Tarot Taboos

This subject comes along with some regularity on the tarot forums and social-media pages, especially among new readers:

“What topics can’t (or shouldn’t) we attempt to read with the cards?”

My personal opinion is that almost any matter is fair game as long as the question is worded with finesse (although I do draw the line at “death predictions,” which are morally suspect even though the old horary astrologers did them all the time.) A favorite “whipping boy” of more experienced readers is the “yes-or-no” question. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard “The tarot can’t give yes-or-no answers” or, more defensibly, “The tarot isn’t very good for yes-or-no answers.” Admittedly, the cards excel at broadly impressionistic narrative and are less effective for binary questions even in single-card “daily draw” mode. But I’ve always believed that we can at least get a feel for whether a situation is trending toward “yes” or “no” without putting too fine a point on it; I look for it in the energies more than in the interpretive details.

Health questions are a close cousin to death questions, particularly if some kind of diagnosis is being sought. I do them in the sense of “general well-being” rather than trying to guess at medical causes, and I certainly don’t offer proposed remedies. That is far outside the legitimate purview of tarot counseling unless the reader is also a qualified medical practitioner. Some psychotherapists do use tarot to augment their professional approach but it is largely supplemental.

Anything else that bears significant consequences for the querent is equally problematic from an actionable advice perspective. Telling a client they should file an expensive lawsuit is risky for our professional liability if they lose big-time, although if they’re already in the middle of one we might reasonably assess their chances of winning so they can prepare for whatever comes. Similarly, recommending a major financial investment on the basis of a tarot reading is treacherous territory, but I might have an opinion about whether they should buy a lottery ticket. It comes down to a matter of “scale” and exposure to legal backlash. I think of it as a “foxhole” mentality; as long as we keep our head below grade we won’t get it shot off.

Some people won’t read for themselves due to concerns over subjective bias. To that self-limiting mindset I respond “How else are you going to learn until you gain the confidence to read for other people?” I’m fine with it provided we don’t expect too much precision out of the answers. Looking at how we can best align ourselves with the energies at work in a situation rather than what might “happen” in more concrete terms is a good way to look at it. Once again, it amounts to whether we should react impulsively as if we’re seeing “absolute truth” in the cards or merely position ourselves to take action if the projected opportunity arises. “Riding the crest” of incoming energies is one way to look at it; all will be well as long as we keep our head above water and avoid getting swamped by the wave as it passes.

Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on August 24, 2022.