Can It Really Be Done?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 26 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Witchn_Famous	26 Mar 2005
Hello All, I would like to know your opinion on tarot readings. Is it possible to make a decent living doing readings for people via the internet and in person. For quite a while now...did I say quite awhile, it seems like an up heal battle. I live here in California and people here seem to be quite secretive and do not wish to reveal any information on this subject. However, they will offer tarot reading classes, etc., but not offer anything more without $$$. So I would really appreciate any feedback I could get. I've been told many times by psychics and mediums that this is indeed my path...and I love doing it. However, from my observation and my husband's as well there doesn't seem to be much interest. I'm not sure if it would make a difference if I relocated or not....but probably not. Thank you for your input.

jmd	26 Mar 2005
There are a number of people who do manage to make a living solely from readings, courses, etc.. My impression, however, is that these are a minority, and also partly depends on the income you consider reasonable. If you are intending on making your full income from readings, I would suggest doing it progressively, by first lowering a little your current income generating work, and progressively replacing one with the other. Unless you have sufficient means and experience to launch fulltime, it may be a difficult transition to master.

Hazel	26 Mar 2005
A tarot reader named Frederick Woodruff wrote a fun and interesting book about his tarot career in "Secrets of a Telephone Psychic." He definitely made a decent living at it. I believe it can be done. So far, I have *not* made a good living this way, but I attribute this to my own lack of business savy and discipline, not to a lack of demand.

daveyboy	26 Mar 2005
Hi, I'd like to do more readings and similar to what you suggest. A couple of thoughts (more kinda rambling really :) ) Some are connected :) /start ramble :) First one was talking to a person who went "Professional" he said it isn't easy if you rely on it as a full time carreer. From the point of view that people have to come to you for help or guidance (or in his case healing/mediumship). Everything I have done has tended to be by word of mouth. People come to have reading out of curiosity and becuase they need help. If it is the spritual viewpoint you are looking from then I am sure people will seek you out naturally. Could this be the reason why mediums and psychics charge so much (as people are few and far between?). As for not offering anything else other than if you are willing to pay loadsa $$$. Then i'd say that the people who will really help your "spiritual unfolding" (check out the thread by that name :) ) will be the ones who ask for nothing more than your attention, trust and understanding. As all things being equal someone will come along to help them with something they are stuck with/they need help with. I don't mean to seem funny but surely the reason why people work as mediums/psychicly is to help people on the earth plane to see there is more to life than thier nice comfy car. And most importantly to bring words of comfort, help, inspiration and love/understanding from the sprit world (if you will). /end ramble :) As a final thought :) If you are on the right path, why try running :) enjoy the scenery! ;) Dave

Skydancer	26 Mar 2005
I agree; it seems to me that people are most interested in justifying that comfy car and come to you for validation. Boy do I feel cynical tonight. :D Ann S:OL

daveyboy	26 Mar 2005
It's okay to be a cynic, the weather is bad :) Here is something I've heard from a demo I saw... "You know you go through life and you consider it such a chore, what should I eat today. I'm going to get in my nice comfy car and drive to work. I sit in my nice office surrounded by work, I come home eat and it starts over" "Sound boring?"- "Imagine never doing that again!" - "I thought i'm really going to miss it" (slightly polieter version). Moral of the story :) I guess is, they don't know what they are missing :) D

ros	26 Mar 2005
Hi! I have gone to a town 45 minutes away and have been booked full days for readings. In my home town, people are not as open minded. People here have to "think about it" in the other town they are open to it. I think Location has a lot to do with it! Just 2 cents.

Phoenix Rising	26 Mar 2005
From where I live Hamilton NZ a small city 194,000 population, there are a handful of tarot readers and clairvoyants, who make a very good living. There are only a handful, and they've been doing it for years, and are always fully booked. There are different ways that you could make it a good living. You can do fairs, courses, personal one on one, internet and telephone...Then you will have all bases covered, if that is the way you want to go. It's not looking at just one income stream but a few! California is a big place. The way for others to know is good advertising. Leave business cards everywhere, put adverts in the local rag, go to spiritual circles and fairs, give your cards to all your friends who can put it up in there smoko rooms. Go to local cafes and bookshops and see if any of them would allow you to read in there. Lot's of things you can do. But good luck! "God lovers a trier" So just give it a go!

Gwynne	27 Mar 2005
Start slow and don't quit your dayjob. But yes, you can make a living at it. I tend to live an extremely simple life, so my cost of living is much lower than the average... I've been reading for pay for a few years now, but just recently decided to really work at it. Word of mouth is a reader's best friend. I get referrals all the time "my friend said that you did a reading for her and it was amazing..." Not sure exactly what's amazing about my readings, I just tell them what the cards are telling me... but I have some self-doubt issues as well.... (not good for starting a full time reading business, I'm working on it...) Don't charge too much. There is a reader around here who charges $100 an hour and easily makes it, BUT she's been reading, for pay, for over 20 years! I charge $10 for 15 minutes and it seems to work out well. I've also been offered a spot as the only reader at a local shop, in the mall, and business will explode if I take it. I'm having doubts as to whether I'm ready to handle such a busy spot as the mall, and it would also mean going REALLY, REALLY public, something I've tended to avoid doing.... Also realize you'll have to spend a bit of money to get started. Not a lot, but some. You'll need flyers, business cards, etc. Business cards are your best friend. Pass them out like candy. I use mailing labels to print a "coupon" on the back (Present this card for $2 off of a 15 minute reading or $5 off of a 30 minute reading..... or..... Bring a friend. Readings are buy one get one half off!) I have different "specials" and offers. I also am thinking of doing a "punch card" sort of thing. I have a LOT of repeat clients, and I'm thinking of doing a "Buy 10 readings, get 1 reading free!" deal. Above all, and I have to constantly remind myself this, it's a business and you have to be willing to treat it as such. I read from my home a great deal of the time, and as such have to keep my home spotless. I want to make a good impression. Also, items that I like, paintings that I like, etc... may seem threatening to some clients, so while I might want to display them in a prominent place I can't always do that. Have clear-cut policies. Will you offer refunds if a client is satisfied with the reading? Is their a time limit on those refunds? Do you take checks? Money orders? Credit cards? What are your fees? Are you going to give yourself a raise after so much time? Taxes are a tricky thing, you have to keep very careful track of EVERYTHING you make. But honestly, I think it's worth it to do something I love.

psychic sue	27 Mar 2005
I DREAM of making a living from it. I think the closest I could get (without doing the psychic/tarot lines) would be to work in the office part time and do tarot part time. But I think I would have to offer crystall ball readings etc as well, not just tarot. This is a plan for about ten years time for me, when I am nearing 55 and thinking of easing off on the work front. People who manage to make a living from this are brave and very fortunate. Sue x

Gwynne	27 Mar 2005
psychic sue wrote: I DREAM of making a living from it. I think the closest I could get (without doing the psychic/tarot lines) would be to work in the office part time and do tarot part time. But I think I would have to offer crystall ball readings etc as well, not just tarot. This is a plan for about ten years time for me, when I am nearing 55 and thinking of easing off on the work front. People who manage to make a living from this are brave and very fortunate. Sue x That's a good point, offering more than just Tarot readings. I use Runes as well, and often read them in conjunction with Tarot. I also offer classes, both private and group lessons, and am available for parties and other events. Don't limit yourself, offer all of your talents.

Witchn_Famous	28 Mar 2005
Thank you everyone for your opinions. I do a variety of things, so I gather that I should continue my plan and incorporate everything together. I will have to work very hard, but it will be well worth it. I really appreciate your support everyone :-) Brightest Blessings, Colette

tarotbear	28 Mar 2005
About five years ago - I put up a web page offering readings - never made a cent... About four years ago I paid someone to create a web page for me, make the comections, and offered readings - never made a cent... Last year I had the same person make an entirely new and different web page for me - and never made a cent... The only person who made money off my website if the man who created it for me! :smoker: Glad i never gave up my day job! So, I wrote a book instead!

Witchn_Famous	28 Mar 2005
tarotbear wrote: About five years ago - I put up a web page offering readings - never made a cent... About four years ago I paid someone to create a web page for me, make the comections, and offered readings - never made a cent... Last year I had the same person make an entirely new and different web page for me - and never made a cent... The only person who made money off my website if the man who created it for me! :smoker: Glad i never gave up my day job! So, I wrote a book instead! Oh, that's terrible. Do you do other things as well metaphysically speaking?

Witchn_Famous	28 Mar 2005
Witchn_Famous wrote: Hello All, I would like to know your opinion on tarot readings. Is it possible to make a decent living doing readings for people via the internet and in person. For quite a while now...did I say quite awhile, it seems like an up heal battle. I live here in California and people here seem to be quite secretive and do not wish to reveal any information on this subject. However, they will offer tarot reading classes, etc., but not offer anything more without $$$. So I would really appreciate any feedback I could get. I've been told many times by psychics and mediums that this is indeed my path...and I love doing it. However, from my observation and my husband's as well there doesn't seem to be much interest. I'm not sure if it would make a difference if I relocated or not....but probably not. Thank you for your input. Thank you for your wise, wise, opinion. It sounds practical. I wear a few hats in this field and see that I will have to combine all (classes, lectures, etc).

tarotbear	28 Mar 2005
Oh, that's terrible. Do you do other things as well - metaphysically speaking? O.K. - be fair - the initial thrust of this thread was about making a living doing readings off the internet and 'live and in person.' It's one thing to be available - it's another thing to find the audience that's right for you. You would expect that the internet is full of people just begging to have a reading done. It really is - but you have to get them to find you, and once they do you have to be able to control them and turn them off when necessary. I once did a psychic fair at a shop -- no-brainer, wouldn't you say? There were three of us there to read and four people came in for readings the entire time. I teach tarot classes and every time I try to get a class started - no matter where it is - it gets harder and harder to get the minimum of students. The area I am in now has lots of 'metaphysical goings-on' and the competition is fierce. On the success side of things ~~~ I have always done best with tarot parties - where I go to someone's home and it was their responsibility to get their friends to get their butts there. A captive audience was great! I have found that being the only one doing 'what I do' in a large, open public ventue works great. As much as you have heard me bitch about dealing with the Mardi Gras fiascoes in other threads, 2 readers to 500 people is great odds! I was hired out through an 'entertainment agent' looking to expand the possibilties for a function -- worked great and paid well, also! Too bad it only happened once! I have found that working one-on-one was not the way to go for me -- it was too much work on my part to make it happen. Don't forget to factor in time, gas, travel, payment, also expenses of advertising, printing flyers and business cards, etc. You will have to be willing to do a lot of work yourself - for free. Merely placing a beacon proclaiming 'Hey! I'm over here!' will not get you very far. Yes - I have a published tarot book out there - doing well enough, I might even add. But it took THREE YEARS to get that book on the shelf ~ with the investment of time, blood, sweat, tears, and postage to make it happen. But it doesn't sell itself - you hear me mention it ( and mention it ... I know) to everyone I can because even though I have Barnes and Noble for a distributor, they don't care which book is selling as long as it is selling. I am just trying to get the odds on my side. :smoker:

Gwynne	28 Mar 2005
tarotbear wrote: Oh, that's terrible. Do you do other things as well - metaphysically speaking? O.K. - be fair - the initial thrust of this thread was about making a living doing readings off the internet and 'live and in person.' It's one thing to be available - it's another thing to find the audience that's right for you. You would expect that the internet is full of people just begging to have a reading done. It really is - but you have to get them to find you, and once they do you have to be able to control them and turn them off when necessary. I once did a psychic fair at a shop -- no-brainer, wouldn't you say? There were three of us there to read and four people came in for readings the entire time. I teach tarot classes and every time I try to get a class started - no matter where it is - it gets harder and harder to get the minimum of students. The area I am in now has lots of 'metaphysical goings-on' and the competition is fierce. On the success side of things ~~~ I have always done best with tarot parties - where I go to someone's home and it was their responsibility to get their friends to get their butts there. A captive audience was great! I have found that being the only one doing 'what I do' in a large, open public ventue works great. As much as you have heard me bitch about dealing with the Mardi Gras fiascoes in other threads, 2 readers to 500 people is great odds! I was hired out through an 'entertainment agent' looking to expand the possibilties for a function -- worked great and paid well, also! Too bad it only happened once! I have found that working one-on-one was not the way to go for me -- it was too much work on my part to make it happen. Don't forget to factor in time, gas, travel, payment, also expenses of advertising, printing flyers and business cards, etc. You will have to be willing to do a lot of work yourself - for free. Merely placing a beacon proclaiming 'Hey! I'm over here!' will not get you very far. Yes - I have a published tarot book out there - doing well enough, I might even add. But it took THREE YEARS to get that book on the shelf ~ with the investment of time, blood, sweat, tears, and postage to make it happen. But it doesn't sell itself - you hear me mention it ( and mention it ... I know) to everyone I can because even though I have Barnes and Noble for a distributor, they don't care which book is selling as long as it is selling. I am just trying to get the odds on my side. :smoker: I'm lucky as far as competition goes. There is virtually none in my area. The one shop we've got around here has a reader who is only available 2 to 3 days a week, and none of those days are weekends. The shop is in the mall, and I'm interviewing next week for a job as a shop assistant and staff reader, as well as the opportunity to teach classes and workshops. They are in a heavily traveled area of the mall, just moved to a new location in fact, and their foot traffic has sky-rocketed, their sales have more than quadrupled since they moved... I was talking to the owner today and she said that she's constantly got people coming in asking for readings, but the reader who is working their at the moment just isn't available. She's been looking for a reader, but I guess a lot of the people that go in for an interview are just flakes.... It makes me glad I'm in an area whose population of those with metaphysical interests is just starting to grow. It's a relatively new thing to my area, though I've personally been Pagan for nearly 14 years, there aren't that many of us around.

Witchn_Famous	28 Mar 2005
Gwynne wrote: I'm lucky as far as competition goes. There is virtually none in my area. The one shop we've got around here has a reader who is only available 2 to 3 days a week, and none of those days are weekends. The shop is in the mall, and I'm interviewing next week for a job as a shop assistant and staff reader, as well as the opportunity to teach classes and workshops. They are in a heavily traveled area of the mall, just moved to a new location in fact, and their foot traffic has sky-rocketed, their sales have more than quadrupled since they moved... I was talking to the owner today and she said that she's constantly got people coming in asking for readings, but the reader who is working their at the moment just isn't available. She's been looking for a reader, but I guess a lot of the people that go in for an interview are just flakes.... It makes me glad I'm in an area whose population of those with metaphysical interests is just starting to grow. It's a relatively new thing to my area, though I've personally been Pagan for nearly 14 years, there aren't that many of us around. Hello Gwynne, Congratulations...and many green candles to you. It's nice to hear that someone can make it work. It's lucky for you that the competition is not high like it is here in California (Los Angeles). I wish you only the best of luck, prosperity, and happiness.

Michelle	29 Mar 2005
I have a close friend who has been reading approx. 30 years. She reads Tarot but is also highly intuitive and reads without cards most of the time. She has taught classes, etc. through the years but for the most part has supported herself by providing readings. She does most of her readings now by phone (not a psychic line). Her advice to me was to start out by doing fairs/festivals. Then to also try to do home parties. It seems to be all about word of mouth. So I would say Yes, it can most definitely be done - through lots of hard work and determination. I wish you the best of luck and great success :).

The Can It Really Be Done? thread was originally posted on 26 Mar 2005 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.