When I first started reading Tarot, my minded flooded with questions of self-doubt: Would I be able to remember all the card meanings correctly? Did I know enough? Would people think I was a fake?
This fear-based self-talk stripped me of my confidence. It took me further and further away from connecting with my intuition and trusting myself.
Here's the thing, fear blocks your connection with your intuition, which then makes your fears of a “bad” reading come true. Quite the tricky paradox, isn’t it?
That’s why today, I’m sharing the top 3 fears I see in most Tarot readers – and how you can overcome them to feel confident whenever you pick up the cards.
#1 Fear: Going Blank in a Reading
You know the feeling… you've laid out the cards and all you can think of is “What the [bleep] does this mean?!”
One student told me how petrified she was when she was doing a reading for a client who was sitting across the table from her. She had laid out the cards but nothing, absolutely nothing, was coming to her. She turned white and completely froze.
Now this was someone with a couple of years experience under her belt. But here she was, looking like a total novice in front of her client and having no idea how to get out of it, except to run out the door!
Most readers, even the really experienced ones, can recall a time (or seven) when they went blank in a reading. Here are just a few:
“Sometimes I look at a spread and my mind goes completely blank. I cannot remember anything from books and I cannot make a story out of the cards.”
“I'm afraid of my mind going blank and stuttering sounding nervous.”
“There are times when I just can't figure out what the cards say.”
“I'm afraid that I'll draw a blank and freeze.”
Do you know what the real problem is? You've got nothing to fall back!
So, here's what to do the next time you find yourself going blank in a reading:
- Pause and take a deep breath. Center yourself.
- Look at the first card and describe what you see.
- Tell the story within that card – why is it happening, what happens next, what's the moral of the story, and so on.
- Relate the story to the person you're reading for, or ask them if they can relate to the story you've just told about the card.
- If you're still stuck, move on to the next card and follow the same process. You can always come back later.
The key here is to remain calm and work with what you've got, rather than trying to force yourself into having instant answers. As you begin to relax and talk about the card, you're intuition will eventually kick in and take you down the right path. But you have to give it space and you have to ground yourself in the moment to connect with the message of the cards.
#2 Fear: Getting It ‘Wrong'
At school we're often taught that something is either right or wrong. You either get a red x or a green check, and there's not a lot in between.
So, when it comes to Tarot, aspiring readers often get very hung up on whether they have the right or wrong card meaning.
Here's what one reader said:
“My biggest challenge is thinking I have to memorize all the Tarot card meanings. I have this fear of not getting it ‘right'.”
The trouble is, your rational mind goes into over-drive and your intuitive mind has to take a back seat. You start to reel off all the book meanings, but you lose sight of what Tarot reading is really about – connecting authentically with your intuition.
“My biggest challenge is that I NEED to be so correct. I have a fear of not giving my client the best. This makes me spout out just any meaning and I find that I am not connecting with the client or the cards.”
And even when your intuition does kick in, you're doubtful of whether it's the right message or not.
“Intuitively, I tend to see a meaning that seems to apply to the situation, but it isn't the traditional meaning behind the card. I feel like my interpretation may be out there in limbo somewhere since it is not confirmed by the card(s).”
Do you know what's really going on here? You're not trusting (or valuing) your intuition.
“I don't trust that my intuition of the card is right and find myself checking book definitions and testing them more and validating or invalidating what I thought.”
So here's what you want to do:
- Give yourself permission to read intuitively – you might be surprised.
- Put the books down. I mean it. Go and hide them for a week and read your cards based purely on what you know and what you feel.
- Interpret the cards with the images only. Put traditional meanings to the side and just see what catches your eye and what pops into your mind.
#3 Not Meeting Clients' Expectations
Whether you're reading professionally or reading for friends and family, you want to do a great job and WOW your clients. That's totally natural!
But stressing out about whether you're good enough, psychic enough, accurate enough, mysterious enough and so on, is what leaves you with no confidence at all.
This topic comes up a LOT with aspiring Tarot readers – “What if I don't meet the expectations of the people I'm reading for?”
Specifically, here's what a few aspiring readers had to say:
“My biggest worry is that I'm not able to see the future like a psychic. Even though I'm good at what I do, people still want/expect this when they see a Tarot reader and I feel less adequate then those readers that do offer this as part of their package.”
“I struggle with clients who won't offer up much information (i.e. expecting you to be ‘psychic' and know exactly what messages to tell them).”
“I'm concerned by the expectations of the client who wants you to “solve” a problem but only wants to hear what they want to hear.”
Do you know what this boils down to?
Getting clear on what you have to offer and setting boundaries.
If psychic abilities are not in your repertoire, then let your clients know that you don't tell the future. If general readings freak you out, then only offer question-based readings. And if you hate predicting timing, then don't do it.
You can eliminate the fear of not meeting expectations by making it very clear about what your clients CAN expect and where you can add the most value. Then stick to it.
So here's what you want to do:
- Create a code of ethics
- Clearly outline your reading style in your promotional material
- Make a commitment to yourself to stand by your ethics and boundaries
Overcome Your Fears and Step Into Your Fullest Potential as a Tarot Reader
When you confront your fears head on and deal with them on a conscious level, you are no longer controlled by them. Instead, embrace your potential and know that you CAN be an amazing Tarot reader if you just believe that you can.
Over to You
Another great way to kick your Tarot reading fears to the curb is through meditation. When your mind is clear, you create space to hear your higher voice.
And if you’re looking for the perfect meditation to get your mindset ready for your next reading, check out my FREE 15-Minute Confidence Boosting Meditation! This meditation will help you to…
- Create an instant connection with your intuition – anytime you need it
- Trust your inner voice – without the self-doubt or fear
- Give crystal clear Tarot readings – every time you consult the cards
If you’re ready to tune out the noise and let those intuitive messages flood in, go ahead and listen to it here!
Harness the wisdom of the Major Arcana with 22 guided meditations. Here’s what you’ll get:
Create a deeply intuitive and personal connection to the Tarot cards with your very own Tarot Card Meanings Workbook. Here’s what you’ll find inside the workbook:
Here’s what you’ll find inside for every card in the deck:
Start doing deep, accurate readings TODAY with this step-by-step accelerated program for beginners.