About Toby Skibinski
Summary
My journey into the profound world of tarot divination began during a time of spiritual crisis which coincided with the 2020 global pandemic. After giving over 2,000 readings to the public (close estimate), I decided to start mentoring students.
Looking around at existing tarot courses and mentorship trainings, what I found surprised me. Information on tarot basics was abundant but structured pathways to deep, ethical proficiency were surprisingly scarce.
I founded the Tarot Apprenticeship project in 2022 to offer the kind of comprehensive, ethically grounded, and personally guided training which I believe is essential for anyone serious about mastering the art of tarot divination.
Consubstantial to this course is the Pro Bono Tarot Guild: an association of tarot diviners who provide affordable (free and low cost) readings to the public. All Tarot Apprenticeship students join the Guild automatically and you should only apply for my Tarot Apprenticeship program if you agree with the Guild ethos.
Writing in May 2025, Stages I and II are available for testing whilst Stage III is undergoing behind-the-scenes development.
My Tarot Journey & Experience
My intensive engagement with divination began in late 2019. Driven by a severe existential crisis, I immersed myself in study and practice of oracle card divination before quickly moving on to tarot cards due to needing a pack for a spiritual curriculum that I was undertaking. I was soon fortunate enough to receive mentorship from multiple experienced tarot readers (including from Avery Woodbury of Seldom Dreams and my Mother) to assist me in my learning.
By July 2020, I was reading for others. Over the next two years, I conducted over 2,000 readings on the public (both free and paid) – allowing me to gain extensive experience with diverse querents and situations. In May 2022, I began guiding other tarot learners, accumulating hundreds of hours of teaching experience, refining my teaching philosophy and developing a comprehensive, apprenticeship style tarot training.
Developing The Tarot Apprenticeship Program
My practical experience in tarot reading and teaching revealed gaps in much contemporary tarot education – often a lack of depth, insufficient focus on tarot reader ethics, or an absence of structured, long-term support. Over three years of dedicated development, my work has included:
Analyzing existing tarot courses and mentorship programs to see what works and what can be improved.
Keeping up with the tarot community on social media (Reddit, YouTube etc.) to see what issues the current generation of readers is struggling with.
Studying and staying up to date with the tarot literature (websites and books).
Considering how tarot divination actually works for practical insights into effective reading.
Based on all this, developing an online tarot mentorship program from apprentice (beginner), to journeyman (professional level), to master (advanced professional level).
Writing in May 2025, you can now apply for Stage I (with the option to continue to Stage II afterwards) whilst Stage III is still under development.
My Teaching Philosophy & Approach
My role within this apprenticeship is that of a tarot mentor and tutor, not a spiritual teacher. I am here to share knowledge and experience (of tarot divination only), provide structured learning, offer personalized feedback on your readings, and support you through the challenges inherent in mastering this art. My approach emphasizes:
Divination: Reading tarot to gain insight and guidance from the Divine (however you conceptualize - or refuse to conceptualize - it). This includes predictive readings but always contextualized within a greater spiritual scheme.
Ethics: Instilling a deep understanding and application of ethical principles is essential - not just for responsible practise but for more effective divination.
Grit: Whilst I will mentor (and tutor) you extensively, apprenticeship style courses require students to be self-motivated, dedicated, and take responsibility for their learning journey (meeting the 300 hours per year workload).
Realistic: The course will train you beyond mere professional competency, towards genuine mastery. Thus, the title of Master Tarot Diviner will be an indication not that you have reached mastery but that you are now working on attaining it.
Emanationist & perennialist stance: Taught through Emanationist and (non-sectarian) perennialist philosophy with a twofold focus on; 1. how tarot divination actually works 2. pro bono tarot divination, the course may appeal to Western Esotericists on the Right Hand Path (e.g. Theosophists, Rosicrucians and Hermeticists). However, I wish to make it absolutely clear that the course is open to ALL who possess the necessary ethics, discipline and resources to feasibly undertake it. If you have questions or concerns about the course framework then please do not hesitate to contact me.
Qualifications/Affiliations
Extensive tarot divination experience (2,000+ professional tarot readings on the public).
Mentorship received from experienced professional readers (including Avery Woodbury of Seldom Dreams)
Former member of TABI (Tarot Association of British and International Members).
Hundreds of hours of tarot teaching experience via 1-to-1 lessons and online tarot forums.
50,000+ words of tarot divination articles written (public and unpublished).
Ongoing spiritual practise within the Western Esoteric Tradition since 2019.
Founder of the Pro Bono Tarot Guild (2023).
3,000+ hours spent on the Tarot Apprenticeship program so far.
Active Tarot Practice (June 2025)
My commitment to active, ethical tarot divination is an important part of the Tarot Apprenticeship program. While my dedication has been intensely focused over the last few years on developing this program and undertaking academic studies (a Psychology degree), I have maintained a regular self-reading practice which continues to evolve as I actively apply insights into the philosophy of tarot divination.
You can see a glimpse of my ongoing tarot reading practice in this bonus video on the 'Indication Not To Read (INTR) principle.
Also, I will be hosting free reading livestreams twice a month once the Tarot Apprenticeship YouTube channel has enough following. Writing in June 2025, this should be within 6-12 months so please subscribe if you wish to see my public reading style in action. Also, livestreams will have “subscriber only mode” turned on so you won’t be able to get a free reading unless you are subscribed. This condition assists livestream moderation and boosts vanity metrics like subscriber count which are necessary signals to the algorithm.