I received a really great Hey Jess question from a reader last week and I am excited to share some thoughts on this one.
Hey Jess!
I need a little help trying to figure out how to go about finding a tarot teacher. I’ve been trying to learn to read tarot cards on my own for the last couple of years but I feel like I’ve hit a wall and I need an actual teacher to maybe let me in on the behind the scenes secrets that the books don’t tell you about. Any tips you can give on finding the right teacher would be very appreciated.
Thanks,
Paola
Thanks for your question, Paola! That’s a fantastic one. Like finding any kind of spiritual or magical teacher I think it’s a good idea to take time to do your homework before making a commitment. So here are some things to consider when looking for and picking a tarot teacher.
What is your ultimate goal with having a teacher?
Before you even start looking for a teacher know what you want to get out of the experience. Are you looking for someone that is going to show you the ropes of the reading biz or are you looking for someone to help you learn to have confidence in reading overall? Are there certain aspects about reading that you need help with, like creating spreads or reading card pairs?
It’s good to start with at least one or two very specific goals which will help you pick the most ideal teacher for you. Start by simply deciding on one or two things that you don’t do well now with your readings that you want to be a rock star at when you’re done working with a teacher.
How much are you willing to invest?
This is a question about both time and money. How much can you finaically invest in your tarot education and how much time do you have each week to dedicate to your studies? Be brutally honest with yourself. If you can only give a few hours a week that’s fine, but it will likely mean that you’ll want to look for something or someone that will your limited schedule.
When it comes to the financial investment, really ask yourself how important this is to you. Are you learning out of personal curiosity or because you want to one day be a professional reader?
The financial investment can vary a great deal. Working with someone privately will cost far more than taking someone’s online workshop. If you’re looking to go pro see this as an investment in your future career path. If you’re learning just for your own purposes see this as an investment in your personal growth. How much are you willing to invest in this? {P.S. just because something may be inexpensive doesn’t mean it’s the best option, so use the financial measurement to simply set a budget for yousrelf, not as a determining factor into whether or not a program or teacher is right for you.}
Do you want to learn in person or are you OK with distance learning?
If you’re looking to learn with someone in person check out local metaphysical or new age shops for possible readers to get in contact with. Remember that not all readers teach tarot and some don’t publicise that they teach, but if you find someone you’re interested in it’s worth reaching out and asking.
If you’re interested in learning online, start looking at your favorite tarot personalities on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get an idea of who’s out there for you to dig into deeper. If they don’t have clear teaching offerings on their website send them an email asking if they ever teach. Some readers only teach once or twice a year online and may not have any other teaching products availalbe {i.e. self-study courses, ebooks, etc}.
How much personal feedback do you desire?
Some people really want to have a teacher that’s going to be personally involved in everything and give lots of feedback. Other people just want to know there is an actual person they can reach out to with questions as they work through a study program. As you work to narrow down your possible teachers decide how much direct help from a teacher you’re looking for. You’ll know pretty quickly if someone is going to offer the kind of support you desire and this will help narrow your list of possible teachers.
Are you looking for a tarot mentor or a tarot teacher?
There is a little bit of a difference between a tarot mentor and a tarot teacher. Though not everyone uses these specific terms, you’ll get a sense of who is what when you talk to them about their teaching offerings.
A tarot mentor is someone that you’ll easily work with for months as you develop your practice. It will be someone that you connect with over a series of coaching calls and who will likely take you through a very personalized tarot program.
A tarot teacher is usually someone who has a very specific tarot workshop or teaching program laid out that they take groups of people through at a time. This is what you’ll get when you find someone who’s teaching a tarot workshop online or even in person over a specific period of weeks. They are there to help each person individually but usually in a limited sense and often within the confines of their program.
Does this person offer readings and have you had one with them?
Does the person you’re interested in learning from offer readings themselves? Some people can be great tarot teachers even though they aren’t professional readers, but personally I feel learning how to read is best done by someone who is an active reader themselves. However there are people who were once readers who have retired from public reading and now teach. Be sure to get a clear understanding of their professional past and qualifications to teach and decide how imporant these things are for you when you pick a teacher.
If you are considering someone as a teacher and they do offer readings, you should get one from them. I can’t stress this enough. It just makes sense; if this person is going to teach you how to use the tarot and give readings shouldn’t you get some first hand experience with how they use the tarot and give a reading? Sure you should!
Do you like their style?
If you get a reading with a potential teacher, how did you feel about it? How do you feel about their style and their way of interpreting the cards? How did you like their way of delivering the information and how they interacted with you during the reading? If you find their style offputting you may want to consider that. Naturally you don’t need to read like the person who teaches you, but if you find their style doesn’t suit you it may be hard for you to learn from them.
Do they have a blog? Do you like their take on tarot?
One of the best ways to know if a tarot teacher is going to be right for you is to get a sense of their take on tarot. Look to see if they have a blog and taking time to read through some of their key posts is a big way to get a glimpse into how you’ll connect. For instance a big one for me is do they see tarot as just a tool or as a way of life?
Some readers and teachers approach the tarot from a very rigid standpoint where the cards have strict meanings that can’t be changed. Others are more intutive and see the cards as triggers to Higher Self knowledge so the specific meaning of a card may change based on how the reader sees it. By reading someone’s blog you’ll be able to get a better sense of their appraoch to tarot so you can see if their philosophy will resonate with you.
Narrow the field and take your time making a decision.
I know it can be super exciting to get started with a teacher, but you want to make sure that you are really picking the right person for you before you commit. If you find yourself working with someone 1-on-1 and you realize a few weeks in that you aren’t a fit you may find it hard to back out of your arrangement. Always make sure you understand your obligation to your teacher or mentor {for instance you may be able to stop working together but you may still be obligated to pay them for the full program you agreed to}.
You also don’t want to find yourself “course bouncing” because the teacher or the program doesn’t deliver what you really want. Always reach out and ask questions before signing up for anything. If you have specific things you want to learn make sure to ask if these things will be covered, especially if there is no mention of them in the person’s course outline or sales page for the program you’re looking at.
The real big thing to keep in mind is that you’re looking to go beyond the books. You’re looking to get yourself into a sitaution where you’re going to be able to pull on someone’s years of experience and knowledge to help boost you ahead. Make sure that the experience your potentional teacher has had resoinates with the experiences you’d like to have.
If you have no interest in ever reading on 800 lines working with someone who has only ever been an 800 line reader probably isn’t for you. If you don’t want to be a face to face reader and you want to focus on reading through email or social media learning from someone who feels these aren’t “legit” ways of reading likely isn’t for you.
Be sure to have clear goals for what you’re looking to get out of the experience in mind and then take your time finding a teacher that can fulfill as many if not all those points whenever possible. Once you find that teacher, commit to yourself as well as to them to work hard and see the process through to the end.
Like everything else you get out of tarot what you put in. A teacher can lead you to the knowledge you need to grow your skills and practice but it’s still on you to actually do the work.
