If you keep seeing the Chariot, the High Priestess, and the Queen of Wands in your readings, this one is for you. This article is dedicated to tarot enthusiasts who see others making money doing what they love and wonder if they have what it takes to do the same.
Sometimes the biggest hurdle is simply not knowing where to start, so let’s talk about some logistical ways to get your foot in the door before diving into 8 signs you might be ready to start your tarot career.
There are many avenues to take if you’d like to start reading professionally. Some readers exclusively offer readings online, taking to TikTok Live to gain an audience. Others operate primarily by word of mouth, becoming that friend of a friend who occasionally pops up at house parties to blow everyone’s mind.
Some readers seek out local metaphysical shops and establish a resident position as a storefront reader. These days, it’s good to be well-rounded and do a little bit of everything to get your name out there.
It’s important to be online and easily reachable if you want consistent work. Create an Instagram page, come up with a catchy name, and set up a business email.
You don’t have to have all the details figured out at first, but once you start reading for the public, you’ll want people to be able to easily stay in touch.
The secret to success is this: be willing to put yourself out there.
Messaging people on Instagram about events you see, talking to employees and owners of local businesses, and connecting with fellow artists can be the gateway to building a solid network. Consistent engagement with your community will go a long way.
Once you’ve established your business Instagram account, be on the lookout for local establishments that host vendor markets. Follow creators doing similar work. Connect with vendors who spend their weekends at markets. See where they’re vending, follow those businesses, stay on the lookout for events, and apply.
You don’t need a huge following. You just need enough people to take a chance on you. Engage with people you admire and would like to work with. Compliment their work, celebrate their wins, and watch as the energy reciprocates.
A professional tarot career is often a snowball effect, with one opportunity leading to the next. You can adjust your approach as you grow.
Read through these 8 signs that could indicate you’re ready to start your tarot career and see what resonates.
This first one might seem obvious, but it must be addressed. Desire is really the only thing you need to be absolutely sure of. Our desires direct us to places where we are meant to be. It’s our soul’s way of telling us who we are and what we’re here to do.
Your connection to the cards tells you everything you need to know. It lights you up, energizes you, and makes you eager to learn more.
You know how powerful a tool tarot can be, and you want to share that with others. If you see readers out in the wild doing their thing and think, “I could do that. That could be me,” listen to that inner voice. You’re onto something.
Friends and family come to you for advice. You carry a pocket deck with you just in case someone has a question that only the cards can answer. You read for strangers at bars, airports, or parties.
You’re reading cards for free, frequently, simply because you love it. It excites you to share wisdom with others. In your circle, you’re the person people come to when they need spiritual advice.
You’re already doing it, so why not get paid to do it?
Your practice is rooted in personal experience. You’ve been cultivating a unique language with the cards and can connect them to your own story enough to share insights with others that are relatable and true.
You’re in awe of the resonance and accuracy you witness in readings with yourself. For example, perhaps to you, the King of Wands represents a stubborn ex who needed control to feel important. You got to know that card through consistent readings with yourself, and now when it comes up in a reading with someone else, you immediately know what energy it gives off.
Traditional tarot card meanings are always important, but personal meanings are just as crucial when it comes to reading intuitively.
Your love for tarot doesn’t stop at readings. You value the rich symbolism and archetypal energies the cards carry and feel inspired to use the imagery in other artistic projects.
Maybe you want to make tarot-inspired stickers. Or you see yourself creating longer-form collective readings for a wider audience on YouTube. Perhaps you’re into ceramics and feel called to make mugs with tarot imagery.
If the ideas are flowing like gushing water through a collapsed dam, pay attention. Tarot might be the launching point, but it has the potential to be the basis of an entire creative career. Follow that momentum.
If you feel a genuine desire to be of service to others, this could be a great career path. The type of guidance professional readers offer can often feel therapeutic.
Being a professional tarot reader allows you to have intimate, impactful conversations with people that help them reflect, heal, and love themselves more. You may only encounter someone one time but leave them with words they’ll carry for the rest of their life.
The most talented professional readers know what it’s like to confront their own shadows. Their words carry power because they are speaking from experience. They recognize that you can’t always tell people what they want to hear.
Often, people need to confront their participation in their own suffering. Good readers point you in the direction of the work that needs to be done within because they’ve been there themselves.
You have grounded self-care practices and prioritize spiritual hygiene. You’ve experienced hardship in your life and can relate to the suffering of others with empathy and ease. You’re willing to look within and take accountability.
If this sounds like you, you’re among the most qualified readers.
Throughout life, you’ve been able to connect meaningfully with people because of your excellent communication skills. You have a natural talent for listening and are genuinely invested in hearing other people’s perspectives.
You are eloquent, have a colorful vocabulary, and treat communication like an art form. Doing readings professionally will help you strengthen this muscle in ways you didn’t even know were possible.
Your skills will only get stronger over time.
You’ve always been spiritually curious, but you haven’t always known where to direct that energy. Finding tarot has opened the door for you to form a deeper connection to your spirituality than ever before.
You’ve been able to tap into your intuition fully and give it a creative outlet. The wisdom you draw from the cards may feel like receiving a download.
You’ve studied, put in the work, and fallen in love with it completely. You’re eager to read for as many people as you can. People tear up when you read for them. You feel this swirling energy moving through you that transcends your physical body when you’re in the flow of a good reading.
Divination helps you feel more connected to yourself, your loved ones, and the universe. You can’t imagine not sharing that magic with as many people as you can.
You’re good at it, and you know it. You trust your instincts and the information you receive, and it pays off when you share them.