Answering Medical Questions with Tarot

[Joan Marie]

I think most of us have been "taught" that we should never answer any kinds of medical questions with a tarot reading. We are told the ethical thing to do is politely refuse and recommend a doctor.

There are 2 very sound ideas behind this: Anything requiring medical attention should get medical attention ASAP and no dilly-dallying with a tarot reader. This is for the client's own good.

The second is CYA (cover-your-ass) in the case the querent has a medical complication that could be attributed to your advice.

Both are very good reasons to steer clear of the whole topic of medical questions.

But, is there a more nuanced approach we could take to these questions (I know nuance is is in short supply these days) that can help address the querent's concerns, not be patronising and actually be helpful?

Benebell Wen just released this video where she takes a hard look at these questions and her conclusions are really worth considering.

You can see it here:




It's really worth the watch. And the topic of being patronising to querents is not limited to medical questions.

My feeling is that a lot of times medical questions are about more than the illness. And that's where a Tarot reader may be able to actually help.
In a recent post on this forum someone asked about their grandmother's Alzheimers diagnosis and Charlie Brown replied that a better question might be how best to spend what remaining time there is with her. My guess is that was closer to the querents real question, what she really wanted to know.

Sometimes these very deep questions are hidden beneath a medical question. A diabetic may ask about their diagnosis, but what they really want to know is how to handle this situation, the changes, the identity crisis that might come along with it.

Years ago, a young woman asked me (online thankfully so she didn't hear me laugh out loud) "Am I pregnant?" My response was, "You need a pregnancy test kit, not a tarot reading." haha, very funny right? I feel guilty about that every time I think of it because it occurred to me later that her even asking me that was a kind of cry for help, like her life was going off the rails, she'd lost control and was frightened. Having once been a young pregnant girl myself I should have been more aware and sensitive, but I was reacting to that "ethical code" of "never answer medical questions."

Have a look at the video and tell me what you think. It's actually a really important topic that we've all been able to, up to now, just blissfully ignore with a superior sense of "ethics". But maybe that's just a cop-out, and it could be really damaging.

[Diana]

Very important topic for tarot readers. Thanks for bringing this up Joan-Marie. I watched almost all of the video (got a bit bored round 12 minutes, but that's just me - has nothing to do with Benebell Wen who is a lovely person and has so many interesting things to say).

I reckon that any question can be dealt with by a tarot reader. But when it comes to medical questions, I think pure diagnostics should not be made. Ever. Even highly trained doctors can and do make mistakes with a diagnostic. We're wading into dangerous waters if we do.

I never turned down a medical reading when I was reading semi-professionally. But I always said that I will not get into diagnostics. However, I remember once recommending strongly to a client that he get a second opinion (what I really wanted to tell him was that his doctor was a perfect idiot, what I love to call "a donkey in a white coat", but had to rephrase it in a more politically correct way). Once, I told someone that they would be greatly benefited by going to see an osteopath (Death card in the TdM if I recall correctly). That's the only kind of advice I gave on the medical side.

But Benebell is right. We can support people through their difficult physical times by going deeper into the matter - working on the psychological or spiritual side. It would be wrong not to. Because we have the Tarot to tell of these things. Few doctors are really interested in going deeper than just the symptoms. More's the pity. We can step in here and give other kind of support.

But way too risky to give actual medical advice.

[BlueStar]

Interesting topic. I think certainly any tarot reader should make it absolutely clear to the sitter that they are not a medical professional and can not give a diagnosis. But I do see from what Joan Marie and Benbell are saying that there is a space to support people spiritually if they are asking for a reading in these circumstance, and I think that can be very valuable indeed.

I don't think any reader should feel they have to though if they don't feel comfortable doing so, or feel worried or unsure about how to support someone with this kind of reading, and they shouldn't feel selfish, or be made to feel so, if they don't. Better not to do such a reading if you don't feel confident and comfortable about it than give a shaky one.

[Joan Marie]

Better not to do such a reading if you don't feel confident and comfortable about it than give a shaky one.

That is the truth.

It would take some skill to take on these questions, and I mean in more than reading tarot. I think you'd need to be really good at reading people in order to be helpful in this situation. And you'd also have to be careful to not just fall into advice giving, i.e. eat better, get some exercise, give up sugar, etc.

But I like that there is a discussion now about even considering it and about how it could/should be done as opposed to just dismissing it out of hand. Illness is part of life just like love and romance, careers, family and all the other things people typically bring to the cards for guidance. Telling someone they should quit their job or leave their spouse or have a baby are all pretty sketchy territory when you think about it too. When I think about it that way, drawing the line at health questions seems a little arbitrary.

[Amoroso]

I've read on medical questions for myself. I'm a guy so unless I really really need to go to a doctor I shan't, and sometimes not even then. Can serve as a useful wakeup call.

Mostly I use it to determine how I can proceed with my workouts, like if this promising system can help me out of a plateau, or how much gainz I'll get from a routine over a specified timeline or if some niggling pain is a sign that I'm just overexerting myself or if I must cut back on certain exercises (whether by volume, weight, or entirely), etc.

Regarding other people, I'm more careful since unlike mine I don't have an intimate knowledge of their bodies. I can answer general questions like how they will fare health-wise next year for example, but for specific questions I tell them it'll be more prudent to seek a doctor's advice.

You're right tho, maybe I should look deeper into the problem and see what the other party is really raring to ask, and not just answer the stated query point blank. Reminds me of how important formulating a question is in Tarot readings.

[Esotaria]

I fully appreciate the suggestion about avoiding medical questions during a Tarot reading. One challenge I face is the fact that I've worked as a professional massage therapist and I've worked in a Health Shop in the past. I learned to be very careful and CYA (cover my ass) is these situations.

There is a fine line between Medical and Holistic or Nutrition. If you know your client very well and you're aware that they prefer taking a Holistic approach I feel it's safe to discuss options.

As a Tarot Master I never tell anyone what to do, anyway. I respect the fact that they'll use their free will to consider the options; especially, if the 7 of Cups presents itself. Thank you and have a beautiful day!

[Diana]

Hi Esotaria. That's interesting the term you use "Tarot Master". I like it. Where did this expression originate ? Did you invent it ?