Liz Worth ~ Tarot + Astrology

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...

People talk about tools like tarot and other esoteric practices as though they are shortcuts or hacks that will accelerate their paths to success.

Which is why I always feel so boring in that broken-record-kind-of-way when I say that learning tarot doesn’t come with any shortcuts.

To get good at tarot, it takes practice, commitment, and consistency.

Like anything else, if you keep showing up for it, put in the time, and push yourself to improve, things will change.

Which is what happened to one of my students last year, Nat. In early 2020, she sent me an email worried that her progress was slow: “I don’t think I’m very good at this.”

I told her to keep practicing, keep going.

I know that’s the key, because when I was in Nat’s position, I hit walls, too. And I have had to embrace the same learning curves in tarot as everyone else.

So I know how much can change with practice and consistent effort.

And now, a little over a year later, Nat is...

When I first started reading tarot for other people, I was actually surprised at how many wanted to know about love.

I thought I would be answering different types of questions about spiritual journeys and personal transformations.

But I quickly realized how important relationships are to people, and how much is at stake when we are talking about love, commitment, loyalty and companionship.

Some of the hardest questions I’ve had to answer as a tarot reader had to do with relationships.

They can be really complicated. Especially if the people involved are cycling through a range of emotions: One day they’re on, another they’re off.

Divining a clear answer about a relationship is not always easy to pin down when the people in question can’t be pinned down in the first place.

Another challenge can arise when clients are impatient about the answer: They feel like they’ve already been waiting “long enough” for love and they don’t want to...

This year, many tarot readers have transitioned online in response to pandemic regulations and health precautions.

Which has left many people wondering, "Do tarot readings still ‘work’ over the phone or online?” 

The short answer is: OF COURSE! 

I have been doing readings on Zoom since 2015 and let me tell you: Where or how your reading is delivered has no bearing on its accuracy or effectiveness.

Not only do I know this from my job as a reader, but also as a client. Most of the readers and intuitives I have worked with have been by distance.

When booking a reading, remember:

♦A reader’s skill is what matters - and that has nothing to do with the vehicle you are using to commutate with them;

♦ Distance readings make it possible to work with people all over the world, so you are not limited by geography when it comes to choice;

♦ You don’t have to touch or physically choose your tarot cards for them to “work” for you....

It is my belief that tarot is for everyone, and that it can be beneficial in many situations when used appropriately.

Like any tool, it will only work she applied with the proper skill and intention.

If you are getting a tarot reading, your emotional and intellectual perspective will also play a role in how that reading goes. It’s important to be in an open state of mind, ready to receive information.

I have had clients in the past who were clearly not ready for tarot and sometimes, I have had to cut sessions short because querents were so nervous or scared.

As a tarot reader, I won’t always know where you are at emotionally when you book an appointment. It is up to you to know whether you are ready and willing to give tarot a try.

Here are 3 signs you might not be ready for a reading:

1. You have immense guilt about it, to the point where you can’t enjoy your reading. I once had a client break down in tears because they felt like they were going against their religion...

One of the most common questions I get from other tarot readers is, “Do you read reversals?”

It comes up whenever I teach a class, whether it’s to a group of beginners or advanced readers.

(And for anyone not familiar with reversals, it’s when a card is upside down in a reading.)

I don’t read reversals – but I used to. I picked up the technique when I was studying tarot, and used it regularly by the time I started reading tarot professionally.

But I gradually stopped reading reversals.

Why? It’s not because they don’t work – they do (if you’re clear and consistent in how you’re using them).

The reason reversals dropped out of my tarot practice is that I just didn’t need them anymore. I had started to develop new styles of card reading and the way I was working with tarot didn’t require reversals anymore.

I started to see that the way I was looking at a reversed card – whether it was a challenge,...

Whenever there’s change in the air, such as talk of important astrological transits, it’s normal to wonder: “How will this affect me?”

We often turn to tarot, astrology and other divinations to predict what’s around the corner. It’s not unusual to worry about whether you are making the wrong decision, or to worry about where your future is headed.

I find that whether you’re clear on your own direction, or you’re still trying to figure out your life’s path, uncertainty will always be a companion to some degree.

One of the main reasons why we turn to divinatory tools like tarot and astrology is because we want certainty, clarity and confidence in what we are doing.

Knowing how things will turn out can help alleviate some of the stress of the unknown.

After all, wouldn’t you go ahead and head back to school, start that business, or write that book if you knew for sure that you would be successful?

It would also be so much...

Staying healthy as a tarot reader can be tricky, especially if you do a lot of in-person work at parties, events, or one-on-one.

A lot of us readers are often working in public spaces like stores, coffee shops or fairs.

Here's what I do to stay healthy when I'm working out in the public.

(Note that I am not a health professional and can only speak to what works for me. ALSO - follow local health guidelines during Covid!)

“Asking the right question can change your life.”
- Wald Amberstone

Think about that quote from Wald Amberstone for a second. We’ll come back to it.

When people first come to me for a reading, I always ask them if they have a question, or a topic they’d like to focus on.

“Should I tell you what it is?” People often ask.

“Of course!” I say. Being clear about what someone wants to know helps me to deliver a clear, relevant reading. It also helps me to ensure you get the most out of the experience.

But this is also where communication can become a challenge for tarot readers, astrologers, and other folks who are doing this kind of work.

Not everyone is willing to put a question on the table – even if they have one. I think part of this comes from still viewing tarot as a parlor trick. People want to test the reader to see how good they are, which can turn the reading into a guessing game.

But why waste your time and money...

When I sit down with a client for a reading, I ask them if there's anything they want to focus on today.

“I have a question," they often say, "but I’m not sure I am supposed to say it out loud.”

There are so many strange little superstitions and misconceptions around tarot readings, and unfortunately, they can really impact the quality of your reading, and the messages you receive.

One of the muddiest areas is about what kind of questions to bring to a tarot reading. I’ve had some clients express complete surprise when I’ve asked if they would like to focus their reading on a question or a topic: “Oh! I didn’t know I was allowed to ask anything.”

Of course you can ask questions - and say them out loud.

How else is your reader going to know what you're wondering about? 

Sure, some tarot readers like to read "cold," figuring out your question on their own. But many, including myself, want to know your question off the top to get...