Starting a Tarot Business

So, you love tarot you and you want to start a business. Rad! There’s no right or wrong way to do this. I can’t offer a formula for success, because everyone is different. And your differences are exactly where your business should start.

I created the Laughing Eye Weeping Eye tarot deck and printed one copy for myself back in 2011. At that point, I had no intention of starting a business. I was just fascinated by the archetypes and the images, and I wanted to see what reading from my own deck was like. Eventually a year later I printed a few copies for sale.

I started doing readings at bars and music shows, because that is where my peeps were at. My first venue was the Empty Bottle in Chicago. At the time, I was performing with my band Laughing Eye Weeping Eye (the name stuck for me!), and I took the pre-show time to provide tarot readings. I also read on other nights when local bands were performing. I think I was charging $5 – $10! Total tarot newbie was gettin’ her walking legs!

I had no tarot network, but I did have a creative community and that’s where I started. I had some social work experience, so I knew how to talk to people, listen, and help.

So, the first step to starting a tarot business is being willing to take a risk and put yourself out there.

Where is your network? Start there.

Yes, you will eventually make a website and get the online presence going. And charge more than $10. But the only way to get comfortable doing readings and to find your voice is by doing a lot of readings.

For me, reading at events was great because the environment was casual. In 2011, tarot wasn’t as mainstream, and fewer people knew about it or understood what it was. Reading cards in a low-pressure setting made it less intimidating for everyone.

Are you worried your readings aren’t good enough? It’s okay. No one is perfect, and we all have to start somewhere.

Eventually, you will get over this, but often it’s just a matter of doing a lot of readings and having some experience under your belt. Doing back-to-back readings at a few events is a great way to dive in and gain confidence.

Now, let’s talk about the practical aspect of getting your business live and out there. You want to start all the social media things. You want to do newsletters, you want to do events. You want to run through the streets screaming, “I AM HERE TAROT, TAROT HEAR ME ROAR!”

It’s an exciting moment, but all the above things at once are a recipe for disaster. Take on too much too fast and your business will fail. Start slowly, and focus on one thing at a time. A great place to start is to begin writing. What drew you to tarot? What is your philosophy about life, and what do you believe in personally? These two things will intersect. There you go, you are already developing your business philosophy.

Another thing that people are often not prepared for is the sharing of energy. This is a service profession. You are working in a capacity to help people. Self-care is important. What kind of grounding, meditation, and shielding practice do you have? Psychic work requires restorative and protective energy work.

We are drawn to the tarot because it is magical. But once you start reading for people, you share your magic with others. Suddenly, the tarot is not just your magical thing anymore; it’s everyone else’s. Are you ready to share your magic?

The only way to share tarot and the magic you have with others is by keeping some of your own. You need your own magical time. Have a tarot deck that you only use for yourself. Have magical items that you don’t bring with you to events. Meditate. Do spellwork for yourself. Go to classes, take online classes, continue to learn and grow, and do things for yourself.

I recommend taking at least a year or two to do tarot part-time, before expanding to full-time (if that is your long-term goal). This helps you determine if this is right for you and learn more about your approach and focus areas. Just like anything in life, developing your business takes time and energy. Patience, persistence, business smarts, and a love for what you do is what will make your business work.

Blessed be, tarot friends! I wish you the best of luck on your journey!