Tarot Tip Tuesdays - Establish Credibility And Trust As A Tarot Reader

Whether you are new to Tarot and in the throes of building a connection with your Tarot cards or an advanced Tarot reader diligently honing your Tarot reading skills, I am putting out a Tarot tip a week to help you to consistently make Tarot a part of your everyday life.

I chanced upon a very disturbing news in the newspapers on Sunday, about a supposed "psychic" who was arrested for her attempt to cheat a client.  The article has been appended within this blogpost  for ease of reference. 

I lamented often enough about skeptical people who thought metaphysical matters like Tarot, Numerology and Astrology were vestiges of quackery conjured by charlatans who coined the word "mystical" to describe spiritual matters in the hope of robbing you off your month's earnings at fairgrounds.  I was often spurred by these skeptics to demystify the subject matter. I had also been helping my protégés and other Tarot newbies get comfortable with dealing with skepticism by writing at length about this. 

That was why when I read that article in the newspapers, I was so filled with rage that fraudulent people like these had made my job even harder.

A Social Experiment On Close-Mindedness  

I performed an experiment once, to understand perceptions of others to my intuitive skills.  I registered to join an exclusive business women's group in Singapore a few months ago, using my Sun Goddess Tarot credentials.  This group had strict membership policies and membership approvals were granted by an executive committee.  Membership criteria included requiring one to be a female entrepreneur or a mid to senior level corporate executive.  Fabulous! I was both.   Its purpose was to foster learnings and networking opportunities between like-minded women who were achievers in their own right.  I loved to meet more professional women and gain new knowledge from them. I still have yet to hear from the group's membership coordinator.  

The next thing I did was to register for a membership to that group using my credentials as the head of Marketing and Communications for a financial MNC.  I recieved an email a week later confirming that my membership request had been accepted.  I declined the opportunity very kindly as I was not sure I wanted to be part of a group run by close-minded people. It just saddened me that this group of close-minded people were women.  I thought women, through their multiple roles as wife, mother, daughter, and careerist who were open-minded enough to fight for equality in the workplace, adequate maternity leave, education against spousal abuse and other causes, they would have been open-minded to one who had a business that was a little different from the norm yet based on skills that were part innate and part nurtured through years of studies...much like Communications.

I acknowledged that such perceptions might have been fueled by differing opinions about metaphysical matters, lack of understanding about the subject matter or  differing view points about what should be deemed  a "proper job" and what was not.  

Although I got quite annoyed by such close-mindedness, and would attempt to educate them as best as I could, it made me even more upset when I chanced upon news about fraudulent psychics who gave genuine ones a really bad name.  I could not blame anyone for being skeptical about my gifts when there are such disgustingly fraudulent people who would prey on the superstitions of innocent people.

So today, my Tarot Tips for this Tuesday are meant to help new Tarotpreneurs establish trust and credibility with your clients. 

1) If you are about to meet your client for the very first time, prior to that meeting, do start a conversation  to know your client better.  Ask your client how he or she had found you, was it via a random google search,  your other social media platforms or word of mouth.  Ask your client what he or she was hoping to get out of a reading with you. This would show how genuinely interested you are in your client's needs.

2) Before meeting your client, share your blog so that your client may understand your style, your skills and experience better.  You might also want to share a list of client testimonials describing the positive impact you had on them.

3) At the start of the Tarot reading session, ask your clients if it was their first time visiting a Tarot reader and if it was, what their fears or worries were.  Then allay your clients' fears by explaining the purpose of a Tarot reading, demystify the skill by explaining the reading process as clearly as possible, and allay his or her fears that you are not dabbling in anything sinister.

4) Do not rattle a bunch of misguided myths to your clients.  An example would be  telling them that Tarot cards could only be read by psychics.  That would be absolutely untrue. Anyone can learn to read Tarot cards.

5) As a Tarot reader, you would be governed by a set of ethics which established the boundaries within which you operate. Explain these code of ethics to your clients upfront.  You might also belong to  a professional Tarot Association like the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI) or the American Tarot Association (ATA).  They always have a code of ethics by which  members are expected to follow.  

6) Establish your credentials, be it certifications, your years of study, years of experience and even a ball park number of clients that you had been reading for.

7) Always do a check on the comfort level of your client, and clarify what he or she might not understand.  Before you pick your cards to another Tarot spread, always ask for permission to read beyond the original question asked.

8) Assure your client that you took confidentiality very seriously, not only about the content of the reading but also about the fact that he or she had visited you at all for a reading.

9) One of the biggest hallmarks of credibility would be the acknowledgement of your skills by well-known, acclaimed and highly experienced Tarot professionals within the community. So do share any write-ups or references from these Tarot professionals about you should you have any.

10)  If you had contributed articles to Tarot-related publications or spoke at a Tarot conference, do ensure that you make reference to these in your conversation with your client as well.

I hope these tips can help you build a relationship of trust between your clients and you, and over time,  you could manage skepticism with ease as you build your credibility as a Tarot professional.

May your Tarot cards provide you with a full deck of possibilities throughout your day.

If you like this blogpost, do follow my blog at http://sungoddesstarot.blogspot.com and LIKE my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and an intuitive reader by accident who deploys the combined modalities of a Tarot, Numerology and Astrology overlaid with her Clairvoyant and Clairsentient skills to deliver her readings with authenticity. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  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 mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

Website: www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email:  Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot

From The New Paper on Sunday, 27th July 2014

Tarot Tip Tuesdays - Create Your Own Space As A Professional Tarotist

Whether you are new to Tarot and in the throes of building a connection with your Tarot cards or an advanced Tarot reader diligently honing your Tarot reading skills, I am putting out a Tarot tip a week to help you to consistently make Tarot a part of your everyday life.

So here goes your Tarot Tip for this Tuesday:

There are so many great Tarot readers out there whom I have had the privilege of learning so much from.  Examples of these are Theresa Reed from The Tarot Lady, Brigit Esselmont from Biddy Tarot, Arwen Lynch from Tarot By Arwen.   When I discovered The Tarot Lady, I had so much fun welding Tarot with my yoga practice when I read her work, Light On Tarot. She made a Tarot relatable because in her words, she does not use "astro babble and arcane lingo".  She also mentors Tarot newbies and supports new Tarot business owners with her work Tarot Business In A Box.  When I discovered Biddy Tarot, I learnt to tell stories with each Tarot card interpretation and understand the different facets of these interpretations through her work the Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Meanings and the companion workbook which my own students had used as they started out their Tarot journey.  Brigit spends a great deal of time focused on mentoring Tarot enthusiasts and making it so easy to pick up Tarot reading as a skill as well as to help Tarot professionals with their businesses through a personalised business coaching program. When it came to Arwen, I knew her through the wonderful blog posts she wrote as my fellow Tarot blog hopper within the community.  What got me to sit up was her work teaching others to use Tarot for writing.  Do check out her Mapping The Hero's Journey e-course.  It promised to have you finish writing your book in 33 days.  That was why she had been referred to as  the "Writers' Tarot Coach". 

So like many other great Tarot professionals out there, these beautiful ladies have established their reputations as professional Tarot readers and mentors with years of experience and well-sharpened intuitive skills under their belt.  All of them ply their trade with different styles, different focus or areas of specializations and deploy different techniques. The question is what is yours?

When I turned professional, I asked the same question and wanted to bring something to the table that was uniquely me.  Having a background as a trained marketing communications professional in the financial industry meant that I could use my intuitive skills to support clients who were mid to senior level careerists by guiding them through their career decisions within the industry.  This was because like them, I had been at similar crossroads of my career several times.  The mode with which I delivered advice to them would be through the combination of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology within a reading.   When it came to coaching and mentoring, I found my niche in mentoring  my Tarot students and helping them in their marketing communications efforts as they set up their respective Tarot reading businesses.  

If you are finding your own niche area of specialization or discovering your own style, I would suggest that you learn from some of the more experienced Tarotists in the international community, but aim to create your own "space".  You can start by asking some of these questions:

1) Who are your target clients?  

2) Amongst them, who and what type of clients are your favourite ones?

3) And amongst your favourite clients, which of their challenges fire you up with passion most?

If I had to answer these questions for myself, my target clients were professionals in the central business district.  Amongst them, my favourite ones were those in the cross-roads of mid-career changes, because I had been there before....several times. And amongst these clients, the challenge that fuelled me with the most passion as I aimed to help them tackle it,  was one where they were making decisions to leave the corporate world to start their own businesses.

So that was how I created my own "space" as a Tarotist.  My skills as a Tarot reader, Numerologist and an Astrologer served to help me "hold that space" for my clients.  While you might have had spent a lot of time and energy developing your skills as a Tarot reader, do not be afraid to also think about creating your own "space" as a Tarotist too,  

May your Tarot cards provide you with a full deck of possibilities throughout your day.

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 a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  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 mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

Website: www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email:  Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot

What Does The Empress Card Convey About Being Your Own Brand?

My Skills As A Marketing Professional

I do not have 20 to 30 years of Tarot reading experience and I have not had many years of experience running a Tarot business.  However, I had spanned a career of almost 20 years managing brand development, marketing strategy and communications, with more than half of these spent at multi national corporations honing these skills and contributing to the growth of these organizations.

So what I could speak most comfortably and confidently about at the upcoming American Tarot Association's first Online Tarot Conference this weekend, was about marketing.  I agreed to do a presentation on Strategic Marketing Techniques For Tarot Businesses, because along my amazing journey with Tarot, I had the privilege and the opportunity to help support the growth of some of my fellow Tarotists' businesses alongside my own, with tried and tested tips that I had picked up along the way as a marketing and communications professional.

Using My Skills To Market My Tarot Business

When I mentioned numerous times before that I loved welding my skills as a marketeer with Tarot, I finally understood why and how the Universe had conspired to make me the conduit of learning to help some of my fellow Tarotists who are either starting, or in the midst of growing their Tarot businesses.

Building Brand Authenticity No Matter The Brand Or The Business

One thing I had always been guided by in every decision I had made as a marketing and communications professional, was the goal of building brand authenticity.  When I was working at an insurance company Aviva,  I was adamant about constantly communicating proof points that affirmed Aviva's brand positioning then, of Nobody Recognizes You Like Aviva.   We did so when we managed the Aviva Ironman 90.3 sponsorship to imprint in consumers' minds that the company was always in every life-stage of each and every one of its customers, perseveringly holding the hands of its customers to meet their evolving needs.  We also did so when we sold targeted health products aimed at young families because we knew that a birth in the family meant joy, elation as well as anxiety amongst parents about how best to protect their children and themselves. We recognised the needs within that segment and wasted no time developing products and communicating their benefits to this segment of new families.

Just like that experience of managing Aviva's brand, the same principle applies to one's Tarot business.  When I established Sun Goddess Tarot off the back of a period of negativity in my life, I was determined to stay true to my expansive zodiac sign of a Leo which was ruled by the Sun.  I wanted to bring positivity, light and optimism to my clients with my Tarot and Numerology skills.  My brand, my reading style, my advice-centric Tarot techniques and even the way I engaged my clients ( what I call here, my brand voice) all had to be driven by my brand intent.  I wanted to stay true to myself.  What I lacked in-depth experience as a Tarot reader, I made up for it with every intent to genuinely bring sunshine to my clients when they needed it most as I slowly and steadily grew my skills and experience.

The Empress Card's Message About Brand Authenticity

I am going to use the Empress card as my muse when I talk about brand authenticity at my presentation.  I see the Empress as the Earth Mother, deeply nurturing and very much in-tune with herself.  She creates abundance in everything she touches.  She is highly intuitive and very connected to the spiritual realm yet maintains grounded-ness in the material plane.  She is highly creative because she is so in touch with her feminine side, lending beauty to everything that she creates.

I urge fellow Tarotists particularly those who are in the beginning stages of building their Tarot businesses, to leverage the energies of the Empress. Nurture and grow your brand by keeping it authentic. Your brand reflects you.  While there are many great Tarotists we can learn and emulate from, they have their own unique ways of communicating their brand intent to their customers, and so do you.  Learn from them, but not copy them because you would want your clients to know and trust your brand only because you are the one behind that steering wheel.  Unleash your creativity and know that creativity knows no boundaries. Try and try again different marketing techniques and never be afraid to learn along the way and finally deploy the best technique that fits your business best. Follow your intuition.  You know what is best for your clients and how best to build that affinity between your brand and your clients.

When My Job As A Marketeer And A Tarot Reader Became One

I can clearly define how long I have been a marketing professional.  My involvement with tarot is less clearly defined.  From the time I was a young girl causing trouble at the neighbourhood playground, till the time I was involved in helping large multinational companies build and manage their brands,  I knew I was good at reading people intuitively.  For years i wrote this off as being "good at my job'.  Once I had the confidence to start Sun Goddess Tarot as a business, I took a leap of faith and allowed my two selves - financial marketeer and tarot reader - to become one.

ENROL FOR THE ATA ONLINE TAROT CONFERENCE HERE

What I have touched on within this blog post is just a highlight of what I will be covering at my presentation on Strategic Marketing Techniques For Tarot Businesses at the American Tarot Association Online Tarot Conference 2013 held on 26 October 12pm EST or 27 October 12am Singapore time.  Do enrol by clicking onto this link http://www.wiziq.com/course/32291-ata-online-tarot-conference-2013

Acknowledgement:  I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the fantastic creative work of a friend, Nadim Van der Ros, who supported me through this nerve-wrecking experience of getting me ready for this upcoming presentation.

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 a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  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 mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association.

Website:www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email: Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter:www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot

Add caption

The Empress Card  - the beginnings of my very own Tarot deck.

A work in progress and a labour of love developed 

from the visions of a friend and I

Re-telling The Story Of Beauty And The Beast

To celebrate the Autumn Equinox, many of my Tarot blogging friends wrote some beautiful blog posts which regaled us with stories about the myths surrounding Autumn. They also created Tarot spreads inspired by these myths, and shared some of their life’s lessons and transformational experiences that were an eye-opener for me. 

One of the Tarot bloggers Chloe McCracken from Inner Whispers took that opportunity to create a myth-inspired Tarot spread based on the story of Beauty and the Beast.  Do read her blog post here,http://innerwhisperscouk.blogspot.sg/2013/09/mabon-blog-hop-mythical-things.html.

Beauty And The Beast Tarot Spread

I loved the story of Belle and the Beast.  I watched the movie a gazillion times and could even play the song on my piano just by listening to the soundtrack for the very first time.  However, doing a Tarot reading with a Beauty and the Beast spread was another thing all together.  I used it on a reading for myself and was utterly bowled over.  I wished more Tarotists could create simple Tarot spreads like what Chloe had done.  
This was how the Beauty and the Beast Tarot spread went:

1) What is my heart’s desire at this time?
In the case of Beauty and the Beast, Belle wanted a single red rose which symbolically represented her desire for true love.

2) What price will I have to pay for it?
Belle had to leave her family to stay with the Beast in his castle.  That must have been a frightening experience for her.

3) What lesson will I learn in the process?
Belle learnt that true love was  about far more than appearance.
So, I applied the spread to my question which was "What insights could Tarot provide  about the direction for Sun Goddess Tarot?"  I used Barbara Moore's Book of Shadows Volume 2 - So Below Tarot deck for the purpose.  It was not a myth-inspired deck but it was calling out to me to be used for this spread.
What Is My Heart’s Desire At This Time: 8 Of Wands

The 8 of Wands reflected my desire to take action on some of my ideas that had been stewing in my mind for Sun Goddess Tarot.  The journey I had taken in the past few years was remarkable.  I saw my Tarot reading skills growing as I started learning from more teachers, mentors, and fellow Tarotists.  Being part of the various international Tarot communities had widen my perspectives on Tarot and when I was interviewed by established Tarotists, invited to contribute articles for established Tarot organizations, encouraged to share my knowledge and skills at various forums and asked to mentor other budding Tarotists, I started to gain even more confidence and assurance that the path I had taken, though difficult, was a very rewarding one.   

These experiences fuelled my intentions to take Sun Goddess Tarot even further. I was now ready to weld my 17 years of marketing experience with Tarot to guide other Tarotists to market their Tarot businesses with traditional and non-traditional marketing strategies that I had learnt and deployed over the last 17 years. The action-plan was to create a curriculum around marketing strategies for budding Tarot businesses.

I was also hungry to learn even more, expand my skills to other different metaphysical disciplines beyond the courses I had already done in Numerology and Astrology.  And even within these disciplines, I was not done studying yet.  My little mind and my time was limited.  I needed to expand my reach beyond Singapore but I felt I could not do enough on my own.  So I had planned to create a partnership with a couple of fellow Tarotists each specializing in their respective metaphysical disciplines, who were as hungry as I was and even more determined than I was to touch as many people as they could beyond our shores, to bring these people light.  The action-plan was to launch this partnership within the next year.

What Price Will I Have To Pay For It: 9 Of Wands Reversed

One of my greatest fears was the heavy responsibilities I was already piling upon myself.  I did not have much resources, let alone deeper and wider metaphysical skill sets unlike my counterparts who generally had 20-30 years of experience under their belt.  So I worked with whatever I had.  I did not want to take on too many projects and courses as I was afraid that I would be juggling too much and with the given responsibilities at my current job as a marketing professional at a multinational corporation and my commitments to my family, I was not prepared to give too much of myself and my time.  However, the Autumn season was possibly the best time for me to think about how one could harvest what they sowed.  If I had not made the effort to sow the seeds of growth and expansion with a clear vision of where I wanted to be in the future with Sun Goddess Tarot, I would of course not have much of a harvest. 

I believed I saw the light when I picked this card.   I had to be prepared to sacrifice my time and resources to build the type of business that Sun Goddess Tarot deserved to be. I needed to be prepared to take calculated risks.   It would take a lot of hard work, courage and plenty of personal time especially weekends to nurture this business through research, studies, business development and marketing.  I had to be prepared to reach out further by working on speaking engagements, workshops and webinars.  I also had to write more. I had been so erratic with my writings, that I only wrote when there was a Tarot blog hop or when I got truly inspired by something, like Chloe’s very simple Beauty and the Beast Tarot spread, or when I got struck down on the road by lightning and saw a vision…just kidding.  This erratic way of sharing my skills had to be replaced by discipline. 
That would be the only way to ensure that I could turn my ideas into viable action plans so that I could manifest my goals for Sun Goddess Tarot.

What Will I Learn In The Process:  The High Priestess

I need not have to write on.  This card was that “lightning” that struck me on my head.  I woke up with a jolt at that point because as professional Tarot readers, that was what we aspired to be – The High Priestess.  Throughout these few years of running Sun Goddess Tarot, the demands of my everyday life, my day job, my clients and my family, were the chatter in my head and the cacophony of routinal activities that caused me to be “stuck” where I was in terms of growing even more depth in my metaphysical knowledge and spirituality.  This card indicated that as I worked to grow and expand Sun Goddess Tarot, I would be learning to listen to my inner voice more, trusting my intuition more, and hence deepening my intuitive skills in the process. I believed that with effort and time, I would be establishing a new and more profound relationship not only with my Tarot cards but also with my clients.
I knew that in time, my growth as a Tarotist, would not just be driven by the educational experiences and classroom lessons that I had been going through all these years.  It would be driven by my trust of and surrender to the Universe.

A Transformational Lesson Indeed

I have Chloe to thank for, for opening my eyes to the fact that a simple Tarot spread could draw a profoundly impactful reading for me.  I would definitely be trying this spread on my clients in the future.

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 a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  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 mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

Website:www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email: Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter:www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot



Taken from Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast



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

The Psychic Medium Told Me

Have you ever read the book "The Fortune Teller Told Me" by Tiziano Terzani? It's an awesome book. Definitely a must-read. My experience this weekend reminded me about this book so I titled this blog post "The Psychic Medium Told Me".

A Stranger Called

Over the weekend, I had a call out of the blue from a total stranger who claimed to be a famous international psychic medium who had been helping the police solve crimes as well as helping families locate missing family members. He called himself a psychic intuitive. He had also been involved in a television program about psychic investigation work helping to find missing children and solving homicide cases. The only thing I watch on TV usually has a story line or is a fictitious TV series like CSI Miami, Law and Order or NCIS.  So I am not familiar with any TV programs about psychic investigators. Oh yes, there is Medium and The Ghost Whisperer too, but I can assure you the person who called me was not Jennifer Love Hewitt. 

He told me that he had chanced upon Sun Goddess Tarot while surfing the Internet and had enjoyed some of my blog posts as well as my Facebook posts. His intuition had spurred him to connect with me so he thought to ask me for a Tarot reading, and in exchange, he would do one for me.

I felt flattered but at the same time worried. My confidence suddenly took a tumble because I did wonder, "You must be kidding me! You said you are THE famous psychic medium, shouldn't you be doing your own reading then? How much more value and insights can I lend you since I have merely a few years of experience under my belt compared to you? I should be learning from you instead!". Anyway, after much persuasion, I agreed on this fair exchange. I forced myself to put my lack of confidence aside and talked myself into viewing this guy as a typical client who needed my help. I had to be professional about it and just cracked on with shuffling my cards to his question.

What My Tarot Cards Told Me About My New Psychic Medium Friend

Okay I had to admit that because of my cynical self, I had decided to pull a couple of Tarot cards to find out if this guy was for real and what were his real intentions in contacting me. The King of Cups showed up to represent him. He did typify the description of the King of Cups who was older, calm and collected. He had a nurturing disposition and was totally in tune with his intuitive side. More importantly his maturity and balanced nature came in handy particularly when I was flapping with excitement over the emails, sending him like a dozen messages expressing reasons why I might not be the right person to do a Tarot reading for him. Well, he calmly sent me a message back that said " Even if you don't trust yourself Jo, at least trust the cards."   He was so reassuring, asking me to take my time and convincing me that he felt connected to my energy. The 2 of Swords reversed showed up to represent the help he needed. He needed to make some important but clearly very difficult choices(Later, when I did an in-depth Tarot reading for him, it did indeed uncover a situation of difficult choices that he had to make at that point).  Then I pulled out an extra card asking "why me?"   Yes, my lack of confidence was talking quite loudly. The High Priestess showed up. The High Priestess represented me and my need to tap into my subconscious and inner wisdom to help this man. The High Priestess assured me of my intuitive skills and my ability to tap into the realm of higher knowledge. This card lifted that barrier between him and me. For once, I understood what it meant when he said he felt connected to my energy. I felt like I was the mouth-piece for the High Priestess.

With renewed confidence, I proceeded to do an in-depth Tarot reading for him, and combined it with a numerological assessment. As I respect his privacy, I will not discuss the reading I had done for him within this blog post. Safe to say, he was very grateful for the reading I did for him and it touched my heart when he said , " Jo, you are a wonderful and gifted Tarot reader and you must continue doing what you do because you will be making a positive impact on people's lives." I was chuffed.

The Psychic Medium Told Me

Yes he did a reading for me too. He did not use cards. He connected with my energy through my Facebook photos and very accurately described specific moments and issues within my family that are known only to members within my immediate family members. He could even accurately describe a jade bangle - a seldom worn family heirloom - which Mum gave me when I got married to my first husband. Now, how did he know about that! That bangle is seldom worn and did not appear in any of my Facebook photos. Also, this guy is living thousands of miles away from me in the US and he has never visited Singapore, so we wouldn't have had any opportunities to bump into each other on the streets.

Most importantly, he shared a vision of me and my work around Sun Goddess Tarot. It's not a vision that I will share here as it is truly personal to me but it was incredibly promising. However, it was an amazing moment for me as I was in the throes of considering a business partnership in the hope of taking my Tarot business to new heights. A few days ago, as I was weighing my options with this partnership, a friend and mentor created a Tarot spread to provide me with some advice about the partnership.   Incredulous as it may seem, this psychic medium provided the same advice that that Tarot spread had uncovered!   I am now convinced of my options. I know what I had to do now and I am even more convinced that with hard work and a measure of confidence, Sun Goddess Tarot was going to increasingly grow it's brand. Amazingly, when this business proposition was put in front of me a few weeks ago, my intuition worked overtime to form an outcome in my head, that's been predicted by both this psychic medium and the Tarot cards that my friend and mentor had read for me. I should have trusted my intuition. I am so grateful that the both of them had given me renewed confidence about my intuitive skills.

The Universe Sent Me A New Friend

So with this exchange of readings, I felt that I had gained a friend. He somewhat fell on my lap right out of the blue. Before this weekend, we didn't know each other from Adam. Yet, all it took was for some strange universal force to connect us together. I hope to catch my new friend some day on TV perhaps when I tune into a psychic detective documentary film.  It's got to be after watching Downtown Abbey though.  I am addicted to this TV series now.

If you're reading this J, I feel blessed to have er...met you.

About The Writer Of This Blog:

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 a Tarosophy Tarot Diploma from Tarot Professionals Ltd. She is also a certified numerologist, hence her reading style blends numerological significance with Tarot card interpretations.

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 (FTN) and is a mentor for both the ATA and the FTN.

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