AUTHOR’S NOTE: Back in the day when professional tarot reading was almost exclusively a face-to-face affair (unless – like Etteilla, the “father of modern cartomancy” – one occasionally resorted to “snail-mail” communication with clients), the reader served as a personal advisor who delivered first-hand consultation regarding a seeker’s presumed future and what might be done about it.

At present, near-universal social-media access has fostered a trend toward remote reading via online platforms that is shifting the focus to a more oracular point-of-view, mainly because engagement is prompt, convenient and minimally interactive (but also offers the reader no immediate “learn-by-doing” feedback and little chance for individualized coaching unless done over Zoom or other video-contact app). This has been taken to a cynical extreme by the so-called “collective” YouTube readings that are based on routine pulls intended to be “all things to all people.” (Those experienced astrologers who recognized and deplored the flaws of the old “daily horoscope” newspaper features will recoil in horror at this callous display of indifference.)

Followers are expected to take what fits their own situation and ignore the rest. Sounds like “oracular stew” to me; a collective reading may speak accidentally to individual concerns but it is never tailored for that purpose. The extreme suspension of disbelief this requires of the querent is beyond my comprehension, and I can only assume that the thought never crosses the mind of those naive enough to fall for such impersonal fare. (For the record, I’m not saying that all collective YouTube readings are inherently incompetent, nor are the readers always dishonest, just that they’re cheerfully selling a “pig in a poke” to unwary consumers.)

In my opinion, this questionable practice results in depersonalizing the experience, making it a faceless exercise in generic fortune-telling. The only redeeming virtue of electronic exchange (or the one I’ve found the most valuable, anyway) is that the reader who uses email or other form of written output has all the time it takes to “get it right” before presenting a reading to the client. The downside is that there is a temptation to include a lot more detail that is much more exhaustively analyzed than is typically achievable in a sit-down dialogue about the cards. Needless to say (at least in my own practice), the compensation received is seldom in line with the amount of time and effort expended, particularly when the app-driven $5 or $10 Etsy reading is the modern norm. With the bar set so low, no conscientious, self-respecting professional reader can compete in a reasonably profitable way. Ease of access and low price (not to mention instant gratification) trump the benefits of well-honed proficiency and personal care, and the compassionate aim of empowerment frequently goes out the window.

I’ve refused to drop my fee to that mercenary level, so I don’t get many sitters. This is OK with me since I don’t do it for a living and I fill the void by blogging about the divination topics that interest me. But if I have an opportunity to help someone sort out his or her life with the tarot, I like to take it. This is mostly done gratis for family and friends with a rare paid face-to-face or internet consultation, but I hope to one day return to a more active practice similar to the one I had going before we moved. If this occasion arises, I will pursue it as long as I can keep the level of commitment out of “be careful what you wish for” territory in the way of client load. I really don’t want or need a second career, but I would appreciate the chance to flex my divinatory muscles in a public setting a bit more often, if only for the personal satisfaction and the sense of appreciation I receive from it (and, in all honesty, to acquire a little extra coin to buy an occasional new tarot book or deck that I have a hard time justifying otherwise).

The way things have been going in the tarot world, I strongly suspect that many of my readers fit within the “oracular” demographic. Assuming they recognize the need, they can take the unspoken sentiment in this post as my friendly way of saying “get well soon.” If they need incentive to help them steer clear of online fortune-telling quackery, any number of my previous essays and my “Tarot 101” learning material can provide it. (For the former, see the “Cultural and Social Commentary” category in the drop-down menu at the right side of my home-page, but be aware that it is my “bully pulpit” for similar criticism.) My blog content is always free-for-the-taking (as long as it isn’t resold for profit), and my professional advice (short of doing unpaid readings for strangers) is free-for-the-asking.