Do you have guinea pigs?

I have regular paying clients, and one-time paid readings, and have been generating plenty of tips and free drinkies at the bar. I also seem to have built a group of people that I don't charge, but wouldn't exactly consider close friends. A close friend of my mother's that lives out of state, a friend of a friend that I see at parties maybe twice a year, an online friend that I've met in real life a handful of times, the dude that fixes my computer, about half a dozen folks. I know nothing about these people's personal lives, and reading for them is exactly like reading for strangers, only it's totally casual, and I don't charge. I love to try out new things. New spreads, new decks, new methods.

Is this a common thing for professional readers? I never set out looking for this sort of sitter, some are from back before I ever charged anything, some I just threw a few cards for at a party, but offered to do more online later, for free. I find it to be an excellent reader/sitter relationship.

think its the same as other professions, i work in IT as my day job, and yes i help my friends out with their computer issues for free because its friendship

I read, out of friendship and love for my close friends and family, without even thinking about it. I also can help them as friends. Like, when reading for my best friend, I can flip a card about her life, and then I can talk to her as a best friend, from both the cards, and as a person close to her, like all besties do, tarot reader or not.

Like, you would help your best friend out with the computer, without giving it a second thought, but how about some dude you met at a party once?

This situation is different, I don't have an insider's access to their lives or situations, I don't really read for them out of friendship, they probably wouldn't confide in me, if I weren't a reader. I just read their cards, like I would for anyone. Does that make sense?

yeah i likely would help the dude i met once with his computer or a read, i am very much like that, if it feels right and i can help someone i will....even if i dont know them well. same way as i still do free readings for some people because i know they cant afford it, or simply because i can. I also still give free counselling sessions to people.

That's cool, then, we're kind of in the same boat. I feel like I make enough money from both my day job and reading, that I have no problem reading for free for some folks, whatever the reason. I have done it forever, and will keep doing it. I'm just starting to realize, I think, that it's good for me, too. Good karma, good practice, just good all around.

Oh yes, I like to do this also. Just to try out new decks or new spreads. I have a small group of ladies I meet with, I do Tarot readings, and they share their "gifts" - runes, pendulum and one lady plays harp to call up her spirit guides. Its very stress free practice.

I have a tarot meetup once a month which i organised in singapore.
I welcome any visitors would comes to the cafe.
the rule of thumb for the meetup in singapore is that you can exchange a reading for a reading and no reader would charge any sitter for the duration of the event.
Normally readers get to try new spreads, do readings and new decks.
Hence it is a free exchange of ideas and a good way to promote tarot.

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If i would try something totally new, i would inform a client prior to trying it out on them.

I am fortunate to have a group of friends whom are readers and exchange readings and ideas with them frequently. one of them is ash abdullah.

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Lilija said:

I feel like I make enough money from both my day job and reading, that I have no problem reading for free for some folks, whatever the reason. I have done it forever, and will keep doing it. I'm just starting to realize, I think, that it's good for me, too. Good karma, good practice, just good all around.

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I have no problem with that! A blend of paid and unpaid readings, for whatever reason, is perfectly fine, as long as you're internally clear on the reasons why you charge some people and not others.

I had a clairvoyant sit for me a few weeks ago, and I ended up not charging her at all, because in our discussion about her cards, she was reading for me almost as much as I was reading for her <grin>.

I do the same with my henna business. Just not with Tarot (for me).

I have a small handful of people I go to if there are new design ideas I want to try out before offering them to formal clients, new mixtures/recipes/oils, and also as an exchange for their willingness to model for me (when building portfolio examples).

The caveat, like anything, is that beware of those who can take advantage of this tendency. I have also had to set boundaries, and to learn to say no (which is something I struggle with daily) when the freebies become the expected norm, and not the exception.

Alissa is right, boundaries are very important if not you will end up being taken for granted