Code of Ethics - Tarot Esoterica

Mission

I am a tarot professional who strives to uphold the highest ethical standards in all services rendered and to act affirmatively toward maintaining public trust in the tarot profession. My practice is grounded on using the tarot as a tool to assist clients with tapping into their own intuitions, spirituality, and creativity for the purpose of personal development and positive mental health.

Article One | Professionalism

Adherence to Applicable Laws. I take the initiative to be knowledgeable of all applicable laws including but not limited to fortune telling statutes and local municipal codes that may cover their business or the practice of tarot.
Scope of Profession. I apply tarot in a way that falls outside the scope of occult sciences and is not reading tarot in a manner that claims or purports to tell fortunes, or with the ability to foretell with any certainty future events, or disclose in unequivocal terms the mental faculties of any persons.
Role of the Tarot Professional. I am obligated to serve the best interest of my clients. I will treat all my clients with equal respect, regardless of their origin, race, religion, gender, age, or sexual preference. I provide my clients with spiritual guidance that serves to empower the client toward making more spiritually empowered decisions for him or herself within the framework of the client’s own personal spiritual beliefs or practices.
Limitations. I shall never claim the ability to cure another of ailments outside the lawful practice of medicine or provide financial benefits outside the lawful practice of financial analysis and management. I shall never purport to offer legal, medical, or financial advice. I shall never claim to predict the future. I will only do a reading for clients under the age of 18 only with a parent or guardian present, or with a signed consent form for minors.
Referrals to Qualified Professionals. I owe a reasonable duty of care to my clients if an inquiry touches upon legal matters, even by a tangential connection or in passing, I will refer my client to seek the counsel of a licensed attorney. If an inquiry touches upon health or medical matters, even by a tangential connection or in passing, I will refer my client to seek diagnosis by a licensed medical doctor. If an inquiry touches upon financial or real property matters, even by a tangential connection or in passing, I will refer my client to seek advice from a qualified financial consultant, analyst, or real estate professional.
Duty to Reject Subsequent Reading Requests. If I believe my clients are using tarot readings to substitute, and not merely supplement, counseling from a qualified mental health professional, then I have a duty to reject subsequent reading requests from my client and to refer my client to seek qualified mental professional support. However, tarot readings may be used as a supplement to qualified counseling or serve the function of life coaching or general spiritual guidance. I reserve the right to refuse to do a reading for a question that I feel I cannot answer, or one that goes against my code of ethics
No Dishonesty, Fraud, Deceit, or Misrepresentations. I shall not use tarot in a way that purports definitive and absolute knowledge of the future or of matters that are otherwise hidden or occult. I do not represent myself as having communication, access to, or knowledge of any supernatural phenomena. I never guarantee any one outcome, positive or negative. I shall never engage in deceptive business or unfair trade practices. I shall make no misrepresentations about my competency, certifications, qualifications, or abilities.
Third Party Consent. I do not provide reading services on inquiries into the personal affairs, business, intentions, mental faculties, or activities of third parties who are not present for the reading, unless my client represents and warrants to me that such third party’s express consent has been obtained. I may reasonably rely on such a representation made by my client, though best practices would include noting the reliance in writing in my professional notes. However, I may provide reading services on inquiries about how my client’s affairs, business, intentions, mental faculties, or activities might be affected by that third party.

Article Two | Communications

The Reading Process. I will make reasonable efforts to communicate my reading or interpretive process and analytical or intuitive methods, particular traditions, or the interpretive framework utilized. I refrain from communicating to my clients about curses or the manifestation of malicious intentions through supernatural or occult means.
Disclosures. I shall make reasonable efforts to disclose to all clients that tarot readings cannot replace the counseling services of a mental health professional, and a tarot professional can never guarantee his or her accuracy in the interpretation of a reading. Also, if and when tarot practice would be explicitly barred by a jurisdiction’s applicable laws, then I must communicate to my client in clear, unambiguous terms that such readings are to be for entertainment purposes. See also Article Five, Disclosures.
No Duty to Retain Records. I do not owe my client any duty to retain the client’s reading records. I may, at my discretion or customary practice, retain records or files on my client’s readings.
Records Retention. If I elect to retain my client’s records, then I will develop and maintain appropriate record-keeping systems for storing my clients’ personal information in a manner that will reasonably preserve my clients’ confidentiality and privacy.

Article Three | Fees

Statement of Fees. I will state my service fees before the start of a reading and will not later raise or increase the stated fee unless prior contractual terms allow for the increase. I will clearly communicate my schedule and payment terms prior to the commencement of any reading. A fee for any service that is $500.00 USD or more must be contractually agreed upon in writing.
No Pressure for Additional Services. I will never pressure, compel, or even imply to my clients that additional paid services are needed after the reading. I will never purport to possess the power to manipulate the outcome of events through supernatural or occult means.
Referral Fees. If I make a referral, then I must disclose whether any referral fees have been paid as compensation or consideration for the referral.
Satisfaction Guarantee. I guarantee client satisfaction. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the reading provided, I will offer a full refund of the payment made for the service.

Article Four | Confidentiality

Duty of Confidentiality. Although there is not likely to be a legal evidentiary privilege between me and my clients, I nonetheless agree on my own accord to be bound by a duty of confidentiality. I shall not reveal personal or private information relating to my client’s reading unless that client has given me informed consent.
Reasonable Diligence to Protect Confidentiality. I shall exercise reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of or access to information relating to my clients, which includes password protection to any electronic accounts, computers, or data storage units that would include client files and lock and key to any physical storage units containing hard copy files.
Exceptions. However, I may reveal personal or otherwise private information relating to a client’s reading if I reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent substantial bodily harm or death, or a court order overrides the confidentiality. Partial information from a tarot reading may be disclosed under the client’s anonymity for academic, civic, census, survey, or research purposes.

Article Five | Disclosures

General Practice Disclosures. I shall post a disclosure statement prominently at office locations, storefronts, on websites, reading venues, or commercial marketing materials that states essentially as follows:
Disclosure Statement. I cannot predict the future with certainty and you should not rely on a tarot reading to make any decision that would affect your legal, financial, or medical condition. If your inquiry involves the law, finance, or medicine, then you should seek the advice of a licensed or qualified legal, financial, or medical professional. Also, tarot reading cannot replace qualified mental health care. A tarot reading can only facilitate how you cope spiritually with a given situation. In certain jurisdictions, I am required to disclose to you that tarot readings should be for entertainment purposes only, and if such a law applies to your reading, then you are hereby on notice thereof. I am bound by a self-imposed code of ethics, which can be provided to you upon request.
Certification Disclosures. I am not required to be certified. However, if I obtain a certification related to tarot practice, I will disclose the certifying body or organization that issued the certification.

Article Six | Public Service

I dedicate at least 10% of my practice per year to public service, such as offering reading services to support fundraisers for non-profit organizations or charitable causes, free readings to persons of limited financial means, teaching tarot to others free of charge, creating educational materials on tarot for the public free of charge, or participating in activities with the mission of improving the practice of tarot or the tarot profession.

Article Seven | Continuing Education

I take the initiative to continue my tarot education for the full duration of and throughout my professional practice. I take classes or workshops on tarot, attend tarot conferences, symposia, or conventions, meet, and collaborate with other tarot professionals, regularly read on the practice of tarot, and exercise diligent efforts to hone the tarot professional’s craft and skill.