Ethics of Tarot Reading.

[Mr Wolf]

Hi,

This is something I am giving a lot of thought to recently, and I wanted some opinions.

In my youth I was into all sorts of magic and mysticism. Crystals, Astrology, Tarot, I-Ching. You name it, I looked into it.

At the time I considered it part of a search for knowledge.

The I realised how science worked and havn't looked back since.

I am glad I am knowledgeable on these subjects, as it gives me a good perspective when arguing against them with people who practice them, and who dont understand their own subjects as much as the skeptic they are arguing with.

My problem comes from two things.

Firstly, I am a poor student, and am always looking at ways to make a little money to make live more bearable.

Secondly, my mother just paid a Tarot Reader to do a reading for a group of her friends they paid her twelve pounds sterling per head, and she required a minimum group of 6 people. Thats 72 quid for a few hours work.

You see where I am going with this?

But I am wrestling with my concience over this as I have for years complained about con artists taking peoples money, and fostering the mindset of these kooky beliefs.

I dispise with a vengence the type of con artists that prey on peoples beliefs in an afterlife and cliam to talk to the dearly departed, while using blatent and badly executed cold reading techniques.

But from my experience of reading tarot cards in the past, I have found them to be a bit more benign. And I think I could make the readings a bit less woo woo, and make them a bit more geared towards giving harmless advice.

But yes, it still supports the "mystical" worldview, which I dont like.

I have thought about telling the people I read for that I was just using cold reading techniques and that I dont believe in the cards, after a reading. But I think this would make people feel insulted.

But 12 quid a head could really make my summer bearable.

Thoughts?

 

[Cthulhu]

Don't do it.

 

[delphi_ote]

Thoughts?

Hmm... I'd rather you didn't do it, but I know how tempting money can be when you need it. Just in case you cannot resist the lure, I'll make a few suggestions:

What about putting all kinds of literature around debunking Tarot reading where you do the readings? Or playing an act of "those rotten skeptics say this about what I do?" Do your Tarot reading, but point out the things skeptics say about Tarot reading?

Maybe there's a way with a little critical thinking that you could lure in the mystic types, get paid for your otherwise useless knowege, AND maybe expose them to critical thinking?

 

[jmercer]

Thoughts?

Fradulent - don't do it.

 

[drkitten]

Thoughts?

What exactly would you be offering the people in exchange for their twelve quid? If you're billing yourself as a party entertainer, and all they expect is entertainment, then it's probably fair. It's no worse to pay 12 quid to watch a good Tarot worker than to watch a good juggler.

If they actually think you're offering something other than a good show,.... well, there are words that describe people who take money under false pretences. With the possible exception of "Member of Parliament," few of them are complimentary.

 

[wahrheit]

Firstly, I am a poor student ...

... And I think I could make the readings a bit less woo woo, and make them a bit more geared towards giving harmless advice.

Study psychology instead of giving amateur advice

 

[Ashles]

If you are honest with them from the outset that you don't believe in any of it, and that any significance they attribute to it is up to then then I guess it might be okay.

But if you in any way lead the clients to believe it is real, or you believe in it, and still charge them for it then that is fraud.

In that case it is not the "Ethics of Tarot reading" but merely the "Ethics of Fraud", and you might as well ask us if any sort of fraud is okay.
It's really not. No different from any sort of scam where someone pretends to offer a service when they have no intention of doing so.
And in some ways worse as, at the same time, you are bolstering false beliefs in people.

Sorry it'll have to be real work for the summer instead.

 

[Mr Wolf]

What exactly would you be offering the people in exchange for their twelve quid? If you're billing yourself as a party entertainer, and all they expect is entertainment, then it's probably fair. It's no worse to pay 12 quid to watch a good Tarot worker than to watch a good juggler.

I also Juggle. Which is a much more usefull skill.

that is my view of how to bill it.

I have been doing readings for friends, just to see if I still could, and at the end of the reading they invariably ask, "Do you actually believe in this stuff?" Which then allows me to launch into the whole skeptic rant I usually give.

I have trouble lying to people, so if they asked I would have to tell them I didnt believe. But if I tell them before hand it would spoil the illusion for them and therefore the fun. And if I tell them afterwards it might stop them from hiring me again.

But I think billing it as a form of entertainment might work. Then answer questions honestly if they are asked.

Sorry it'll have to be real work for the summer instead.

Peh, why do real work when you can con bored housewives and grannies out of their cash. j/k

Thanks for the replies.

 

[jambo372]

Mr Wolf
If you ask me it's insane to pay £12 for a tarot reading anyway. Still people do it.

I remember doing palmistry/tarot readings as part of a fundraising fair and I got quite a lot for all I charged. Of course I only charged £1 per reading but I read for about 30-40 people over a 3 hour period so I got £37. Each reading was short and lasted only about 5 minutes but I talked fast.

 

[jambo372]

nothing

 

[wahrheit]

nothing

Yeah.

 

[Timothy]

Comedy Tarot readings.

Subject draws "The Hanged Man". "Well, it says here you're looking for a well hung guy." Ba-dum CHING!

Now *that's* entertainment!

- Timothy

 

[Mr Wolf]

Lol, I will remember that one.

Yeah for 12 pounds I would probably give them a birthstone or a trinket of some kind too.



Nothng?

 

[Francois Tremblay]

Mr Wolf, if I were you, I wouldn't listen to impassioned skeptics. They think that all "scamming" is evil, regardless of whether it is fraudulent or not.

Don't feel guilt about lying to people, as long as you're not defrauding them. They are the ones who believe you, and they get their own benefits (hope, comfort, confirmation) by talking to you. You are also giving a small service to your society by taking money off the hands of irrational people.

 

[RSLancastr]

First and foremost would be the "entertainment purposes only" disclaimer.

Second would be to say up front what the cards "can and cannot do." For example, I have an acquaintance who does this for a living, and she tells her clients that the cards do not answer questions. They can only give generalities, and it is up to the client to decide how they apply.

But even with that in place, understand that there will be people who will believe that the cards and/or you are truly insightful, and may actually make life decisions based on what you say.

Know also that some people are going to ask you things like "Is my daughter in heaven now?" or "Is my husband unfaithful?"

These things will most likely either:

1. Disturb you, and you will give the whole thing up, or
2. Lure you, bit by bit, over to "the dark side," where you will become that which you profess to despise.

Your call, but I would advise against it.

 

[Luke T.]

EVERY Tarot card reader claims they are doing what they do "for entertainment purposes only." That's how they get around the fraud laws.

Don't do it.

The more you learn about the paranormal and how unbelievably easy it is to get some people to believe ANYTHING, the more often you will feel those tugs of greed to get on the bandwagon.

Get used to it.

I'm sure many a fraudster started out as just kidding around and eventually the temptation pulled them to the dark side and they began to become serious in their scamming.

There is nothing even remotely funny about taking advantage of people's gullibility. And they won't appreciate post facto revelations/education.

All you will end up with is contempt for those who believe, and that is not the way to go.

 

[Bronze Dog]

I'd say that if you do it, drill the entertainment disclaimer into them before doing any reading. Really drill it into their skulls. If someone particularly gullible shows up, bowing in worship of you, bring it back up, firmer each time they express their belief in your nonexistant powers.

Maybe you should tell them it's an act afterwards, how you did it, and hopefully they'll leave a few pounds/dollars wiser. Demands for refunds might be a problem with that, however.

 

[arthwollipot]

I've occasionally considered taking my pack of Tarot cards and my crystal ball along to the local Psychic Fair, and doing cold readings of people. At the end I would tell them that regardless of how accurate they thought I was, I did not have psychic powers and neither did anyone else. Then I would refund them the money they paid for the session.

I planned this for a little while, but then I figured that once the organisers got wind of what I was doing I'd be kicked out of the fair.

 

[Mr Wolf]

Hmmm, I am still undecided.

It really does feel like a temptation to the dark side. I am not doing it for the purposes of education, I am really doing it for the money.

Not sure that is a good reason.

I work with a bird of prey rescue centre, and we are currently arranging a sort of medieval fair. With demonstrations of Falconry, Archery and that sort of stuff. I may do a stall there with the proceeds going to the charity, just to see what it is like. And of course the next time my mother wants to pay 12 pounds a head for a reading, I will offer to do it for a good bit cheaper, and make sure I explain the concept of "for entertainment purposes"

My worry is that regardless of what I tell these people, I know there are some that will say that even if I dont believe in it that it is still true. I have met these people before and there is no explianing things to them. "God is working through you even if you believe in him or not"

I dont see people with beliefs as the enemy. Rather as people with a kind of cureable mental disorder. And I dont feel good taking advantage of that.

Demands for refunds would be given with a smile and a handshake.

I guess I dont really want to do it or I wouldnt even be discussing it.
Maybe I should stick to the juggling.

 

[drkitten]

Don't feel guilt about lying to people, as long as you're not defrauding them.

I'm not sure how you lie to people in order to take their money, but don't defraud them.

Similarly, I'm not sure what an example of "scamming" that isn't evil would be.

Perhaps you would take this opportunity to explain the subtleties of ethical reasoning that are obviously going over my head?