What I've learned so far as a professonal tarot and oracle reader
Iāve been reading tarot and oracle cards for 7 years now, but Iāve 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 Iāve learned is that tarot and oracle reading is both time-consuming and emotionally tiring, but also deeply fulfilling. Iāve also come to realise just how much I love tarot and oracle decks as pieces of channelled art. Itās such a joy to interact with someoneās creative work and intuit another personās story through the cards.
There are some teething problems, but thatās 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 arenāt going well. In those moments, itās tough when the cards donāt show what we were hoping for. Iām still learning how to stay true to the message of the cards while also being mindful of the clientās emotional well-being.
Thatās one of the reasons I lean more towards guidance-based readings rather than pure future forecasts. Iāve found theyāre usually far more helpful. For one, fortune-telling isnāt 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 whatās likely if things continue as they are - other futures are possible. But a tough reading can make it feel like thereās no hope.
Another challenge is when clients arenāt sure how to ask their questions, or ask too many things at once. Some people donāt realise how much time and energy goes into a reading and try to squeeze in a bunch of questions under one session. Thatās 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, Iāve noticed the cards can be a bit fuzzy when it comes to timing. Sometimes theyāll show something as if itās already happening, but in reality, itās just around the corner -maybe a week or a month away. That can trip up a reader if weāre not careful, so Iāve learned to remember that the cards donāt experience time the way we do. Theyāre 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. Theyāll 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 youāre knee-deep in home renovations and thatās 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 itās 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!