Is Tarot Certification for You?

At first, the idea of certifying Tarot readers sounds like a good idea. In theory:

- certification should help clients distinguish professional practitioners from gifted amateurs, dedicated hobbyists, and scam artists.

- certified Tarot readers should possess a level of knowledge, experience, or skill unmatched by the uncertified masses.

- certification should offer Tarot readers a degree of professional legitimacy at least equal to that possessed by massage therapists or clinical hypnotists.

Are any of the Tarot certification programs now accepting fees and awarding titles worth your consideration? With this article in hand, you can decide for yourself whether Tarot certification is right for you -- by asking the Top Ten Questions you should ask before pursuing Tarot certification.

1. Who certifies the certifiers? In other words, by what authority is the organization empowered to offer certification?

In professions that require certification, an independent agency sets standards for certification programs, reviews existing programs, and approves their content -- a process called accreditation. Without accreditation, the meaning and value of any certification may be of little practical value.

In the past, at least one Tarot certification organization claimed to be accredited. Unfortunately, an investigation of the claim uncovered an awkward fact: the leader of that Tarot certification program had invented the accrediting agency out of thin air.

As someone who will invest a great deal of time and money in a certification program, you have the right to ask, "Which independent agency has reviewed and accredited this certification program?" To my knowledge, none of the certification programs now in operation has been reviewed, approved, or accredited by a legitimate, independent agency.

2. Who empowers the certifiers to offer certification? Since there are no laws or regulations defining professional or educational requirements for Tarot readers, anyone is at liberty to create and offer a so-called certification program. If I wanted to, I could create the "Tarot Certification Board of Central Mississippi," charge you $350.00, and declare you a "Lifetime Master of the Tarot" this afternoon.

But by what authority would I do so? What standards have I met? What level of expertise do I possess? By what means was I appointed someone worthy of certifying others?

Before you invest your time and money in a certification program, you have the right to ask, "By what authority are you empowered to certify Tarot readers?"

3. Who are the certifiers? Do you recognize their names? Have you seen them participate in online groups or Tarot events? Have you taken their classes, or do you personally know someone who has? Have they created books or decks you respect and admire? Do their posts, their publications, their presentations, and their websites embody the highest standards of professionalism?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, you might ask yourself whether the time and money you'll invest in earning certification from this person (or from these people) is a good value.

4. Who has completed the program? Does the certification organization list the names of people it has certified? Do you recognize these names? Do you respect the people the certification organization claims to have certified?

What do recently certified people have to say about the program? Can the program provide a list of the ten most recently certified individuals? Will they allow you to speak with them about their experience?

At least one Tarot certification organization continues to advertise itself by listing the names of high-profile "graduates" -- even though a number of these people, some citing ethical concerns, have publicly disassociated themselves from the program.

If a certification program won't provide a list of graduates, I think that's a red flag. If it does cite the names of those who have been certified, I recommend you contact those people and ask for their take on the program.

5. How many people have completed the program? While a large number of participants doesn't necessarily mean a program is legitimate, the number of people involved with a certification agency's program can provide you with important insights. At the very least, a program certifying 100 people this year is certainly more popular than certifying 10.

Before you turn over your hard-earned money to a certification program, you should ask for the total number of people the organization has certified ... and the total number of people currently enrolled.

6. How much will you pay to reach the highest level of certification? Some certification programs charge significant fees. As someone considering enrollment, you have a right to know exactly what you'll be expected to pay, and when. A legitimate organization will make its fee structure clear and easily accessible, publishing it in brochures and on its website.

I think any certification organization that doesn't clearly state fees up front should be avoided.

7. Where is your money going? What happens to the fees you pay the organization? What programs or efforts are you funding? To what extent are your fees merely tips or salaries for the certifiers themselves?

Legitimate certification programs are tireless advocates for the professionals they certify. In legitimate programs, a significant percentage of certification fees are used to fund advertising campaigns, awareness efforts, and professional events designed to raise the profile (and enhance the legitimacy) of the individuals who pursue certification.

Before literally buying into a certification program, you should ask, "What efforts is your organization making to raise public awareness about the need for certification?" If the people offering Tarot certification don't think certification deserves this kind of advocacy, then why are they offering certification in the first place? (And if it's not being spent on efforts like these, where, oh where, is your money going?)

8. What benefits does certification offer? A Tarot certification agency should be able to offer clear, measurable benefits associated with completing its program.

Some organizations claim that Tarot certification enhances a reader's appeal, implying that certified readers will have a business advantage over those who do not. I think this claim is overblown; in almost ten years of reading for the public in locations around the world, not one client has ever asked, "Are you certified?" In addition, I'm unaware of any information that suggests certified readers get more clients or earn more money than uncertified readers. (If they do, wouldn't the Tarot certification organizations promote that fact?)

Some organizations will imply that certified readers enjoy enhanced professionalism or growth. In order for this claim to be legitimate, though, the certification program should be able to demonstrate how its offerings and tests offer a level of experience or insight that other programs do not. In other words, what does the certification program offer that self-study (or even formal study, through programs like that offered by the Tarot School in NYC) cannot?

(PS: "Certification from us" is not a good answer to the previous question.)

Some organizations imply they offer referrals and other support to certified readers. How many of those referrals can you expect in the coming year? How many referrals has the organization provided to individuals in your area within the past year?

In short: if the benefits offered by a certification program can be measured or counted, they may be worth considering. If they are expressed strictly in terms of you'll feel or how others will see you ... that's a red flag, in my book.

9. What are the program requirements? Are they clearly expressed? Do they make sense? And, most importantly, do they transcend what you would be able to do if you chose to study on your own?

Frankly, as a instructional design professional with more than two decades of experience designing and defining criteria for corporate university programs, the requirements listed by most Tarot certification programs don't impress me.

For example: one program's basic level of certification requires applicants to have memorized a single meaning for each Tarot card and be able to offer one- to three-card readings. The next level requires applicants to know more than one meaning for each card and to be able to deliver readings with up to seven cards.

How does this level of competency go beyond what anyone could achieve with a good book and a little practice? Even a good, basic course in Tarot is likely to cost you less than the $100.00 demanded for the "examinations" associated with this level of achievement.

Ultimately, though, only you can decide whether having someone else say, "Yep, you've memorized those meanings and can use up to seven cards!" is worth a hundred bucks.

10. What if you want to be accredited strictly for personal reasons? Some people say, "I don't care if this program is accredited ... getting certification is something I'm just going to do for myself."

I have many good, honest, and capable friends who have chosen, for their own reasons, to pursue certification with one group or another. For some of these people, certification is an important personal achievement. In raising questions about certification -- and in urging others to ask for details before buying into a program -- I do not mean, in any way, to cast aspersions on my friends' efforts.

That said: if the achievement's the thing, I urge you to consider any of these alternatives to Tarot certification:

- taking a Tarot class
- reading any of several good Tarot books
- dedicating fifteen minutes a day toward Tarot practice
- offering free readings to friends and acquaintances
- taking a class or teleclass from the Tarot School
- attending a Tarot event or conference
- reading for the ATA's free reading networks
- asking a local reader you respect to mentor you
- participate in Aeclectic.Net's Tarot Forum
- join the Comparative Tarot Yahoo! Group.

Any or all of these approaches will build confidence, improve your skills, connect you with the Tarot community, forge professional links to other readers, and help you grow as a reader and student of Tarot.

You won't be certified ... but, ultimately, you must decide whether certification -- especially given the current conditions under which certification is offered -- is the best or only way you can express your seriousness about or dedication to Tarot.

Comments

[Karen]

Hi Mark,
Excellent piece. It pretty much sums up my attitude also. I even think some "certification" criteria could be positively harmful - they give the idea that there are strict right and wrong meanings for cards, and as someone who increasingly goes with the visual imagery and my intuition in many readings I find that a bit misguided. Okay, it's probably essential to know the "standard" interpretations - but does always using them make you a better reader? I don't think so.

A good friend of mine helped to start up one of the first university accredited acupuncture diplomas in the UK - it took years, much paperwork and an awful lot of thinking through (not to mention the endless questions - rightly - from the accrediting body). I've yet to see anything remotely like that in tarot. Then again, would we really want it?

Thanks again for the piece - I'll bookmark it and refer people.

[Linda Beet]

I admire the level of scrutiny you put to the certification process. Many of these points I did not consider when I first started looking into certification. I do know now, that I have been quite disappointed with the group I chose.

Woul it be stretching your boundaries to ask if there currently is a certification orginization that follows these criteria effectively, in your opinion?

Thanks.

[Mark]

Hi, Linda.

If such a program exists, I am unaware of it.

I do know, though, that personal work with the Tarot is very rewarding. As a result, I encourage people to work with their decks, read and study voraciously, and seek out new applications and new options for working with Tarot.

I am certain these activities can foster meaningful and measurable personal and spiritual growth; I remain uncertain whether "being certified" will ever do the same.

[Willis]

Thanks for your post, Mark:

You have certainly given much food for thought; the information provided better facilitated my understanding regarding the whole certification process, and I now know what to ask...should I decide to go this route.

[Cristina Arevalo]

Very good article, I was actually thinking about all the points you mentioned before but I thought I was the only one. I really think that Tarot Reading is a gift that you improve with time, effort and practice so who will tell me if I have a certain degree by reading seven or eight cards ? What if each one of us have a different method? Is anyone really able to certify such a personal thing? I believe that as long as you use it wisely , Tarot is a great tool that can help yourself to evolve and others aswell. ( Sorry about my English, I´m Venezuelan)

[Amanda]

Thank you for this article. I have been considering tarot certification just recently although I have been reading on and off for 4 or 5 years. I would like to find a way to show others I am a skilled reader but at the same time, I also am in question with some of the requirements to become certified. I actually never even memorized the cards. I could just tell from the pictures. Also, I have come to use oracle cards as well and wonder how those would be treated with certification. The truth is, I think recommendations would work better and, like you say, getting practice and working in communities with other readers would help also.

I still have a little time to think about it but at the moment, I will just be reading different books and looking around to see what other courses or classes are out there to further my knowledge of the tarot (and other divination).

[Tarotwerks]

That was a wonderful article! It's almost as if some of those certification organizations try to make you feel guilty for not being "certified." I've also been reading Tarot for quite awhile and have never had a client say "are you certified?" I don't think the general population even knows certification exists lol.

[VIRGINIA]

I have been reading the Tarot Professionaly since 40 years ago, Spain, Italy etc.lerned from my greatgrand mother from Spain and learning more from books in Italian, Spanish and English, I am a veteran. I think the best persons that can give you a "certification" are your regular clients some of them from several years of seeking your services, their recomendations to their friends "the word of mouth".
The nature of Tarot cards is open and not restricted to any standard of meanings, the more you read books the more you know is not just a recipy, experince give you the skill, no a book you memorize!! This site atract my atention and 100% agree to all the points mentioned. I am not even consider a certification! if I do has to be by somebody with more expirience (proven) than me and I will be deligthed in lerning more from him and I will be honored to get a certification, but has to be from the original roots "Europe" so far I am not impress by any Board here or Tarot Asociation!! I will advice read many books from other countries for a better perspective of the subject and learn as much as you can and never restrict yourself to only one meaning or one book that is the beauty of Tarot Cards.

[cassie]

I've been surfing the web trying to find a way to become a better tarot reader and condsider certifying. Thank goodness I ran across your article. What an eye opener! I mentioned things I would not have even thought of. Thanks for saving me time and money.

[John Roberts]

From my perspective, certification in anything is a joke. The concept is promoted by those who feel inferior and those who wish to control a certain activity or profession. I say these things from experience: I have been a professional tarot reader for 25 years, and a Licensed Acupuncture Physician for 20 years