***Reading Tarot as a Business—Levels of Skill Seldom Lead to Successful Business Ownership

*Reading Tarot for yourself is one skill. The first phase, of course, is simply discovering cards' meanings. There are a number of ways to do this. Learning is between yourself and the deck, and is at your own leisure. You don't have to be correct. This is a fun activity, and you can do it with friends too. *Reading Tarot for friends and people you know is another skill. Reading for friends is once again at your leisure. Even though now you are expected to know meanings, you can fumble around, not know, even be wrong. *Reading Tarot for strangers or regarding third parties is yet another. Strangers expect more performance, and are probably going to give you some reward. They are often friends of friends, or neighbors. You can take your time, you can fumble around a little. Up to this level, you know some things about your querants: You are looking at them, you know something about their lives. You know their social level, and it is probably close enough to your own. Their culture and values are close to your own, probably. Your best next step is to do psychic fairs: face-to-face readings for strangers who spend a little something. Here you may be exposed to people of a different class from yourself. That would be a good thing. *Reading Tarot over the phone for someone else's customers is another skill level. You are in for a shock if you next decide to make a little money being a phone psychic for one of those 'hot lines.' Now people expect you to produce, be correct, and be quick about it. Some of these clients are rude. Many of them live in a different world from you, a different lifestyle. They are only a voice to you: No body language, no checking out their clothes, etc. Some of them are eating, drinking or tending to screaming toddlers. Some of these lines sell two-minute 'readings,' and you are supposed to perform! The employer has dumb rules, like 'you must not mention death, disease or divorce.' And you are being paid 25 cents per talk minute...around minimum wage, since there are not that many calls in an hour. A sense of humor, nerves of steel and a thick skin are job requirements, but of course they don't tell you that! Nevertheless, if you plan to be in business for yourself, this 'exposure' is valuable, since you can discover your own weaknesses at Hotline's expense. A year here could be five years' experience. *Reading Tarot as a self-employed businesswoman is another WORLD, not another level. Many competent phone psychics never dream of having their own business. Lack of knowledge about how to start a business and lack of confidence are factors. Not wanting to sacrifice money to start a business is another. Banks aren't going to lend any 'unknown' money to be Mama Swami. Another common factor, believe it or not, is guilt!--guilt over charging money for services! Fear of not making enough money is very real and is justified. You won't, probably, in the beginning, these days. Many workers also are from humble circumstances, so owning a business itself feels scary. Psychics with real talent are seldom entrepreneurial. What is THAT all about? Predatory entrepreneurs who pretend to be psychics invariably have little or no psychic ability. There are few successful self-employed business owners among psychics. People who own psychic lines are often not psychics themselves. The psychology of 'sensitives' does not include that drive, usually. Nevertheless, I will present, in a sister article to this one, a handbook on what is required to be the entrepreneurial psychic, the sole practitioner who owns his own successful psychic business. Look for 'Reading Tarot as a Business, the Sensitive Entrepreneur,' a series of articles.