When did you go pro?

Hi there! I have a question for all of the professional tarot readers out there...

How did you know you were ready to start reading professionally? Did you wait until after years of study?

I know I am not near ready at this point, but I can see myself doing it down the road. I'm looking forward to your stories!

Julia

Hi Julia,
I am into tarot for more than 20 years but went pro 7 years ago. Until then I did readings only for myself or for very close friends. Going pro was one of the results of doing public conferences about tarot.

hey julia,
i am somewhat a newbie to tarot. i mean its been only 7-8 months since ive learned how to read the cards. But now after doing so many readings for my friends, family and even strangers, I think I can handle it on a professional level. I guess it requires great confidence and a matter of trusting your cards as well as your intution in order to do professional readings.

Turning Pro!

Julia:

Choosing to do professional readings is a difficult decision to make, from two very different perspectives: (1) Do I want to do professional readings? (i.e. Is this a true part of my path?), and (2) Am I ready to do professional readings?

I have been reading professionaly for over twelve years now. I had spent over twenty-five years in a high stress medical profession, and had been ready for several years to make some kind of change - I just didn't know to what! ;-) Tarot had been high on my list of interests for some time when I saw an ad in the paper for 900 line Tarot readers. I took the plunge, and have never regretted it. I have been with the same line for almost ten years now, and am ready to make another move, but this time it will be within the world of Tarot.

I was scared to death when I first began reading. I took the readings very seriously, and wanted to do the best job that I could for the people that I read for. I have grown as a reader, and as a person, for having taken the plunge to turn professional.

whoaaaaaaa............... All you people have been reading the cards since years........... WOW................ I better not comment on professional reading then, since im a compete newbie to tarot compared to you'll... hehehe.....

Shikhs...

Professional Readers

Shikhs:

Years of experience do not necessarily make for better answers. LOL The opinions and views of those new to a subject often reflect that subject as being seen from "fresh eyes". There is sometimes a better perspective seen here than that of someone who has been "in the trenches" for a long period of time.

I look forward to hearing many more of your views, and to the views of all levels of Tarot readers. Who better to listen to than other readers if we want to grow.

Hi Bonnie,
you are right.. my eyes literally popped out when i read that people on this forum have been reading the cards since decades.. i was really shocked and surprised that the art of reading the cards is so old. but thank you on the input..

Shikhs

I've been reading for 20 years now...technically, I began as a pro less than a year after I learned to read them. There was this lady, a friend of a friend, who lived in Hollywood. She'd come visit our mutual friend and always wanted a reading from me. She always raved on me and would insist on giving me some money for the reading. I think she just thought it was cool/exotic to have her cards read by a 13-yr.-old "hillbilly."
I truly "went pro" about 10 years ago...I was a single mom and needed the money. Before that, my teacher had said that it wasn't right to charge money for readings, but I was in a serious stage of re-examining my many self-defeating attitudes towards money. The opportunity presented itself, so I went for it.
I've never been able to support myself with it; it just offers an occasional extra bit of cash just when I'm most needing it.
Thank Isis!

Thanks for all of the stories. It's so interesting to hear all of the different ways people "fall" into reading professionally.

I guess there isn't really a specific length of time that is "right" to wait before starting to read professionally. It is really up to the individual.

Thanks everyone!

hi Prairiepagan,
i guess youre right... it all depends on every individual and how comfortable they are with their cards in order to go pro.. ))