When do you know you can charge?

i know this is a 'question with no answer' but when do you know you can charge/ask for payment? i'm thinking if someone asked me how long i'd been reading and i said 6 months, they'd walk away lol -- i know there isn't a timeframe because that's not how this thing works -- but any suggestions? (it's not that i'm going to turn pro next week but i'm kind of curious)


p.s. -- thanks zorya

Ahem…well uh…
First – ya should get some reading face to face for strangers under your belt (and if you are in a small farming town in Indiana this could be difficult).

I’d suggest driving, or thumbing, or hitching up the buggy (it’s a joke…But ain't nothin' runs like a Deere) and getting yourself to a college town. Find a coffee shop and do some three card spreads and journal for a while.

Alone.

At a table with an empty chair.

And read for strangers.

Seriously, get a couple months of reading under your belt. You want to develop a comfort level. You have to find ‘your voice’ – your true voice.

This means actually reading. I’ve heard beginners recite memorized paragraphs of 78 Degrees of Wisdom, and keywords from Greer and call themselves readers…and charge money…( - not saying you are or would, just stating facts here) they are not readers. They are parrots.

And you have to find out if you even LIKE reading for strangers.

(And if a person is in it for the quick EZ money (Be a Professional Tarot Reader! Make the big bucks!)– you may find that…uh…well…the tarot may have other plans…)

Read on planes, trains, coffee shops, bars. Create opportunities.

Cuz you see…if you start charging money and ‘reading’ over the net…and thinking you’re a professional…and then try to move into the face to face world, you’ll get ‘schooled’ by the Tarot. It won’t be pretty.

I’d say read for strangers for at least three months.

Then you may be ready.

I read for strangers for years before I ever charged a dime.

I always charged, even from the begining, but at the first times was to free will of the querent.

Even now i have a fixed price but i'm open to the client situation.
I think that as Tarotist i must be generous too, if the person really need it and can't afford it, and i'm sure Life give me back in the same proportion and very more.

But for me is a prerogative the pay cause for what i carge is for my time too, not only for the appreciation of the reading itself, cause someone might desagree with it, and so what? goes with out pay?
Take care with that, some times people don't wanna listen at all the truth that there is in the cards, and start to play with you...

First I read for free...I needed practice reading live without my books as references.

Then, I bartered...exchange for services...my masseuse and others...

Then I asked for a gift certificate to Starbucks or a cafe...

Then, I began my "home office" business and I charge. My fees are not on my cards or flyers and I will work a sliding scale, if I really feel it is in order, but usually, now, I offer half-hour prices and person can ask for half hour reading, 15 minute or 60 minute....I'm still a little loosey-goosey with time, learning to recognize the time vampires...because I feel the process of buildling up rapport, especially with those new to Tarot is critical...and it is a good way to get referrals from these people as well.

So...when you feel comfortable, charge....not before.

And I don't read where I am not comfortable reading. I do like reading for strangers. I love it, in fact. That's just me.

Good luck!!
terri

Interestingly, I had never even considered charging for readings.
Still don't.
but, not long ago, I was in NY, and had met a very interesting lady.
She sees and talks with spirits everyday. Most of them strangers to her, who show up in this house she bought years ago, that had spirits in it when she bought it.
Having seen & talked with them (spirits) since she was a child, she had no problem with the one's already living in the house.
(she's Native American)

And the first time I met her, she told me of a man that was with me, and described him as very stern, and head strong.
She called his name to me, my father's name, and then she said he was talking about a woman, and that he loved her, that everyone loved her, and that when she crossed to the other side, there would be a great big party for her, given by those who loved her so very much, and then she called my mother's name...
{she had absolutely know way of knowing either name...}

She read by regular playing cards, and didn't feel she could read by tarot, though she had a pack of Rider cards someone had given to her...

Anyway, while I was there, I read for her using her cards.
She was excited that I could read for her, having just met her, and not knowing really anything about her.
I also explained to her how the regular cards related to the tarot cards, and that if she took the time, and practice, that she would be able to read these tarot cards as well.

While I was there, she had me reading for anyone who wanted a reading.
I didn't mind, since down here in the south, you can't really just pull tarot cards out in front of alot of people with out some negative situations raising their ugly heads, so I had only read for myself, my sister, an aunt, and a few friends, while down here. As well as a few online readings, here and at other online forums.
So having the opportunity to read for total strangers was quite refreshing, and i enjoyed myself very much.

This is also where i learnt to lay down my book.
Actually the hardest part for me was trying to put in memory where, and what the card lay out was. LOL!

It tickled me, that i could read for other's, just in telling the story layed down before me.
I've never asked for anyone to tell me their question, but rather, to consentrate on the question that they had.

the feedback from these people was very good, and helped to build my convidence in being able to relate to the cards.

I was suprised in myself, really.

The thing that impressed me, was that after reading for one man, he pulled $5.00 out of his pocket and handed it to me.
It suprised me, and sorta embarrassed me as well, I told him I had only been reading for a short time, had limited experience and didn't charge for my readings, and he told me, i should charge for my readings, that I was spot on, for being someone who had no idea of his life or problems...

After that the woman had started making calls, and was telling her friends that if they wanted a reading, I'd read for them, and for them to bring me $10.00 for it.

!!!

Suprise me!

And if i hadn't been left in the situation of receiving no money from those who haven't held up their part of responsiblity, I may not have even taken it, but the children and i needed some income, so I did...

floracove said:

And if i hadn't been left in the situation of receiving no money from those who haven't held up their part of responsiblity, I may not have even taken it, but the children and i needed some income, so I did...

Click to expand...

Good what you did when accepting the money!!!

I believe that if we want or need prosperity is very necessary to have a "Conscience of Prosperity".
After all the money is not more than an energy and should be changed for any other if we want to collaborate with the free curren of energy.
When we read the cards we are giving from our own energy (and from many more else wills across the time related with the Tarot) for which if we do it free we are removing the responsibility of the other and not giving him the opportunity of collaborating with the Universe.
On the "Spiritual Way" we are acoustomed to give and is difficult to ourselves to accept what is offered us, we think is more spiritual to do it for free when for sure is all the contrary, cause when we go to the bakery for bread we must pay it, we can't say to the baker:
"Hey, I'm Tarotist, i don't charge and i'm very spiritual so you must to give me the bread for free!"(LOL!)
Even if we got it so, don't paying it, the baker will not have with what to maintain his business and feed his children...
O.k. I know i'm exaggerating, but even so that is at bottom of the question...

you don't charge when you read for someone and you feel like it's a mutual exchange cause you are not acoustumed to read and it help you advance in your art; the energy exchange is OK so the Univers law aren't broked...

you charge when you are used to read and it's more a give than a take on the energy level so the energy exchange are maintain (money is plain energy) and the univers law aren't broked...

That's easy as that
Omeada

TheOld said:

you charge when you are used to read and it's more a give than a take on ...That's easy as that
Omeada

Click to expand...

For me not so easy!
Thinking that we never stop to learn,
so when to charge?
How do you know is more a give than a take?

And as this is the Professional Tarot Forum i was always referring about read in a professional level, obvioulsy!
Just to clear!

ok easy for me at least
you got to evaluate yourself on your own factor
make a list of the point about that like "how i feel after a reading, what i give, what i receive, did i feel like i'm helping them a lot, what's the value of what i give...."

you'll make your mind
Omeada

Ah, there have been so many thoughtful and helpful replies already, but if I may venture to join the conversation . . .

I think that it’s reasonable to start charging for readings after you’ve been reading face-to-face for a while, have come to find that you enjoy reading face-to-face, and are regularly getting feedback from sitters that leads you to believe that they are getting something valuable from the experience. I’m not sure I can quantify what I mean by “a while” – I think that will differ for everyone. But I would think it would take at least 6 months, if not a year or longer.

In my case, I’m not yet comfortable with face-to-face readings. I’ve done a handful of them, but still feel a little bit nervous about it, and I have a tendency to rush. So I don’t charge yet. I’m not even thinking of charging yet. Maybe someday, though . . .