So as you can see, I'm in my sabbatical wear, okay?! ... And I just want to talk a little bit about a question that my students have been asking that my students have been asking in the Cecilia Western Tarot Academy and that is, "Should we be doing tarot readings about the Rona (Coronavirus, COVID-19)"? This is something (hey), that my students have been asking. Within this facility, a Tarot Cecilia Western Tarot Academy and outside of the Cecilia Western Tarot Academy. Folks have been asking this question and I think it's a good question. I think it's a question that kind of rubs up against the ethics, ethics of tarot, which maybe I should have titled this, the ethics of tarot and what it means to do readings or to conduct readings during a time in... that there is a national pandemic.
Which, you know... who would have known that this is where we would would be. Right? And so one of the things that we talk about that is pretty important is that we are not doing readings about health. We're not doing readings about necessarily... "Okay, this is your health report." We're not doctors in that way, right. We're not providing diagnostics in that way, when we're providing tarot readings or any other readings (**the speaker clarifies in post-edits that there are some readings & divinations within African Traditional Religions which does offer medicinal prescription, where the idea of medicine is quite broad & includes, but is not limited to, both physical and metaphysical interventions. Given the time constraints of this IG live, as well as the desire to preserve sacred systems within their own contexts, we are not talking about those kinds of readings here).
At the same time, I think a lot of us could not have have have imagined that we would be doing and conducting readings or spiritual work during a pandemic. And so this is definitely something that I think is... the time is ripe for us to talk about.
So folks know, when I go live, I just go live and when I'm done, I'm done. So I'm going to answer this and talk about this and when I'm done, I'll be done.
You know, when we think about Tarot ethics, we know that in order to be responsible with our tools we have to refer. We know that referrals are just as much a point of a part of readings as the shuffling process, as the interpretive process, as the divination process. At least I believe that that's true - that the referral process is just as important as these other things that we do during our readings.
So if folks are having health concerns, it is important for the ethical practitioner to refer folks out to their doctors. To refer folks out to their care team. To refer folks out. Now, we're also living in a time where we know that not everyone has health insurance. Where we know not everyone has access to these different things. And so as diviners and as spiritualists, particularly those of us, I'm talking to, I'm talking to people of color I'm talking to people who are working class, I'm talking to people who are Black and Queer and Trans readers. I'm talking to us, right so we might be be doing referrals and folks might might say, "Okay, well I don't really even have access to that", right? So then what is the role of the spiritualist in that setting? These are the questions I think we have to wrestle with, you know, during these times.
So what is important is to make sure that we're not trying to take the place of any medical professional when we're doing our readings, because we're not medical professionals. That's just Period. Period, right? But that also means that if we're going to refer folks out, we should know a little bit about what are the community resources that are around us, right? Or that maybe our clients and our querents have access to, right? So that means that as practitioners, we can't just, you know, say, "Okay, we were referring you out and that's that about that." Especially if you're a Black, Brown, Queer and Trans person of color, reader of color. We need to know a little bit more about okay, what are the community health resources so that we can say, "You know, what, I can't actually give you a reading about do you have the 'Ro 'Ro (Coronavirus), because that would be unethical of me to do that, particularly in these times. But I can refer you to a community health center... or I can refer you to a place where you can get masks at at cheaper rates... or I can refer you to a community wellness center that is doing testing, etc. So we have to... in these times, it requires readers to be skilled and competent. Not just with the cards, but as understanding the role in the community of (a) spiritualist - as folks who are walkers in that middle world. Right? In that liminal space. We are between the spiritual and the material, the spiritual and the material.
So while what we can offer is, "Here are ways to keep your spirits strengthen, and fortify as we're all going through this pandemic moment...", right? We can offer that, right? Here are some spiritual ways that you can be fortified. And here are some material resources, about health, about wellness that we can give in and that you can utilize. Because if we're going to be readers, then we must also, in these times, be community workers. (We) must also be cultural workers. (We) must also be able to refer folks to places and spaces where they can access community health.
Because we are not medical professionals. Okay, so that's the first thing. The second thing is, when we're in moments of uncertainty, it can be very, very tempting. Because you might have folks that are coming to you and saying like, "I am scared. I am afraid and I I don't know like... can you tell me something about the 'rona (Coronavirus) that I don't know? Can you tell me something about (trails off)..." .The first thing that's important for spiritualist to do is to validate that (feeling of) fear. To validate the fact that we're all - spiritualists & querents alike - we're all in a moment of uncertainty. We're all in a moment.
We're all in a moment of uncertainty. We're all in a moment where we have to make some different adjustments. So first, we validate that that is key. The second thing we do is to remember our mission. Something that I tell the folks in Cecilia Western Tarot Academy is to write down their "why". What is their why? So, if you've written down that "My why is to offer spiritual fortification for the folks that come in contact with my practice," then go back and remember your why and communicate your why to your querent. So that they know like, this is why we're here. "This is what I CAN offer. While I can't actually offer you any type of diagnosis or any type of diagnostic."
Now let's zoom in, excuse me, let's zoom out from the micro (one to one) to the macro. Particularly in the tradition of Black spiritualists, Black readers and Black diviners. Okay, this is not just an individual role. This is a community role. And something that I tell my students a lot is like, "Read the signs. In general, read the signs." So while we're not able to say to one on one querents, like, "Okay, you got it or you don't," because that would not be ethical - what we CAN do is we can say like, "Okay, let's read the signs in general. The cards are leaning to the same place that the stars are leaning. To the same place that the natural environments are leaning, right? To the same way that our natural like the way that humankind is moving. Read the signs! Overall, move from the micro out and back into the macro, right? This is the job particularly of Black Folk spiritualists and diviners - to be able to walk between the spiritual and the material.
So the material elements, right, we can read those signs. We see what is happening at the intersections of you know, these different political happenings. We can see! We can see these things that are happening! So we read the signs, right?
So what do I mean when I say read the signs? Well, particularly when we think about a certain skill or modality, many, many times it is kind of like the Whyte Western way of practice - and this is just in my opinion - that is the Whyte Western way of practice to look at each skill as completely separate from the others. Right?
If you're reading cards, then you're just reading cards. If you're reading the stars, then you're just reading the stars. If you're reading the elements of nature, you're just reading the elements of nature. And while that may be true for some folks? Very, very many times what is true of Black Folk metaphysicians is that we're reading the interdependent universe. We're reading the various signs in nature. We're reading the various signs in our community. We're reading the various signs in the cards and outside of the cards. Why? Because we're walking between the physical and the metaphysical, right.
So while we cannot, again, let me be super (clear). I want to be super clear, especially because I'm transcribing this too. *laughs* So I want to be super clear. You're just talking about this. Yes, yes. I want to be super clear. While it is not ethical for a spiritualist or reader to utilize their tool to say "Okay, yes, I'm diagnosing you with something (post-edits: particularly like Coronavirus). If we aren't a medical professional, baby, we we don't.... Baby that ain't our lane, okay? That ain't our lane. So while that might not be the ethical choice, (we must consider) what might be the ethical choice, right? So for some of us, for some of us readers, now we understand that we actually may need to fill our bank and fill our bank of information and knowledge about what are the community wellness resources, I can send folks to. Others of us might need to say, "Okay, I need to actually zoom out and say, 'As I'm reading the signs around me, as I understand myself in an interdependent reality, these are the ways that you (the querent) can stay safe." And the ways that you can say, stay safe, right are going to resonate, whether you're reading the cards, the stars, the people, the places the things. Okay? (laughs)
So there's a level of common sense that comes to play here. And I don't know about how they do in other spaces. But I know that hoodoo includes a lot of common sense. I would say that common sense... utilizing common sense is one of the main principles of hoodoo. Especially if you're a reader in a hoodoo context. The common sense, baby, is a part. Why? Because we're walking between the material worlds and the spiritual worlds. So while we can give some, "Here are some ways that we can be spiritually fortified regardless...", we also have to know our lane and we also have to know our limitations. Right?
So I have been getting this question a lot from the students in the Cecilia Western taro Academy and in other spaces as well like, "Okay, shall we be doing readings about the Rona, right?" A lot of you are going to have to reframe your querent's expectations particularly at this time, and set that boundary. That while like I cannot diagnose you with ABC, I can give you this referral. And I can pull some cards around how you can be spiritually strengthened and fortified as we all move through these different ways of being. As we all move through these different processes". Right?
So we have to think about what are our ethics? (What are) the ethics of the spiritualist, particularly as we're here in a global pandemic? So, I wanted to kind of just share a little bit about that. This has been transcribed so what I will probably do is put it on my blog as well. But if there are folks who have questions, I'm happy to take some questions now. As I take a little quick little break, drink my coffee, y'all know when I go live there's no rhyme or reason. I sit down, I answer questions. I talk about things and when I'm ready to go and then then I leave. And so we're talking about right now for those who have just joined we're talking about the ethics of Tarot the ethics of readings, particularly in a global pandemic, right. And so again, while we while we're not here to function as a medical practitioner, right, or a medical diagnostic tool, what we can do is say, here are the ways that we can prioritize our spiritual wellness, right? Because spiritual wellness is an important form of wellness as well, you know, here are the things that can fortify your heart that can encourage you that can strengthen you right so that's the thing. That's the thing. No, JT, you can ask whatever you want to ask. You could actually whatever you want to ask, as folks are thinking about their questions and kind of just processing through this. If you are a patron or newsletter subscriber, today is the last day to sign up for the Cecilia Western Tarot Academy. As you can see, I'm already in sabbatical mode baby. I need the head is covered. I got all my girlfriend's warrior shirt baby, I'm I'm in my period. of rest, but if you are a newsletter, subscriber or patron, you can you can apply for Cecelia Western 2022 Up until 1159 tonight, okay, so that's the first thing. The second thing is listen I have this dream that all my students will be fully funded. So if you are in a space where you can pay for your basic needs, you have access to your basic needs. You have access to your know you have access to health care you have access to your basic needs food shelter with with expendable income left over. Consider consider consider. Consider the gift being sponsoring a student because we're talking about these things. We're talking about black folk metaphysics. We're talking about what it means to be an ethical reader, particularly in the end this moment we're talking about we're offering opportunities to critically think right and that is that is important. Particularly in these times, maybe particularly in these time, so I do want you to consider sponsoring or giving to a student. You can do that at the link in my bio. Okay, so, um, Jada has a question data says I have folks asking me for reading to I feel like only want to test me they're not big on the metaphysical and they support me on the sly. How do you navigate this? Do you accept those readings? Jada is one of my students so she already know what I'm going to say. No, I don't take those readings. No if I if my discernment like flags that up like oh, this person is playing him. I don't do well with playing in my face. I don't I don't not as a black queer disabled femme. I have too many bills. And I have too little thrills.
I'm getting I have a lot of throws. But But no, if I feel that no, because let me tell you something, even if it's even if there are no no, the answer is no. And the answer just is no. Okay, so the answer just No. Do I divide on who to read for or do I read who comes for me when I first started off in this practice? Actually, I was by referral only so I was only doing really expired referral. And so I did that for a while and then you know, eventually, you know, clients, the clients grew and I was able to offer to folks on on Patreon and do the newsletter and then you know, go from there. So, I what I try to do is like I support the folks who are supporting me and so in these days I try to offer a reading reading priority to the folks who are already working with me so whether that's through Patreon or whether that's through the newsletter, I try to you know, those are those are the those are the folks Okay. Um, yeah, black lady Terrell is asking what are some things that I do to prepare my spirit before reading for clients? It just depends on how much time that I have to be honest. And it depends on really what I have the capacity for. One of the things that I say all the time is make the magic easy. So how do you make the magic easy for yourself, especially if you have a lot of clients? I go, I fluctuate throughout the year so sometimes I just close my books completely. And and so I try to really focus on my spiritual fortitude and my spiritual strength right during those times it's refuel my tank and really setting boundaries around how many folks that I'm working with and what we're working on is important. I wish I could answer that more in depth, but I and I will, but that's a part of the earthwork course so some of what you're asking actually gets into the material that we're going to look at, in the earthwork. Course in the Cecilia Western Tarot Academy and because I know you black lady Tarot. You'll see some stuff on the on the on the application, but you can go ahead and apply for that night and yep okay, play at my my radical. Oh, that's a good question. Folks who are trying to decide if they should travel is an ethical to pull cards again. I really want folks to read all of the signs to read all of the signs to read all of the signs, okay, so, again, the signs are not just in the cards, the signs are in the world and in the earth. around us. The signs are in our own bodies, right. For some of us, we actually need to do a reading on where is my actual energy at this particular moment in time. That's the reading right? We could pull a card to help us understand and categorize that knowledge that we what we already know. But I think right, like what is the inner knowing that's coming up and what are all of the various sides that can be read, right? So it's not just about focusing and centralizing on Okay, these are my cards or whatever my card say? That's the that's the thing, right? Is is x actually expanding to see what are actually all of the signs that are here in front of me that are here before me. And then I use that to decide then I use that in my discernment. Process about, you know, where and how, in what I'm doing and how I'm moving particularly in these pandemic time. So
I know that that's not a question of like, yes or no, but I really think that we're in a period of complexity. And so we have to make space for all of that complexity, we have to make space for all of that, and all of the nuance that is in this journey, right. And so, what I what I have done is to say, okay, what are the cars that can help me kind of understand thematically, how to keep myself safe and strong this month, right? And then let's say maybe we get the five of ones right maybe that's I need to actually reduce and it's a reduce my stress. Why? Because my stress is taking the task on my immune system, which then right reflects the rest of reflects and interacts with the rest of what's going on particularly now. In this moment. Yes, Jada was one of my students. And Cecilia Weston Terrell Academy recent graduate says this is part of the crafts craftsmanship or crafts person ship in reading. So yes, one of the pillars that we focus on in Sicilia Western Tarot Academy is craftspersons ship and technique and really being able to read a variety of different different things and a variety of different signs right and and thinking about what are the ethics right of this moment? What are the ethics of this moment? All right, my love's I just wanted to talk about that really quickly. I know that there are lots of thoughts around this particular moment in time one of the things that I will be remiss any if I left okay, yeah, plant model radical you already know. Queen of Swords king of swords use that. Use that you you know, you know, you know, what was I gonna say? I was gonna say, Oh, I'm a diviner that does this really well, is the people's Oracle, particularly in looking at side aerial astrology. Super to understand this moment in time. If you want a master course in life, figuring out kind of how that looks how that can look. In this time, definitely go follow the work of at people's Oracle and and, you know, really, really think about I really want people to be careful in especially folks who are already reading for other other folks, right? I really want us to be careful to acknowledge the fact that people are afraid that Pete that it is a time of uncertainty. And so with that comes a little bit more of a push. Sometimes people get a little bit more of a push to be like, Well, can I go these alternate routes to figure out if I have this specific thing or this diagnostic, right and so it's our job to create a space where we can validate the feelings that come along with that, right? It's very understandable. It's very understandable for humans to want to seek certainty in an uncertain world that is, it's understandable, right? So we validate that but we also say, Okay, this is the thing that I can refer you to that these are the diagnostic testing, the diagnostic things, the diagnostic tests and the diagnostic things that can be helpful to you at this moment. And that means we may need to stretch ourselves to have more in our referral pool. So do you know reader? Do you know where the community wellness centers are? Do you know the different spaces to find masks that that are not you know, exorbitant? Do you know, places of mutual aid and care and collective like, do you know these things because you're going to have to refer? Okay, you're gonna have to refer you're going to have to refer right? And know that this is how we actually do community care is not all I'm no one knew know the end all be my, my tool is the end all be all thing. No, we have to take care of each other. And care means being concerned about the mind, the body, the soul, the spirit. So we specialize in that soul in that spirit. Okay. Let me tell you a quick story. I was raised by a medical professional, okay. So this is going to
so no, no my context. So you know, where I'm coming from. I was raised by a medical professional, but at the same time, I'm the disabled child of a medical professional, who also have in our lineage folks that work with the earth worked with herbs where it with roots were producing different things. Right? So it takes a variety of things, a variety of things, a variety of interventions. Right, because this is spiritual alignment. Getting getting folks that have to act right to want to care for each other in these times. That's also a spiritual alignment, so that we can do readings on that. How do we realign in our spirits to want to care for each other? How do we realign in our souls? To what to build spaces of mutual aid? How do we rely in our minds and our souls and our bodies and in our spirits to know that another world is possible? another world is possible the way that we're even moving through this moment, honey, there's opportunities and they're seeds of, of, of revolution, even here. Right? They're seeds of revolution, even here. So I hope some folks can hear me in the spirit. I hope so folks can hear me in the spirit. Especially those of us who are black and brown, and queer and trans people of color. We come from spiritual traditions that we're not just about, you know, not just about the person or the individual, but it's also about the collective is also about the collect that is our those that is that is the heart of our traditions, is that these are different ways. For us to take care of each other. So I'm glad we got to talk about this today. I will talk to you soon. I will go ahead and put the transcript of this up on the blog. So you can go to Jade Perry comm slash blog to see the transcription and I'll put the transcription up when I feel like it Ciao. Y'all see me I'm in sabbatical where I'm in sabbatical mode so I'll put it up when I feel like it might be so bad when I feel like it. If you are excited about learning in these ways are about learning with me. And you are a patron or newsletter subscriber. You can apply tonight to be a part of the Cecilia Western Tarot Academy. It is a four month in depth Tarot deep dive journey. They'll those applications will close tonight at 11:59pm MCs see as you are not you know if you're at a place where that's not for you. But you are in fact able to pay for your basic needs food, shelter, water sustenance, and have a little bit left over honey for the for the rah rah. Consider at this moment consider at this time sponsoring a black, brown, queer trans person of color who wants to learn in these skills and modalities. You can do that by looking at the link in my bio, I'm going to just have that up for folks to be able to sponsor and support and give okay, because I'm at a place right now where I really want to train and teach others and I really want to find ways to do it that allow for for a range of folks to be able to get taught to be able to get trained to be able to be in spiritual community together. That's really my one of my biggest passion. So go ahead and as soon as we get off of live or as soon as you finish watching this, go and look at the link in my bio. So just learn more about what it is that we're doing. I know that you're going to love it, especially if you especially if you were like here and you've been like rocking with this. I know that you're gonna love and geek out about the things that we have going on in the program so go ahead and check out the link in the bio and consider supporting the bill the use of black and brown and queer and trans POC folk metaphysics reading spiritual tools a spiritual strength, honey because it's through our spiritual strength that we're able to resist time. Ha Okay. Love to love you. I'll talk to you soon. Bye bye
