I am more than a Tarot reader

It's a funny job being a reader of the Tarot cards.

Over the years I have built a circle of clients that dip in and out.

Some are regular- booking on a monthly or annual schedule- liking a "check in" to see how life is going.

Others weave in and out of my life- periods of intense support when needed, then a break of months or years as they navigate their lives, before they feel drawn to check in again.

And many start as clients, then move into student- joining workshops as they are keen to keep the connection, but perhaps in a different dynamic.

It's an odd role in life-hard to quantify.

I am often the person some-one turns to when they don't know where else to go. I am a little like a priest perhaps. Separate from everyday life there is a sense that I know how to keep secrets. And I do- I often read for friendship circles, work colleagues, and romantic complications (as in more than two). My role is neutral, non-partisan, to not be focused on an end goal- just the best way to handle life right now. My role is to hear the whispers of things that are considered too taboo to share safely with others. "I don't love my child", "I'm sacred of my husband", "Can I tell you what happened as a child".

A key part of my role is keeper of secrets. Each client has a drawer in my head- and once the session is closed the drawer is shut until the next time.

I am the person people turn to in the loneliest of moments, with the stresses and overwhelms that they feel no-one else could understand. Often, I haven't experienced what they are going through- but the cards allow me to appreciate how they feel, so I can offer validation and a little empathy. Sometimes to be seen for who we really are is the most precious gift.

I will hold a safe space to be present in whatever emotion you are feeling right now, often my role is simply to offer a moment of unconditional acceptance. I see who you are.

One of my favourite roles is accountability buddy. When a client I have known for a while books in to express frustration, overwhelm or anxiety- and I can use the cards and our relationship to point out just how far they have come. It's easy to forget the journey- and just worry that we are stuck in a difficult place. I love pointing out just how much someone has achieved. Luckily for me Tarot allows me to do this for brand new clients as well, the cards can give me an understanding of just how much a client has worked through to be in a certain space.

I love holding clients to account and reframing their negative thoughts to acknowledge their achievements.

My cards allow me to access my higher guidance, and my client's higher guidance. (Alas I am not as wise in everyday life as I am in work mode). Although I am not a qualified coach or counsellor, and obviously do not present as one- often my client relationship moves into these roles. It works because my client is working with the cards to better understand themselves and their life choices, and to move forward and make different decisions with this new understanding.

A regular role, and one I love, is acting as a support for clients as they seek to better understand themselves.

Of course, often my role is the more traditional "prediction" role. The "when will he come back" "will I sell my house" "will my job offer come in" and more and more "what's happening to bit coin".

I enjoy the challenge of these readings, the mental chess of trying to tune into the past and present energies- to extrapolate the most likely outcome. There is a part of me that rather likes the challenge of timing questions.

There will always be an expectation, no matter how we try to re-brand it, that the Tarot predicts the future (and so often- it does).

I asked the cards why I work as a Tarot pro- and their answer was the same as it so often is- Ace of Cups-because I care about my clients, because it matters to me when I make a positive difference to someone's life.

Tarot is my tool, but my job morphs from crisis counsellor, to work coach, to accountability buddy, to the trusted person to talk to in time of need. Tarot is my tool that allows me to handle these situations in a far wiser way than me as a person ever could.