Talkin’ Tarot With Brian Babylon

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Brian: My philosophy on tarot reading, and any form of divination really, is that no matter how wondrous or profound or eerily accurate your reading is, you always have free will. The tarot can provide us with so much insight about how events of the past continue to influence our lives, what’s going on right now behind the scenes and what we should look for coming up, but ultimately your future is up to you. A good card reading can give you signs to look for to tell you you’re on the right path, as well as warnings about what people or situations could be problematic. I believe the future is predictable, but not predetermined, and that it changes all the time based on the decisions we make. I might see wonderful financial success at a new job in a reading for a client, but if they take this to mean that a new job is in the bag and they stop handing out resumes, it’s probably not going to happen. I think sometimes the accuracy of a reading can be overwhelming and astounding to the point that it can overshadow the fact that we have to make decisions and take actions in our lives in order to manifest change. I’ve been completely blown away by readings I’ve gotten from other card readers and psychics, and I’m still amazed when a client tells me that what I saw in a reading for them has come to pass, but it’s still important for me to remind clients that they must still take action to avoid potential problems and bring about potential successes.

Brian: If we have a reading in person or over the phone, one of the most important things is to record your reading or take notes. When I’m really in the zone and the cards are hot, I typically have no idea what I said after the reading is over. It’s also important to have a record of the reading because a lot of what comes through is intuitive and might not be shown explicitly in the cards. I take photos of the spreads that I email to clients after their reading, but that extra info that comes through can be super helpful. Also, something that doesn’t seem to make sense at the time of the reading might become crystal clear in a few days or weeks, so it’s always good to have a record.

When it comes to email readings, I think it’s really important for clients to have questions that are as specific as possible. Since I’m not sitting with the client and can’t ask them those little questions that help me clarify what I’m seeing in a reading, specific questions really help give a more well-rounded reading.

Brian: The most important thing you can do as an aspiring tarot reader is read the cards! Read for your friends. Read for your family. Give free readings at a coffee shop. Actually reading for people will teach you way more about what the cards mean for you than you can learn from any book. Reading for people also helps you get over stage fright and build confidence. Eventually you can even start asking clients to leave a donation if they would like to.

If you are really new to tarot, you can pull some cards every day for yourself until you are more comfortable with their meanings. Check what the books say the cards mean and how that relates to how the cards make you feel when you look at them. Keep a journal of your thoughts and initial reactions to the cards.