RICHLANDS, Va. — A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Virginia on a local store owner’s behalf calls for changing town licensing and zoning that prohibits Tarot card reading as part of his business.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. A clerk confirmed Wednesday for the Bluefield Daily Telegraph that the lawsuit was filed April 4. Mark Mullins is the owner of Mountain Magic Tarot and Reading Shop in Richlands, Va.
“Mr. Mullins has been reading Tarot cards for more than 30 years,” according to court documents. “He believes that Tarot reveals the wisdom of God, and incorporates Tarot into his daily religious routine and spiritual practice, known as Hermeticism.”
This religious belief is described in the lawsuit’s documents. Religious groups practicing Hermeticism include the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Order of the B.O.T.A. (Builders of the Adytem), use Tarot cards, according to court documents. Mullins reads Tarot cards daily to receive spiritual advice.
“Hermeticism is a syncretic religion that blends themes from a variety of religious traditions including Judaism, Christianity, Hellenistic philosophy, and Egyptian theology from the beginning of the Common Era,” the attorneys for Mullins state in court documents.
Mullins decided in 2017 to open a shop where he could offer Tarot readings for a fee.
“In the following months, and continuing until the present, the Town of Richlands officials have used the town’s licensing and zoning scheme to prohibit Mr. Mullins from reading Tarot as part of his business because of their disapproval of his religious views and practices,” according to court documents.
The attorneys representing Mullins argue that the “effective prohibition on Tarot reading” as a part of his business “constitutes viewpoint discrimination and is an unconstitutional prior restraint in violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Defendants further violate Mr. Mullins’ right to free exercise of religion under the First Amendment of the Constitution and the non-discrimination provisions of Religious Land Use and Institutional Persons Act.”
Mullins is seeking “judicial intervention to enjoin certain ordinances and governmental actions to the extent they prevent him from reading Tarot as part of his business in the town of Richlands, “ according to court documents.
Attorney Vishal Agraharkar with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Virginia said his organization was representing Mullins. Christine Poarch with the Poarch Law Firm in Salem, Va. is also representing Mullins.
“We filed the lawsuit on his behalf,” Agraharkar said.
The lawsuit must be served to the defendants, town officials, and they must be allowed a certain amount of time to answer the complaint, Agraharkar stated. No court dates had been scheduled as of Wednesday.
“It takes a little bit of time,” he said of the legal process.
Messages to Richlands Mayor Paul Crawford and Town Manager Timothy Taylor were not returned Wednesday.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
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