Nevertheless, when jktarot.com asked Baron to explain how she used Tarot cards in her work, she offered the following synopsis:

"...the Tarot serves somewhat as a method of "distraction", if you will, in my investigative work. Other psychics who channel may receive their information by scribbling on a notepad, or emoting with their hands a lot. This is how I am able to keep a "rhythm", or "pulse", in my work. A few times, I may get images from the cards, but mainly for the first reason."

Why Tarot cards particularly should be useful for creating this "pulse" or "distraction" Baron did not say. But certainly the use of Tarot can create a certain air of mystery, which would not be the case with regular playing cards (which in fact might cheapen the effect upon the client) or notepad scribblings. It sounded as if Baron was saying that she didn't read Tarot cards at all, but she assured me that she did, though when I asked her what books or resources she had found particularly useful in developing her approach with Tarot, initially she did not respond to this question. Following up with a second request for an answer about any Tarot books that had influenced her, Baron complained about my "driven" line of questioning, and then replied:

"The authors that have provided influence are a private matter for me."

Despite this claim, Baron in fact provides a webpage with numerous book recommendations and a note to readers:

"These are selections from Carla's personal library that have had a profound impact on her teaching, counseling and life's work. They have also provided insight into Carla's own life experience and spiritual growth."

Unfortunately, this list of "literary treasures", as Baron calls them, does not contain any reference to a Tarot book, and so perhaps no works concerning the subject of Tarot have provided her with any "profound impact". Understandable, but since she lists one of the "profound impact" works as "The Celestine Prophecy", it seems reasonable that a Tarot work, no matter how silly, could have made it onto her revealing book list.

When jktarot.com pointed out to Baron that no matter how private she might consider her Tarot influences, her work using Tarot is certainly not a private matter at all, but instead a very public (and highly controversial) one, she shed some light on her reasons for not being more forthcoming:

"I did visit your site the other day when you first wrote me. That is somewhat the reason for my reluctance to share my thoughts with you regarding my work with the Tarot. I am not looking to get into a debate over this."

Baron followed up this by suggesting such questions (or perhaps any honest answers to them) threatened her work:

"Please just accept my need to protect what I do. The nature of my work with law enforcement & missing persons is a truly sensitive one."

While Baron's work may be sensitive (in some fashion or the other), her reluctance to answer specific questions concerning it, something most "psychics" shy away from, is very curious or perhaps even suspicious. It seems reasonable in Baron's case, and in that of anyone using Tarot in a very public way for "psychic" purposes, to question whether whatever she is doing with Tarot is truly beneficial to her claimed purpose (and to the people she claims to "help"), or is simply another form of Tarot abuse.

J. Karlin 7/7/03