Professional members

Transition to Professional Member status is open to anyone who has been an Interest Member of the Tarot Guild of Australia for at least three months. If you have not yet joined the Guild, click here for an application form.

Below is an overview of the process - click here to download a copy of the full Transition information pack (approximately 200 KB). You need Acrobat Reader to open the document. Click here to download a free copy of Acrobat Reader.

Alternatively, leave your contact details with our telephone answer service on 03 9858 7355 and an information pack will be mailed to you.

What Transition is all about

In summary, the Guild believes professional Tarot readers should be able to:

• demonstrate a sound understanding of the meanings usually ascribed to each of the 78 cards in the Tarot deck
• make meaningful connections between cards to build an interpretation based on the symbols and images in the Tarot cards
• use one or more Tarot spreads to interpret cards in a way that makes sense to the client
• communicate with clients in a way that produces a positive experience for clients and for themselves as readers
• respect their clients' values and right to self-determination
• abide by the Tarot Guild of Australia's Code of Ethics in their professional practice.

Transition process

After submitting the Transition application form and paying the fee of $66, you will receive the Transition paper by email or in the post. You have up to two months to complete the paper, which can be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word document or handwritten. Alternatively, you can record your answers onto an audiotape or submit a combination of written and recorded answers.
You will also be given the names and contact details for your three assessment panel members, who are Professional Members of the Guild. Two of these will be available as your personal advisers to answer any questions you might have about the Transition process, e.g. to clarify the intent of questions in the Transition paper.

In addition, you are required to:

• do 20 readings for clients, family members or friends. The readings, which can be as short as 10-15 minutes or as long as 45-60 minutes, should be documented on the log sheet provided in Attachment Two. Where possible, ask people for their telephone numbers. As part of the assessment process, we will call a couple of your people to verify that the readings took place.
• do three Tarot readings of approximately 20 minutes duration - general, career and relationship. You will do these readings for your three assessment panel members. Where possible, readings should be face-to-face, but telephone readings are also acceptable. Your panel members will contact you shortly after you receive the Transition paper to organise times for these readings. The Guild will cover all costs associated with telephone readings. You are expected to conduct the readings as you would for a 'real' client. You can use any deck and any spread for these readings.

After you have completed the Transition paper, log of readings and three readings for assessment panel members, a telephone discussion session will be organised between you and two panel members. The aim of this session is to provide feedback on what you have submitted and, if necessary, ask further questions based on your paper and readings.

Other forms of evidence

The Transition process can be tailored to accommodate individual circumstances. While most candidates for Professional membership will complete the process as described above, the Guild recognises that some Tarot practitioners may be able to produce other forms of evidence to demonstrate they fulfil one or more of the criteria.

For example, they may have written a book, designed a deck of Tarot cards, or written articles that demonstrate their understanding of the cards and their ability to interpret spreads. Or they may have compiled notes to support Tarot courses they run, or they may wish to be exempted from compiling a log of readings because they read regularly in a venue and their employer can vouch for their ability to read professionally for a range of clients.

Please contact the President of the Tarot Guild if you would like to present specific material in support of your application for Professional membership.

Assessment, certification and beyond…

• Within 10 days of the telephone discussion, you will be notified of the outcome of your application.
• Successful applicants receive a certificate that entitles them to advertise their Tarot services as Professional Members of the Tarot Guild of Australia Inc.
• Professional Members are entitled to a free listing as a Tarot reader and/or teacher on the Tarot Guild's website. This list is sent to any member of the public who enquires about Tarot readers and teachers.