3 Tips If You Want to Read Tarot Professionally

Realistically, going from beginner to pro in tarot typically takes longer than that. Though classes can show you what to do and how to perform professional-quality readings, it can take time to practice and make those skills your own.

And that’s actually okay, because there’s a lot of responsibility involved in reading professionally.

So I think it’s always important to set those expectations from the start: Tarot takes time to learn, and reading for paying clients is quite different from reading casually for friends or family.

There are a lot of considerations to keep in mind before deciding to go pro as a tarot reader, because you’re not just going to be reading tarot all day. When you have a business to run – even if it’s a part-time side hustle – there are lot of other skills involved than just tarot.

And obviously, knowing how to execute a reading is still a top priority. If you don’t know how to do that yet, keep practicing and worry about going pro later. I’ve often had tarot students in my classes who are still learning and have very little hands-on experience reading for others, yet they’re jumping ahead with all kinds of questions about how to set up a website, appointment schedules, and more.

So if you’re looking to set up a tarot business, I’ll always say this first: Make sure you have a skill you can actually sell. If you’re not sure, ask: “Would I hire myself for a tarot reading if I was in a customer’s shoes?”

Not only is it important that you’re selling a service you’re capable of providing (as it could be considered fraudulent to pose as a professional otherwise), but it’s also important to be confident in your tarot skills as a pro because once you start a business, there’s a lot to do and learn as an entrepreneur.

You might not have time to still be studying and learning the ropes in tarot on top of building a business. So there’s are a lot of ethics and logistics to consider before taking that leap into professional reading.

And once you start to consider the business-side of things, it’s important to envision how that looks and feels for you before you launch your biz.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

♦️ This is real work. If you’re looking to free yourself from a schedule or that feeling of being tied to a job, think again: In tarot, people are buying your time. Just like an employer. Once you start taking appointments, bookings, or selling email readings, your clients will expect you to be on time, honour your schedule, and deliver your readings in a timely manner. Yes, being self-employed does offer more flexibility than other work might, but it’s not a ticket to all-out freedom.

♦️ Tarot won’t free you from what you would encounter in any other service-based business, either. If you’ve worked in retail, food service, or other public-facing jobs, know that people are people wherever you go.

There are difficult customers in every industry, including tarot. Yes, it can be rewarding and fulfilling. But it also takes patience,  boundaries, and good communication skills. Not every customer will be your dream client – and that’s okay.

♦️ If you don’t actually like people, reading professionally may not be for you. Tarot readings are conversations and building a business relies on networking, marketing and visibility.

Yes, you can do email readings or pre-recorded audios, but your clients are real people who will have questions, complaints, concerns and more. You have to be willing to deal with people and want to actually connect to them.

♦️ Your clients are not necessarily your fans. People will find you at random on Google or come through referral. They may not know your work prior to booking with you, and they may not follow you online or get your newsletter.

Which means they don’t know if they like or trust you. And after a reading, they might not feel connected to you at all. Clients are not here to make you feel validated as a reader, or to boost your sense of popularity. It comes with the territory. You are here to do the job the client hired you for, not make everyone fall in love with you.

♦️ Be okay with tough convos. Not only does this apply to subject matter clients bring to readings, but also to the customer service part of the business. I have met a few readers over the years who are so afraid of handling potential complaints or difficult clients that they stalled on building a biz.

Build new communication skills and learn how to handle conflict. These are skills you can go out and learn, just like you’ve learned tarot.

Ready to take the next step and build your tarot business? I've got a super-affordable, super-effective workshop to help you get started. Grab it here.

Until next time,

Liz xo