You don’t necessarily have to believe that tarot cards are a harbinger of future events in order to become a tarot card reader. If you plan on reading tarot cards for a living, however, then you should known the meanings of the cards backward and forward. A flair for showmanship is a nice touch – folks who seek to have their fortunes read oftento appreciate incense, flowing robes, long hair, and mystical ambiance – and honing your skills in dramatic timing could make you very popular. Mostly, to become a tarot card reader with a loyal clientele, you need to know how to read people even better than you know how to read the cards.
There are a number of different styles and brands of tarot card decks, but they all follow the same basic pattern. Each deck consists of 78 cards, divided into various categories. In what is known as the minor arcana of the deck, the cards feature pentacles, swords, wands, and cups. The rest of the deck, the major arcana, depicts illustrations such as the tower, the fool, death, and the hanged man. Each card represents a different meaning if it is upright or reversed, and can also have further meaning if it is laid out in a multi-card spread.
When you have learned the basics of the cards and their meanings, you can venture out and become a tarot card reader. It might be a good idea to gain some experience by reading the cards for family and friends, for this will teach you how to build a rapport with your future clients and ask subtle, yet pertinent questions. Amongst psychics and clients, surreptitiously convincing the client to give you information is called a “cold reading.” People love to talk about themselves, and if you prompt them just a bit, you will receive a wealth of detail.
For instance, you might lay out the cards in one of the many figures that are possible, stare at them for a moment, and then ask the client if someone close to them has passed away. You might ask them if they are involved in a love affair, if they are seeking a love affair, or if a love affair has ended badly. You might even ask if they have back problems, or if someone close to them is suffering back pain. These are commonalities held by virtually every person on the planet, and the client won’t mind if you work in a number of questions till you hit the right one. They want you to be correct, want to think you know the future, and thus will overlook the fact that you are simply dragging your hook through the water until you get a bite.
There are many ways to become a tarot card reader on a professional basis. You can set up a booth at carnivals or renaissance fairs, apply for a job at one of the many telephone or Internet-based companies that provide readings, or you can hang out your own shingle and work one-on-one with clients. Before doing any of this, you should check your state and local laws. Some towns and cities do not allow fortunetellers or tarot card readers, and others require a license. Failure to comply with these laws will land you a stiff fine and put you out of business.