Tarot for Writers Certification

Mods, if this is in the wrong place, please move it. Thank you.

*************

DISCLAIMER: please note that this is not intended to stir up the whole "to certify or not certify" hornets' nest, but rather to gain commentary on this particular type of certification. Thx in advance.



Today, I got an email stating that Corinne Kenner (author of Tarot for Writers is now offering a Tarot Writers Certification.

It's not rocket science: apparently, all one has to do is write a paragraph [Basic Certification] or page(s) [Advanced Certification(s)] on each card in a traditional tarot deck (which is defined as any tarot deck with 78 cards). Do this, pay the fee, and you get your certification.

I feel some kinda way about this; her book was (I thought) to empower writers and help hone tarot skills at the same time. But looking at the certification requirements seems, to me, almost...I don't know. Lightweight in the "criteria", I guess. But since people struggle with the tarot daily, perhaps it is difficult for some to write even a sentence about each of the cards, let alone paragraphs and pages.

AND...how is this going to fit into the current certifications offered by bodies such as ATA, TABI, Canadian Tarot Association, etc.? Or is it an auxilliary certification (like getting an MBA, but with a concentration in a certain area)?

Thoughts?

T.

T.

I like this style. It is a creative approach to certification. There are no tests of "standardized rules" its open to you and what you want to write and feel about the cards. I think I would like to do this, as I like to write and challenge myself with writing. I give it 2 thumbs up

It seems like the value is in motivation to do the studying and writing rather than in impressing anyone with your certification. Writing a poem (or short essay) on each of 78 cards is a long haul and it might help to have this kind of structure.

Well, you're being certified as a "wordsmith", not a Tarot reader. I wonder whether paying the money isn't what gets you certified rather than what you write about the cards because, of course, you paid the money for the certificate and she isn't very likely to read what you submit and then say, "OOOPSIE, here's your money back. You didn't pass." If you could submit your stuff and then pay the money once accepted, it would be better.

Edited to be more politically correct, polite, and non-offensive.

I have to agree with Grizabella...

"The Tarot for Writers certification program is an innovative new way to connect with the cards...."

More like an innovative way to make money

Why not just write about the cards yourself and make your own certificate? Many people already keep a Tarot Journal to connect with cards. I suppose it is a way of "authenticating" your work, but she really has no "Tarot Credentials" other than writing books. I'm assuming the "Certified Tarot Master" is the unaccredited designation. Does she have any accredited qualifications such as a BA in English or something?

Publishing gives credentials as a writer, but then I suppose since I've been published I could offer the same service....at half the cost and make a snappier looking certificate

Gack. Jeez. This seems extremely creepy. I can't believe Corrine thought this through properly because it disintegrates under the most casual glance.

Tarot certification is wonky enough... but certification of writing for a price? I wouldn't mind this if it wasn't fee-based and tiered in price for more "advanced" options. That's so patently a profit-shill that I can't believe people will sign up for it.

The various professional writers guilds take a hard line with respect to fee-based submission: to contests, editors, festivals, etc. The general understanding is that if you are paying someone to look at your work, it is a scam. In some cases the money is easy to explain, so people make exceptions: fees for festival submissions help to pay for qualified readers etc. But even then, writers are generally discouraged by their guilds from supporting fee-based organizations. It's too easy for these operations to become profit mills with zero standards. Now, in this case nothing is being promised or offered, so it isn't exactly a scam, but of course that begs the question, if nothing is being offered, why would you pay? For the so-called certification? What is being cerrtified beyond your ability to pay a fee?

Who would put this 'certificate' on their website and what could it possibly provide by way of assurance to anyone? What does it "certify" beyond a wallet that contains $25? It seems pointedly a cash cow with zero value besides providing an artificial deadline for people who don't HAVE a deadline but want to feel more like professional writers. Who is doing the review of this writing and on what basis? Why would someone pay to submit writing which is subject to no evaluation beyond basic grammatical coherence? And if something beyond basic coherence is being judged by Corinne or her employees, what qualifies them to do so? Again, if they aren't qualified, then what is the VALUE of the certification?!

I'm a professional writer. I've won several awards. I've done some fancy-pants things that got a lot of attention in their moments. Still, I would be hard-pressed to hang out a shingle offering any kind "certification" even under strenuous review by other professionals I respected. Cause I'm a writer not an impartial panel of artistic luminaries. That's the point of awards and certifications and the like: You cannot BUY approval that actually means anything. Now, full disclosure, I often get paid to doctor things and edit people's work and provide analysis for editors and producers who respect my eye... but again it isn't a blind, open call for submissions and I get paid more than $25 to do it. And it is NOT certification.

Certification is a sexy sounding word. People are bamboozled by buzz and when you want to be a writer you'll do almost anything to separate yourself from the herd. The trouble is that certification isn't the word that should be used. It sounds nice, but it is misleading. What is being offered is a kind of passive, no-participation coaching to help people grind out pages. Fair enough. I guess some people are lazy enough that having an electronic nanny drumming fingers while waiting for pages would be useful... but that isn't certification. Authority and acclaim are prerequisites for such an enterprise because certification is always about credentials, theirs and yours. And neither seem to be present in this case. This is NOT certification, and I can't believe anyone would name it so.

I'm surprised Corrine is doing this. This is the kind of Tarot business that undermines credibility. Dodgy in the extreme.

Scion

Scion said:

I'm surprised Corrine is doing this. This is the kind of Tarot business that undermines credibility. Dodgy in the extreme.

Click to expand...

I have to echo this.

I triple that!

Scion said:

Now, in this case nothing is being promised or offered, so it isn't exactly a scam, but of course that begs the question, if nothing is being offered, why would you pay? For the so-called certification? What is being cerrtified beyond your ability to pay a fee?

Click to expand...

That bothered me as well since you are getting *nothing* - no feedback, no analysis, not even a grammar check.

Essentially it would just be paying for a piece of paper for writing something on a piece of paper.

Just a "Donate" button would be more appropriate (and accurate) since that would imply you understand you are sending money and getting nothing in return.

It would be like me setting up a website and if you send me a picture of your Tarot deck design I'll certify you as a "Tarot Artist" - who'd be dumb enough to fall for that?

Everything Scion said. Certified Tarot Writer? I know of writers, members of Writer's Guild (s), published writers, aword winning writers, best-selling writers ... but, certified (Tarot) writers/poets/wordsmith? That kind of certificate imho at best certifies that its holder might be suffering from scribomania, while simultaneosly being prone to impulsive spending.