Is It Safe to Work as a Tarot Reader? Reflections on the Murder of Anna Torres

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Disclaimer: This case is still developing, with new details sure to emerge over the coming days and weeks. All of the details I’ve discovered of this case come from reputable news reporting – I do not know the victim or the accused personally. Here are some of my sources, for further reading: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Remember this woman. Know her name.

RIP Anna Torres, a tarot reader and psychic who worked and lived in NYC.

May this woman’s name and memory be a blessing to all who knew her. By all accounts, she was a lovely, kind, and loving woman who worked in the spiritual industry for more than 20 years, accumulating clientele through word of mouth, a considerable feat in a largely digital economy. 

Multiple news outlets report that she was murdered at her doorstep in the middle of the day because her client, reportedly an unemployed gambling addict, was apparently convinced she was ‘a witch,’ responsible for his recent string of bad gambling luck.

This is incredibly tragic, and broke my heart; I can’t imagine how those who knew her and consulted with her must be feeling. My thoughts and prayers go especially to her husband, her children, her mother (who was present during the shooting), and those in her family.

As we remember and honour Anna Torres – as I believe is my responsibility as a fellow spiritual worker and tarot card reader – and speak out against what happened to her – my thoughts also turn to this profession (mediumship, being a psychic, reading tarot, doing magic and prayer for people, etc) and how dangerous it is and can be, how vulnerable any of us can be to something like this happening to us at any time.

The spiritual industry is a unique line of work. I absolutely love it, and I’m very good at it – I have helped hundreds of people improve and transform their lives – but it is a vulnerable profession, since we do often work with individuals who are in crisis, struggling, or in a place of vulnerability themselves.

Every person will deal with hardship differently. Some will struggle for a while, turn inwards, self-destruct, go to therapy, shake it off, and get their shit together. Others will avoid doing any internal work whatsoever, and will look for quick fixes (and get frustrated when they don’t work), and blame only external factors for how they’re feeling and what they’re going through. People in the latter category can sometimes lash out and become violent, seeking to physically or emotionally harm others. This is a type of person to avoid.

Simply put, some people blame tarot readers, psychics, and other spiritual workers like mediums and witches for their own failures, problems, and poor judgment. I find this pathetic, but it does happen.

As with other professions, we do our best to assist clients with what ails them, even if it’s of their own creation. Perhaps tarot isn’t terribly unique – we’ve all heard stories of doctors, laywers, influencers, and models being murdered by unhappy clients or fans, or by people critical of their practice (as in the case with abortion doctors and criminal defense lawyers). One difference with spiritual workers is that we often do work out of our homes; I know I did, when I had just started my business. I used to welcome people into my third floor Victorian walk-up on a busy major street in the middle of downtown Toronto, and make people tea from my enormous collection while asking about their day. At one point, pretty much all my clients knew where I lived. For most spiritual workers and tarot readers, this is how we start our careers.

 Do I blame anyone who is minding their business and murdered for being murdered? Absolutely fucking not. Every murderer is responsible for their own behaviour. I wish it would be effective to write an article that just said, “Let’s not murder people!” and, “Don’t kill your tarot reader/lawyer/doctor/favourite model!” I wish that would work! It probably won’t, and to me that kind of sentiment – let’s all be reasonable and not kill people, please and thanks – almost goes without saying and should be uncontroversial, despite how many people ignore it every year.

 My community is tarot readers, psychics, spiritual workers, witches. If I can write something that inspires you to reconsider your practice and how you keep yourself safe, then that would make me feel as though the reflections have done some good in the world, despite being inspired by this terrible and senseless tragedy.

 First of all, read books on situational awareness, and consider taking an online or in-person course.

 My favourite situational awareness books are The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence, Spotting Danger Before It Spots You: Building Situational Awareness to Stay Safe, and The Power of Awareness: And Other Secrets from the World's Foremost Spies, Detectives, and Special Operators on How to Stay Safe and Save Your Life. I also recommend books on psychology and human dynamics, particularly those on abuse and violence.

The point of learning this kind of thing is to become more aware of what’s going on around you. Is there anyone sketchy or shifty? Do you see anyone who may be carrying a weapon or planning to jump you? I know, it may be tempting to go too far over to one side and become super paranoid, but this knowledge will help you key into the differences between when you’re feeling authentic, genuine, raw fear, as opposed to just paranoid or worried. Knowing the difference can save our lives. One easy tip I have followed since I was a teenager is not to wear headphones/music when I’m out of the house. Or if I ever do, to signal I don’t want to be spoken to, they’re not actually playing anything, so I can still be in tune with my surroundings.

Consider your safety at home.

Do you have any alarms or security systems protecting your living space? If not, what other ways could you protect yourself should someone try to enter your space? These could be protective objects, deterrent objects, locks, etc. Do you have a clear view of who is knocking on your door? Do you have a personal set of boundaries around uninvited guests and when you answer the door, and for whom? Personally, I consider any uninvited, unplanned person showing up to be an intrusion and violation.

Do you see clients in your home?

If so, does this feel sustainable and safe for you? If you live with others, have a dog, or live in a condo building with tons of security buzzers, it may feel safer to see clients in your home than if you live on your own in a suburban or rural area, in a small house. We will all have our own personal preferences, boundaries, and comforts around who knows where we live. I know many people in the spiritual space feel better giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, being very trusting and assuming the best of everyone. It may be a good idea to consider vetting all new clients by reading for them in a public place first a few times, like a coffee shop, bar, or shared rental workspace.

Alternatively, you may wish to consider seeing clients – either initially or entirely – online, by phone or on Zoom. While some may feel that online, phone, and distance readings are impersonal and cold, I’ve actually never felt this way, either as a service provider myself, or when I’ve been a client to this kind of spiritual worker (often older, old school folks)! It’s a convenient way to work, and accessible to folks with disabilities, especially those around mobility.

Are you vetting your clients?

Eventually, there comes a point in every tarot reader or spiritual worker’s career when we realize we either can’t – or don’t want to – work with everybody. This can be due to emotional boundaries, personal preference, whatever, and it’s all valid. Personally, I prefer not to work with people who are in the throes of active addiction, or undergoing active and severe mental health crises. I am not the right professional for them at that time. In my opinion, that type of person would benefit much more from addiction counsellors, 12 step support groups, psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists than they would a tarot reading or spiritual session. They likely wouldn’t be in the proper frame of mind to receive what I’d have to say, let alone act on it.

Many spiritual workers feel very aligned with a philosophy of non-judgement, accepting clients from all walks of life. That’s cool – everyone needs spiritual support. But one thing I’d say to those folks is that their personal safety matters, too.

There are so many psychotic and mentally deranged crazy people who will try to find solace and peace in our work, and avoid any personal responsibility for their own role in their lives and whatever their current circumstances happen to be. In our line of work, it is common for clients to project onto us their issues with their parents, with authority, and everything in between. When we consciously vet our clients and assess whether or not they are safe people, it becomes less likely that someone will redirect their anger towards themselves or someone else in their lives, towards us as a target.  

Again, I want to be very clear. I do not blame Anna Torres or any other spiritual provider for their death – just like I don’t blame influencers, doctors, or anyone else for their assaults or any violence done against them by unhinged and crazy people. I never blame victims.

My intention in writing this is to hopefully provide other workers in the spiritual space some tools to consider as they reflect on how to best ensure their own personal physical and emotional safety in this line of work.

People project onto us and blame us for everything under the sun.

This beautiful woman, Anna Torres, should still be alive.

Be as safe as you can, everyone.

And when you have a moment, I hope you'll join me in lighting a candle and saying a prayer for the spirit of Anna Torres, and those who loved her.