Would you ever work as a professional reader?

[La-Scorciere]

I finally started charging at the insistence of my friends that I regularly read for. To me there's nothing wrong with getting paid to do what you love. It's not my full time job, but it's nice to make a little extra $$ from time to time. My best experiences have been through an event company that pays a set amount for a certain amount of time plus tips. My worst experiences have been booth rental type stuff because people seem more suspicious. It's like they don't trust the reading and think you're just telling them what they want to hear. And there's always a chance you'll lose money if you pay a fee to be there and then it rains or something. I say trust your intuition on this, or maybe do a reading on it, and tell us what it says! [emoji41]

 

[Buckh]

I finally started charging at the insistence of my friends that I regularly read for. To me there's nothing wrong with getting paid to do what you love. It's not my full time job, but it's nice to make a little extra $$ from time to time. My best experiences have been through an event company that pays a set amount for a certain amount of time plus tips. My worst experiences have been booth rental type stuff because people seem more suspicious. It's like they don't trust the reading and think you're just telling them what they want to hear. And there's always a chance you'll lose money if you pay a fee to be there and then it rains or something. I say trust your intuition on this, or maybe do a reading on it, and tell us what it says! [emoji41]

Being 31 years old and disabled, I'd like to find a job I can do from my home with relative ease. I discovered tarot cards a few years ago and began to learn gradually. I found it unique in that you can help people through these cards simply by letting them speak through you. I've never made a dime through this, but would like to while maintaining the ability to help others. I currently do readings in the exchange section of this website and am intensely curious as to whether or not my more in-depth readings are worthy of charging.

With all that in mind, I did briefly maintain a podcast where I did read for people for free. Hearing the almost desperation in people's voices while looking for a job or wondering about the relationship they were in was quite difficult, but you have to learn to not take it home with you. I suppose reading professionally would have its pros and cons as with anything else.

The comics by Seven Stars give an interesting view towards the life of a public reader, LOL

 

[seven stars]

If I were bedridden I could get so much more done I'd be a millionaire. People keep telling me "you can't sit in front of that computer all day long - you have to get up & move around - do something - get some exercise - go have a drink" etc etc.....I'm not even kidding. And I'm not on AT all day either - right now, I'm sorting out a printer mix-up where the printer switched an order with two customers, with someone else who wants 7 custom cards in their deck, with another who wants me to remake every image in an entire deck, I have 5 orders waiting for me to fill them, I have updates I need to do on my website, I need to paint more on the new Lenormand deck I've started painting, for some reason January must have been Mercury in Retrograde because I have customers all over the world wanting their tracking numbers because they've been waiting a month for their deck - no apparent reason for them being late they're just late, I have people wanting in on the January sale & to be added to the mailing list, I need to respond to the correspondences that write just to say they got their deck & they're happy with them, and all this is just TODAY. I just need to sit in this one spot on this couch & do all this TODAY & then tomorrow, it's the same thing all over again only maybe I'll also get an order for a reading & need to photograph the reading & write out the whole thing & send it to the person.........yes, if I were bedridden, everyone would be happy. I LOVE this stuff, but, it's a lot of stuff that requires a lot of sitting in one spot. YOU SHOULD DO JUST FINE.

 

[Buckh]

If I were bedridden I could get so much more done I'd be a millionaire. People keep telling me "you can't sit in front of that computer all day long - you have to get up & move around - do something - get some exercise - go have a drink" etc etc.....I'm not even kidding. And I'm not on AT all day either - right now, I'm sorting out a printer mix-up where the printer switched an order with two customers, with someone else who wants 7 custom cards in their deck, with another who wants me to remake every image in an entire deck, I have 5 orders waiting for me to fill them, I have updates I need to do on my website, I need to paint more on the new Lenormand deck I've started painting, for some reason January must have been Mercury in Retrograde because I have customers all over the world wanting their tracking numbers because they've been waiting a month for their deck - no apparent reason for them being late they're just late, I have people wanting in on the January sale & to be added to the mailing list, I need to respond to the correspondences that write just to say they got their deck & they're happy with them, and all this is just TODAY. I just need to sit in this one spot on this couch & do all this TODAY & then tomorrow, it's the same thing all over again only maybe I'll also get an order for a reading & need to photograph the reading & write out the whole thing & send it to the person.........yes, if I were bedridden, everyone would be happy. I LOVE this stuff, but, it's a lot of stuff that requires a lot of sitting in one spot. YOU SHOULD DO JUST FINE.

Exhausting reading this, lol. Was this in reply to myself? If not, I apologize for assuming

 

[seven stars]

Exhausting reading this, lol. Was this in reply to myself? If not, I apologize for assuming

Ya lol sorry. It's actually much more stuff than that but I was trying to keep it short.

 

[MandMaud]

Replying in order that I read your posts...

Maybe I should write a book, "How To Be Insanely Happy Doing Only What You Love To Do". Maybe shorten it to Insane Happiness for Dummies hahahaha!

DO IT!

I didn't get discouraged I just fine tuned what I put out until I found something people actually wanted.

Isn't that the point - you *didn't get discouraged.*

A lot of stories..I think every reader could write a book about working with the public.

Do that too! Something like James Herriott...

Being 31 years old and disabled, I'd like to find a job I can do from my home with relative ease.

Ditto and everything else you said. Except I haven't ever done a podcast, and I'm 47.

Hearing the almost desperation in people's voices while looking for a job or wondering about the relationship they were in was quite difficult, but you have to learn to not take it home with you. I suppose reading professionally would have its pros and cons as with anything else.

I have counselling training and experience, and from what many readers are saying, this is a huge help for me.

If I were bedridden I could get so much more done I'd be a millionaire.

but, it's a lot of stuff that requires a lot of sitting in one spot. YOU SHOULD DO JUST FINE.

Please don't say that, not even as a joke.
DISABILITY IS TIME-CONSUMING.
I nearly swore.

I have 6-8 hours per day, on average, "workable time" - that includes not only cooking, shopping, keeping clothes and house clean, etc, but also eating, showering, phoning (business or social), internet time, the lot. And it also includes keeping active enough to keep as healthy as I currently am - and it includes keeping up with friends just barely enough to keep my mental health at all. In fact this forum IS my social life. You take your list of tasks and triple or quadruple the time each takes: see if you'd earn a living.

I'm sure that if I were bedridden, with 100% normal energy and zero pain, and a full-time housekeeper and bookkeeper, then you're right, I'd be making a great living.

(Not sure how Buckh meant her response, therefore not sure if I'm repeating the same thing.)

 

[seven stars]

Oh I know you're right - and I definitely didn't mean to demean anyone's situation, at all. Indeed, I should amend that to read, if I were bedridden with someone else to do all my shopping & cooking & errands & had no physical pain. Like THAT'S possible.

 

[MandMaud]

Oh I know you're right - and I definitely didn't mean to demean anyone's situation, at all. Indeed, I should amend that to read, if I were bedridden with someone else to do all my shopping & cooking & errands & had no physical pain. Like THAT'S possible.

Sorry I snapped. In this country we're getting a lot of slurs about not really needing the support we claim. I know you weren't saying it's a breeze.

 

[danieljuk]

I was a bit seven stars but then you explained it.

Buckh I am put off doing paid for readings as well because I am not sure I could cope with it in my situation and health / mental health. Research it really carefully but maybe start off slowly and build up! there is site reading networks where you can log in when you want and do some paid readings, I think it's not great money but helps you start off. or set up your own site/ email and go as slowly as you like. I think you can go slowly at the start because people have to find you. You could definitely try it at your own speed! Maybe have max limits of readings per week on what you can cope with and then either have a queue system or close to new readings if it gets too busy.

I once had a tarot reading from a lady online who was severely disabled, I found her before I joined AT. She had many health problems and couldn't speak but did them online, but not in person or phone /web cam. It was a really expensive reading but she had a lot of customers.

If you are disabled and get state support just be careful! if you don't declare you are earning that income you could get in trouble, if you do declare you might be seen as being able to work full time! Research it thoroughly but it does give disabled people a flexible way of being self employed.

 

[seven stars]

OH! What about putting yourself out there as a reader on phone apps! I want to do that myself I just don't know how yet....