Should I read Tarot Cards professionally?

I asked the question, RWS, no reversals, 3 card spread:

I got the SAME exact reading twice...

Past Effort - Magician - auspicious engaging new project based on firm past accomplishment and attainment.

Present Path - 8 of wands - Mercury in Sagittarius, Cutting through hesitation, and letting fly the arrows you hestiated to send skyward. Focus efforts and the goal will be yours. Coupled with Magician, shows a care must be taken to make sure communication is two way but actions are daring and with momentum. MAKE CONNECTIONS!

Future Path -Knight of Wands - The likelyhood this is one way something I have prepared for to do for a long time could manifest.

I just considered it, as I have not ever read professionally, but studied with professional readers, and have read for many professionals. I need to make sure that the Change in pace doesn't shroud other opportunities, because they will certainly be there, but one way or another this is just another aspect of what I have always done - make effort to make the Great Work of my life a mutually beneficial endeavor for all I encounter. Teach, learn, and grow the Arte of Magick in the World. No disks in this one, so it is not just the money, this is all about the Will.

brightcrazystar said:

I asked the question, RWS, no reversals, 3 card spread:

I got the SAME exact reading twice...

Past Effort - Magician - auspicious engaging new project based on firm past accomplishment and attainment.

Click to expand...

This is certainly something you have been directing toward and probably have been proactive in making this a possibility.

brightcrazystar said:

Present Path - 8 of wands - Mercury in Sagittarius, Cutting through hesitation, and letting fly the arrows you hestiated to send skyward. Focus efforts and the goal will be yours. Coupled with Magician, shows a care must be taken to make sure communication is two way but actions are daring and with momentum. MAKE CONNECTIONS!

Click to expand...

Considering the last card as well, just make sure you are not in a hurry with this. Make sure that any hesitation is not born out of any real uncertainties which in turn may be a reflection on the fact that you might not be ready. Reading professionally is very different to reading for people without payment. Once money changes hands it changes everything and triples the responsibility levels of the reader. Its a huge responsibility and undertaking and the confidence of the reader needs to match the same level.

brightcrazystar said:

Future Path -Knight of Wands - The likelyhood this is one way something I have prepared for to do for a long time could manifest.

Click to expand...

Yes, in the future you will set the wheels in motion but for now, the arrows say it may be too soon. Consider the pace more than the will. The time has to be right.

brightcrazystar said:

I just considered it, as I have not ever read professionally, but studied with professional readers, and have read for many professionals. I need to make sure that the Change in pace doesn't shroud other opportunities, because they will certainly be there, but one way or another this is just another aspect of what I have always done - make effort to make the Great Work of my life a mutually beneficial endeavor for all I encounter. Teach, learn, and grow the Arte of Magick in the World. No disks in this one, so it is not just the money, this is all about the Will.

Click to expand...

This is certainly something you will do in the future but for some reason, now is not the right time and I feel the arrows and the knight are asking you to consider this.

Eddie

I think my question is answered. Thank you Eddie, very good reading.

Here is the way it is playing out after an email I got today:

I am going to soon be based in or around Philadelphia more promiently for a while. I am going to be traveling more until then and growing socially and studying like crazy and training to possibly take on a leadership role. I won't have time and will be traveling due to a new priority made available and my desire to finish my first manuscript. Also Philadelphia is known for its intolerance of professional divination. This would jeapardize that role and not yield any gain worth that I give up. The role I would play is one no one else is eligible for in my area. There is no other reason to really be there if I don't take it and my philadelphia based community would dwindle for a while.

Maybe online reading or phone (8 of wands) but nothing face to face yet.

Past Effort - Magician - auspicious engaging new project based on firm past accomplishment and attainment.

Present Path - 8 of wands - Mercury in Sagittarius, Cutting through hesitation, and letting fly the arrows you hestiated to send skyward. Focus efforts and the goal will be yours. Coupled with Magician, shows a care must be taken to make sure communication is two way but actions are daring and with momentum. MAKE CONNECTIONS!

Future Path -Knight of Wands - The likelyhood this is one way something I have prepared for to do for a long time could manifest.

Click to expand...

I would read the 8 Wands as the core or crux of the question (which, by the way, I would reword to ask what energies surround the possibility of your reading professionally...because by asking if you "should" or "shouldn't" do anything, in my opinion, it gives over your own choice and control to a set of images on a few random cards--and giving away one's control is probably not a good thing ever to do...That Said, I do know what your intent of the question was, though; I just offer that suggestion to keep in mind when you do read for others, so that they don't ever get the idea that whatever you tell them is a Should or a Shouldn't that they can blame you for later. I always like to leave people's destinies in their own hands.)

So, the crux of the matter, as signified by the 8 Wands makes me think that this is a time to focus more energy and passion into building toward a future of reading cards professionally. The pair of Wands does bring a lot of creative energy to the situation; however, it also brings a lot of ego into the picture. So, to me, this is saying that you may need work harder on leaving your own ego out of the equation and on understanding that readings are all about the seekers and the messages they need to get, but not about the readers and showing how much they may or may not know. I'm not saying that as a jab to you, but I think this is saying that it is very easy to allow oneself as a reader to become involved in the reading, and that is not the purpose of a reading, nor i it a good thing, IMO.

The Magician is a skilled practitioner, but with his energy, while he is able to
do what he sets out to do, it is more of a practical ability (manifesting ideas into reality)...and what this makes me think is that you have that ability, but you might need more preparation or development of the intuitive side of reading cards. Don't get me wrong...you likely have what it takes to make a good career out of reading professionally, and you could set up an Internet practice in a heartbeat and do quite well at it right now, I think...

However, the Knight of Wands (as any knight does) bids for the King (who is master of his suit), so there is yet a journey for you, yourself, to go to master those things you need that would take you from being a competent reader to an inuitive and excellent one. The Knight, however, does go out on missions in order to do the King's bidding, so this makes me feel that getting more practice with real (unknown-to-you) clients before hanging a shingle and allowing money to cross hands would help you in more ways than you may realize.

So, overall...I would rea this spread as saying you could do it right now, as you have the ability. But living on the energy of the two Wands in the spread could burn you out sooner rather than later; whereas, giving yourself a little more time and practice may help to bring the grounding (lack of Pentacles/earth) and the creative intuition (lack of Cups/water) to the table that would change you from being merely competent and skilled to being excellent and highly intuitive, perhaps.


Just some thoughts on your cards. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Edited to add:

I was writing as you were posting you response to Eddie, so take that into consideration if necessary.

starrystarrynight,

Your reply had a ring I generally take notice in it. You used some words that have meaning to me personally.

though...

When I was waiting to see your reply, I was half expecting it to be "Not if you use the Thoth Deck!" lol


Thank you for your advice.

(You're welcome.)



Well, the Thoth is pretty Magickal (as is the Quest, IMO, about which I believe you recenty posted somewhere in the forum.) While you will likely get some seekers who will be geared to that type of energy, the bulk (at least in my experience) will be the more mundane type--asking about relationships, career and finances. Depth and analysis is not what they are seeking...they want to know if Joey likes them or if they are going to get the job they applied for. You know? Everyday stuff, for the most part.

I ALWAYS get permission to read Thoth before I pull it out, and I generally never pull cards for someone with it that I do not count among my chosen and preferred. The Rider Waite Smith is my default for "sitters" in general.

I feel the Quest Tarot was one I was needing to see. I had many ideas for alot of the other information that are in the borders, some I hoped to use. I was even seeing them done sort of the same way. In practice, I am convinced there is another option developing in my creative cycle, as I think it makes the cards too busy, for what I want. I LOVE the deck, which I am trying to process still. But I see it is not what I want to do, exactly.

I certainly know my focus should be on my Major Arcanum project, and not reading professionally. I also need to stop fearing and doubting my art, so I bought actual material art suppies, instead of a computer modeling.

Well, Martin (?) put a TON of stuff into the design of the Quest, and I think someone could spend decades studying and using it and barely touch the surface. I received it as a gift maybe five or six years ago and read with it for about a year straight...but I never used most of what he "featured" on it. It's a pretty ambitious deck/creative work, though, and I applaud his efforts.

As do I. I don't believe in right and wrong symbols. I believe the first and primary force of an Oracle, a Magician or any artist is to develop a Language of names, symbols, and images. I just have alot of overlap with some symbols in "my" language that may not be the same in his (Martin's). It doesn't mean I don't respect them. I just may not use them often. We have different dialects, so to speak. Minor, but instrumental, differences.

People early in studies miss the point of 777 in this way quite often. They think it is right. Not so. It is the "same page" ideally every one in the Golden Dawn should be on and the one that *generally* has been developed by consistent use and discovery. One person who reject alot of this "language" but kept the spirit of it and remnants he applied was William Blake. He is a Saint in my Tradition.

From my unlearned experience I would suggest that right now there's a storm brewing and your going to find yourself moving away because of it.

What it's indicating to me is an emotional shift and a testing of your emotive balances. A testing by fire. It seems you haven't been down that road yet.

We'll see what transpires BCS.