Moody Moon’s Lumina Indigo is a trusted reader with over 20 years of professional tarot experience.
Today, she’s sharing her insights into how to choose a tarot reader & what to look out for.
The art of tarot reading can be a beautiful spiritual experience that facilitates spiritual growth and gives you insight into your life’s journey.
Unfortunately, tarot reading sometimes attracts less-than-ethical “psychics” who will use your lack of knowledge about the cards to take advantage of your curiosity (and take your cash).
Here’s a list of warning signs to look out for.
Contents
They contacted you.
If you are approached by a tarot reader online, be very wary.
There are a lot of con artists who approach people on social media for “readings” that ultimately end in money-wiring schemes, identity theft, or worse.
Your tarot reader should have some kind of respectable reputation—either in your real-life community or an established online presence that you are well aware of.
You approach them. Not the other way around.
Lifting “curses.”
Had a run of bad luck?
An ethical reader will encourage you to examine your options by drawing cards to help you see things from a fresh perspective and explore alternatives that you might not have thought of.
The goal of tarot reading is to alleviate fears and anxiety, not create new ones.
Any tarot reader who claims you’ve fallen on hard times due to a “curse” is likely about to offer to lift it for cash.
Run far, run fast.
It feels addictive.
If you feel like you “can’t get enough” of your tarot reader, you may be the target of a subtle con.
It’s fine to have a regular, trustworthy reader to consult when you’re feeling unsure of yourself or need to make important decisions. But your life should guide the frequency, not the reading itself.
If your reader often uses “cliff-hanger” type endings to their readings that require you to pay more for “clarity,” that’s a sign that your reader doesn’t want a healthy, spiritually well client—she wants an addict.
Future predictions.
This one is more controversial, but I’m just going to say it: I think it’s shady when readers try to “predict” the future.
You’ll notice they always follow their “predictions” with qualifiers like if you continue on your current path. Of course, this is an easy out if things don’t go the way they said.
I do know respectable readers who claim to predict the future and I think many of them are well-meaning. But I generally don’t consider this best practice.
Instead, it’s much better to seek out a reader who wants to help you command your own future.
She’s making decisions for you.
Most people come to a tarot reading with problems. And problems usually involve hard decisions.
The goal of an ethical reader is to help you make your own decisions.
For example, “Should I leave my job and move? Or stay here and apply for a promotion?”
An ethical reader will pull cards to walk you through your options and their effects on your spiritual well-being. It’s a holistic, soul-searching process.
Your tarot reader is your guide, not your guru.
Speaking for deceased loved ones.
If you have recently experienced the death of a loved one, I am so sorry for your loss.
An ethical, skilled tarot reader can certainly help you navigate the grieving process and use your pain to forge a pathway through your sorrow.
But no tarot reader shoe ever exploit your grief.
Beliefs certainly vary here. But I will tell you in 20 years of experience, I have never seen a tarot reader claiming to speak for the dead that I didn’t think was shady as hell.
Making promises you know they can’t keep.
Similar to the above, an ethical tarot reader will never use your vulnerabilities against you.
If you are experiencing infertility, job loss, divorce, or any other major life change, there is no quick fix to those things. No amount of money or witchcraft will erase life trauma.
Only hard work will get you through to the other side a stronger, more enlightened person.
(I am also disappointed by this news. I hate to be the bearer of it, but alas, here we are.)
A good tarot reader will help you to see the hard work in front of you as a part of your soul’s journey. And believe it or not, that insight is way, way more valuable than a scammy tarot reader who promises to fix it all quickly and guaranteed.
Outrageously expensive . . . or way too cheap.
A good tarot reading isn’t cheap. And it shouldn’t be.
Learning the cards takes years of work and practice.
Anywhere from $70-$250 an hour is pretty typical. The more experienced, or larger the reputation of a reader, the higher the price charged.
However, it should not strain your budget to the point of competing with, say, your car payment or your monthly grocery bill.
On the flip side, a $15 roadside tarot reading at a carnival probably isn’t going to give you much insight into your life.
A reader who won’t stay in her lane.
Tarot readers are not doctors, accountants, or attorneys.
An ethical tarot reader is willing to say, confidently, That isn’t my area of expertise.
For example, if you have a serious medical condition, a good reader might say, “Let’s look at some ways we can incorporate spiritual healing to complement/support your traditional medical therapies. How about we draw some cards to figure out your path to better spiritual wellness?”
A weirdo reader might say, “Cancer is in the mind. Pay me and I’ll help you clear your stored trauma!”
If that sounds absurd, that’s because it is.
Sources & References
Claims Based on Professional Experience & Ethical Standards
Warning Signs of Unethical Tarot Readers:
- Unsolicited contact via social media for “free readings” (common scam indicator): (20+ years professional tarot experience, observed patterns in divination industry)
- “Curse lifting” schemes as predatory business practice: (20+ years professional tarot practice, fraud prevention knowledge)
- Cliff-hanger readings designed to create dependency and encourage repeat paid sessions: (10+ years professional spellcasting and divination experience, client behavior observations)
- Future predictions with unverifiable qualifiers as ethically questionable practice: (20+ years professional tarot reading experience)
- Ethical readers guide clients to make their own decisions rather than dictating choices: (10+ years professional spellcasting practice, 1000+ client interactions)
- Exploitation of grief through claims of communicating with deceased loved ones: (20+ years professional tarot experience, ethical standards observation)
- Vulnerability exploitation through impossible promises (fertility, job restoration, relationship fixes): (10+ years professional practice, real-world client outcomes)
- Appropriate tarot reading pricing ($70-$250 per hour for experienced professionals): (20+ years professional tarot industry knowledge, industry standards)
- Ethical readers maintain professional boundaries and acknowledge limitations outside their expertise: (10+ years professional witchcraft practice, 1000+ client work)
Characteristics of Ethical Tarot Readers:
- Ethical readers help clients explore options and understand consequences through card work: (10+ years professional experience, client guidance methodology)
- Goal of tarot is to alleviate fears and anxiety while providing perspective: (10+ years professional practice, client outcomes)
- Readers should support clients in commanding their own future rather than predicting it: (20+ years professional divination experience)
- Tarot reading as spiritual guidance, not life direction or medical advice: (10+ years professional spellcasting and spiritual practice)
- Readers serve as guides in soul-searching, holistic decision-making processes: (Professional practice with diverse clients)
- Established reputation (real-life community or recognized online presence) as indicator of credibility: (20+ years industry knowledge, scam prevention observation)
Contributors
Article Author: Lumina Indigo (Moody Moons)
- Over 20 years of professional tarot reading experience
- Trusted professional divination practitioner
- Professional tarot reader and expert on ethical divination practices
- Founder of Moody Moons
Article Context: Tina Caro (Magickal Spot) provided the author bio and platform context, but Lumina Indigo is the primary expert sharing insights on ethical tarot reading practices and warning signs of scams.
Note
This article is based on Lumina Indigo’s 20+ years of professional tarot reading experience and knowledge of ethical standards within the divination community. All claims regarding warning signs of unethical tarot readers are drawn from her extensive experience as a professional tarot practitioner and her observations of industry practices. Pricing recommendations and professional standards are grounded in her 20+ years of real-world work with clients and knowledge of the tarot reading industry. All guidance is offered to protect consumers from predatory practices while supporting legitimate, ethical tarot practitioners. This article does not make scientific claims but rather provides consumer protection guidance based on professional knowledge of divination industry practices and ethical tarot standards.
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