Whether for a birthday party or an upcoming bachelorette, you’ve already decided upon something fun, spiritual, and definitely growing in popularity—a tarot reading for all. The flexibility of consulting a tarot reader in person or virtually is something we can all get behind, but there’s still one key factor to consider that has the potential to make or break the success of the event: the quality of the reader. Pretty obvious, right? Understanding that you need a skilled reader is one thing, but how do you actually make sure you get one, especially in such a well-populated field? Luv Collective has assembled a checklist to ensure that—whether from us or from somewhere else—if you’re going with a tarot reader, you can ask all the right questions before signing up.
So obviously we want someone with good reviews, but what else exactly do we need to look for when selecting a tarot reader for a session?
If going digital, pick a reader with plenty of virtual session experience
For obvious reasons, virtual tarot sessions are by far the most common in today’s quarantine-climate. While starkly different than what we’re used to, we’ve had a year to adjust to the new normal—and so have readers and mediums. The reader still needs to make a connection with whoever they’re reading for, but this can absolutely be done via Skype or Zoom; in fact, tarot readers, spiritual mediums and psychics have been using distance communication methods since long before anyone had ever heard of the pandemic, utilizing these methods to serve clients across their home state, country, or even the globe (remember Ms. Cleo anyone?).
This does not, however, mean that you can’t miss when selecting a reader for your tarot event. It is important to screen potential readers in order to select one who is not only comfortable reading your cards from a distance, but ideally one that has done it (and done it well) many times already. Any nervousness, trepidation, or technical difficulties have the potential to throw off an otherwise beneficial session, so we would strongly recommend sticking with the pros here. Luckily for you, Luv Collective has a nationwide directory of readers who are phenomenally skilled in virtual readings, and can pair you up with a great fit in any market.
2. Get to know the reader
Many readers have sample readings available on their websites or on YouTube, to provide a point of reference for potential clients and to introduce them to the reader’s particular style. This can be a very helpful preliminary step for getting to know the reader, and seeing if you have a positive connection.
You could also ask for a single-card explanation—for instance, “what does the six of pentacles represent?” This will give you a basic understanding of the reader’s style, and you’ll be able to judge if you like the manner in which the reader communicates what he or she gleans from the cards. Readers have immensely varying traditions, backgrounds, and styles when it comes to the way they read the Tarot, so of course you’re going to find that some of these are preferable to others. It’s best to find this out as early in the process as possible, so you can either politely part ways or seal the deal!
3. Familiarize yourself with the craft
It’s a great idea to learn a little bit about Tarot readings before heading into your session, especially if you’ve never done one before. There are copious articles throughout the web, and some great sample sessions on YouTube. The more you know about the process going in, the more relaxed you’ll be watching it unfold, which will contribute greatly to the efficacy of the reading in general. You’ll also learn a little bit about the intricacies of card reading (think “reversals”) and therefore won’t be caught off guard when they happen during the session.
We would also recommend doing a trial session on YouTube (like this one), so you have a point of comparison with your personalized session. Do you feel like the cards were more accurate when picked specifically for you? Did the example session reveal things that were eerily on point? The more experience you have with the whole process, the better you can analyze your own session, and therefore you’ll have the potential to gain more from it.
4. Keep the ultimate goal in mind: your enjoyment and personal growth
It’s important to remember that while tarot reading is a storied tradition of the manifestation of the arcane, a session with a reader has only one goal: for you to learn and grow. The purpose of tarot readings is to examine yourself in relation to the information gained from the cards, and ideally to spur on positive introspection. The cards generally do not prognosticate specific or detailed events (IE your boyfriend will propose tomorrow! Something terrible will happen on Tuesday!) so don’t worry too much about what the cards say—just use it to your advantage in gaining a clearer, better formed understanding of yourself.
Click here to book a virtual or in-person tarot session through Luv Collective, or here for a free consultation on services.