The Judgement card

[Mystic Tarot]

I don't know how to insert images here but the judgement card (in the RW deck) shows an scene from the bible where the holy are taken to heaven.  I recently did a reading for a client who didn't like the reference and struggled to connect with the meaning of the card because they had such a strong negative association with organised religion.  Have you ever faced a similar issue?  It's a new one to me!

[EmpyreanKnight]

Hi Mystic Tarot, and welcome to the Forums! I like your name because it's also the name of one of the most arresting decks I own. Anyway, there's not really much you can do about a client's opinion except respect them. If they show a marked disdain against religious interpretations, then there are many ways to discourse on the possible meanings of the Judgment card (like epiphany, rebirth, awakening) while steering clear off that topic. You can also choose a deck without religious overtones the next time you read for them so that it wont also be an issue.

[Bodhiseed]

As a Buddhist, the biblical judgment would mean nothing to me. But hearing the sound of the trumpet and 'waking up' would make sense. Perhaps simply understanding this card as a wake-up call would be helpful to those who aren't Christians.

[Lantana]

A very common alternative title for this card is Awakening, so you could refer to it and its meanings as that in the future. A non-traditional deck would help with clients, but if you’re just starting out I don’t want to push you into deck buying just yet.

[Page of Ghosts]

Definetely collect alternative keywords for this card, such as awakening, rebirth, realisation etc. The biblical Judgment day sounds kinda gloomy to me, a non-christian, so these sort of keywords are less muddled to me. The RWS features a lot of biblical references and those don't always sit well with everyone, such as people who have lived through some sort of religious trauma connected with Christianity. The cards I've most heard mentioned in that regard are The Hierophant, The Devil and maybe Judgment. I haven't read for a lot of people so it hasn't come up as a big issue for me but it's one I'm aware of. Some may not have any particular traumatic experiences but still don't feel like the images resonnate very well and sometimes it can be hard to think outside the box. If you don't wanna buy a less traditional deck you could always google the Judgment card and see what else pops up besides the RWS, maybe that could inspire some alternative takes on this card.

[EmpyreanKnight]

I may have to disagree re: the deck-buying stuff. Mystic Tarot mentioned that she was dealing with a client. This, then, is primarily a business, and we must try to be attuned to our clientele's feelings if we want our enterprise to grow. If a client is very satisfied with the quality of her readings, but is always bugged by the religious timbre of the cards she uses, then that client might ultimately decide to take her business elsewhere. If we estimate around $50 per reading, she would have lost that amount by turning off only one client alone. Who knows how many readings that client could have bought from her, and how many other clients left because of the deck she used? In economics, this is called the opportunity cost of a decision, and if we're not careful it might increase through time without us even knowing it.

 

A normal Tarot deck costs around $20+ now. Compare that to $50 lost earnings minimum and it's a bit of a no-brainer. Researching and buying one (or more) other decks that won't turn client off would inarguably be the cost-effective path for a professional reader to take, even a budding one.

[Trogon]

Having some alternative phrasing to use for the Judgment card, or other Christian oriented cards, is a good idea and might help the situation. However, as Page of Ghosts mentioned, if a client has some trauma that produces a strong reaction to those cards, that reaction may become such an issue that they'll be unable to get past the imagery used.

 

So, I would have to agree with EmpyreanKnight about the need for one or more alternative decks. I love my RWS, but I like to give people I read for a choice of a few decks so that if one has imagery that they don't care for, there is an alternative for them. There is a fair bit of religious iconography in the RWS, so a deck like the Röhrig, Deviant Moon, or Sacred Circle Tarots are often chosen by people who don't care much for the RWS. One of my friends is Pagan and doesn't care much for the RWS (or the DM), so I'll use the Röhrig or some other deck which doesn't have the religious connections.

 

Another consideration is that, if you are doing readings for money, you can write off the amount spent on one, or more new decks on your taxes. Even if it's a paying hobby, you should be claiming income from it and this allows you to claim deductions for expenses.

 

But, beyond these considerations, you also have to have decks that you can read with. So, you'll want to give the purchase of another deck due consideration.

[Lantana]

Good points on the deck buying. I said this at the time because I know some people can feel like they NEED to buy more decks when they start out in order to be a real reader (whatever that is). But if they have regular paying clients then yes, it’s a good idea to invest in decks that are accessible to a broader range of people.

[Samual_Jennings]

There will always be people who don't respect symbolism because it's religious. Personally, I am religious. But, if you come across someone who isn't, try to stress to them the symbolism involved.

 

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