Boundaries are a big part of your success as a tarot reader

⭐️ Boundaries are a big part of your success as a tarot reader ⭐️

There are TONS of things I could say about boundaries (and will in subsequent posts) but today I will focus on three main ones that I think are key for professional tarot readers:

➡️ Stick to your schedule. Time management is really important in appointment-based work. It doesn’t matter if you do tarot full-time or on the side. Your time is valuable no matter what, and clients should respect it.

That means following the start and end times of appointments and adhering to rescheduling and cancellation policies.

It also means that as readers, we need to be reliable and be able to stick to our commitments, too. If a reader is always late, their clients will not be motivated to show up on time, either.

➡️ You don’t have to share everything about yourself. Openness and authenticity are valuable in this line of work, but you don’t have to be an open book to your clients.

Sometimes I have had clients ask about things that are very private for me, or that I only share with my friends and family. There is nothing wrong with thanking someone for their interest and leaving it at that.

At the same time, I do share personal experiences - when and if it feels right. And that's usually when I feel it will be helpful to a client (or community, such as in my online space). But it is always my decision on what, when, and how much I offer. It must feel appropriate.

You don’t have to give your private life away, and you don’t have to compromise your personal life for a client’s curiosity.

➡️ That being said, sometimes we build very intimate moments with clients. A closeness can develop. Sometimes friendships do form out of someone’s tarot work.

But it’s very, very delicate to go down that road. As the reader, you have a responsibility to maintain appropriate boundaries. Sometimes clients can confuse the closeness they feel to you. It might feel like friendship, when in actuality what they are perceiving is the space you hold for them.

The relationships we form with clients can become deep and sacred, but they are not built of the same fabric as friendships. Clients are not meant to be your friends, and if it does happen it requires a big shift in the dynamic. Becoming friends with someone means you are entering into a  different type of commitment, where a different set of rules and bonds will form.

Suddenly, you're not the only one charged with being the listener or advisor in the relationship - your client is, too. And that can lead to a lot of blurred boundaries and confusion, and it can erode the relationship you've built together already.

So tread that path very carefully. Sometimes long-term clients will evolve into friendships, but from what I've seen that is a very rare instance.

Until next time,

Liz xo

p.s. If you like this post, then you will love my book The Power of Tarot. Get it here.