A 5 Year Tarot Divination Mentorship For Western Occultists On The Right Hand Path
(e.g. Hermeticists, Rosicrucians, Theosophists)
Introduction: Master The Occult/Magical Art of Tarot Divination
| Category | Programme Specification |
|---|---|
| Focus | The Art of Tarot Divination (Communication with the Divine) as a magical (occult) art. |
| Philosophy | Right Hand Path Western occultism; perennial philosophy and Emanationism (e.g. Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy). |
| Ideal Student | Perennial philosopher/ancient wisdom seeker on the Right Hand Path. Seeking mastery to serve others, not a hobby, initiation or a spiritual business. |
| Format | Weekly 1-to-1 mentorship, video lessons, and practical assignments. |
| Duration | Average 5 years. |
| Workload | Average 350 hours a year. |
| Goal | Master Tarot Diviner: someone with advanced professional competency who gives free and affordable readings to the public. |
for RHP western occultists Who Seek Genuine Mastery
| It’s for you IF: | It is Unsuitable For You IF: |
|---|---|
| You are serious about mastering the art of tarot divination (communication with the Divine). | You are seeking a casual, short-term mentorship with optional homework. |
| You are a Right Hand Path occultist who works (or is willing to work) within Emanationism and the perennial wisdom tradition (ancient wisdom/occult science). | You are a secular occultist, black magician (including working with demons, magic for personal gain, etc.) or you quarrel with the RHP vs LHP distinction. |
| You are glad to join the Pro Bono Tarot Guild and follow it's Code of Ethics. https://tarotapprenticeship.com/pro-bono-tarot-guild | You are not in full accord with the Guild's mission and ethics. |
| You are a beginner or intermediate reader. Note that intermediate readers still go through the full training. | You are currently a professional tarot reader. You must suspend this practice to apply. |
| You possess the time and energy necessary for part-time study (10-12 hours per study week) | Your current (or emerging) responsibilities make the part-time workload unsustainable. |
| You are self-motivated, resilient, and open to the challenges of a rigorous, long-term training. | You have never taken an adult education programme in your life. Or, you struggled greatly with the adult education that you did complete. |
| You are willing to give structured feedback to refine a developing programme. | You seek time-tested training from a recognised expert. |
Breaking Through Self-Study Limitations
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You may feel a profound calling to the art of tarot divination. But you are either confused by too many options, or unsatisfied with the state of modern divination. For example, you might wonder why diviners today shuffle like gamblers, read like psychologists and disclaim themselves entertainers.
You want to avoid years of confusion and lack of progress that comes from unstructured self-learning. You are looking for the clear direction and experience of a teacher and mentor who can guide you towards mastery within several years.
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You may have already spent 1-3 years practicing tarot. But sober self-reflection reveals that you have not yet got a grip on the art.
You have likely read some popular tarot books (Holistic Tarot and 78 Degrees of Wisdom?), watched a lot of YouTube tarotscope videos, and perhaps even taken some tarot courses or mentorship programmes. But in spite of all this work, you cannot confidently give fluent and insightful readings.
For example, you might still struggle to read court cards, contradictory cards, reversals or some combination of the three. You may be unable to read accurately for yourself, give useful predictive readings or to apply Hermetic qabalah to a reading without sounding confusing or vague.
You are looking to unlearn bad habits and rebuild your practice with the depth and integrity it deserves. This means you are willing, despite your length of experience, to start from the very beginning of a teaching curriculum.
Novice Or Intermediate, Your Path Is The Same…
We begin by establishing the essential philosophical and practical grounding. We then put you through 400+ hours of public practice readings before proving your proficiency with a masterpiece and pro bono work.
Be advised: Stage II requires you to establish yourself on public forums and livestreams, conducting 400+ hours of readings for strangers. This is frequently uncomfortable, time-consuming, and demands building a small but consistent audience of sincere querents.
Here are the full details.
The Journey: Apprentice To Master
Desktop view recommended. Mobile: key info Stage I (18 months, first 6 months Novitiate): self-reading foundations | Stage II (18 months): 400+ public reading hours | Stage III (24 months): mastery project and further pro bono work.
| Stage | Credits | Avg. Duration | Focus & Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| I: Apprentice | 50 | 18 Months | Foundational Mastery. Building deep philosophical knowledge, ethical grounding, and self-reading proficiency with the Rider Waite Smith tarot cards. |
| II: Journeyman | 50 | 18 Months | Applied Competence. Developing fluency through intensive mentored practice, including conducting approx. 400 hours of required free practice readings. |
| III: Master | 75 | 24 Months | Consolidation & Specialisation. Synthesising learning, demonstrating advanced proficiency, and completing a masterpiece/capstone project. |
The Novitiate (first 20 credits/6 months)
The Novitiate is what you apply for at the end of this page: a roughly 6 month period of mutual discernment before continuation into the full training. Do not think then that you signing up for five years at once. You are signing up for a 6 month period which, whilst intensive, holds the expectation that you will leave if it not right for you.
Month 1…
Reading for yourself with the 22 Major Arcana cards.
Practising with 3 or 5 card spreads.
Overcoming common beginner issues in the mentorship sessions. Examples include; preparing for a reading, interpreting card combinations, reading contradictory cards and choosing whether to learn reversals now or wait until you have more experience.
By Month 6…
Using the full deck to read for yourself.
Reading 10+ cards tarot spreads such as Waite’s celtic cross
Using reversals in your readings
Using esoteric correspondences in your readings (Elements, Numbers, Zodiac Signs etc.)
Features of Genuine Mastery
This Tarot Apprenticeship programme is designed to solve the specific problems faced by the magical tarot diviner on the Right Hand Path. You will:
Assimilate, Not Memorize, The Tarot Card Meanings
Based on principles of modern memory science, you will be taught methods to genuinely master the RWS tarot card meanings in an engaging manner (without the cumbersome rote learning of the past).
Understand Tarot Divination As A Magical Art
You will be given a clear, metaphysical answer to how tarot divination actually works, allowing you to serve others with greater accuracy and compassion.
Ethical Practice
Avoid Causing Unintended Harm: We will explore the vital questions of ethics in-depth, ensuring your good intentions pave a road to genuine healing for others.
Intuitive Development
Learn to safely develop your intuition and manage your aura when reading, ensuring you are not overwhelmed by unpleasant visions or entities.
accurate predictions
Learn predictive accuracy within a greater spiritual framework that acknowledges free will. Help your querents to accept what they cannot control and work on what they can control so that they can become truly empowered.
Service
Learn so that you may serve: not for spiritual initiation, a hobby, or to start a “spiritual business”.
Curriculum: Card Meanings And Beyond
RWS Tarot Card Meanings
All 78 Rider Waite Smith tarot card meanings in depth (predictive, spiritual, money, love, karmic, etc.)
Scholarly Tarot History
The fascinating scholarly history of tarot cards and their usages (fringe theories debunked!)
RWS Symbolism
Clear explanations of the symbolism (often esoteric and in plain sight) on the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, including the important influence of the female artist, Pamela Coleman Smith
Modern Memory Methods For Card Meanings
Effective and engaging methods for assimilating card meanings, symbolism and correspondences (astrology, numerology, Kabbalah etc.) into your long-term memory. No rote learning necessary.
How to apply these correspondences for both spiritual evolutionary and practical divinatory purposes
Divination vs Fortune-telling
Divination (communication with the Divine) vs fortune-telling (predictive readings) compared and contrasted for wiser readings
The Dangers Of Tarot Divination
The true dangers of divinatory tarot reading (yes, they do exist) that many diviners deny and how to mitigate them.
Pro Bono Tarot Reading (Without Disaster)
How to give free readings with joy (as part of your selfless spiritual service to others).
How Tarot Divination Actually Works
A deep, metaphysical explanation of how tarot divination actually works (that you can actually understand) so you can give more accurate, ethical and compassionate readings.
Intuitive Development
How to safely and sensibly develop your psychic abilities and awaken your intuition (for this life - and those to come!)
Psychic Protection
How to manage your energy and ensure your “psychic protection” when divinatory tarot reading so you don’t burn out or become overwhelmed by unpleasant visions and emotions.
Predictive Reading
How to responsibly give predictive tarot readings (e.g. specific events and timings) to help people avoid unnecessary life dangers and inform them of their overall fate - as far as spiritually permitted (yes, fate exists in spite of free will).
Tarot Spreads & Other Techniques
A detailed look at different tarot layouts and techniques; spreads, lines, tableaus and reading methods so you can answer any appropriate tarot question asked of you.
Custom Tarot Layout Design
How to design your own tarot layouts and techniques so you can develop your own flair for the art and stop being dependent on the techniques of others.
How To Read For Yourself
How to read your own cards as part of your spiritual journey to Self Knowledge. (Plus, if you can read for yourself then you don’t have to spend money on other tarot readers.)
Ethical & Legal Issues
Essential and avant-garde issues of ethics, legality and professionalism so you can a) pave the road to Heaven (rather than hell) with your good intentions b) differentiate yourself from your competition in the saturated marketplace
Marketing (Without Selling Your Soul)
Ethical marketing for divinatory tarot readers (e.g. content marketing, branding, pricing) so you can sell people what they actually need without coming across as pushy or sleazy.
Recommended Resources
My hand-picked list of tarot books and other resources to help you master your craft.
Core concepts previewed in free resources:
a. Rider Waite smith (RWS) Meanings Series
b. Scholarly Tarot History Books
c. Tarot Card Shuffling & Selection
d. Asking A Good Tarot Question
The Vibrational State of Divinatory Mastery
Self-Knowledge
As you read accurately for yourself on the spiritual path.
Earned Confidence
That only comes from thousands of hours of dedicated, structured work.
Great Joy
As you serve a dedicated niche of tarot querents who respect your ethics and integrity.
Deep Purpose
As you cultivate your own flair for the art and connect with the Divine on your own terms.
Lasting Gratitude
As you empower your querents with spiritual wisdom, faith and resilience.
About Toby & The Apprenticeship
Over 2,000 public readings since 2020; 60+ one-to-one teaching hours; 7 students mentored; one apprentice enrolled.
I have built the Tarot Apprenticeship programme on a foundation of occult scientific study and hands-on experience.
When you enrol, you will:
Learn from a master tarot diviner’s personal experience: I have conducted over 2,000 readings for the public, bringing practical, tested insights to your training.
Walk a meticulously designed vocational path: This 5 year curriculum is the result of over 3,000 hours of dedicated curriculum development, ensuring a structured and coherent path to genuine mastery.
Engage with the ancient wisdom tradition: I have been a practicing neo-Hermetic mystic (Right Hand Path) since 2019. Whilst I am not a spiritual teacher, I am here to teach you tarot divination as a white magical art (to the strict, traditional definition) - so that you can serve others.
Join a service-oriented community: Gain automatic membership into the Pro Bono Tarot Guild, a de-centralized association of tarot readers who give back without giving up (Note: not a frivolous group chat/forum).
For more information about me and this project, please see the about page.
Testimonials
“I think that the work you are doing is important, Brother. Especially as more diviners continue to ‘entertain’ us daily”
“He helped me to get the breakthroughs I needed as a professional tarot reader working on a psychic chatline.”
“I’ve been using your Rider Waite Smith articles [i.e. the RWS cards in context series] to help me in my tarot studies.”
You can also read reviews of my public reading practice.
Become An Apprentice: Requirements
| Tarot Decks | Two Rider Waite Smith tarot decks. One normal size and one miniature. |
| Hardware | A desktop computer or laptop (essential: no mobile completion). |
| Peripherals | A working headset, microphone and webcam. |
| Accounts | A Google account (phone number verified). |
| Education | A university degree is preferred but not essential. Adult education (e.g. night school) also helps. |
| Resources [Optional] | £400 to spend on the reading list. |
Pricing & Payment Details
| Effective Monthly Cost | Effectively £80/month (approx. $105 USD) at 5 year duration. |
| Stage I: Apprentice | 50 credits total. First 20 credits (Novitiate) is 4x instalments of £150 or £500 pay in full. Next 12 months is 6x instalments of £150 or £750 paid in full |
| Stage II: Journeyman | 50 credits. 10x instalments of £150 or £1,200 pay in full. |
| Stage III: Master | 75 credits. 12x instalments of £150 or £1,500 pay in full. |
| Scholarship Place | If you genuinely cannot afford the listed price, there is one scholarship place available for one applicant deemed a very good fit. If offered this, you must pay what you can honestly afford at a monthly rate. To be considered for this place in the programme, please apply as normal with a 300 word statement of financial need in the "applicant comments" field. Please remember to state also what you can honestly afford to pay each month. |
Stage credits purchased as required (manageable instalments of £150) with no upfront multi-year commitment.
The Application & Enrolment Process
| Step 1 | Apply for the 6 month Novitiate |
| Step 2 | Within seven days of submission, attend a video meeting to discuss the training. |
| Step 3 | Within four weeks of the video meeting, sign the programme indenture (contract). |
| Step 4 | You will then be immediately invoiced for the first 5 credits. Once payment is confirmed, you will begin the training as a Novitiate (see explanation anon). |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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The Novitiate is a roughly six month probationary period integrated into Stage I.
Progression beyond the Novitiate is not automatic but is based upon mutual discernment.
This means you are not committing to the full, five year apprenticeship until after the Novitiate has been successfully completed.
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The programme teaches esoteric correspondences (including to Hermetic qabalah) in a non-sectarian manner.
This ensures that the curriculum respects your individual path and any specific set of correspondences you may already use.
If you would prefer to learn a specifc system of correspondences (such as BOTA’s, HOGD ones or Thelemic/Crowleyite/Thoth ones) then you may wish to either 1. find a different tarot teacher 2. plan to deliberately study under more than one tarot teacher.
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I understand that life can get in the way of even the most organized folks.
If you need to defer your studies, you will be able to do so for up to a year.
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A full, detailed contract will be provided to you after your interview. You will have 4 weeks to ask any questions and sign the contract.
This ensures you have complete transparency and can ask any questions before a final commitment is made.
Apply To The Novitiate (not all 5 years at once)
REMINDER: You are applying for the 6 month Novitiate. Progression beyond this point is not automatic but is by mutual discernment.
A Chance For Total Clarity
The Novitiate is a low-risk chance for total clarity. Six months is not a long time and £500 is not a lot to pay. This ease is deliberate: it serves to make the mutual discernment much easier.
Such clarity cannot be achieved by the one lacking courage who ever puts off finding out whether they are destined for this path or not. We must act if we are to succeed. And recall that although effort has battled destiny and lost, his effort has earned the respect of the victor - and on occasion, it’s reward.