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January/February 2004 Cosmic
Ethics in Tarot (and Other Intuitive Readings)

by Sarai St. Julien

Clear Boundaries Lead to More Effective Readings

Whether you are a professional tarot reader or intuitive or just learning, you’ll want to consider certain ethical issues when giving a reading. Often, when individuals seek advice, whether in the form of a tarot reading or in another form, it is because they are having trouble sorting out their thoughts and feeling.

It’s important to realize the person who asks you to provide a tarot reading, (called the querent or questioner) may be in a very vulnerable state of mind. A tarot reading can have a powerful impact on someone’s feelings and decision making process. It was a Tarot reading that caused me to choose my current profession! Knowing that, we need to proceed in a thoughtful and respectful manner if we are to have a positive impact.

Be aware of your own emotional state and how it affects your interpretation of the cards

If you are depressed or angry, your emotions may color the way you read the cards for another person. If you have just made an important life-changing decision, it is easy to believe that someone else, faced with similar circumstances, should make the same decision you did. Even a book you’re reading may cause you to have a certain bias or focus.

In doing a reading it is important to bear in mind that we only really know our own feelings and circumstances well enough to judge what action to take. We can provide direction, encouragement and ideas for another person, but the querent is the ultimate expert on his or her own situation. We need to trust that, with a bit of guidance, the querent can make the appropriate decision for him or herself.

Before beginning a reading, take a few moments to meditate and to clear your mind. Take a quick inventory of your own thoughts and feelings. Being aware of your own internal dialog will help you to keep yourself separate from your interpretation of the cards.

Respect the Querent’s Privacy

If possible, try to select a place to do a reading where you won’t be overheard. The querent will feel more comfortable being open in her questions and feelings. If she isn’t ready to share something, don’t push. You’ll create resentment, not trust.

Keep in mind that the querent is showing great faith in you by sharing her thoughts and concerns. Any information you gain should be kept confidential unless you have the querent’s explicit permission to share it. You never know who is connected to whom!

Be aware of the querent’s emotional state and how it affects the questions he or she asks

If the querent is feeling overwhelmed, he may find it difficult to formulate a question, or tend to ask questions that have a negative cast to them. You can provide a tremendous service for that person by listening in a calm and non-judgmental manner. Be supportive through active listening (rephrasing what you’ve just heard), and by helping the querent to reformulate questions, or by formulating constructive follow-up questions.

As an example: if the querent asks you "Will my boyfriend leave me?" you could first look at the question, as stated, and then suggest a follow-up question, such as: "How can I improve my relationship with my boyfriend?"

Respect the querent’s free will

Avoid emphatic statements about people, events and projects affecting the querent. Blanket statements about the querent’s future imply that it is predetermined. While none of us control everything, and many forces shape our future, we still have free will. The choices and commitments we make can make dramatic changes in our lives.

For example, stating: "You will fail in your work," will only serve to demoralize the querent. Instead, you, as the reader, can state: "I see a setback in your work, let‘s look at that setback, and what you can do to turn things around." Using the latter approach we don’t take away a person’s sense of power and capacity to act on important issues.

The tarot reader has a unique opportunity to help the querent focus on goals and solutions, and to empower the querent to manage her life.

Sarai St. Julien is the owner of Titania Moon Intuitive Consulting. She is an Intuitive Reader and Tarot instructor and Certified Voyager Consultant. Contact her at Titania Moon Intuitive Consulting: 503-204-0854 or sarai@titaniamoon.com.