5 Things You Must Know About Reading Tarot at Parties and Events

You've just landed your very first gig reading Tarot at a hens' party. Yippee!

But then you go into a mad panic. “Oh gosh. What am I going to charge? How am I going to read Tarot in a noisy bar? What if I one of the girls has had too much to drink and gets abusive?”

Never fear! With a bit of careful planning and forethought, you can create a magical experience for your party guests and have fun while doing it.

Here are the five things you must know to have an awesome time reading Tarot at parties and events.

1. Create a Sacred Space

Tarot parties can be anywhere. A crowded, noisy bar. A beautiful, but potentially windy, garden. A comfortable home. A large events hall. The list goes on.

Image courtesy of Alejandro Lezcano

What is essential is that you find out exactly where you will be set up for the event so that you can then plan for how you will convert it into a sacred space.

Ask for a table and two chairs in a reasonable private, secluded and quiet place. If you know it's going to be in a public area, you might bring along a screen to create a sense of privacy.

If you're going to be outdoors, remember that Tarot cards and wind are not exactly best friends. Take along a couple of clear paper weights that you can place on the cards as you do your reading.

And bring along your favourite items for the table – crystals, candles (if permitted at the venue), a beautiful table cloth, a Buddha statue, a beautiful photo, a bunch of flowers and so on. Make it as beautiful and sacred as you have it at home.

2. Manage Your Time Carefully

It's best to keep your Tarot readings to 15-30 minutes when reading for large groups of people. Less then 15 minutes is difficult because you're more likely to go over time with a chatty or curious client. And more then 30 minutes becomes a little too in-depth for high volume readings.

Keep a timer nearby so you can keep track of time. Let your client know at the start of the reading how long it will go for. With 5 minutes to go, let your client know that you have just 5 more minutes and are there any last minute clarification questions (avoid asking a totally new question). And be confident in ending the session on the dot, otherwise you're not respecting you next client's time.

3. Be Prepared for Drunk, Rude and Sceptical Clients

Yuh. Sadly it's going to happen. The guest who's drunk too much, who tells you that you’re the son or daughter of Satan because you're reading Tarot, and who refuses to ask a question at all (“You're the psychic. You tell me.”). It's very likely you're going to run into at least one of these people at your next Tarot party.

Image courtesy of Alison

The trouble is that we can't really choose our clients. But we can be assertive in setting our boundaries.

If you get a ‘difficult' client, see if you can shift the energy first to something more light-hearted and fun. Play around a bit with the cards and don't get too deep in the reading.

But if your client is just downright rude and abusive, call it out and put an end to the session. You might say, “Clearly this is of no value to you, and it is of no value to me. Let's agree to end this session now.” Know that you do not have to put up with rudeness and there'll be plenty more guests who will just LOVE what you're doing.

As for those who've drunk too much… respectfully decline the reading. No-one is going to benefit from the reading when it's a total blur.

4. Finalize Payment Before the Event

Sadly, I have heard of occasions where a Tarot reader has read at an event and has been promised that “the check is in the mail.” They never got paid.

For all parties and events, request a deposit in order to secure the date (until the deposit is paid, the date remains unconfirmed). Then, 7 days prior to the event, request that the full payment is made. Then you're not having to worry about payment on the day and you can feel confident that you'll be compensated for your time.

Similarly, be clear on your cancellation policies. If you have a family, for example, and you need to organize babysitting in order to do an event, you might say that cancellations that are less than 7 days prior to the event incur a fee (to cover the costs of cancelling your babysitter). Make sure this is all very clear upfront.

5. Use Simple Spreads + Oracle Cards

I really recommend short and simple Tarot spreads for high volume Tarot parties and events. I'm talking 2 to 3 cards.

Invite your client to ask one question at a time. Have them shuffle the cards and then spread them out into a fan. Ask the client to select 2-3 cards and then go ahead and interpret them. If there are further questions on the same topic, you can always draw another card or two from the fan.

If there's time, invite the client to ask another question and go through the process again. Keep each reading short and sharp to avoid going over time.

I also like to end the reading with an Oracle card – a positive and uplifting message for the client. You might even create small pieces of paper with inspiring quotes that the client can take away with them.

Over to You

What tips and recommendations do you have for reading at Tarot parties and events? I'd love for you to share your insights on Instagram, and remember to tag #biddytarot so I can see!

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