How to read Tarot Cards #18

The do's and don'ts of undertaking a client-facing psychic reading!

On my recent podcast tour, a lot of hosts have been asking me to outline what an ethical, quality one-on-one psychic reading with a practitioner such as myself should look like. And, while this seems like an obvious question with an obvious answer, it’s actually a little more complicated and nuanced than you might think.

You see, every psychic practitioner is a little bit different, and I would hate for us all to get squished into precise factory settings by some kind of draconian Ministry of Magic ala the Harry Potter series. That said, there are some key elements that should— and should not— be present in a psychic session, both from a provider and a client perspective.

So, I’ve spent some time noodling on the nuances, and have produced what I think is a solid, rough order of magnitude checklist for spiritual provider and spiritual seeker alike:

How to spot a quality psychic

Whether you’re looking for a tarot reading, channeling or mediumship session, or maybe some energy work, there are a few basic elements that indicate a quality practitioner— and, more likely than not, a quality session:

Walk-ins are not welcome

A good psychic practitioner should be busy. Even if they have a quiet day or week, they should be occupying their time with other core business tasks— and not just sitting around waiting for a passerby to magically enter their space. Those that do rely on walk-ins tend to leverage unethical tricks and tactics, like telling you about an energy blockage or curse in order to upsell you increasingly expensive sessions and products (like the seemingly ubiquitous “blessed candle”).

Real psychic professionals require that clients book appointments, typically a bit in advance. Not only is this an indication that they are busy (a good sign of session quality and robust client referrals), but it provides them with data from which to model their finances— and anticipate peaks and valleys in business revenue. What’s more: when a client books a session in advance, it indicates intentionality and forethought, suggesting that the session won’t just be a passing fancy or amusement but rather a thoughtful, memorable, and high quality exchange.

We client-facing practitioners also do session prep ahead of client readings, often smudging our space, calling in our guides, and even modifying our eating or drinking habits to ensure maximum psychic flow when we’re in-session. This requires a bit of predictive planning in our workday. We also have to clear and ground after our client-facing sessions, making grouping psychic work in an organized manner all the more important.

Defined scope of services

At TOTEM, I offer a dozen different kinds of one-on-one psychic services to clients. And, while these sessions are all a bit different— ranging from mediumship to tarot readings to Feng Shui consultations— they all have a well-defined and detailed scope of service, readily available on the booking page of my website.

As a prospective client, you should have a basic idea of what to expect in your psychic session, as well as what the key takeaways and value proposition are. For instance: how can you expect to feel after your session? how will it enhance your life? what information can you expect to leave the session with?

The psychic practitioner should also have deep subject matter expertise in each of the services they offer clients, taking the modality— and the client experience— very seriously. I recommend doing some research before booking with a practitioner, specifically looking for robust experience, training and “proof of quality” via their detailed bio, Yelp and/or Google reviews, and lists of various certifications or trainings in their modality of choice.

Example: my bio on my website clearly lists all of the modalities in which I’m trained and have more than a decade of experience, and I even link to my LinkedIn profile for those that want to see my full professional and educational background as well.

Consistent, ethical boundaries

A psychic session should have a clearly defined “container”: you book online (or via phone), you show up at the start time (in-person or online), and the session ends at the close of the appointment. Not only does this ensure consent, but it also prevents the ethical and energetic quagmire that comes with soft, blurry edges.

For instance, a practitioner should not text, message, or call you with “downloads” that come in before or after your scheduled appointment with them. This is either bullshit or a sign that the psychic channel has been open for a lengthy period of time, putting both the practitioner and the client in a precarious (and likely very draining) energetic dynamic. What’s more: while the psychic may think they’re adding extra value or being helpful, they do not know the state of mind of the client at that particular time (as they’re not scheduled to be in-session), nor do they know how the random information is going to be received— or if the client has a support system in place should the psychic data be triggering or traumatizing!

A psychic should also never step over the line into areas in which they have no expertise, such as providing therapy or offering legal or financial advice. The practitioner should be focused on sharing the psychic information that comes through and not make consequential life decisions on your behalf. Rather, they should empower you to embrace your own free will and personal sovereignty, encouraging you to use the psychic reading as one of many data points.

You should never feel a psychic session feeling disempowered, scared, anxious, or depressed, but you should also understand that an ethical practitioner will be politely honest.

We’re not psychic vending machines

From a practitioner perspective, it’s important for prospective clients to understand that we are not psychic vending machines! This work is often arduous and challenging in novel and unseen ways, and while we embrace our gifts it’s crucial that clients remember that we are carbon-based life forms, too!

To this end, clients should keep a few key elements in mind when working with a psychic practitioner:

Don’t use a session to manage anxiety

Believe it or not, there is no such thing as an “emergency” tarot reading, channeling session or energy work appointment, and you shouldn’t rely on a psychic to help you make a critical, consequential, or time-sensitive decision.

Sure, you might be at a crossroads, weighing options, or have an open item on your mind, but it shouldn’t be coming “down to the wire” or require that the professional psychic move things around at the last minute to accommodate your late game request. Oftentimes, what’s driving this urgency is really just anxiety, and relying on a psychic practitioner to potentially assuage your pressing fears, existential angst, or trauma is an inappropriate use of psychic work.

I recommend that prospective clients book a psychic session at least a week or two in advance— just like I book massages, doctor’s appointments, and other such services. It’s a great idea to book a tarot reading or energy work session on or around your birthday or another noteworthy occasion well in advance to give yourself a memorable treat, and most professionals offer sessions like these months in advance.

This isn’t Burger King

I joke with clients, podcasters and peers that TOTEM is not Burger King, and you can’t just have it “your way” (as the famous advertisement tagline for the fast food provider asserted).

When operating at scale and staying busy with a variety of business tasks here at TOTEM— from podcasting to writing on Substack to seeing one-on-one clients to working long-term with coaching clients to selling our flower essences on Etsy— consistent systems, processes and workflows are absolutely essential to daily survival. To this end, I rely on clients booking pre-defined services and sessions through my website, purchasing my essences and decks through Etsy and Amazon, and communicating with me through preferred business channels, like email.

It’s not that I’m not friendly or that I don’t want to give clients a special, tailored, memorable psychic experience. I would love to chat with folks on IG or take unplanned phone calls to chat about your dreams or design a one-off service or session type just for you— but, if I did this, I wouldn’t stay in business for more than a month! The bottom line is that we working psychics have businesses largely built on charging for our time and our insights, so giving these things away for free or outside of the confines of pre-set services and systems would absolutely crush us.

As a prospective client, please be cool! Take some time to read a provider’s service descriptions and, if you’re interested, book through their preferred booking method and pay via their preferred payment method to secure your session. I promise: we really, really appreciate it!

Please, please don’t trauma dump!

Psychic readings can be really emotional, touching and profound experiences, and experienced professionals are ready to hold space for these moments. That said, your tarot card reader or reiki practitioner is not there to be traumatized, abused or taken advantage of.

Emotionality has always been a sporadic feature of the psychic client work I do at TOTEM, but the last two years have brought a truly aberrant deluge of real deal, full throttle trauma dumping and abuse from new clients. Some months, it’s been so bad that I’ve blocked off my calendar and effectively prevented myself from, well, making a living just so that my nervous system can get a moment to recover.

While some tears or meaningful exchanges are always acceptable in a psychic session, screaming, death threats or threats of harm, name-calling or sharing every horrific and traumatic thing that’s ever happened to you in detail is utterly, completely unacceptable. As a client, you’re not obligated to necessarily make our day better or force a smile when you’re feeling down, but basic civility— and remembering that we’re just people, too— will go a long way.

If you need someone to talk to that’s equipped to navigate intense emotional outbursts, psychological or emotional issues, or help you to remediate your acute trauma, please seek out the support of an experienced mental health provider— and not your friendly neighborhood tarot reader!

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Every working psychic is going to approach a client session, reading type or modality differently, and that’s beautiful. The diversity of provider and service type ensures that our shared energetic ecosystem has a magical, symbiotic balance.

That said, some things really are consistent through lines and “table stakes” expectations for client and provider alike. The trouble is that our industry doesn’t talk about these fundamental standards very much, and that creates incongruous expectations that can, on occasion, generate very awkward moments or misunderstandings.

I also think that a lot of spiritually-curious folks steer clear of ever booking a tarot reading or similar session out of fear that they will be taken advantage of or have a scary, horror movie-type experience (as anyone that’s seen Drag Me to Hell knows all too well!).

Tarot readings and other psychic services can really be positive, life-shifting, memorable experiences that enrich your life— that is, if you get the right kind of practitioner.

And, for those that are already swimming in the waters of Woo and have their go-to readers and healers, please remember that many of us are out here doing our best. It’s a challenging but rewarding profession, and it’s my sincere hope that quality, transparency and ethical standards continue to rise as we engage in a broader and more honest conversation about the Business of Woo.

As many of you already know, I am taking December off of client-facing work. This year has left some serious miles on the psychic (and personal) odometer, and I need a moment to do some critical TOTEM housekeeping, create space for a busy holiday shopping season on our Etsy shop, and yes…actually relax and decompress a bit.

That said, if you’re curious about working with me or booking a one-on-one psychic session, my online booking is updated to reflect open days and times starting in January 2025— head over to my website HERE to take a look or secure your spot anytime.

Grateful to all of you that support us here on Substack and trust me with your psychic work at TOTEM—

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Rachel