Employed tarot readers

Moonpaw

I've been digging into old threads here, but I couldn't find answers to this particular question. Please excuse me if I've overlooked any.

Does anyone here have any experience as an employed tarot reader? Most professional tarot readers appear to be self-employed/independent contractors. I'd love to hear about any experience you guys might have reading the tarot as a full-time employee of someone else's company.

I ask because over the next two years, my husband will be transitioning out of the Armed Forces and going back to school, and I'd like to be able to contribute financially. I'm disabled and am pretty limited in the types of work I can do consistently, but I love the tarot and feel comfortable reading for others even when my health is on the downswing. I just don't want to deal with the stress of becoming self-employed if I don't have to; I'm worried that I'd just end up making myself even more sick and defeat the point.

Are there any options for a prospective tarot reader who doesn't want to go the own-your-own-business route?

Starri Knytes

There is mention in at least one thread of readers who have done phone work for one Co or the other. You might try a site search using that as part of the criteria.
There are also readers here who are employed by shop owners as tarot readers.

If you're lucky they will show up in this thread and identify themselves.

Good luck sweetie!
I hope you find the information your looking for.

Apollonia

Moonpaw said:
I've been digging into old threads here, but I couldn't find answers to this particular question. Please excuse me if I've overlooked any.

Does anyone here have any experience as an employed tarot reader? Most professional tarot readers appear to be self-employed/independent contractors. I'd love to hear about any experience you guys might have reading the tarot as a full-time employee of someone else's company.

I ask because over the next two years, my husband will be transitioning out of the Armed Forces and going back to school, and I'd like to be able to contribute financially. I'm disabled and am pretty limited in the types of work I can do consistently, but I love the tarot and feel comfortable reading for others even when my health is on the downswing. I just don't want to deal with the stress of becoming self-employed if I don't have to; I'm worried that I'd just end up making myself even more sick and defeat the point.

Are there any options for a prospective tarot reader who doesn't want to go the own-your-own-business route?

Sorry I can't help here. The only professional readers I've known who worked out of a shop, including myself, were independent contractors and just paid a cut to the owners.

I'm curious, though--what do you feel would be more stressful about being independent?

Ace

Try phone work. There are companies out there, but the pay no matter where is low. If you can create your own web site, maybe you can set yourself up as an independent reader. But reading for a company is very low pay: they charge the clients 10 times what you get, and you ONLY get paid for "connect time" when you are actually reading not while waiting to be a reader.

Barb

Rosewater

I agree with what others have said, you'd be very, very lucky to become a salaried Tarot reader. But it might still be possible to organize it at a level you can handle.

Being disabled myself, I'm in similar circumstances to you. I enjoy reading Tarot and get clients on a word-of-mouth basis rather than advertising. That way I'm never over-inundated. Word of mouth works better than you might think - if a client is happy with the reading she/he is likely to recommend you to relatives and friends, or buy their friends a birthday reading. And you'll get more amenable clients - my past experience with public advertising is that it can attract obnoxious or unsavory types. As I do readings at home, I like to have control over who comes to my door.

tarotlova

I'm with Phuture Me, after you pass a test you put up a profile on the site and people will pick you for a reading. It is not something I would be able to live off per say as I have been out of work for over a year now but the extra money it does bring in is handy. Last month I think I had one reading which is apparently normal for that month! today I had two within the hour. George is a member on here if you would like to PM him, I really enjoy it as there is no cost to us, any bugs George will handle it so you don't have to worry about keeping a website up.

Callanish is his user name.

nisaba

Moonpaw said:
Does anyone here have any experience as an employed tarot reader? Most professional tarot readers appear to be self-employed/independent contractors. I'd love to hear about any experience you guys might have reading the tarot as a full-time employee of someone else's company.

It's not something that most businesses have a vacancy for. You're better off learning how to use payroll software.

I ask because over the next two years, my husband will be transitioning out of the Armed Forces and going back to school, and I'd like to be able to contribute financially. I'm disabled and am pretty limited in the types of work I can do consistently, but I love the tarot and feel comfortable reading for others even when my health is on the downswing. I just don't want to deal with the stress of becoming self-employed if I don't have to; I'm worried that I'd just end up making myself even more sick and defeat the point.

Are there any options for a prospective tarot reader who doesn't want to go the own-your-own-business route?

I understand why you'd like to do it, but good luck finding ads for a Tarot reader in the situations vacant pages of the papers. I don't think I've ever seen vacancies for readers. The closest I've ever got is becoming the preferred reader of a given entertainment venue, and being called in to read at themed nights. Even then, I'm not on a wage: they get me to invoice them an agreed amount. It could be months between occasions.

nisaba

Starri Knytes said:
There are also readers here who are employed by shop owners as tarot readers.

I've never heard of shops employing readers, and I've been reading in spiritual shops since the early 1990s. If they offer you a shift it's on the basis of you making yourself available. No readings, no money. Readings, money, out of which you give an agreed percentage to the house.

Starri Knytes

nisaba said:
I've never heard of shops employing readers, and I've been reading in spiritual shops since the early 1990s. If they offer you a shift it's on the basis of you making yourself available. No readings, no money. Readings, money, out of which you give an agreed percentage to the house.

Different areas, different shops, different terms and agreements.

Moonpaw

Starri Knytes said:
There is mention in at least one thread of readers who have done phone work for one Co or the other. You might try a site search using that as part of the criteria.

I'll do that. Thank you.

Apollonia said:
I'm curious, though--what do you feel would be more stressful about being independent?

I guess I take it for granted that being solely responsible legally, financially, and administratively for your own business is more stressful than being employed by someone else. My illness responds very poorly to stress; even "normal" stress that other people are used to can cause a relapse in me if I'm not careful.

Ace said:
But reading for a company is very low pay: they charge the clients 10 times what you get, and you ONLY get paid for "connect time" when you are actually reading not while waiting to be a reader.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate the heads up. I didn't know it was that bad. Oh, well; all of the hotlines/websites I've had a look at only contract freelancers anyhow.

Rosewater said:
Being disabled myself, I'm in similar circumstances to you. I enjoy reading Tarot and get clients on a word-of-mouth basis rather than advertising. That way I'm never over-inundated.

This sounds quite lovely. I think this would probably be the best fit for me if I ever do actually manage to go professional. I still worry about whether I'd be able to do consistent accounting, legal consultation, etc., but it's starting to look like there's not any way around it regardless.

tarotlova said:
I'm with Phuture Me, after you pass a test you put up a profile on the site and people will pick you for a reading.

Thank you.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find in their policy how they hire their consultants, but I'm willing to bet they contract freelancers as well.

nisaba said:
The closest I've ever got is becoming the preferred reader of a given entertainment venue, and being called in to read at themed nights. Even then, I'm not on a wage: they get me to invoice them an agreed amount. It could be months between occasions.

nisaba said:
I've never heard of shops employing readers, and I've been reading in spiritual shops since the early 1990s. If they offer you a shift it's on the basis of you making yourself available. No readings, no money. Readings, money, out of which you give an agreed percentage to the house.

I was worried that would be the case, but I'm glad I asked. Thank you for responding with your experience, it's very helpful for me to know that this is the standard practice.