How do you know when to charge?

I had an interesting experience today. I read for a guy, and when we were done I happened to mention that I had the Thoth deck along but don't offer it much because it's a little harsh for the uninitiated. He said, "Oh, I would like that!" and promptly bought another reading, then spontaneously tipped me $10.00 on top of that. Even for someone who doesn't really need the money, I could get used to that!

Thank you so much for the replies!
On occasion people have asked me how much I charge and my answer is always "nothing". Without sounding too full of myself, I do think (even though I some times still read from the book), I do have good intuition that kicks in while reading, and the readings I have done, have left both the seeker and I in shock with accuracy. When I first started I actually said I'd never take a dime for readings, my mind has since changed the more I delve deeper and the more time I invest into it. Some times after a big read, I am physically spent.
Charging is a long term goal, thanks once again for the insight, super appreciated.

I have struggled with the feeling that charging for what I do is wrong... it's a very deeply ingrained belief, in pretty much everyone! I'm at the stage of getting it with my head, not yet my heart - but two ideas have been helping me and I'm coming closer to feeling that's it's ok:

1. If we keep ourselves poor or with just enough to get by, we have nothing to give or to share. If I want to found that charitable trust or international prize or school, I need to have the wealth to do it.

2. When people pay, in fact the more people pay, the more likely they are to put something into practice. If you want to help people for real, remember that they may have an epiphany or be deeply moved by your reading, but if they've paid they are far more likely to act on what they learnt.

As I say, these are still things that I have to keep telling myself - they are true, yet my block about charging (not only for tarot but for other things) is a very solid one. I am working on it! But I now understand that working (giving hours, giving any kind of value) for free isn't a virtue. I do think it's important to be able to waive the fee when someone can't afford it and so on, or have a sliding scale or something like that. Maybe leave the amount up to the querent - I like that idea. A lot of authors sell ebooks now with a "pay what you think it's worth" PayPal button and that depends on people coming back after they've read the book - and this *still* makes money. Believe it or not, people like to pay when they receive.

I started charging again because the shop owner who invited me to read there makes some money from it, and I'm really interested in keeping her store going. It's been several decades since that kind of resource has been available in this area. What I make covers the cost of gas and the occasional new deck or two, nothing earth-shaking. If I make $100 on a Saturday morning, that's doing well.

When I realised that I was no longer a beginner (I am an intermediate level reader)... and everyone I read for told me how good my reading is.


So - last year - I dared to have a Tarot reading website.
For on-line reading I'll still use my books - I have the time to do so, and therefore make sure
I'm offering my absolute best in this regard.

I don't yet read face-to-face professionally (I have done so in the distant past), but this day is looming now again.
Presently I read in Tarot meet-ups, or occasionally for friends.

Tanga said:

So - last year - I dared to have a Tarot reading website

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And a darn fine website it is too, I happen to know.

I have charged(kind of) the first time a few weeks ago. It wasn't a money that I got but it made me feel really good. We were a company of friends at informal, warm atmosphere(tea and cookies) meeting and I had the Chrystalis deck with me.

I told each to give me back something for a reading(everyone were satisfied with their I think) and we had a lot of fun with it. So each gave me something for it. I have got some makeup, fresh bread and apples and an home protecting handmade amulet doll(which is just perfect). I have felt like I am level up here and it gave me more confidence.

There is nothing wrong with charging for your readings. We live in the material society so getting a payment for something you do for someone is perfectly okay. When you go to a lawyer for a consultation, you are charged by the hour -- just for the lawyer's opinion. Why should giving a Tarot reading be any different? Getting the payment also completes the exchange of energy. You use up a lot of your energy to help someone and it's only fair to get the payment in return. You don't have to give, give, give until you have nothing to give. That doesn't benefit you and your gift.

I started charging when my readings got much more detailed and accurate I was being asked "Why don't you charge for your readings?" I loved reading Tarot and getting paid for it was a thrilling thought...I created my website and voila, here I am today...

SkinnyDuck said:

I don't believe I'm in the position to take money for the reads that I do(I'm still using the books for reference), but for those of you that do readings as a business, how did you know it was time?
Thanks!

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I knew it was time to start reading professionally and charging because everyone I read for told me it was time. LOL

It was not more complicated for me than that. In fact, it was more or less their idea, more than mine.

Every time I did a reading for someone they told me "Wow you are good enough to do this professionally!" Or "You should be charging for your work, your readings are just as good as readings I have paid for."

It happened over and over. I heard these comments pretty much each time I read for someone. In the end, I gave in. And thought if they all feel that way, maybe they're right. But in my case, it was more the idea of my querents than my own idea. They kept saying it so finally I gave in.

Also when it came time to charge for my readings, I decided on my rates in the same way. By consulting my querents. Many were AT members at the time. After the reading was done and they said I should be charging, I asked how much they thought I should charge and what the reading was worth to them. That is how I came up with my rates.

Hope that doesn't sound too conceited. But that is the truth of how it happened for me.

Babs

Apollonia said:

For me, it was when people started telling me, "You should charge for this," and insisting on giving me money I hadn't asked for.

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Yep me too, that was my experience. I didn't know it was time, they did.

Babs