Talkin' Tarot with Sarah Barry

Talkin’ Tarot With is a monthly feature designed to introduce my readers to different tarot readers from our wonderfully diverse community! Each month, I’ll be asking various tarot readers 3 questions about their tarot philosophy and style, plus pointing you to their websites and blogs so that you can learn more about them! I like to hand pick tarot readers that I feel are talented and interesting.

It might have been her height or those tarot leggings. Or perhaps just the gorgeous, warm smile. Whatever the case, Sarah Barry, also known as Psychic Sarah, got my attention immediately when I first spotted her at a tarot conference (if you love tarot you do need to get to these shindigs, people). I’m happy she did.

This talented reader hails from Australia and has been working as a full time pro for over a decade. She cares deeply about her clients and describes her reading style as “a unique, non-sectarian tarot reading style that is calm and grounding, while also accurate, inspiring and fun.” That might also describe her. When you spend time with Sarah, you feel that sense of quirkiness and peace right away. She’s like that cool friend that you might not see for years but when you do, it’s like no time has passed. It’s a feeling of instant, mutual trust. This kind of trust lends well to a stellar tarot experience. That’s because if you feel at home with a reader, you are more likely to forge a solid connection. If you have the good fortune to meet Sarah or to work with her, you’ll know exactly what I mean about this.

In addition to reading tarot, Sarah also writes a monthly Tarot Reading for the Collective and a monthly Tarot newsletter. She also collects tarot-themed tattoos for The Tarot Tattoo Project (7 down, 71 to go!) : sarahthepsychic.com/tarot-tattoo-project.

She’s also getting ready to launch T.U.T.U (Tarot Unites The Universe), a monthly event. These will be intimate gatherings, where the tarot is used in collaborative ways to explore the conversations we need to be having more of in our communities. A place to ask the questions and discover both practical and mysterious responses that can benefit the entire community, and the part we can play in effecting empowering change. More info to be posted on her website soon!

And here’s the thing I love the most: the Divination Bike! You can see a picture of it on her site. These are community-based divination readings. Sarah explains it like this: “I ask my bicycle ~ The Divination Bike ~ a question, and depending on which tarot cards are on top of my wheels at the end of my trip, provide the answer. I post the outcome on Instagram.” How dope is that?! If you’re lucky enough to be in her hood, be sure to keep an eye out for her and that bike! I know she can’t trek all the way to here with the Divination Bike but if she did, I’d want a ride on those handlebars! Ha ha!

But hey – you don’t have to be down under to get a reading from her – she offers them to clients all over the world via Skype. Get to know Sarah and grab a reading at her site: Psychic Sarah. And check out The Divination Bike while you’re at it!

Bio:

Sarah Barry a.k.a Psychic Sarah has been a full-time professional tarot reader since 2003. She does face-to-face, Skype and email readings from her private tarot office in Newtown, Sydney, Australia. Working with the tarot is a career that helps her understand the complexities of humanity, and she very much enjoys the ongoing opportunity to sit with such a huge cross-section of society.

When not reading tarot, she can be found making chai, meditating, writing, riding her flowery-tarot-art-bicycle (a.k.a The Divination Bike) or getting another tarot-themed tattoo.

You can find Sarah at these online places:

Website: sarahthepsychic.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/sarahthepsychic

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahthepsychic (@sarahthepsychic)

Check out her interesting answers to my questions below:

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Q: What is your philosophy about tarot reading?

Sarah: I always approach the tarot with curiosity and delight, and I marvel at the synchronicities it reveals every day. Tarot reading is a beautiful way to perceive patterns that are occurring within myself, within my clients, within my community and the whole world. Sometimes people ask me, “What can we ask the tarot cards?”, but I’m more inclined to say, “What CAN’T we ask?” – there is really no limit in terms of questioning, though I think approaching the tarot with empowering, spiritually connected and ethical enquiries will bear the most fabulous fruit.

If someone wants to know what an ex is thinking about them, whether or not they will pass their exams, whether their partner is cheating on them, or when they’ll get married – the tarot cards kind of fart at me and stutter, “you’re asking me WHAT?!” The potential for a tarot reading to help us create new stories that enliven us and align us with clearer purpose is strong, and ideally we should lean towards those possibilities when we pick up a tarot deck, whether it’s for our own journey or somebody else’s.

I’m non-sectarian in my approach and I don’t require anyone to have a particular belief system in order for the language that I use to make sense, as I prefer what I say to be universally applicable rather than limited in any way.

Q: How do you feel a client might get the most out of a reading with you?

Sarah: Everyone is different, though if people are willing to relax and go with the flow, we can take a kind of trip down the rabbit hole together. I prefer no information from my clients for the first 5 minutes or so, just to get my head out of the way and a feel for the undercurrent of things. Once I’ve checked in with them after the initial insights, people often find that they want me to keep going with the flow, as any questions they might have come in with can then be looked at from angles they hadn’t perceived.

If clients do come with very precise issues they want to explore, there is still the potential to examine them in an open way if they ask in a way that encourages self-reflection and the stamina for inner work. I can always help re-frame a question if necessary in order to facilitate this.

Sometimes people ask questions such as, “What stops me from knowing my own strength, and what can I do to change that?” or “What impression do I make on the community around me?” or “What can I work on within myself so I can better serve the world?”

It’s questions like these that make my heart expand, and have more faith in humanity. When people are willing to be open to their true potential, there is so much more we can explore.

Q: What is your best piece of advice for an aspiring tarot reader?

Sarah: If you want to serve your community by reading the tarot, you are going to need to serve yourself first. Of course, practice reading on anyone who is willing until you gain more confidence, but make sure you are looking after yourself too. When you open up your business to the wider community you will be faced with all kinds of life lessons. In order to navigate them without stress or burn-out, make sure you are taking care of yourself every day, no excuses.

For myself, I meditate daily, attend 10-Day Vipassana meditation courses annually, and visit a professional supervisor monthly, or bi-monthly as the need arises. My supervisor is a psychotherapist with whom I can talk about aspects of my work in a confidential manner. She helps me make sure my boundaries are strong and that I am working with people as ethically as possible.

So I would advise having some sort of grounding contemplation practice, along with visits to an experienced professional who can keep you on track and be an excellent sounding board. Connect with other tarot readers, as this business can be isolating. And make sure you truly love working with the tarot, as that love alone will keep you striving to grow and be capable of facing whatever may occur.

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Big thanks to Sarah for making time for me today! Learn more about her at: sarahthepsychic.com

Blessings!

Theresa