The things that are important to me as a Tarot pro...
Sometimes I think people imagine my job stops at reading the Tarot cards. That at the end of a reading I pop my cards away and my job is done.
I love my client work- along with content creation (writing books and blogs like this one) it is the very best bit of my job. But I wanted to pause and highlight the three topics I consider the "Cinderella's" of Tarot readings..
Business management
There are many different ways to read tarot professionally; simple side gig, working for another business, self employed, seasonal....
Tarot reading is my only income, I am self employed- and much as I provide a service it is also a business, and a business needs work to keep it profitable.
If you are looking to run a business as a self employed Tarot reader then there is a lot more to this than reading Tarot. You also need to consider:
Marketing- how will the right clients find me?
Booking- how will I organise my time to fit my clients schedule?
Delivery- will my readings be in person, online, by email, phone, audio, video? And how will I ensure that works well.
Payment- not only prices, but when are clients expected to pay, and what forms of payment will you accept. For those of us online we have to consider payments that are not in our national currency as well.
Organisation- once a client has booked; do they know when to expect their reading, how to access the file or find your work space.
Business admin- are you aware and up to date with regional laws and taxes.
Profit- as a business I need to track my outgoings and incomings, and ensure I am making enough to cover my families’ living expenses. If I have a good month, I need to ensure some money is put by to cover holidays/sickness/lower income months.
Business sustainability: A substantial part of my business is monitoring my business outgoings and incomings- spotting what is working, what isn’t and adapting what I offer to keep the business running well. There is always something that needs adjusting, fine-tuning, adapting!
Client care
I truly believe this is the biggest Cinderella topic in Tarot reading. There is a huge focus on reading the cards, a lot of focus on how the cards can’t be wrong, but little focus on the impact of a reading on your client.
Some clients reach out to a Tarot reader in times of absolute trauma. You may be reading for someone who has recently lost a loved one, is suffering severe mental health, has recently been raped, had an abortion or miscarriage, is trapped in an abusive marriage, or is suicidal. You may be the first person some one confides in about childhood trauma, a recent medical diagnosis, or living in domestic abuse.
When my marriage became abusive, I booked a Tarot reading, and the reader described my husband as my “soul mate” and told me not to leave as he loved me too much to let me go. I’m lucky- I have a very supportive network who were quick to reframe that reading for me, but it did affect my thoughts on my marriage, and influence – to a small degree- my hope that it would work.
I try to keep my self well educated around mental health, I read widely and have completed welfare and counselling courses in the past as part of my previous career. Whether you choose to do a small course in mental health, read widely, work with a mentor who can support you now and then- I do think an awareness of mental health is essential as a Tarot reader.
You need a strategy for supporting someone in real difficulty- my default position is to stop reading the cards, validate how difficult their situation is, then gently guide them to find the best possible help for their circumstances- whether that is their GP, a charity, or some specialised support.
There are two things that come to mind as I write this…
Holding a safe space for a client: It is possible during a reading that a client will share, or you will become aware of something very challenging. In my experience this has been connected to rape, abortion, gender issues, self-harm, suicide… it is essential that I don’t increase my client’s trauma by reacting inappropriately to their experience -with shock, fear, disgust, or confusion. My role is to remain professional and support my client. I have left several Tarot readings needing to pause and let go of emotions- but in the moment calm and reassuring is my mode.
Considering the impact of your reading: I have lied once in a reading (and I did tell the client at a later date) when I genuinely believed that if I told her that her relationship was over she would commit suicide. I believe there is a weight of responsibility on us as readers to consider the consequences of our words.
If I am concerned about how a reading may affect a client I will ask “what does my client need to know” (I ask this in most readings anyway) but I gently structure the reading away from answering their direct questions, and lean more into how the cards can best support them at this point. Its subtle, most clients aren’t aware of it, but its my way of trying to ensure my reading doesn’t create more harm than good. (This has altered a narrative from "you need to leave your partner" to "you need to find your rights and the support available before you leave your partner- subtle, but in a domestic abuse situation this can be life saving).
Self care
It’s a strange job being a Tarot reader- I am the holder of secrets- I have done readings for the husband, wife, and mistress- and none knew the others were seeing me. I am the person people whisper their darkest fears to and share their harshest experiences with.
I am very good and letting go of a reading once it’s done- I imagine a drawer in my mind and as the client goes the drawer is shut. I usually remember once I see a client again- and it’s amazing how the detail comes flooding back.
If a reading has triggered me- I try to journal, talk it through with a friend (my reaction, not the clients reading), and take the time to reflect on my wound, my healing.
As a full time pro I don’t get much of a break between readings- I work a fulltime job. But I try and include reflection time at the end of the day, and take my own healing journey seriously.
I love my job, I find it utterly fascinating how the cards can reflect, illuminate and guide. But there is a constant sense of awareness- the client sat in front of me may just be at the edge of their ability to cope. I may be their last hope- and that is a huge responsibility.
