Liz Worth ~ Tarot

Declaring yourself a tarot reader and officially offering your services can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience.

Some readers take a long time to come out of the “tarot closet,” as the saying goes, and there can be a number of reasons for that: Lack of support, fear of judgement, or living in a religious community top the list.

But putting your stake in the ground and making tarot a visible part of your life can still be a challenge even if you are supported through the process.

No matter what your beginnings in tarot look like, tarot is a path that will continue to challenge you to define, clarify and uphold your boundaries every step of the way.

It will also push you to realize that you can’t sustain a business off of your social network alone – even if you have friends and family who are eager and excited to support you.

In fact, those close, enthusiastic relationships can bring their own sets of challenges when you start building your profile as...

I get a lot of questions about how to prepare for tarot readings from a reader’s perspective.

Readers are often concerned with protecting their energy by staying grounded. Or by shielding against a draining querent.

Boundaries in tarot readings go both ways, though, and it’s important to remember that our querents have boundaries, too.

But we might not always know what those boundaries are for each querent. Every individual will have a different comfort zone. And not all querents will be experienced with readings enough to know what they want from the experience.

People often come to tarot readings with an open mind. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that anything goes in a tarot reading.

Establishing some boundaries for your own conduct can go a long way in ensuring that querents have a great experience with you.

Here are a few boundaries I’m mindful of that you might find helpful, too.

Honesty and respect can co-exist.

Some tarot readers like to...

A lot of tarot readers develop their skills with the goal of being able to give readings to others.

The idea of sitting down, shuffling your cards, and helping someone through the guidance of a tarot reading is a fulfilling dream.

But once you start reading for other people, you soon realize there’s a lot more to it than being a good card reader.

People skills, time management, and clear expectations are just a few of the ingredients that go into delivering a solid reading.

This is where boundaries become key. Whether you’re just reading casually for friends and family, or setting up shop as a professional reader, boundaries are needed at all levels of tarot reading.

Even low-key, low-pressure readings for friends need them, otherwise you can end up on call 24/7 with friends who want you to “just pull a quick card” for them. Or who want to ask questions that put you in an uncomfortable position within your social circle.

So what are some boundaries...

For simplicity’s sake, I am using “spirituality” throughout this post as an umbrella term to encompass a range of practices, tarot to astrology to religion and everything in between.

Someone asked me recently, “How do you deal with skeptics?”

I shrugged. “I don’t, really.”

I don’t, as in: I don’t argue with them, or try to change their minds.

But I also don’t let it get to me. I don’t own tarot, or other spiritual pursuits. I can defend my beliefs, but there is no threat to them just because someone doesn’t participate in the same things I do.

I also remind myself that skepticism is a belief system itself, too. So no matter where we are coming from, we must be mindful to cultivate acceptance of other viewpoints.

Meaning that I don’t expect everyone to think the way I do. Each of us has the right to choose the path and perspective that feels best.

Skepticism has a spectrum and comes in...

There’s a pervasive belief in the tarot community that you attract the friends, lovers, opportunities and clients you deserve. 

The idea behind this is that there is a lesson for you: That everyone sent your way is a teacher. Which is fine if things are going great.

On the surface, it’s a way to make sense of your experiences and use them as learning opportunities for your own spiritual growth.

Beneath the surface, however, is an idea that can easily turn into martyrdom, people-pleasing, leaky boundaries, and toxic relationships.

It can feel like it’s your fault that you’re a magnet for problems. The Law of Attraction is working against you and you’d better start thinking more positive thoughts.

I first started noticing this belief when fellow tarot readers would share struggles they were having with clients. There is a massive issue with entitlement in this industry – people shamelessly shop around for free readings, demand discounts, and...

Sometimes the projects I take on keep me in knots.

Again and again, I questioned myself:

Is this wrong, or right?

Am I making a huge mistake?

Am I deluding myself?

Is this a complete waste of time, or does someone actually need to hear what I have to say?

This is the emotional rollercoaster that comes with talking about money.

And in spiritual work, money gets weird.

Why?

The roots can run deep and stem from a range of beliefs and feelings. Some spiritual practitioners, including tarot readers, feel guilty for charging for their work. They aim to help as many people as possible, burning themselves out in the pursuit of their labour of love rather than creating a fair exchange of energy.

It doesn’t help that in this industry, there are plenty of potential clients who are happy to take advantage of guilt-ridden, people-pleasing practitioners. Have you ever heard someone say that it’s wrong to charge for tarot readings because diviners have been “given a gift from...

Boundaries are a big part of your success as a tarot reader

There are TONS of things I could say about boundaries (and will in subsequent posts) but today I will focus on three main ones that I think are key for professional tarot readers:

Stick to your schedule. Time management is really important in appointment-based work. It doesn’t matter if you do tarot full-time or on the side. Your time is valuable no matter what, and clients should respect it.

That means following the start and end times of appointments and adhering to rescheduling and cancellation policies.

It also means that as readers, we need to be reliable and be able to stick to our commitments, too. If a reader is always late, their clients will not be motivated to show up on time, either.

You don’t have to share everything about yourself. Openness and authenticity are valuable in this line of work, but you don’t have to be an open book to your clients.

Sometimes I have had clients ask about things...

“How can I do better?”

This question is reverberating around the world right now.

Anti-racist actions and education have become bigger priorities in spiritual communities recently, including the tarot world.

As a result, I have seen a number of Black women make pleas through their social media accounts for people to stop contacting them by private messages to ask, “How can I help? What can I do? How can I be a better ally?”

For those who are not content creators or who are not public-facing in their work, it might come as a shock just how often boundaries get crossed online.

I don’t know what it’s like to get asked about anti-racism education, or how to support Black Lives Matter.

But I do know it’s a huge problem for tarot readers and astrologers to get contacted by people requesting free readings, feedback on their natal charts or tarot spreads, or advice on whether an ex is returning.

So I can only imagine what others deal with on...

Do you want to be of service?

I know I do. Being of service is one of the reasons I became a tarot reader.

And I know that a lot of you out there feel the same, whether you read tarot yourself or use it for guidance in your life.

A lot of us who are committed to spiritual growth and intuitive development are often people who also want to heal ourselves, and others.

And so it makes sense that a lot of set out to find paths that allow us to be of service.

How? There are many ways we can be of service:

Volunteer work through a charity or community centre, lending a hand to a neighbour or family member, or pursuing a career path to puts you on the front lines are just a few examples.

Before I landed on my tarot journey, I wanted to be a writer. But when I was looking into college courses, I also considered a social work program.

I ended up in journalism, feeling that it was a good way to bridge the two. Later, after I transitioned out of the media industry, I started working on...

“Boundary” is a word that seems to be on everyone’s lips lately.

And with so much confusion, tension, and uncertainty in our world right now, boundaries are becoming more important than ever for our own individual self-care.

But while boundaries can be easy to identify, they are not always easy to enforce. Guilt and insecurity can sabotage your boundaries faster than you can say “no.”

Read on for my tips and practices to help you get clear about boundaries.

First: Everyone needs boundaries.

No matter how open, helpful, or available you want to be.

Boundaries serve an important purpose: They protect your time, energy, and feelings.

Healthy boundaries help you take control of your schedule, prevent drama, and deepen your relationships.

Yes, that’s right: Good boundaries can actually bring you closer to the people you love.

Sometimes we shy away from stating or setting our boundaries because we worry that it might push someone away, hurt...