So I’ve been reading tarot for myself and close friends for a few years now. I keep a couple of books on hand for spreads and card meanings. I’ve read through them and know the basics, and while I feel I have some natural ability with spiritual matters, I’m definitely no expert.
I’m interested in becoming experienced enough to do this professionally. I’m planning to live in a van and travel, doing tarot readings on the road along with some other side hustles. I want to be a trustworthy reader who helps people.
What are some tips you have for developing tarot skills? Especially interested in advice for reading while traveling.
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I’m sure plenty of people will come in with some great advice (I love this forum), but there are two great threads to get you started in both learning to use a deck and selling readings to fund your travels.
would start with these two.
I keep my personal deck and business deck separate. There’s something about having that boundary that just feels right, you know? $15-20 starting out is fine. You’ll raise it once you get more comfortable. Instagram is good for finding clients, people can see your style before they book.
Since you’re traveling, having a work deck makes sense. Reading for strangers in random places can be draining if you’re using your personal deck.
I did something very similar! Backpacked around several countries in Europe and then into Asia and funded the whole thing with Tarot readings.
I’d been reading tarot for ages before going professional. Thought I knew what I was doing. Turns out I’d only really memorized the major arcana. The minor arcana? I was winging it most of the time. Was sort of “fine” when it was just me and my friends but when I started to charge… I had to plug this hole.
Had to sit down and actually study all 78 cards, every single one. Now I can tell you exactly why the Three of Cups shows up differently than the Seven without checking my notes. That’s when I knew I could start taking people’s money for readings.
Here’s something I did before starting my practice, made a 5-card spread about being a professional reader. Each position covered something I needed to figure out:
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Card 1 was about dealing with clients (like what do you do when someone starts crying?)
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Card 2 was boundaries (people will ask about medical stuff or legal issues)
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Card 3 was the business side (all the paperwork and admin nobody talks about)
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Card 4 was legal stuff (what disclaimers you need, what you can’t say)
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Card 5 was marketing (how to promote yourself without breaking rules)
I pulled cards for each spot and wrote about what came up. It basically turned into a checklist of things I wasn’t ready for yet. Also worth checking out organizations like TABI or local metaphysical business groups. They sometimes have mentorship programs where experienced readers share what they learned the hard way.
Started doing tarot readings at local gatherings recently and realized the whole TikTok tarot reader thing is kind of overrated. I was stressing about hashtags and filming myself shuffling cards with good lighting.
Then I went to a few parties in costume and people just. hired me. No algorithm needed. Got a decent group of regular clients now. They send their friends when I get something right.
Turns out being decent at reading cards matters more than having 10k followers.
Heard a podcast recently where these two tarot readers mentioned they both did 100 practice readings for free before charging anything. 100 readings seems like a huge commitment. But they said all those free sessions helped them build confidence and find their own approach.
I can see how getting feedback from that many people would be helpful before making it a business.
My hands shook the first time someone paid me to read their cards. Used to just do it for friends, so the money thing threw me off, kept second-guessing what I was seeing in the spreads.
Started doing this thing where I’d take three deep breaths with the deck in my hands before starting. Helped me chill out. You need to be pretty calm for the cards to come through clearly, at least that’s what I’ve found. Got easier after the first ten or twelve paid readings.
Still do the breathing thing though.
No judgment, but I think the biggest mistake is when readers think they know everything and stop learning.
You gotta keep being curious about the cards. Try swapping readings with other tarot readers, you’ll pick up different techniques. Read a bunch of tarot books too. The old ones by Waite, Crowley, and Papus are the foundation, and newer authors like Pollack, Tea, and Greer have some interesting perspectives.
Practice as much as you can. Do free readings when possible, you learn by doing. When you mess up a reading or something doesn’t make sense, that’s part of learning. You figure out what went wrong and try again next time. Every reader has readings that don’t go as planned.
Just keep practicing and the cards will keep teaching you new things.
When I started reading professionally, I was pretty surprised by the number of legal requirements involved. Some areas need you to include specific disclaimers in your advertising. It’s important to know what you can and can’t say to clients from a legal standpoint.
The business aspect was unexpected too, especially dealing with client data while traveling. For instance, where do you keep notes when you’re living in a van? I joined TABI for guidance since Christine Jette’s book was hard to find. It really helped me feel more prepared. Your plan to live in a van sounds awesome.
Just check the laws in each place you plan to read, as they can be very different.
I used to get so drained after reading sessions when I first started doing them regularly. Eventually figured out it was because I kept saying yes whenever someone wanted a quick card pull. Started setting a minimum donation or just saying no when I wasn’t up for it. Made a big difference for my energy levels.
You could try teaching tarot too. When I started doing readings, I taught a weekly class at a metaphysical shop to cover rent. Workshops are good money and way less draining than back-to-back readings all day.
Oh sure, because nothing says ‘professional tarot reader’ like frantically googling state laws while parked at a rest stop! But yeah, research each state’s fortune-telling regulations before you go. Some places need licenses or have weird restrictions. Found this out when a cop in Oklahoma asked for my ‘mystical permit.’ Didn’t have one.
That’s a neat idea, combining van life with tarot. Sunrise readings could be interesting. I’ve found morning clients are usually pretty chill since they’re not stressed from work yet. And depending on where you park, you might get some nice scenery too.