Why I Volunteer As A Free Tarot Reader Even When I Run A Tarot Business

A Tarot Reader’s Learning Journey  

A friend asked me today what I loved most about my work around Tarot.  I told him that I loved mentoring my protégés.  I loved sharing with them my experiences and what I have learnt through my courses, my teachers and mentors.  I also enjoyed our animated discussions when we bounced off card interpretations with each other and practiced our Tarot reading and spread creation skills with each other.

Every time they shuffled their Tarot cards in wide-eyed wonder and asked me to help validate their interpretations, I saw a lot of me when I first started out on my journey with Tarot.  These always turned into an animated debate and the energy and passion I often felt within my group of protégés was truly amazing.

I told my protégés, that the Tarot learning journey will never end.  Every client reading provided me new insights and perspectives that I never got in the previous readings.  I enrolled for courses in Tarot, Numerology and Astrology regularly, to help me read even more effectively.  I checked my Tarot journal occasionally to compare past client readings with readings that I do today and was quietly proud about how far I had grown. 

But that was not enough. With the momentum gained, it had become even more critical that I did not rest on my laurels now. Continuous practice was necessary to better hone my reading skills.  It was necessary that I continued practicing Tarot reading with my protégés, my friends, and my family, I have also volunteered my time as a reader for the Free Tarot Network as well as for Biddy Tarot. 

With the free reading services, my experiences with the querants were invaluable to my growth as a Tarot reader. One day, when my protégés are ready, I would love to see them volunteering their time as free tarot readers too.

The Upside Of Being A Volunteer Reader

In spite of having established my own Tarot consultancy with which I conduct fully paid face to face and email Tarot and Numerology readings, I made that conscious choice to continue my work as a volunteer reader for the Free Tarot Network and Biddy Tarot. 

As a volunteer reader for these free reading services, I had plenty of opportunities to practice my Tarot reading skills continuously as I did an average of about 6 readings a day as a volunteer reader.  The feedback I received from the querants were invaluable to honing my skills and enhancing my confidence as a reader.  Moreover, I felt gratified that I could help the querants who chose to contact me through the free reading services because they might not have had the means to pay for a full reading with me.  When I received emails from my querants telling me how much I had positively impacted their lives with my readings, it motivated me to continue putting in my heart and soul into each reading that I did.

Finally,, because I often received different and interesting insights from a single card when I did a free reading, I would share these insights with my protégés (without mentioning names to maintain the privacy of these querants)..  This helped my protégés with their Tarot reading practice too. 

The Downside Of Being A Volunteer Reader

Being a volunteer Tarot reader for the free reading services did come with a few downsides.

I often had what I described as, the “2 of Pentacles” moments when I found it difficult to juggle all my commitments from my professional Tarot reading appointments, course work, mentoring sessions, workshops, day job, business planning for Sun Goddess Tarot, meetings with potential business contacts and charity organizations with whom I worked with on Tarot-related projects, family time and being a volunteer Tarot reader for the free reading services.

The juggling act often left me quite exhausted and I had to make a note to self, to recharge with regular meditation, or when it got too much, I might decide to take a step back and cut down on some of my projects or Tarot reading appointments.  I am still learning to multi-task as effectively as possible. I admired one of my mentors, Hope, who reads Tarot professionally, mentors for the Free Tarot Network, and when I was working on my CPTR (Certified Professional Tarot Reader) qualification from the TCBA ( Tarot Certification Board of America) last year, she was then my examiner too.  Where did she find time and energy?

Another downside was that sometimes, I might receive feedback from querants that the readings done for them might not be what they wanted to read.  Sometimes, I received questions which bordered on violating my code of ethics.  Such questions include health-related questions or questions about a 3^rd party.  I would attempt to rephrase the question and read my cards to these questions in a manner that would offer the querants more meaningful advice.  However, no matter how I tried to educate these querants, they might not accept it.  I had once flatly refused a querant asking me to find out from my Tarot cards whether her ex-husband’s affair with his lover would end.  No amount of explanation could convince her that by refusing to shuffle my cards to this question, I was actually protecting her. It was a difficult situation because I felt her anguish and even when I asked to have the question rephrased to something like “Would there be a potential for me to reconcile with my ex-husband?” She had refused to accept it.  In situations like these, I had to make the hard decision to let it go and not entertain something that went against my code of ethics.

In the end, the time I spent with a single querant in a situation like this spanned an even longer time than the time I might spend with a paying client.  With situations like these, I do unfortunately feel that it was unfair to my paying clients.

Another downside of reading the Tarot as a volunteer for a free reading service was not receiving any feedback from a querant at all, or not receiving meaningful feedback.  Sometimes, querants might just be too focused on the outcome of that reading that once they got it, they would forget to provide feedback.  If you are a querant and are reading this, please remember, we are not that “Madame Zorba” slot machine at the fair ground that provides a reading in exchange for a coin shoved down the coin slot.  We do enjoy meaningful discussions with our querants about the completed Tarot readings so that we can be assured that we had provided some clarity and in some way helped you to make the right choices to influence the outcome of your respective situations.

Finally, at the risk of sounding like a nagging old crone, (and I am sure my fellow volunteer readers for any free Tarot reading service would agree), I would appreciate a word of thanks for the reading done.  It’s the least one can do, for all the time and energy put into delivering a Tarot reading backed by the genuine intent to help support a querant through his or her situation.  

After each Tarot reading, I also often ask my to  LIKE my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot. This offers me the opportunity to continue sharing my Tarot card interpretations and my thoughts about Tarot with all my querants who had at some point benefited from my Tarot readings.

Most importantly,  a simple word of thanks possibly means most to me.

A Final Word

I am passionate about Tarot.  That is why, even when I am already running my consultancy business, Sun Goddess Tarot, I have made a commitment to continue my efforts as a volunteer Tarot reader with the Free Tarot Network and Biddy Tarot.  The opportunities given by querants who contact me through the free reading service do fuel my passion to continue doing what I loved to do most.  Even with only  a one-card reading that I did for the free Tarot reading services, as opposed to several spreads that I did for my paying clients,  I always ensured that the interpretation I provided for that one card, was detailed and delivered robust advice. 

I am urging my protégés to volunteer as a free tarot reader at some point when they are ready, as a means to get more Tarot reading practice.  This was an important part of my learning journey as a professional Tarot reader, and I hope someday, it will be an important part of their learning journey too. Now, as an appointed mentor for the Free Tarot Network, I am already seeing how much fulfillment the protégés have with their work as a fellow free reader. I hope that one day, they will pass on the same enthusiasm to other protégés assigned to them as mentors too.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also certified as a numerologist.  She currently runs a Tarot consultancy called Sun Goddess Tarot based in Singapore. A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and Biddy Tarot as well as a mentor for the ATA.   She can be contacted at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot or www.sungoddesstarot.com

Being True To Myself

Being True To Myself

I feel like the Page of Swords, embracing new opportunities to learn more and hone my Tarot reading skills with every chance I get.  I would be signing up for courses, buying more books, registering for workshops, meeting up with my friends in my local Tarot community and discussing new ideas with my mentors, or friends from the international Tarot community.

However this is what gets to me and if I wasn’t the strong King of Wands type, being a typical Leo, I would have caved in and decide to spend my time knitting in my quiet corner instead.

A Continuous Learning Curve

As I have been through a very steep learning curve when I started out on my journey with Tarot, I made it my commitment to help novice Tarot readers who are still starting out on their journey with Tarot.  And the very basic advice I often give them is that no matter where you are at with Tarot and how experienced a reader you are, you can never claim to be the best Tarot reader than someone else.  Embracing Tarot is a spiritual journey; it’s not a material thing that you garner. It’s not a clothing you wear, it’s not a title on a  plaque you put on your desk, it’s not  So no one should ever stop learning along his or her journey.

Tarot Certifications

I have been personally attacked in conversations about my pride in having obtained the Certified Professional Tarot Reader (CPTR) qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA).  Someone said to me, “I have been a professional Tarot reader for the last 30 years, who are the TCBA to come and tell me whether I am a proficient reader or not?”  I wanted to get online to check the TCBA’s mission and vision and send it across to her.  Then, I stopped myself because I don’t need the mission and vision of anything to deal with someone who perhaps hasn’t the mind and grace to understand what they mean anyway.

Frankly, that’s the stupidest comment I have ever come across.  Some 25 years ago, when I applied for and got into my University of choice,  I was elated about the opportunity to learn something new, embrace a new life, make new friends, and perhaps “grow up”.  When I went to work and had the opportunity to hire a team, I hired a mix of wonderful people who were from different backgrounds.  Some had a university qualification, and some hadn’t.  However each of them brought a special skillset and personality to the table that helped contribute to the success of the company.  Ultimately, it didn’t matter which school they studied at, or whether they were University graduates or whether they had 30 years of experience in marketing.  The dynamics of a profession like mine as a marketeer required one who not only had experience and was technically trained.  Beyond these basic requisites, one had to have great soft skills to manage cross functional teamwork and leadership skills to manage a team with a view to meeting the company’s business goals.

So my point is this.  Within the Tarot community, some of us have certifications from different certification boards, some don’t. Some have more than 30 years of experience, and some don’t.  However it doesn’t matter.  As light workers, the Universe has equipped us with our different skills and abilities with one goal, to bring clarity and assurance to the people in our lives. 

I chose to pursue a certification as my personal ambition to always better myself.  It didn’t stop at the certification from the TCBA.  I am still doing my course work every day for several other courses I had signed up for.  And I am doing all these with the genuine intent to learn and be better in what I do.  Sometimes, my clients teach me what the certification exams don’t teach me.  I learn to deal with different scenarios, different personalities, and even nasty clients and skeptics.

In short, it doesn’t matter what you’ve studied, and how many years of experience you have.  I always believe that if the intent is pure, the Universe will present the opportunity to you in its own time and pace.  So there’s no need for that sabre-rattling on social media platforms dishing all that negative energy around whether one should get certified or not.  I think your energy is better spent on clients who need you most.  .   

Temperance And The Empress

This morning, I picked a Card du Jour which I usually do on a daily basis.  Temperance was picked and let me repeat in this blog post what I had posted on my Sun Goddess Tarot Facebook page as the interpretation for my Card Du Jour – “Temperance is an appropriate card du jour as we approach mid-week.  It advises you to manage challenges with a measure of moderation, patience, calm and control.”  It’s a great advice for me at the moment when I feel like taking off my shoes and throwing it at that cow.

Then I picked the Empress for further clarification.  It’s even clearer now.  The Empress has asked me to continue to do what I do which fulfills me, and manage such cows with a generous and understanding spirit.  I should be thankful that with that one “nay-sayer”, I am surrounded by so many more people who believe in me, love my work and encourage my continuous learning.  I am blessed.  

These cards were picked from Ciro Marchetti’s Gilded Tarot deck.

You Will Never Stop Me

I dislike “nay-sayers”.  I detest the negativity of people who are out to proof a point about nothing and hasn’t done much to look deeper into their inner being to drag their shadow of fear for competition out of the closet.  That’s basically what it was when I am confronted with a situation like this. 

I have no time for such negativity.  My clients need me particularly when they are under duress.  My protégés need me there to hold their hands and guide them through their respective journeys with Tarot.

Onward and upwards.

About The Writer:
The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and was recently certified as a numerologist in Singapore. A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and is a mentor for the ATA.   She can be contacted at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot or www.sungoddesstarot.com

A Focused Question Please

Upholding Ethics As A Tarot Reader

I love Tarot. When I chanced upon my intuitive gifts and discovered my purpose to bring light, clarity and assurance to the people around me, using my Tarot cards, I came in contact with numerous clients from all over the world, and from different walks of life. Over time, these clients have become more than clients, They became friends. I care a lot about my friends and when I do a Tarot reading for them, it's with the genuine purpose of holding their hands through life's challenges, the way any friend would walk with me through difficult times.

Because I care a lot about my clients, governing my Tarot reading with a set of code of ethics is very important to me.

As a Certified Professional Tarot Reader, I hold very strongly to my ethical codes. I am governed by the ethics of my certification from the Tarot Certification Board of America and am proudly adhering to the code of ethics upheld by the American Tarot Association and the Tarot Association of the British Isles at which I am a member. There are some things I am more finicky about and these are the code of confidentiality and that I do not answer questions bordering on offering health, financial and legal advice, preferring to leave these to professionally trained experts in their respective fields of practice. I care a lot about my clients, so the code of ethics are designed to protect them as clients, and to uphold my professionalism as a Tarot reader.

A Focused Question Please

There are also other things I am finicky about in my practice as a professional Tarot reader. They are not part of the code of ethics but I adhere strongly to them as well. For example, I am really strict about the need for clients to provide me with a focused question and not expect me to do a "general reading". Like the code of ethics, my being strict about this has to do with 1) my caring immensely about my clients so much, that I refuse to "fluff" a generic interpretation out of a Tarot spread for him or her and 2) I have way to much respect for my Tarot cards.

The Tarot is a powerful tool, but it must be used properly and with respect, not only for the knowledge it contains but for its ability to connect with the deepest recesses of our inner wisdom. Although the Tarot can be successfully used to answer mundane or practical questions, its highest value is as a guide to genuinely help people who are going through real adversities in their lives. That's why I always ask clients to provide a specific question focused on an aspect of their lives or on a pressing issue that they may have, so that the Tarot cards can provide a focused answer to help support my clients in need.

I have immense respect for my Tarot cards and the intuitive gifts that the universe has bestowed on me that I am determined to use them only to serve the higher purpose of holding my clients' hands through challenging times. So please don't ask me for a "general read" because the cards are not like the rabbit in a magician's hat, to be pulled at whim whether for pure entertainment or as a test of my Tarot reading skills. I believe that if one could prioritize time between multiple commitments in life, then one should be able to prioritize issues amongst a slew of challenges life throws at him or her. So please, if you don't have any issues, I am genuinely happy that you are so blessed. However, don't waste a Tarot reader's time by asking him or her to do a general read. Instead, allow the Tarot reader to spend time and energy on helping another client with genuine issues resolve one.

Also, another thing I don't do is to put out a Tarot spread to do a reading about celebrities and various aspects of their lives. I don't care why Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise split and I don't care for Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Doing a Tarot reading for anyone without expressed permission is downright rude.

Don't Get Me Wrong

Please don't misunderstand my intentions. I don't let pride get in the way of my genuine love for helping my clients. My Tarot cards are way too clever. If I let my pride get in the way of the practice, the cards and my intuition will never open a world of clear options and answers for my clients and me. And if I was in it for the money, these strict adherence to the code of ethics and my beliefs would never creep into my practice. They would have gone out of the window along with my clients and my consultancy.

I am in it for the pure intent of using my gifts from the Universe to provide my clients with clarity and assurance.

“Professionalism is not about adherence to the policies of a bureaucracy. Professionalism is about having the integrity, honesty, and sincere regard for the personhood of the customer, in the context of always doing what is best for the business. Those two things do not need to be in conflict.” ~ Eric Lippert, software expert, author.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and was recently certified as a numerologist in Singapore. A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and is a mentor for the ATA.

She can be contacted at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot or www.sungoddesstarot.com