What I've learned so far as a professonal tarot and oracle reader
Iâve been reading tarot and oracle cards for 7 years now, but Iâve only been offering readings professionally for the past 3 months - mostly on another social media channel. (Of course, Tumblr folks get first dibs on all my discounts and new launches!)
One of the biggest things Iâve learned is that tarot and oracle reading is both time-consuming and emotionally tiring, but also deeply fulfilling. Iâve also come to realise just how much I love tarot and oracle decks as pieces of channelled art. Itâs such a joy to interact with someoneâs creative work and intuit another personâs story through the cards.
There are some teething problems, but thatâs totally expected. For instance, I sometimes get clients who are in a really dark or anxious place. That makes sense - most people turn to spirit guidance when things arenât going well. In those moments, itâs tough when the cards donât show what we were hoping for. Iâm still learning how to stay true to the message of the cards while also being mindful of the clientâs emotional well-being.
Thatâs one of the reasons I lean more towards guidance-based readings rather than pure future forecasts. Iâve found theyâre usually far more helpful. For one, fortune-telling isnât always accurate. And two, when the message is heavy or not what they wanted to hear, clients can end up feeling defeated. But often, the cards are just showing whatâs likely if things continue as they are - other futures are possible. But a tough reading can make it feel like thereâs no hope.
Another challenge is when clients arenât sure how to ask their questions, or ask too many things at once. Some people donât realise how much time and energy goes into a reading and try to squeeze in a bunch of questions under one session. Thatâs when I have to gently explain how the Q&A process works and help them get more clarity on what they really want to know.
As for the readings themselves, Iâve noticed the cards can be a bit fuzzy when it comes to timing. Sometimes theyâll show something as if itâs already happening, but in reality, itâs just around the corner -maybe a week or a month away. That can trip up a reader if weâre not careful, so Iâve learned to remember that the cards donât experience time the way we do. Theyâre more tuned into whether the energy has entered your field yet, not necessarily when it will physically show up.
The other thing is that tarot (and some oracle cards) can be very literal. Theyâll often highlight the most dominant energy in your life, even if it seems unrelated to the question. You might ask me about your love life, but if youâre knee-deep in home renovations and thatâs messing with your schedule - and by extension, your time with your partner - the cards might just show me a scene of construction work with no explanation, lol. Then itâs on me to pull clarifiers or look at the story flowing through the cards in the spread to figure out how the construction work ties back to your relationship.
Those have been my experiences as a professional tarot reader so far. Did you learn any lessons or have any interesting experiences as a professional tarot and oracle reader that you want to share? Let me know!