Ethical Issues

So in this thread : http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=50400&page=1&pp=10

the issue of consent came up. Like doing a reading for someone whithout their consent, to help them.

So I thought the discusion deserved it's own thread. What kind of ehtical issues come up with the tarot? What does everyone stand on them? How did you come that stance? Are there books out there dealing with ethics. Where did diffirent tarot creators stand on the issues?

abigail

This is word for word what i give to prospective students of mine. They are not set in stone or enforced, but I wrote them and teach by them as I felt if I was showing others and teaching others to find insight in the cards then I had to look at the karmic rebound on me if i was going to be party to helping readers develop that would then go out there and abuse the cards and others believe.
Guidelines for the Tarot as suggested

By Abigail.

The tarot allows us through pictures, symbolism and intuition a greater insight into others lives.
It is important that we treat the cards and ourselves with respect and ethics.
There is not a code of conduct required with this ability but it is for each of us to find our own way.
Those of us who have the gift to see into others lives and beyond the now and into the future we need to define our ethics.
You NEVER read in to someone’s life with out his or her permission.
The laws of Karma exist in this as within all life.
Do not use someone’s belief in you as a way of expressing your own opinions.
You are privy to information that is private and confidential keep it that way.
Remember children and siblings have the right of privacy too.
You may read in to someone’s life as to how it affects you or the person you are reading for NOT just for general interest.
Read for yourself to discover all your facets.
DO NOT allow your beliefs, morals or opinions to cloud your reading for yourself or others.
Trust your judgment to do the right thing.
Do for others what you would hope for if your positions were reversed.
Believe in yourself.
Death is a variable thankfully due to medical science and alternative healers, it is unethical to give a date of death, but ill health should be indicated.
Admit when you don’t know or need to seek reference.
Please do nothing to discredit other readers.

If you do not feel you can read for someone its is far better to say NO that do a bad or un-in tuned reading.
At the end of the day you chose your own way and your own ethics, please choose wisely.

abigail

thanks for posting the thread

U.k

I was interested in both of your threads on this topic and i agree with some of your ethics involved.

However everyone must choose how they read the Tarot, and must alway's remember to be responsible on how you give your answers too the person.

I have done readings for people who have not been present and i dont think you have to be seen doing something wrong, when doing a reading without the other person knowing. My reason for this is mainly out of helping or caring for a person and not just for selfish knowledge.

My ethics are to be honest about what i see and say in the reading for a person,
if i see Death relating to a particular question i would be honest and say most likely will be the out-come, but i would approach this question very sensitively, and not just fob them off with just saying unlikely.

I have just recently done a reading for an AT member who's friend was in intensive care, i was honest about her friends out-come, and she was very happy to know that the out-come was going to happen, due to her friends suffering.

abigail.

*At the end of the day you chose your own way and your own ethics, please choose wisely.* thats the last line in the ethics i have that i just posted.
I dont choose someone elses ethics for them, that was the final comment.
I also didnt say dont say when death is to occur, just giving a date of death, *giving a date can be like pointing the bone*.
Death can show up in may forms through cards, for me personaly its shown up with cups cards, swords cards and as inheritance through the discs cards.
I am not a feel good reader i say what i see, and if that includes someone's passing then thats what i tell them. I believe death shows up so people can finish things in life fix bridges say all thats needed to be said before they depart, to not share that its to come is cruel, to take that time away from someone is not something i would do.
I am also not saying not to read for someone not present, its rather hard to do email readings or phone readings for someone if thats the case, i do both. I am saying with out permission.

That's why I started this thread, so we could discuss diffirent ethical systems and learn from each other. I don't think any morals or ethics are set in stone. Well, the 10 commandments where, but even the first version broke right away. I'd like to know where others ethical views(concerning the tarot) came from, and if they've changed over time.

I wasn't trying to say Azarial was wrong for doing a reading without his concent. I really was interested in her reasoning. I was kind of hoping for something more thought out than, "I wanted to help" but didn't want to keep pushing it and make her feel like I was being comfrontational. Now I want to know how others have dealt with this issue.

I'd also like to know about other ethical issues that come up with the tarot, besides privacy. Just can't really think of any at the moment.

The real reason I brought in that thread, was that it's an issue that comes up often with me. I'm still very knew at this, but as opposed to Azarial, I don't really come across skeptics to often. Almost everyone I know believes in the tarot. Some consider it immoral or a sin, others just don't like the idea of knowing their fate, which I always remind them it only shows potential routes. So the privacy issue comes up a lot. Some ask me if it's possible to do a reading on them when they're not around and find out all kinds of stuff about them. I tell them it's probaly possible, but that would assume I would want to know about their private life. Then there's some friends that ask me questions like "Is so-and-so gay" "When will my dad divorce that tramp?" "Is so-and-so really the father?" and nosey stuff like that. Again, I ask them why they want to know something that has nothing to do with them, and why don't they ask these people directly? I have absolutely no interest in knowing my friends' personal matters, not to say that I don't care about my friends, I just don't feel the need to know the details of their lives besides those they choose to share with me.


Anyways, hope more people join in and we can comapare and contrats diffirent views.

There have been a number of other threads discussing related issues... however, I find one of Abigail's own guideline encapsulates very much something essential in coming to ethical considerations:

If someone I know is going through a difficult time, I will choose a direct route first. I'll talk to them and see if there is anything I can do to help. Usually that takes care of it for me. But if I was still concerned enough to consult the Tarot then I'd ask, "What can I do to help so and so?" Rather than ask questions that might invade their privacy.

It doesn't occur to me to go to the Tarot for everything that comes up. I'm not saying its bad to consult the Tarot but just that I'm more hands on in situations where I'm worried for a friend.

I see nothing wrong with reading about some one, since it is not a form of spying. I cannot "know" anything without their telling me in plain and simple words. Reading for some one who is not present is not like setting up camera in their homes. The reading itself is different, it "feels" different. Of course, if you read tarot for so many years, I suppose you get a certain amount of discipline. A black belt can kill a person with his bare hands, but the years of training have made him think twice about doing so.

If you read for a while, all the while reading for others and helping them, well, you get a certain perspective on things. Hence I like the line jmd quoted about using your own judgement. Rules, however fair they may seem. are meant to be broken, and thats what makes life interesting, and I would like to meet a person who have never broken so-called "rules" of Tarot.

So... am I unethical? Corrupt? Evil? Tarot is there to make you a better person. Misusing it should not even be a question. Especially if the actual definition of misuse is so unclear. i try to be a good person, and I can't promise any more than that.

Exactly - thats what this all boils down to . . . .trusting ones own concience.

I think it does help, however, to remind eager beginners to think carefully about what they are doing and why! Perhaps not strict do's and don'ts but a general ethos to build upon.