Amazing insights from 10 tarot influencers you should be following!

Tarot tips from the best in the business…

Since starting my tarot journey I’ve been very pleasantly surprised at how much support there is out there from the wider tarot community.  I always say that you can never stop learning when it comes to tarot.  I wanted to share my top 10 influences when it comes to the world of tarot. I decided to reach out as I wanted to let them know that I am a super fan and I also wanted to use the opportunity to get some great tarot tips for my readers.  I’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity from these tarot professionals.  There are some real golden nuggets in here.  I’ve also created a free e-book so you can see all the tips in one place.  You can instantly download that here.

Brigit Esselmont – www.biddytarot.com

Brigit has without question been the biggest influence for me.  There is just no way that I would be reading tarot to anywhere near the level I am without Biddy Tarot.  She is a huge inspiration and if you are looking to learn tarot then I would say that her website is an absolute must.   As well as her website hosting masses of really rich content about learning tarot, she also runs training courses for those looking to learn tarot. Biddy recently launched the Biddy Tarot Community where you can practice your tarot reading on the general public, in return for feedback – amazing!

Here is what Brigit has to say about learning tarot…

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

Breathe. You don’t have to know everything about Tarot to get valuable insights from the cards. Just take a deep breath, clear your mind, then tune in to the cards. Look at the imagery of the cards and see what comes to you intuitively. If you’re feeling blocked or flustered, take another deep breath, go into your heart centre, then look back at those cards. Connect with the Divine and your intuition, and you’ll soon find the answers you’re seeking.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

I feel so incredibly honoured to be inspiring over 3 million people every year to create personal transformation with Tarot as a guide. My love for Tarot and all things divine is expressed by the people who discover Biddy Tarot and go on to incorporate Tarot into their everyday lives.

What new tarot gifts do you have to share with the world?

I’ve just launched a brand new website and started the Biddy Tarot Community – Please share the link to my tarot community, which has just launched –  http://www.biddytarot.com/community/

The Tarot Lady (Theresa Reed) – www.thetarotlady.com

I am honestly such a fan of The Tarot Lady.  In my eyes she is one of the hardest working people in the tarot community.  She is always working on new products and services and I just love her no-nonsense, practical and down the earth style.  Theresa used to run a live phone in show and I stumbled across her archived episodes/podcasts on itunes.  I fell in love with her style and when I started listening to other tarot related podcasts I would hear her popping up left, right and centre and her approach really resonated with me.  She has been extremely generous and I’m so happy to have her input on this post….

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

A: Practice, practice, practice.  Like any skill, the more time you spend practicing, the more proficient you’ll get.  Read for as many people as you can – preferably in person.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that there are many lovely volunteers who will be more than happy to be your guinea pigs!  Seek those people out and give it a go! I read for ten years before I went pro. This gave me a lot of experience with different people and diverse situations.  Being in the trenches that long allowed me to see many ways to look at those cards – and it also made me a more resilient reader.  Not much flummoxes me any longer – the readings flow from my lips (or fingertips in the case of email readings) like a ticker tape.  If you practice consistently, you’ll get to that point too.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

A: The biggest?  Probably the fact that I’ve been at this gig full time for 25 years!  That’s crazy when I think about it – over half my life and most of my adult working life has been immersed in tarot.  I’m very proud of that because it’s been a lot of hard work and dedication to my craft.  And the best part?  I still love it as much as I did the first time I cracked open a deck.  I never get tired of reading tarot and I adore my clients.  Some of them have become like family over the years.  That – the love, the passion, and the wonderful people I’ve had the good fortune to know, the stuff you can’t really measure in dollars ’n cents – is big to me.

You always have something new happening. Can you tell us what you are working on right now?

A: Yes!  I’m super excited about my upcoming book, The Tarot Coloring Book (Sounds True publishing)!  It’s due to arrive on November 1st and I couldn’t be prouder.  This is the book I would have wanted when I started out.  It’s geared towards newbies, the tarot curious – or for those who love to color!  The book is modern, easy to use, fun, and experiential. For spiritual biz owners and tarot pros, I also have a neat-o e-course called Get In Charge, which is all about making money.  If you’re sick of over-giving and under-earning, it’s a simple program that will help you break out of that cycle, find your worth, and up your game.  I’ve also got a few top secret projects brewing but that cannot be revealed just yet.  Everything will be dropping over the fall + winter (US).

Kate – www.daily-tarot-girl.com

I’m quite a new follower to Kate (Daily Tarot Girl) but I really like her style and tone.  She injects an element of fun into tarot.  Her style is very easy to understand and her courses and free information on her site are really excellent for anybody looking to further their tarot knowledge.

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

This is tricky because everyone is so different! Some people do well with a studious-type approach where they read all the good books and take notes, while others do well with a more footloose and fancy free approach, just doing readings on friends and looking up meanings and learning as they go. But I think in either case, having fun is important and using the Tarot to explore yourself and find out more about YOU is what really counts. So I would suggest keeping a Tarot journal and using the Tarot to ask questions about yourself and then journaling about it. For example, asking “what are my greatest strengths?” or “what should I be focusing on right now?”. This is a great place to start, anyhow. I love Tarot for Yourself by Mary K Greer – that’s a wonderful resource for anyone wanting to get the most out of their tarot practice and have fun.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

I’m not really sure how to answer this one! I suppose just learning how to interpret the cards was a big achievement, although Tarot is like an onion and it has many layers so I don’t consider myself to have “mastered” it or to ever be able to “master” it.

Where can we find out more about you?

I do sell a Tarot Journal on my website which I think many Tarot beginners (and seasoned readers) will enjoy: http://www.daily-tarot-girl.com/shop-2/tarot-journal/ I also offer private tarot lessons (tarot mentoring) for those wanting to learn tarot and work with me one on one: http://www.daily-tarot-girl.com/work-with-me/tarot-mentoring/

Benebell Wen – https://benebellwen.com/

I first came across Benebell when she was being interviewed on the Biddy Tarot Podcast .  Like me, she is from a corporate background so I immediately related to everything she was saying.  She is super smart and has a really interesting and intellectual approach to tarot.

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

Get a good beginner’s book. Mary Greer or Anthony Louis are great places to start. I love both of them. I suppose you will also want to get a Tarot deck. Get one that resonates with you, but also make sure that book and deck match so your learning process is as seamless as possible.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

Meeting Mary Greer and Christine Payne-Tower in person, and having both of them know my name. Like, life complete. Amiright? Getting my first book Holistic Tarot published by North Atlantic Books was also pretty neat.

What are you working on at the moment?

Ethony is organizing the Tarot Summer School through her Tarot Academy.  I will be one of the teachers and there will be many more amazing bright minds coming together. And all of it is online. Each course is $24 and I believe you get a great deal on all classes if you buy a season pass. I figured I should give her a shout out here. Because she’s awesome.

Beth Maiden – www.littleredtarot.com

In my opinion Beth’s blog is one of the most beautiful.  Her store is not to be missed and if you want to go beyond the usual tarot interpretations then you should definitely check out her Alternative Tarot Course.

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

Pick up your cards every day and play with them. Shuffle them and get used to holding them. Look through them and find the cards that speak to you. Start a daily card practice and reflect on just one single card each day. Don’t shy away from readings – it’s totally okay to look up cards in a book for as long as you need to (I still do to this day!) Above all, try to avoid the feeling of overwhelm that can come with the decision to learn tarot – it takes a long time to get to know those 78 cards and the only way to do that is to work with them daily.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?
I’m really proud of my Alternative Tarot Course, which helps people to find their own approach to tarot. I created it because I wanted to make the course that I would have liked when I started out with tarot. It’s popular, affordable and gets so much good feedback from folks who find it boosts their confidence and helps them to develop really meaningful relationships with their tarot cards. It’s at http://tarotcourse.littleredtarot.com

Where can we find out more about your courses?

http://tarotcourse.littleredtarot.com
http://littleredtarot.com/shop
http://littleredtarot.com/blog

Also I have this neat e-book with 20 tarot spreads that I created myself: http://littleredtarot.com/product/little-red-tarot-spreads-book/

Rachel Pollack – www.rachelpollack.com

For me this is just WOW that Rachel has been kind enough to share her knowledge.  She is one of tarot’s most revered authors and I have many of her books myself.   Her knowledge and depth of experience with tarot is amazing.  For me what I love is that she really understands the human psyche and how each of these experiences we have in life play out in the cards.

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

Don’t think you have to memorize meanings before you start.  Let your readings inform your study instead of the other way around.  And don’t be afraid to come up with your own meanings based on the pictures.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

In terms of impact, 78 Degrees of Wisdom.  In a wider sense, I think I helped establish a creative approach to Tarot rather than a dogmatic or strictly historical one.

Where can we find out more?

My fantasy novel The Child eater came out some months ago.  It creates its own mythology, in which Tarot plays a significant role.  And Robert Place and I are about to launch our Raziel Tarot, based on Jewish mythology and teachings.  People can learn about it, and see the cards, on Facebook and Burningserpent.com, which also features our Lenormand-based deck, The Burning Serpent Oracle.

Pat Rowlinson – www.soulandpepper.co.nz

Pat is the man who taught me tarot so whilst he doesn’t go out there and promote himself worldwide he has absolutely been a big influence on my tarot learning so I simply couldn’t write this post without including him.  He has been a great mentor and friend and has such a lovely connection with spirit as well as deep understanding of the tarot.
What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

Number one tip: Firstly find a Tarot Deck that “talks” to you. It is crucial that you have a rapport with your Tarot.

Secondly keep exploring new ideas and trying different Tarot spreads until you find that you have a language that you can communicate in with ease and fluency. As with any language daily practice will pay
dividends.  The cards should be part of your toolkit in life just as an insulated screwdriver is a part of an electricians arsenal.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

There are few but, this one slapped me in the face…

I did manage to interrupt and prevent a suicide using the Tarot. A client came in for a reading expressing concern for her daughter. However the cards kept steering me away from the daughter and directing
my attention towards the woman’s son.

Each time I did a spread for the son the Hanged Man and the Death card came up along with the Knight of Wands in a position suggesting to me that this young man’s life was at risk and that his time was short.  I
asked her to call her son right away during the reading and I was insistent even after three attempts of no answer.  He answered on the fourth attempt and he was in one hell of an emotional state – he was in
the process of setting up a place to hang himself.

He had been depressed for many years but, everyone was used to the idea by now.  However in recent weeks he had come out of his depression and that’s when the alarm bells started ringing. So when I was reading the cards all I could see was death and that it was preventable but had to
act NOW!

My client and I spoke to her son, as her phone was on speaker phone and together we just listened to his story of relationship troubles, recurring redundancies and alcohol addiction.  It was clear that my client had no idea about the pain her son was in.  But after a while we worked out a few strategies that he could adopt – using the cards once again – and he thankfully changed his mind.

It was intense and surreal.  The interesting thing was that the booking that I had right after that reading had cancelled last minute and so we had the time to help this young guy.

Sarah Barry  – www.sarahthepsychic.com

Sarah is local to me (Newtown, Sydney).  If you haven’t seen pictures of Sarah and her bike then please check out her website.  She is super cool and has created a thriving business for herself in the area.

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

To remember that each card is an artwork in itself, so just relax, gaze at the card, and notice how you feel as you do that. You’ll be able to access your own wisdom then and also probably come up with an interpretation that is similar to what you would find in a tarot book.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

Having successfully supported myself as a full-time tarot reader since 2003! Having had my own private tarot office since 2013 also feels good!

Are you working on any new products or services?

Not of my own, but I can highly recommend the online tarot courses that Andrew McGregor of the Hermit’s Lamp in Toronto facilitates. He brings together a great bunch of highly experienced readers to offer their wisdom. There is one on at the moment that is aimed at people wanting to build their own spiritual business. The Tarot Foundations course is also excellent. More info at http://www.thehermitslamp.com/events/

Fiona Benjamin – http://www.modernfortuneteller.com/

It’s official.  I’m in love with Fiona Benjamin.  She is a young, honest and refreshing voice when it comes to all things tarot.  I’ve been lucky enough to take part in one of her webinars and her newsletters are always entertaining, as well as being filled with loads of juicy tips about running a tarot business.

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

My number one tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot is to get one deck and start swapping readings with another tarot reader. If you have to use the booklet as you’re doing the reading, that is completely fine, everyone starts somewhere. Getting some hands on learning is the most effective, in my opinion. In fact, when I teach tarot in person, every student leaves my 6 hour workshop only if they have done a reading for a peer.

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

My biggest tarot achievement is successfully crowdfunding my tarot deck, Lunar Fire tarot. While I have done shows and won awards, nothing feels as good as something you created from just some writings in a journal into a full blown project.

Where can we find out more?

I’d recommend is my free e-course, #5toThrive, which helps mystics create a foundation for their businesses. I think a lot of us would love the idea of self-employment but have no idea where to begin. I wanted to give people a blueprint to work with: http://www.modernfortuneteller.com/5tothrive/

Mary Greer – https://marygreer.wordpress.com/

Last but definitely not least is the doyenne of the tarot world.  As you will see from the comments above, Mary Greer is referenced a few times as she is an absolute legend.  I’m so thrilled to share these golden nuggets of information with you….

What would be your number 1 tip to somebody who is brand new to reading tarot so they can get the most out of it?

Tip #1: Keep a Tarot journal. Include your own impressions of the cards, notes from your studies, spreads to try out, and readings you have done. Try to do a reading for yourself at the commencement of big changes (jobs, relationships, trips, starting a blog, etc.). Go back over these readings periodically and note what actually happened. I like to use a different color pen (or type face) each time. BTW, your journal can be with pen and paper, computer printouts (put in a 3-ring binder), or on a public or private blog (you can set a blog to only allow viewing by yourself or people you okay).

Tip #2 (I had to include this one!) In a reading, when you draw a blank, remember: “When in doubt, simply describe the card!”

What’s your biggest tarot achievement?

My biggest achievement in Tarot is having stuck with it for almost 50 years. Sure, I’ve taken a few time-outs but never for more than a couple of months. I keep discovering new (and old) perspectives that intrigue me. The next biggest achievement is my books. In them I try to push the limits of how we think we should read Tarot, helping readers find what really works and is most empowering for them and the people they read for.

People love everything that you create so what so we have to look forward to?

I do Tarot and Lenormand webinars that are available live, as online recordings or via DVDs, through globalspiritualstudies.com. My latest, of which I am very proud, is a two-part class in “A Jungian Approach to Tarot.” It may be a little on the advanced side, but my initial involvement in Tarot was spurred by studying Carl Jung’s archetypes when I was in college, so I started my Tarot journey from a Jungian perspective. Please check out the workshops on my page at: http://globalspiritualstudies.com/tarot/mary-k-greer/

I just wanted to express my gratitude and say a massive thank you to everybody who provided input.  These are some of the busiest and hardworking people in tarot and I am so overwhelmed by their responses.  I think that everybody reading this will agree that there is some absolute gold in there and it’s great to have so many different perspectives.

Don’t forget, if you want your free download e-book with the top tips just sign up here.