Mental health and tarot cards

vision777 said:

I wanted to know about this because i read somewhere that people must be grounded before doing a reading. i figure if a person has a mental disorder could that effect the reading ? i would like to say thanks for all the information everybody provided here.

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Thanks for the reply vision777. I think that everything a reader is influences the reading - i believe that one's life experience colors and flavors the way they interpret the cards, so does the language they speak - for example, English is far more optimistic than Slavic languages and the language itself somehow predisposes you to give an encouraging reading ( while my mother tongue, Serbian, has some innate fatalism in it).
I believe that being absolutely grounded ("mentally and emotionally stable" acc. to Merriam-Webster dictionary) is far more rare than believed - that is (probably) outside Tibet and its retreats and monasteries.
"Normal" people - normal as in what is most often encountered - we are often emotionally excited and uncalm and wasn't it so, i doubt anyone would reach for a deck of cards in the first place...
For what i know, as long as one's moods and feelings don't obstruct their work and interpersonal relationships, they (fluctuating feeling and moods) are included in the definition of what's human.
So, yeah, unless someone is hitting the table - as in the example given earlier in this thread or behaving in some other very odd way- i think they are (/you are/ i am) fine enough to do a reading.

ETA for typo

No.
You're not.

And I don't 'ground' either.
I don't know what it means and I wouldn't know how to do it.

moderndayruth said:

So, yeah, unless someone is hitting the table - as in the example given earlier in this thread or behaving in some other very odd way- i think they are (/you are/ i am) fine enough to do a reading.

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I wouldn't even rule that out actually. I am myself DEEPLY odd, but as long as the reading makes sense.... (After all - how could you be SURE that that wasn't advanced Parkinson's !)

gregory said:

I am myself DEEPLY odd, but as long as the reading makes sense....

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You are not odd at all; though eccentric in an absolutely adorable, elitist way - you are.
(And i love your equally eccentric readings that exclude any pre-existing meanings... )

Lillie said:

No.
You're not.

And I don't 'ground' either.
I don't know what it means and I wouldn't know how to do it.

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It means you were washing the dishes or watching TV, and say, "I think I will do a reading" you mind switches gears and off you go. That is the extent of your grounding ritual as near as I can tell

I used to meditate before reading really focus my attention, the readings were a bit better then I think, now I just grab the cards and go, my grounding ritual involves picking up the cards and shuffling. Grounding in the context of tarot just means your pre reading prep, whether that's a fart and a burp, a glass a water, a prayer, meditation, it is all the same thing to greater or lesser degree's. Its grounding in your own way.

There are formalized versions of grounding but just based on the responses here you can see grounding is not necessary for everyone vision777.

thanks

Any determined person who wants to read tarot can do so. That's point #1.

Any person wanting to consult a reader may chose the type of reader he or she prefers. That's point #2.

"Ought" does not affect either of these two points. Neither does mental hygiene.

If a person decides to become a doctor or teacher they have to pass standard exams laid down by the government and based on percentage and marks their progress is determined.
Once they get required qualification they can apply for job but all good companies will get them to do a medical formality of complete mind, body checkup before they are recruited.
Only if they clear all the norms they get a job.

All this is not applicable for tarot readers. Most of the readers out there are not trained, many are scam artist, many are having serious mental illness.

But one thing is for sure they wont survive for long if they are not good enough...good enough does not mean good scam artist but good tarot reader with great accuracy and interpretations.

If you are good in your craft be it as a carpenter, painter or interior decorator other things do not matter. With word of mouth and hardwork you will definitely flourish.

But if you are having serious mental illness and do vague readings with banging of table and screaming in between then very soon you will be out of business

(pardon my poor english)

Grizabella said:

I'm just kind of puzzled about the "should they be allowed" part. I haven't heard of any "Tarot police" who would be in charge of who should be allowed and who shouldn't, so I don't think it's governable by anyone else. If you come across someone---or you know someone---who has a psychotic condition or is bipolar who seems to be getting somewhat out in left field with the cards because of their condition, then just excuse yourself from having a reading from them and don't worry about it.

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i thought in US and canada a license is needed to practice tarot....is there a background check done with respect to issue of this license.

NamasteIndia said:

i thought in US and canada a license is needed to practice tarot....is there a background check done with respect to issue of this license.

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It depends where one lives, usually those are local laws in the US. Where I live it's a county requirement for all "fortunetellers" to pay a license fee, which is supposed to help pay for the county to investigate and prosecute fraudulent fortunetellers. But as far as I know there's no background check, and there's certainly no training involved.