how to explain tarot to my new clients

[ali3n]

hey guys, hope you are all doing fine.

i have a question. how can i explain how tarot works to my clients? 🤔 i don't do the "whats is my future" type readings, i do more like the guidance readings. but i don't know how to say it to them, because they seem to misinterpret and they dont get me... and they think the guidance type of readings dont work at all.

so i plan on puting an introduction on my readings page so that people stop asking me about their future lol

what can i write in that intro? thanks 🙈

Spoiler

 

 

[geoxena]

Do you mean you have gone pro and these are paying clients?  If so, if you don't know how to express what you're doing, I'd say you're probably not yet ready to charge money for readings.  You probably would benefit from doing as many readings as you can without charging, and also meditating and writing about what tarot means to you and what your process is.  When you're confident and clear about that, then your explanation will be clear too.  It won't be authentic and from your center if you just repeat the words that someone else tells you they use.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by geoxena

[katrinka]

28 minutes ago, geoxena said:

Do you mean you have gone pro and these are paying clients?  If so, if you don't know how to express what you're doing, I'd say you're probably not yet ready to charge money for readings.

This.
Clients just want to know if they'll still have a job next week, or if their boyfriend is coming back. When you put yourself out there and you don't even know how to describe what you do, it makes ALL of us look bad. They're very quick to decide that "all readers are faking it and they just want to scam us out of our money."

 

1 hour ago, ali3n said:

i have a question. how can i explain how tarot works to my clients? 🤔 i don't do the "whats is my future" type readings, i do more like the guidance readings. but i don't know how to say it to them, because they seem to misinterpret and they dont get me... and they think the guidance type of readings dont work at all.

And it's their money to spend as they see fit. If they want a predictive reading and you don't do those, it's your responsibility to refer them elsewhere.

 

 

[ali3n]

50 minutes ago, geoxena said:

Do you mean you have gone pro and these are paying clients?  If so, if you don't know how to express what you're doing, I'd say you're probably not yet ready to charge money for readings.  You probably would benefit from doing as many readings as you can without charging, and also meditating and writing about what tarot means to you and what your process is.  When you're confident and clear about that, then your explanation will be clear too.  It won't be authentic and from your center if you just repeat the words that someone else tells you they use.

 

 

no like, (sorry if i'm not making sense, english isn't my first language) hmmm i dont know how to call them so i just thought clients would be it? they are people i read for (they are mostly friends and friends' friends) they know i do tarot readings so i read for them, but when a new friend/aquaintance also wants a reading they're usually like "oh, so you're not a psychic, you wont read my future" soo.. yea...

also, as we are all friends they just tip me with wathever they want 🤷‍♀️

[TheFeeLion]

@ali3n I'm not much of a predictive reader either so I say to the people I read for that if there is anything that comes up about the future it is not sent in stone. The way I see it is - particularly with spreads that have an outcome position or something similarly future related - this is the way the situation could go IF things keep going in the same direction they are now. If something changes along the way then the outcome could be completely different. I try and make sure they understand before continuing the reading. Then if something future related comes up that they don't like I take the opportunity to remind them that it's not set in stone and if they want to change the outcome (if it's something within their control, which it usually it in my limited experience) then they need to do something about it. 

1 hour ago, geoxena said:

also meditating and writing about what tarot means to you and what your process is.  When you're confident and clear about that, then your explanation will be clear too.

This ^ could also be very useful to you 😊

 

The other thing is, not all tarot readers are psychic. We all believe different things about "how tarot works" (I'm sure there is a whole thread dedicated to this somewhere on the forum) so it comes down to finding out what it is that YOU believe and going from there 😊

[xTheHermitx]

I never read to "predict futures", and my readings are all casual...I don't charge money or do it as a profession. 

 

That being said, I also explain to people before a reading what tarot means to me, and that the reading will be kind of advice based thing, and that I am not "going to help them find their next girlfriend". I always tell them that my reading is going to be a bit more....in depth, I guess. It is going to be more analytical, and hopefully more empowering.

 

I do this to help avoid the situation that  Katrinka was talking about...I don't want to sully the rep of ANY readers of Tarot...professional or amateur. I am always brutally honest with people in telling them that I don't perceive Tarot as a game, a joke, or a whim. I think this is what would keep me from ever getting paid to read. I think my honesty about my viewpoint would get me "in trouble".

 

So, for you, be honest and up front either way. ESPECIALY before you take payment.  And don't compromise your belief in how you perceive Tarot either, or your readings will be false

 

hope this makes sense

[Ashealladh]

I explain to my clients how tarot works by saying that the tarot deck assists me in getting the answers to their questions, it’s a tool for my psychic abilities and an instrument to channel my intuition through.
 

That’s just me, it’s different for other readers and it may be different for you. 

[Raggydoll]

I’ve never had anyone ask me how I do it, but the ones that haven’t had a tarot reading before might ask ‘so how is this done?’ referring to the practical side of things and whether they are expected to ‘do’ something. Some have been unsure if they are allowed to look at the cards; if they need a specific question or if they will have to pick the cards themselves  etc. If I do the reading online then I usually describe my reading style and be sure to mention that there is a psychic aspect to everything I do, which mean that all sorts of things can come up. But I cannot recall a single time where I have explained to anyone ‘how tarot works’. But I never try to explain the history of tarot or the structure of a tarot deck either. I stick to the question and mention everything that feels relevant to the sitter. I’ve found that to be what most people want.

[ali3n]

thank you all for your replies 🙂🤩

[_R_]

If I understand your post correctly, what you are doing is more like counselling than fortune-telling, is that right? If so, you are not the only one, there are many readers who also use Tarot in this way, and who do not do fortune-telling-style readings. In other words, you’re not the first person to encounter this issue.

Take a browse through some of the related books or websites and see how those readers explain their approach and method, see what resonates with you, and try writing a paragraph (just 1!) to explain yours, so you can tell that to your clients in future.

[katrinka]

  Just revisiting this thread, and this struck me as odd:

On 5/2/2020 at 6:52 PM, ali3n said:

how can i explain how tarot works to my clients? 🤔 i don't do the "whats is my future" type readings, i do more like the guidance readings

 

Explaining what kind of readings you do is quite different from explaining "how Tarot works."
Just sayin'.

[Grizabella]

I'm coming to this quite late, but I'll just say what I always say----anything except this present moment is either past or future, so you really do read on the future if you're giving advice. In effect, you're saying "if you do (or don't do) this then X will happen." and that's telling the future.  I mean no offense here, but that "things change and the future isn't set in stone" thing is just a way of trying to cover one's butt if they've been wrong with the reading. I've never used it and never will. 🙂

 

I'm a fortune teller and I do tell the future. In fact, I was just coming here to post a comment in answer to a question I've seen asked very often "How long into the future do things come to pass that are predicted?"  This question isn't the same as that one, but I thought I'd stop by here anyway just to comment on your thread as well.

 

Please don't get me wrong. I'm saying these things without malice. I've just been reading a long time and I've learned a lot of respect for the cards and what they have to say. I know it's not easy to stick your neck out and risk feeling like a fool if your sitter tells you your prediction could never happen and to risk actually being wrong in the way you've read the cards when you're new, but hopefully in time you'll learn to trust them more as your own skills improve.  Good luck to you! 🙂

 

Oh and coming back to answer your actual question "How do I explain to my new clients how Tarot works?"  You don't. But I think what you're really asking is how to read cards for others without telling the future and how to get them to accept that.  Fortune telling with cards is a very long and historic tradition and most people expect their fortune to be told. They might agree to go ahead and buy a reading from you when you say you don't tell the future but the next time they want a reading they may choose another reader who does tell the future.. 

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Grizabella

[katrinka]

I'm in complete accord with Griz on this.
Tarot for meditation, Qabalah, etc. is one thing. But for reading, it's always been mainly about telling the future.
Think about it: If you need a counselor, you make an effort to go to one. The same with a psychologist or analyst. If you're having those kind of issues, wouldn't you want to see someone who has the proper qualifications and certifications, and not some person with a web page full of pretty crystals and RWS images?
A lot of people who call themselves readers are terrified of being wrong. So they create outs: "You must have changed things with your Free Will." "Tarot doesn't predict the future." Etc.
It's OK to be wrong sometimes. Not ALL the time - you want a respectable hit rate - but FFS, you're doing something that many consider impossible. You don't have to be infallible. You're not omniscient. About 85% is great. You can do that with cards.
Never, EVER be afraid to stick your neck out and predict.

[devin]

It's not my thing, but I wonder if calling yourself tarot for self-transformation or personal exploration might not get the point across? Less in the realm of psychology and counselling, more in line with self-help books, etc.

 

As an aside, if someone asks if I'm psychic, I always reply, "no, but the cards are."

 

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by devin

[Guest]

Just popping in to say that if you do describe your reading style, do not use words that people may misinterpret as being a medical professional (including counselor, psychologist, etc). This can be considered impersonating a medical professional and you can face legal ramifications for that in many places.

I have seen what you are describing as your style of reading being presented as a "life coach," someone without credentials who will use their tarot to provide guidance on how to better benefit themselves as opposed to focusing on third party readings or yes/no questions.

I definitely agree with Grizabella though, no matter what kind of reading you do, you are effectively "predicting the future" no matter what way you dice it. You could always explore options with readings as well as opposed to simply reading on one path if that makes you more comfortable and let the Seeker choose how they want to proceed. But even that is still fortune telling at its core.