often manifests as a form of religious experience, while offering a perspective upon the individual soul in the context of nature and the universe. Secondly, to gain insight into the social, religious and philosophical changes, which are conducive to esotericism. Thirdly, to study a number of primary sources, showing the changing content, concerns, and purposes of esotericism over the centuries. (
http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/exeseso/ma.php)
If you are looking to be an author it is always beneficial to have a degree. We live in a society that loves “experts”. A degree gives you credibility in the eyes of the general population. I am currently in the process of obtaining a B.A studying philosophy and religion because I love these two subjects.
You may not want to invest a lot of money in a degree simply for tarot that is not designed for tarot, if reading tarot is your only goal. You would probably invest the money if you also want to peruse a career in one of these fields. For example, you may want to be a social worker so of course you would get a Masters in Social Work. But with your experience from that you could apply that to your tarot readings. If this is not your goal you may want to just take the specific classes that interest you that you feel could be applied to your readings. Colleges allow students to “audit” a class. You participate in the class, but do not receive credit towards a degree. Auditing a class is cheaper. For even cheaper education you can rent textbooks or see what your local library has to offer to study on your own. There are plenty of free learning resources on the internet. check out the following list
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-steinberg/free-online-classes_b_3009226.html
If you want to avoid college and simply want to learn tarot there are great resources to learn tarot. You can study on your own through books. There are good workbooks to can use. But if you want a well organized course style learning look into the Tarosophy Tarot Association.
http://www.tarotassociation.net/courses/ here are a few offers they have. If your goal is to be a professional reader and want to invest in your tarot study seriously I would recommend this route.
Tarosophy Tarot Certificate
Tarosophy Tarot Diploma
Tarosophist Tarot Degree-Style Program “The Hekademia”
In conclusion, do you need an education to reader tarot professionally? No, but getting one can only benefit you. You need to consider how much money you want to invest as well as time. Do what you find to be valuable to you that will give you the best results that can impact your tarot more effectively.