My Tarot Journey Part 3 – Developing Good Practices and a Code of Ethics
As I shared in the first two posts, learning to read tarot cards and then reading for others, is obviously a huge and crucial part of becoming a professional tarot reader. It would be wrong to say though that this is where the learning and development ends. The more readings I did, the more I found I was developing good practices and a code of ethics. These are very important parts of reading the tarot, as I will show you here.
Good Practices for Tarot Readings
What do I mean by good practices? Here are a list of just some of the things I had to consider and even reconsider at times:
- Types of readings
- Costs
- Length of readings
- Venue
- Structure of reading
- Information for clients prior to reading
- Relationship and communication with clients
I guess what this looks at is the ‘professional’ part of being a professional tarot reader. At first I offered a tarot reading, and would change the spreads within that reading depending on the questions I was asked. But then I developed different types of readings with different costs attached to them. I can tell you from my own experiences, I really recommend you set a time limit on face to face tarot readings. This works whether you will be visiting people at their homes (not something I recommend if it can be avoided) or if they will be visiting you. I visited a friend of a friend for a reading, expecting to read for no more than an hour, and I was there for almost two because she would not let me go and I was not confident enough to just end the reading.
In fact, the technical side can be mastered very easily the more readings you do. It is the dealing with clients side that takes effort, but is worth doing, not just for you the reader, but also for the people you read for. Make sure the clients know what they are getting and what they are not. These days it is easier, because you can refer them to a website with your terms and conditions and code of ethics, but when I first started out and once I realised the importance of this, I had leaflets printed up.
During the reading you may be confronted by some difficult topics. Some people have truly been through such harrowing experiences and this is when it is important to be compassionate. I never had any problems speaking to people because I had been a type of counsellor for most of my life, so this was just an extension of that and I did really care about people. The harder part, at least at first, was keeping the relationship professional. Some clients either become addicted to readings, or they feel a connection to their reader because of the reading. I have literally been stalked by people who want me to advise them on every aspect of their lives; some of them did not even want readings, they just wanted to talk to me on the phone. So it is really important to be able to be friendly and compassionate, but to also keep a professional distance. This was probably one of the hardest lessons for me to learn, because I just felt so sorry for everyone and wanted to help everyone. But there is only so much I can do as a reader, and I have limited time and energy. Also, after a time it became clear that being available to people in this manner was actually less help and more of a disservice as it did not empower them.
Developing a code of ethics
A code of ethics very much follows in the same vein as the good practices, but is a declaration of the fact that as a tarot reader, you conduct yourself with integrity and honesty. Not every reader will have the same points on their code of ethics. Aquarian Insight has some brief points on its code of ethics:
- Aquarian Insight serves the best interests of all clients, conducting all professional activities without causing or intending to cause harm.
- Aquarian Insight will treat all clients with equal respect, regardless of their origin, race, religion, gender, age, or sexual preference.
- Aquarian Insight will keep confidential the names of clients and all information shared or discussed during readings, unless otherwise requested by the client or required by a court of law.
- Aquarian Insight will recommend clients consult a licensed professional for advice of a legal, financial, medical, or psychological nature that I am not qualified to provide.
However, on the Aquarian Insight Code of Ethics page, there are also links to several other articles I have written to fully illustrate my beliefs and practices as a tarot reader. This is something I feel is so important. Tarot readers should work to a certain level of standards. Our integrity and honesty is everything, especially as we are dealing with such personal issues with our clients. For me, it is not just because I want people to know I have integrity, but also I have very definite beliefs about the tarot.
The Future Lies Within You, Not the Cards
I know how much a reading can help, but I also know how much damage can be done when people rely too much on the cards and not on themselves. My biggest aim as a tarot reader has become to empower my clients to make choices. The biggest change that has happened from when I first began reading the cards to now is that the focus of my readings has switched from showing people what will happen in the future, to helping people find ways to achieve what they want in the future.