As an elder millennial tarot reader, I’ve found myself constantly reminding younger readers to protect their energy. Getting into tarot reading is definitely a fun and exciting thing, but getting too excited and rushing to do readings whenever you can will inevitably lead to exhaustion after a while. I know I’ve pushed myself to my limits more than once over the years, so here’s some advice based on my personal experiences both as a beginner tarot reader and as a more seasoned veteran.
1. Pay attention to your feelings and energy levels.
Knowing yourself is one of the most important things you can do as a reader (and as a human being). If you know you feel sick or upset, or if your energy levels are just low, then you probably shouldn’t push yourself to do a tarot reading.
Make it a daily habit to spend a few quiet moments to check in with yourself. This doesn’t need to take too long! When I have a few minutes to spare, this is what I do:
- I find a quiet spot to sit, close my eyes, and start focus on my breath.
- I take three deep cleansing breaths, breathing in through my nose, then out through my mouth.
- Still with my eyes closed, I do a quick head-to-toe scan. I just quickly check in with how my body is feeling from the top of my head to the tips of my toes right now. Does my head feel okay? Am I breathing easy? Does my heart/chest feel light, or is it tight? Does my gut feel in knots? Are my limbs and joints feeling achy?
- After the physical scan, I tune into the my feelings beyond the physical ones. What’s my mood? Am I angry? Sad? Happy? Whatever I feel, I acknowledge it, name it and accept it.
- I shift my focus back to my breath, taking another three deep, cleansing breaths.
- I slowly blink open my eyes. By this point, I have a general idea of what my current state is, and if it’d be good for me to do a reading that day.
Note: My quick check-in above is based mostly on Headspace‘s meditations. They work very well for me for tarot reading and for life in general!
If you do daily meditations, you likely don’t need to go through the process above, as you’ll already have a general idea of how you are.
If you really don’t have the time or patience to meditate or try the steps above, just ask yourself: “How are we feeling today?”, and make sure to give yourself an honest answer.
2. Take breaks.
If you don’t feel good or your energy feels low, then take a break. You don’t have to be the wise, gung-ho, sociable tarot reader 24/7! There are days when you won’t feel like touching your cards, and that’s okay.
Your cards, your skills, and your experience aren’t going anywhere. Studying tarot and reading for others is still work, and everyone needs a break from work from time to time. It’s important to make breaks part of your routine/habits. Don’t wait until you’re absolutely burnt out or exhausted to take a break!
3. Define and set your boundaries.
Boundaries are necessary to protect your space and your energy. What are your personal boundaries as a person and as a tarot reader? Boundaries can include personal policies like not sharing details about your personal life, practical protocols like only doing tarot readings during a specific time block in your day, or more ethical boundaries like my own rule to refuse third-party tarot readings.
Knowing what you’re willing and open to do is great, but never hesitate to set and reinforce your boundaries. If anyone willfully disrespects your boundaries in any way (like guilt-tripping you into letting them bypass your boundaries, or mocking/taunting you for being so cowardly and uptight), then that individual isn’t worth wasting your time on.
3. Seek inspiration, but don’t compare.
There are so many tarot readers now, and I know it can be hard to avoid comparing your work and practice to everyone else’s. But remember: everyone’s tarot journey and practice is unique. All of us have our own fears and insecurities to deal with, and lessons to learn. Don’t compare yourself to another reader and discourage yourself by thinking you’re just not as good as they are and there’s no way you could catch up. This is a sure-fire way to burn yourself out. Remember that there will always be someone greater and lesser than yourself, and that even the best tarot readers started out as a beginner like you.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
from “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann
4. Pace yourself.
So a lot of querents are eager to book slots, or have queued up for your free card pulls. That’s great! But don’t overdo it. Even the simplest single-card pulls can get exhausting when you do too many of them in one go!
Again: knowing yourself and setting boundaries is key here. Do you need to limit the number of readings you do in one day? Should you give yourself a time limit when reading at night, so you still have time to spare for your nighttime skincare regimen?
Do what works for YOU!
The tips above can help you get started on protecting your energy to begin with, so that you won’t reach the point of absolute exhaustion. But these are things that I personally practice, so your own energy protection practices might differ from mine.
The important thing is to remember that your energy is not unlimited, and you should really be careful about how you use it!