BTP116: Are You Ready to Go Pro?

Maybe you’ve been giving away free Tarot readings for a while, and you’re thinking about going pro. Before you make your decision and jump right in, I want share with you 6 things you need to master before reading Tarot professionally. Pulling from the Biddy Tarot Podcast archives, this episode will be super helpful for you if you’re on the cusp of going pro (or even if you’re just curious)! 

Additional Resources 

Thinking about going pro? Join us in Read Tarot with Confidence! 

WELCOME 

You’re listening to the Biddy Tarot Podcast, and this is Episode 116; From the Archive: Are You Ready to Go Pro? 

Welcome to the Biddy Tarot Podcast, where you'll learn how to connect more deeply with your intuition and live an empowered and enlightened life with the Tarot cards as your guide. 

Listen as Brigit and her guests share their very best tips and strategies to help you read Tarot with confidence. Now, here is your host, Brigit Esselmont. 

INTRODUCTION 

Hello, and welcome back to the Biddy Tarot Podcast. As always, I’m super excited to be talking with you about Tarot. Now, for today’s episode, we are digging into the Biddy Tarot Podcast archives and bringing you one of my favourite episodes. This one is more for those folks who are just on the cusp of becoming a professional Tarot reader. 

Maybe you found yourself in that boat. I’ve come across so many people who start reading in our Free Tarot Readings platform inside of the Biddy Tarot Community. 

They say at the start, “Oh, I’m not really sure I’m going to ever read for payment.” 

And then they go ahead and do all of these wonderful free Tarot readings, and they start to get some really good feedback, and then they say, “Oh, maybe I can do this. Maybe I am ready to go pro.” 

This archive podcast episode is great for those folks who might be just thinking about whether it’s time to become a professional Tarot reader. Don’t worry! You don’t have to quit your day job straight away. This is more about whether you're ready to start charging for your Tarot readings. 

Now, in this episode, I’ll be talking you through what to look for in terms of knowing when you’re ready to become a professional Tarot reader—a little bit of a checklist, I suppose, of things that you might need to have covered or sorted before you are ready to read professionally. 

All right, so let’s get straight into today’s episode! 

FROM THE ARCHIVE: ARE YOU READY TO GO PRO? 

Hello, and welcome back to the Biddy Tarot Podcast. It is so lovely to have you here! 

You know what the Tarot cards mean without having to flip your way through a Tarot book, and you have a few handy Tarot spreads up your sleeves. You’re ready to become a professional Tarot reader and start charging for your Tarot readings, right? Eh… well, hold that thought for just a second. 

Do you know what to do when your client asks you when they’ll get pregnant or why their husband is always talking to their next-door neighbour? And do you know how to avoid those awkward moments when you draw a blank or you don’t know how to fit the cards all together? Or maybe your client complains because they haven’t got what they expected from the Tarot reading? 

You see, many aspiring Tarot readers make the mistake of going pro too early, and find themselves struggling to deal with the challenges associated with reading Tarot professionally. Their readings feel disjointed and unclear because they haven’t found their flow. And ultimately, they feel out of integrity because they’re not offering their absolute best to their clients. 

I was in the same boat when I first started reading Tarot professionally in the early 2000’s. Sure I knew what the cards meant, and I could pull together a decent reading, but when I had disappointed or difficult clients, I didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t have the strategies and techniques in place to deal with them effectively, or avoid them altogether. 

Over time I worked out what I needed to do, but if only I had these kinds of strategies from day one. What a better experience it would have been. If you’re thinking about going pro, I want to do you a big favour in this podcast and share with you the 6 things that you need to master before you start reading Tarot professionally. And that way you’re going to be in a much better position when you do start charging for your Tarot readings. And you’re attracting wonderful clients and doing your very best work with those clients. 

6 THINGS YOU NEED TO MASTER BEFORE YOU START READING TAROT PROFESSIONALLY 

1. KNOW YOUR STUFF. 

Number one is knowing the Tarot card meanings. I know—pretty straightforward, right? But this is not just about memorizing your Tarot card keywords, or even memorizing what’s in a book. This is about being able to really feel into each of the Tarot cards and being able to understand and interpret all 78 Tarot card meanings without having to refer to a book. 

It’s really important, obviously, if you’ve got a client in front of you, you can’t really just whip out your book and use that in a reading. You need to feel very confident that you can do a reading without needing the book nearby. And look, this is, again, going beyond just those general interpretations of each card. This is about knowing, “How do you take a card meaning and apply it to a specific question, a position in the spread, and how do you link it to the different cards in that reading?” It’s really about not reading from the book, but reading from the heart. 

And if that is something that you are interested in learning more about, then I absolutely recommend my online training program, which is: Master the Tarot Card Meanings. Because in that program, that’s where I show you how to create that personal and intuitive connection with the cards so that you’ve no longer having to rely on the book or memorize the cards. You’re getting that intuitive connection each and every time you’re looking at them in a Tarot reading. So, you’ll find that program over at Master the Tarot Card Meanings. 

Now, in addition to knowing all the Tarot card meanings, what’s also important is that you rarely draw a blank when performing a Tarot reading. Drawing a blank is, when you see all the cards laid out in front of you but you cannot, for the life of you, piece together what they all mean. And trust me, it can, and does, happen to the best of us. And, ideally, you want to be in that position where it’s not happening every reading. It may happen every now and then, where you’re a little bit stumped, but you do need to have some good techniques in place to help you move through when you do draw a bit of a blank. 

And, you know, again, that goes beyond simply knowing what the cards mean, but knowing how to get yourself out of that little pickle when you’ve got someone sitting across from you who’s eagerly awaiting an answer. So that’s number one: make sure that you know the Tarot card meanings inside and out and that you have that personal and intuitive connection with the cards so that you are reading from the heart and not from the book. 

2. CHOOSE YOUR SPREADS 

OK, number two is  around Tarot spreads. In order to be ready to go pro, you need to have at least three different spreads that you can comfortable work with. For example, you might work with a Celtic Cross, a horseshoe spread, a past-present-future spread… Even just, more like what I call the “No spread” spread, where you pose the topic or the question to the Tarot and you start drawing a few cards, and then you build the story from those few cards. 

It’s really important just to have a couple of spreads in your back pocket so that, no matter what question you get, you’ve got a spread that will help you answer that question specifically and succinctly. I’m going to throw in there, also, that knowing how to custom design spreads is incredibly important when you’re going pro. Because you’re going to get all sorts of questions, and… well, some people might debate this, but there isn’t a spread for every single question. 

In some cases, it makes sense to be able to create different spreads for specific questions. And also, if you’re doing a Tarot reading with someone, if it’s a 10-minute reading, make sure that you’ve got a couple different options for how you could do that quick 10-minute reading. Versus if you’ve got an hour with somebody, you might then use something like a Celtic Cross or a bigger Tarot spread. It’s good to have a few of those ready and available that you’re comfortable with reading. 

Oh, and, if you are, say, using the Celtic Cross, make sure that you know all of the different positions in the Celtic Cross, and you’re comfortable with creating the connections in that kind of spread. And if you do get a bit stuck, there is a previous podcast episode on the Celtic Cross, so make sure to refer to that as well. 

3. COME FULL CIRCLE 

OK, number three is know how to do a Tarot reading from start to finish.  

Now, if you’re thinking, “Oh my goodness, Brigit. I totally know how to do a Tarot reading from start to finish, duh,” then listen up. I am not simply talking about shuffling the cards, laying them out, and reading those cards. I’m talking about engaging with your client from the moment they know you exist all the way through to ensuring that they’re well supported long after the reading is over. 

You see, many Tarot readers just focus their energy on the reading itself. But what they don’t realize is that the Tarot reading starts long before the client is even in the room. You want to make sure that you’re attracting the right people and you want to make sure that you’re creating the right space. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And you want to set clear expectations of what your client will experience with you during a reading. 

And, of course, as you do the reading you want to make sure that you’ve got to the heart of the question, you’ve selected the right spread, and you’ve uncovered the story in the cards. Finally, once that reading is over you want to help your client feel supported. And you want them to know that you are here if they have questions about that reading, and also that you care about what happens after they leave the room, or after that reading is finished. And, of course, you want to know that you’ve served your client to the best of your ability. 

The way in which you do a Tarot reading from start to finish is something that I covered in the Biddy Tarot podcast episode 8, which is at biddytarot.com/8. And you can also head on over there to grab the free PDF download which shows the seven steps to an accurate reading. Even if you are a bit more of an experienced reader, check through those seven steps and make sure that you’re doing each and every one of them. You may find that there are a few things there that might have just slipped out of your practice or that you want to enhance a little bit more. 

4. BECOME A STORYTELLER 

OK, number four… Oh, my goodness—this one is so important. You can tell the story in the Tarot cards. 

I tell you what, I’ve seen many Tarot readings where the reader will simply go through, card by card, and then finish the reading. “Card one means this, card two means this, card three means this. Thank you and good-bye.” To me, you can get a reading like that on the internet anywhere. A computer can make up that kind of reading. 

I don’t want to pay a professional Tarot reader to tell me just what each card means and to give me the generic meanings of those cards. I want a Tarot reader to be able to look at a combination of cards and pull together the unique story that applies to my situation and that will help me manifest my goals and my dreams. 

Telling the story in the cards is incredibly important if you want to be a great professional Tarot reader. It’s simply not enough to go card-by-card and leave it at that. Storytelling in the cards is something that I have covered – or I will cover –in the podcast, please make sure that you listen to that one about the storytelling in the cards. But you really need to be looking for, “How do these cards connect with each other? What are the patterns or the themes across the cards?” and, “How does this particular story relate to the client?” 

Because it’s that connection between what you’re seeing in the cards and what’s happening for the client. That’s where the gold is, that’s where the biggest insights come from. Make sure that you can tell the story in the cards confidently before you go pro. 

5. PRACTICE – WITH REAL CLIENTS! 

All right, number five is practice with strangers and get real-time feedback. Before you even think about reading Tarot professionally, please, please, please get some experience reading for strangers, typically, free of charge and in exchange for feedback. I don’t mean reading Tarot for your super-supportive mom, or sister, or your neighbor’s cat. I mean reading Tarot for an absolute stranger who you’ve never met before. I know it can be scary at first when you read Tarot for a stranger, but, trust me, this is a vital part of your development as a Tarot reader. 

Strangers will ask all sorts of weird and wonderful questions, helping you to set your boundaries about what you can and can’t do with the Tarot. And they’ll respond in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways. From glowing praise to direct criticism, and even, you know, sadly to say, some might have some insults to throw at you. But, all of these kinds of responses really help you improve your skills to deal with all types of clients. 

Reading Tarot for free, in exchange for feedback, is actually how I cut my teeth in Tarot. And after hundreds of free readings, I’m so glad I did it. The experience was incredibly valuable and insightful. And I’ve seen it happening with our Biddy Tarot network readers. We’ve had, like, literally hundreds of people now on Biddy Tarot offering free Tarot readings in exchange for feedback. And, at the time, I know it can be a little bit hard for some folks, particularly when you get questions that you think, “Ugh, I don’t want to answer that,” or that get you completely stumped. 

But what I’ve seen with our readers is this amount of growth that happens because they’re getting hit up with questions that maybe, are kind of out of their ethical boundaries. Or even out of their own skills or abilities. But they’re working it out, “OK, if I get this kind of question, how am I going to respond? How do I turn this into a positive situation for me and my client?” And they’re also dealing with people from all walks of life. 

And when you start to read professionally, this is the kind of experience that you’re going to have. You’re going to have people coming from every different angle with all sorts of questions, and if you’ve had that experience of reading Tarot for other people, then you’re going to be very well-equipped when you do start charging for your readings. And you’re already going to have those boundaries in place which – ah, it’s just so, so important, I cannot stress it enough. 

If you are yet to read Tarot for strangers, here are a couple of ideas of how you can get started: You can go to your local café, or your local library, or even just the local park. And you can even just pop up a little sign, obviously you want to make sure you’re getting permission, either from the store owner or the counsel, or wherever you need to get the permission from, I don’t want you getting in trouble. But once you’ve got permission, sit down, pop up a sign, just say, “Free Tarot readings,” and invite people to come and have a reading with you. 

This is such a good way of just getting that initial experience and practice. You know, if it makes you feel comfortable, let them know, “Hey, I’m just learning here, but I would love to get your feedback so that I can become a better Tarot reader.” 

Alternatively, if you prefer being online and doing readings via e-mail, which I think is actually a really good way of learning, because you don’t have the pressure of someone sitting in front of you waiting for their reading. You can, if you need to, look in your book and just get a bit of added inspiration to what you already know and say for most Tarot cards. So it gives you a little bit more leeway if you’re doing an e-mail Tarot reading. 

If you want to do that, and offer free readings online, then I would love to have you as part of the Biddy Tarot Community. Which, at the time of this podcast going out, it is still yet to be launched, but it is not far away. In the Biddy Tarot Community, not only will you get access to different training materials, free live webinars, private forum, all sorts of things to help you become a better Tarot reader. But you’re also going to get access to the free Tarot reading service that we offer on Biddy Tarot and that is where you can get connected with people from all around the world who would love to have you read their Tarot cards, for free and in exchange for feedback, so keep checking on biddytarot.com because the Community is very soon to open. And if you are listening to this, you know, sort of after mid-2016, then it will be open and we would love to have you in that Community. 

6. KNOW THYSELF 

OK, number six is know what kind of Tarot reader you are. So, are you the type of Tarot reader who can predict exactly when and how an event will occur? Or are you the type of Tarot reader that believes in a more open timeline, depending on the actions the client might or might not take? Do you believe that our future is set in stone, or do you believe that we can create our own destiny? And do you do your best work answering quick yes or no questions? Or do you prefer to delve deeper into the cards and explore the complex dynamics of a situation? 

Let me tell you: there are no right or wrong answers here. What’s most important is that you’re clear about what kind of Tarot reader you really are, and how you believe the Tarot works. Why? Well it means that you can set clear expectations about what you as a reader can and can’t do with the Tarot cards. And when you set clear expectations, you’ll attract the clients who value your style of reading and you’ll avoid the clients who don’t., thus avoiding all of the issues around disappointed or difficult clients. 

Here’s what you need to do: ask yourself, “What kind of Tarot reader am I? How do I believe the Tarot works? And what can I and can’t I do with the Tarot?” Now this is something that will probably just continue to evolve in your Tarot practice, but think about it right now. “At this point, here and now, what kind of Tarot reader am I really? What can I do with these Tarot cards? How do I offer the most value to people when doing a Tarot reading?” And that will give you really good information on who you want to, offer your services to, and how you shape up your services as well. 

For example, if you love really in-depth, deeply spiritual readings, then doing Tarot parties, with people who have had a few too many drinks, probably isn’t going to be your thing. Vice versa, if you like those quick, sharp readings, then you might not want to offer a two-hour skype reading, for example. 

Make sure you know what kind of reader you are, play to your skills and your strengths and talents, and you’ll find that you’ll be much more confident when you do go pro. 

WRAP-UP 

So, there you have it, those are my six tips for what you need to master before you go pro. I hope that has been helpful. 

And if you’re ready to take your Tarot readings to the next level and to tap into the divine guidance that’s available to you, then I invite you to check out my signature program: Read Tarot with Confidence. My online Tarot course, Read Tarot with Confidence, is specifically designed for aspiring Tarot readers who want to reach their fullest potential as a Tarot reader and be the reader that everybody raves about. Using simple, yet powerful techniques, I’ll show you how to read Tarot in a way that creates change and transformation in your life and others. 

I’ll walk you through step-by-step how to do a Tarot reading, including: Asking the right questions, choosing the perfect spread, weaving the story into the cards, and connecting deeply with your clients or yourself, through Tarot. 

I’ll teach you not only how to read Tarot for yourself with clarity, but how to read for others in a way that has a lasting impact and inspires deep transformation. And, of course, I’m going to let you in on a few of my insider secrets from my 15 years of experience as a professional Tarot reader. 

So, if you’re thinking about going pro, then I highly recommend this course, Read Tarot with Confidence, to get you into that right place where you’re feeling amazingly confident about your Tarot readings. To check it out, head on over to biddytarot.com/TF2. You’ll find out all the details about the program and you can enroll straight away and get started today! 

I do hope that you join me in that program. It’s such an enriching program, and I’ve seen many people come out of it and go on to become professional Tarot readers with loads and loads of success. 

All right, well, that concludes our podcast for today. I’m so glad you’ve been here with me and if you’re on the cusp of going pro, I’m so excited for you. I’d love to hear about your journey, so head on over to biddytarot.com/23 and share where you’re up to in your journey with the Tarot, I’d love to hear. 

All right, thank you so much and good-bye!

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