I've been studying the tarot for over 50 years and getting paid working as a professional Beverly Hills and Hollywood psychic since 1992, so no, I'm not guessing. This is the free mini-lesson. If you want the whole meal, come try the academy at www.easytarotlessons.com. Start for a dollar for your first month month. If you don't think we're worth it, I'll give you your dollar back.

Now go be awesome!

There is no magic inside a deck of cards. The magic is in you. Your cards are a visual language, and every image should act like a prompt that makes ideas, details, warnings, and useful advice come pouring out of your mouth without conscious effort. When the artwork doesn't speak to you, you are reading from a dictionary with no words.

In today's fun-filled episode, we examine why the Waite-Smith images became the foundation of modern tarot, how changing the color, expression, perspective, background, or symbolism of a card can quietly change its meaning, and why some breathtaking “art decks” are almost impossible to read professionally. Pretty pictures are wonderful, but your clients are not paying you to own a pretty deck. They are paying you for accurate, detailed, actionable information.

We also give you a practical test you can perform with two different decks from your own collection. Pull the same cards from both, interpret the actual images, and find out whether the advice flows naturally—or whether you are secretly ignoring the artwork and reciting meanings you memorized from another deck.

Please DON'T waste thousands of dollars chasing a mythical perfect deck. Learn how to recognize artwork that genuinely expands your readings, gives you more to say, and helps you do better work. Your cards are tools. You still have to do the work, but the better your tools, the more intricate your work.

Come see us at www.EasyTarotLessons.com. Your first month costs you ONE dollar, and we will help you become the reader your clients hope they are paying for.

Now go be awesome.

You have to know how to phrase the questions you ask “God” (your angels, spirit guides, the gods, the universe —however you want to address the divine). Imagine for a moment you had a telephone directly to the most intelligent minds in creation, omniscient and helpful: why would you say something as stupid as “just tell me anything,” or “win the lottery for me so I don’t have to think or take responsibility for anything.”

You should be asking how to solve crimes, cure diseases, and get better relationships (for yourself and others). You should be asking highly specific and detailed questions that lead you TO an answer, not hand you a simple finished product that leaves you guessing how to implement it. 

Let me give you an example: if you com to me and say “How can I get rich?” I can tell you “save more than you spend, then invest that money, and always buy low and sell high.” In this case I have done my job, but done you a disservice — right? 

So let me give you a better way of doing things: we manage the “small talk” we have with our clients WHILE WE SARE SHUFFLING (remember “rule #1 . . .) so that it sounds like small talk but is really framing the inquiry while we are deciding exactly which spread will give us the MOST, pertinent information so that WE CAN come up with an answer. This is how readers who charge $400+ an hour do this.

So let us teach you the basics of that today, for free. Keep in mind that we have an entire academy for you! Courses, study groups, support networks, friendships with real tarot experts, and even personalized mentorship from one of the best tarot teachers in the world — all for ONE DOLLAR (for your first month — and then it is a miserly ten dollars a week to learn how to make $100+ an hour. You *do* want to make money reading cards, right?

Here's the problem. Clients sit down and say "just tell me anything." That's like walking into your mechanic's shop and saying "my car's not doing anything, you figure it out." Your mechanic charges $150 an hour to diagnose that. You should be thinking the same way — minimum wage in this job is $60 an hour, and the pros are pulling $1,200.

In this episode we cover how to interrogate your client (politely — it just sounds like small talk), how to pick your question word (what, how, who, when...) and match it to a spread you actually know cold, why yes/no questions are a great way to make clients wonder why they paid you, the four magic words that take control of any wandering reading, and the one sentence you say before you deal that saves you from 20 minutes of reading about the wrong thing.

Then at the end: summation and marching orders. That's how you get tips, repeat clients, and referrals — free raises, no rate hike required.

Want study groups, forums, and live help from me? EasyTarotLessons.com. First month is $1, and if you hate it I'll give you your dollar back.

Now go be awesome.

So we have for you a simple but powerful technique for cementing card meanings *without memorizing keywords*, and also how to read the color palette and themes of your new deck so you understand what each image is trying to tell you. Also, a quick storytelling exercise that gets you comfortable with ANY deck fast.

After you listen to this, sit down with your new deck and run through the exercises we give you. Don’t rush any of this. Also, you want to do this several times, and not all in one sitting. Even a little time with these techniques spread out over a few days will do more for your reading than hours of reading some guidebook. Real readers who build real fluency with their cards put in this kind of deliberate practice early on (this means you!).

Okay, thanks for being here. For much deeper tarot training, come visit us at easytarotlessons.com and let us help you become truly great. Also, we can (and do) show you several ways to make a LOT of money as a high paid tarot reader.

=) 

Today we are talking about one of the most exciting moves you can make as a working tarot reader: creating and running your own tarot events. We have broken this down into four parts, so grab a pen and get ready to take notes, because there is a lot of ground to cover and every bit of it can save you serious money and headaches.

You will learn the difference between events you participate in and events you organize yourself, and why knowing which one you are actually ready for matters to your career (and your reputation!). We walk through your options as a participant, from private tarot parties and psychic fairs to pop-up vendor events and becoming a house reader at a local business, and then we get into the good stuff: how to build your own event from scratch without blowing your budget before your first client walks through the door. 

This means finding the right host business, curating your vendors so that EVERYONE benefits, building a marketing machine that uses the collective reach of every person at your event, and knowing your numbers before you commit to anything.

We also cover how to price your time, how to turn every single attendee into a referral source, and how to debrief after your first event so that your future events are even better.

After you listen to this, start doing your market research before you spend a single dollar. Visit local events as a guest, talk to vendors, and pay attention to what draws a crowd. Find one business in your area that already attracts the kind of people who would love what you do, and start a conversation.

If you want the full course on how to get a LOT of paying clients, come to any of our free Saturday workshops and ask Dusty where to get it — or just sign up at easytarotlessons.com as it is a part of our tarot course. Once you are certified (you won’t embarrass us), you can get our $5,000 course on how to get LOTS of paying clients without having to pay the $5,000.

Okay, thanks for being here! Now go be awesome!

This is what people pay for — in matchmaking services, dating apps, an endless amounts of money on makeup, fashion, fancy cards, and tons of money going to clubs. How much money do people waste on drinks at clubs trying to get people to date them? 

Today's spread is called "How do I meet someone I like?"

If you learn this five-card spread (today’s spread is called “How do I meet someone I like”) and really master it, you can specialize in getting people dates, getting them business partners, getting them new friends, and helping business owners get MORE PAYING CUSTOMERS — all of the real questions people want answers to — you can make a fortune!

So come listen to how this spread works. Also, go to https://www.advancedtarotsecrets.com and click on Handouts to get the PDF of this spread free! But we explain it all to you in today’s free lesson — and also — we give you inside secrets only in this lesson hon how to really get the most from this spread.

It’s not. The hard part is sitting there for two hours with your cards laid out watching people walk by and nobody asks you for a reading. Not only is that embarrassing *and* boring, but how can you possibly make any money that way?

In today's session Dusty and Maggie break down what actually gets you hired at a metaphysical shop—and more importantly, what gets people to sit down, trust you, and pay you.

Because this isn’t about luck. It’s not about being “gifted.” And it’s definitely not about undercharging until someone takes a chance on you. This is about understanding the real job.

🔑 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why you’re not applying for a job (and what shop owners actually care about)
• How to position yourself as a partner who brings in customers
• The #1 mistake that makes readers invisible (and how to fix it instantly)
• How to create demand instead of waiting for it
• Why your setup is silently selling for you (or quietly driving people away)
• The truth about pricing—and why cheaper does NOT mean more clients
• How to structure short readings that feel valuable and lead to longer sessions
• The “souvenir reading” strategy that turns strangers into repeat clients
• What makes a shop worth working with — and when to walk away

Most people think reading at shops is about what happens at the table; but it’s not. It’s about everything that happens before someone ever sits down. It's about how you approach the shop to begin with, and whether that shop is a good fit for you. It's about the way you present yourself to the owner, so they see you as a value add-on instead of another mouth to feed. Shop owners have their own bills to pay and endless paperwork, contracts, and taxes. They have to guess what people will actually pay for, and how to get them into the shop to pay for things at all. I know from personal experience that running a shop is not as glamorous as working at one.

So we need to get you spiffed up so you can look like a real professional who will bring value and customers in to their shop to spend money on books and supplies.  If you understand that — truly get that — and apply even a few of the ideas we are covering today, you won’t be the reader sitting in the corner hoping someone notices you. You will be a valuable addition to any retail environment. You’ll be the one people walk across the room to find.

Keep in mind that this is a 20 minute crash course on getting yourself into shape to read at a store. The most important steps are there, but we have an entire academy at easytarotlessons.com where we do more than teach you how to read cards like a seasoned professional. We teach you how to get LOTS of paying clients. But today's lesson is about getting you out the door and knocking on doors (of places you want to start reading at this week).

You’re not just a tarot reader. You’re an experience that brings energy, attention, and revenue into the room. And when you start presenting yourself like it, well everything changes. If you really want to learn how to be a tarot ninja, check out our textbook: Advanced Tarot Secrets and our community at easytarotlessons.com. These free lessons are just the beginning, but if you want to learn how to make $20 an hour right now reading cards, we have a lesson on that as well. It's just down the list, and it is free as well. You should check that out now.

In this episode, we break down what higher-value readings look like in practice. Whether you’re reading casually or starting to work with paying clients, these ideas apply right away. We focus on using the right spreads for the question, asking focused questions while you shuffle, and turning your readings into clear, practical guidance instead of vague impressions.  

We also cover how to think about card positions as part of the answer, how to guide the flow of a session so it stays focused, and how to deliver insight your client can walk away and act on. This is what turns a reading from “interesting” into something genuinely valuable—and worth paying for.

Grab your cards, pay attention, and let’s level this up.

This episode covers one of the most requested tarot readings out there: how does a specific person feel about you — or about a proposition you're putting on the table? Whether you're asking about a romantic interest, a raise, or a business deal, this four-card spread delivers the kind of specific, actionable insight that separates a good reader from a great one.

We walk through the full layout, how to use two significators to sharpen your focus in a small spread, and what each card position is actually telling you — what they like, what they want, what's holding them back, and the direct advice that ties it all together. This is the kind of tarot reading you can do in five minutes or stretch into a full client session, and it's versatile enough to keep in your core rotation for years.

Grab your cards, download the free PDF handout at AdvancedTarotSecrets.com, and let's get into it.

As tarot cards are visual in nature, we look at what’s actually happening in each image, from posture to movement, color, weather, setting, and so on. From there, we connect each Three to its elemental nature (fire, earth, air, or water) and its quality (cardinal, fixed, or mutable) so you can feel why these cards illustrate what they do.

This isn’t about doing complicated calculations or turning tarot into homework. It’s about learning to see what’s already there in the cards, and letting that understanding quietly sharpen your readings.

If you’ve ever felt that some cards speak more clearly than others, or wondered why similar-looking numbers behave so differently across the suits, this episode will give you a helpful way to organize what you’re already sensing—without forcing anything.

Grab your deck, pull out the Threes, and read along with us.

Reversed cards are your friends, and here's why.

What We're Covering:

Reversals Double Your Visual Cues: You're literally getting twice the information for free. Every card has a higher and lower energy, and when you use reversals, the deck just tells you which one it is. You don't have to guess.

Reversals Make Readings More Efficient: Here's the thing: if you're not using reversals, you have to decide for every single card whether it's representing the upright or reversed energy—higher versus lower meaning. That's an extra interpretive step you're doing in your head. With reversals, you skip that step entirely. The card does the work for you. If you're reading a Celtic Cross, that's 10 steps you don't have to take. You can spend that energy feeling into the spread instead.

Reversals Reduce Reader Bias: This is huge. I've read for tens of thousands of people, and I'll admit—sometimes I've twisted an interpretation because I emotionally didn't want something bad to happen to my client. Reversals act like a safeguard against that. It's like scientific processes that guard against subjective bias. The deck makes the upright/reversed decision for you through divine "randomization," not through your wishful thinking.

Some Cards Get Better Reversed: Three of Swords? I'd much rather see that reversed. All those swords fall out—"I haven't got time for the pain." Ten of Swords? Same thing. Reversed can mean the worst is over, you're recovering, you're getting past it. The Devil, the Tower—these cards can soften when reversed, indicating you dodged a bullet or the intensity is lessening.

But Also: Some Cards Need to Be Negative: Life sucks sometimes. Most people come to us because something's wrong. We can't just have unicorns and rainbows. Cards have to reflect real life. And when a reversal flags a problem—especially in an outcome position—that's when you dig deeper with clarifying cards. That's the mark of a professional: you don't just do three cards and call it done. You investigate.

Thanks for being here. We'll be back with more soon.

Books mentioned in this podcast:

The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot—EVER!!

The Easiest Way to Learn Astrology—EVER!!

Advanced Tarot Secrets

Website:

AcademyofDivination.com

Moving Beyond Kindergarten-Level Tarot: Astrology isn't just for measuring people's personalities. It's a framework we can use to measure anything—including tarot cards. Each card has an inherent nature, and understanding whether it's mutable or fixed (not just what element it is) changes everything.

Breaking Down the Four Twos:

Pull out your four twos and follow along.

• Two of Wands (Mutable Fire - Sagittarius): This guy's elevated, looking out over the horizon with a globe in his hand. He's not taking action—he's planning, brainstorming, imagining possibilities. Look at all that variety in the background: mountains, water, village, bridge. Sagittarius energy is all about that far-range vision, that "what if?" quality. There's even playfulness here—like maybe he's going to drop that globe just to see what happens. Mutable fire isn't settled. It's exploratory.
• Two of Pentacles (Mutable Earth - Virgo): The whole thing looks unsettled, which is weird for earth, right? His body's at an angle like he's catching his balance. That infinity loop, the moving water in the background, maybe he's even standing on a boat—everything about this image screams constant adjustment. Question everything. That's Virgo. Mutable earth means you're balancing, weighing options, never quite stable. Even that ridiculous hat at an angle adds to the sense of "oh my God, what about this? But then what about this?"
• Two of Swords (Fixed Air - Aquarius): She's sitting on a stone bench. Arms crossed. Blindfolded. The water behind her is flat and calm. This is opinion. This is "I've made up my mind and I'm not changing it." Fixed air equals closed-minded—not in a bad way necessarily, just firm. She's blocking the ocean. You shall not pass. Very impersonal, very unemotional. The crescent moon shows there's no emotional bias here. It's just no. That's it. No.
• Two of Cups (Fixed Water - Scorpio, though it can read as Libra): Intense bonding. Look at how they're gazing at each other—it's almost voyeuristic to look at this card because it feels so private. She's wearing masculine garb, he's wearing something almost like a dress. They've opened up completely to each other. That caduceus symbol, the winged lion, the isolated house in the background surrounded by trees—this is sacred, ritualized, deeply intimate connection. Scorpio dream: your own home, lots of space, only your people. Forever.

Thanks for being here. We'll be back with more soon.

Books mentioned in this podcast:

The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot—EVER!!

The Easiest Way to Learn Astrology—EVER!!

Advanced Tarot Secrets

Website:

AcademyofDivination.com

Here's the thing: all four Aces are cardinal. Every single one. And that matters more than you might think.

What We're Covering:

Why Cardinal Energy Changes Everything: Cardinal energy is compressed, explosive, immediate—like a match flaring up or an auto accident. It all happens at once. The Aces aren't subtle. They kick the door down, do their thing, and that's it. Even when they look friendly and nurturing, they're still telling you what to do.

Reading the Images, Not Memorizing Keywords: Look, astrology is the measure of all energy on earth. So we can actually understand what's happening in a card by looking at the quality (cardinal, fixed, or mutable), the polarity (masculine or feminine), and the element (fire, earth, air, water). The image tells you everything you need to know—you don't need to memorize a bunch of keywords from some book.

Breaking Down the Four Aces:

• Ace of Wands (Cardinal Fire): That motivational coach energy—"Get out there and DO it!" Aggressive, invasive, passionate, physical.
• Ace of Pentacles (Cardinal Earth): "I provide for you. Stay here where you're safe and controlled." Nurturing but confining—Darth Vader saying "I am your father."
• Ace of Swords (Cardinal Air): Commanding, decisive, sometimes harsh. Luke Skywalker jumping into the abyss. Very "take this" energy.
• Ace of Cups (Cardinal Water): Emotionally overwhelming. The hand is offering, not commanding, but those emotions are still flooding over you.

The Visual Cues: Notice how the masculine suits (Wands and Swords) show hands grasping, asserting—very in-your-face. The feminine suits (Pentacles and Cups) have supportive, cupping hands. But don't be fooled—they're all cardinal, so they're all forceful. Just one does it the hard way, the other does it the nice way, but you're doing it their way either way.

This is part of a series where we're going to analyze each card based on what the image is actually showing us. If you've got questions, write me at dusty@academyofdivination.com, or come to the live Saturday class.

Pull out your four Aces and let's look at what they're really saying.

Books mentioned in this podcast:

The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot—EVER!!

The Easiest Way to Learn Astrology—EVER!!

Advanced Tarot Secrets

Website:

AcademyofDivination.com

The 7 of Wands shows us when we are forced into a position, or forced to make a choice. We are under pressure, or we are put upon by others. This is a card of open conflict, but there is not a fight yet — just the threat of implied violence. All too often the threat of implied violence is enough to make most people behave or acquiesce to our demands. But in this case, this young man has chosen to stand and fight.

He doesn’t look prepared. He is wearing mismatching shoes. No one knows if this was one of the many accidents pam made in drawing the art — as she said her self that she was underpaid and rushed to completion. But to be fair, Art only wanted the “major” Arcana scene-illustrated, so in some ways she just went over budget — but the fact that she did changed history, and it is too bad how her story played out.

But back to this guy . . . in the 7 of Wands we see implied conflict. We are experiencing peer pressure, whether it is an open mob or conversion therapy. We are being hunted, punished, or shamed for not going along with the “group think.” We may have earned this ire (we insulted someone, or we we a menace to society), or this could be any one of the countless cases of being wrongly accused of an action or belief we never took part in. 

The seven of Wands doesn’t tell us “why” or “what” — it only shows us the consequences of previous actions or general unpopularity. To fully understand this card in a spread we need to know the context in which we are reading. We need to have a question this card answers, or we need other cards that *do* state what happened, and how we go to this place. 

Lastly, if this card is the very last card and indicates the final outcome, it implies that someone is getting their comeuppance (whether that is deserved or not), but without another card that shows “how that Tuens out,” it leaves us to believe that justice served is enough information, and that we should ask no more. 

This can be a moment in time, like when you receive your diploma at the graduation ceremony for college, or the announcement that you are “employee of the month.” But this can be an event, a circumstance, or an environment. That means that the 6 of Wands as a tarot card in a spread can represent something that is lasting or something that comes and is gone before you are ready for it to fade. The 6 of Wands doesn’t tell us what you are popular or famous for, only that you are. Also, it does not tell us how long you are famous. For these answers you need to carefully examine the tarot spread you cast, and compare that to the question you asked.

Also, this card shows how exposed you are. As unfair as it is, when you are riding in life, far above the common masses, you are like the United States President John F. Kennedy riding in a convertible in Dallas Texas in November of 1963. His head made an easy target for an assassin’s bullet. And as horrific as that event was, it remains a stain on United States history. But this card shows the moment before it all happened, including that guy in the back of the parade who is not happy that someone else gets to ride on a house while he has to walk.

This card is both a celebration of popularity and a warning not to trample on others. If you are the only person on a horse, it is your job not to step on people, not their job to move out of your way. There is not a lot of depth to this particular card, but its secrets can be teased out through careful observation and deep rumination. Come join our mystery school at easytarotlessons.com and learn ALL of the secrets of the tarot — not just the superficial ones we reveal to the public. This is a lifelong skill you will benefit from. And we are here to show you the hidden pathways.

Tarot card Keywords for study: hero, victory celebration, parade, fanfare, high horse, leader, returning hero, being on display, praise, promotion, equestrian show, horses, dressage, virility, sexual prowess, machismo, boasting, narcissism, influence, popularity, social influencer, going viral

While the outer two sticks create a frame, the inner two create a narrow gateway that allow one or two people to pass through at a time. This makes this a checkpoint or a border crossing, but this works on a metaphysical scale just as it would on the physical plane.

This could just as easily represent the gateway between the human world of awareness and the faerie realm. The four sticks are the tangible part of reality in this card, and we can see that by the horizontal lines that mark the intersection of the stage and the painted curtain that serves as a backdrop for the play.

In truth, the entire scene is an illusion. This is both a warning and a goal. The girls welcoming us in and the people dancing in the background — even the bridge — these are all illusory.  These are goals to aspired to, but they also can show how people of wealth and taste lose their way once they have money and they turn their attentions and interests to self-pleasure instead of making their world a better place.

This is the intermediate layer, but in the background we have the looming castle that serves as a representation for the nature of this walled garden. Unlike the Ace of Coins, which is a highly personal view of the walled garden, this image shows us the estate or state of affairs for what it is. This is an empire or a civilization. This could be a family or a company, a government, or a region. 

This card, taken as a whole, shows us a walled garden at peace and also prosperous. While we are being beckoned to enter, we must leave our baggage behind if we are to pass through the gates, as there is only so much room. Also, we must find a way through the veil that separates our tangible existence from the permanent lands of happiness. And the answers to this are hidden in the courses we teach at The Academy of Divination.

Tarot card Keywords for study: parties, welcoming, house warming, celebrations, weddings, square, fixed energy, fortress, family, friends, activity, enthusiasm, generosity magnanimity, brand, branding, market dominance, reliability, inclusion, sunshine.

• The visuals on this card are so minimalistic that we have to really dig for meaning. But in the process, we can’t simply make things up. Whatever we say about this card, it has to match what is in the image.
• So we have a bunch of boys in a tight group, and they seem to be friendly to each other, but we have to examine the group as a whole, as well as the posture and attitude of each one, if we are to understand the various meanings of this card in a reading.
• I want to start with the central figure. He is wearing red in the Rider version of this card. He is also the only one wearing a hat.
• Notice how he is the only one of the five who is completely in his own world. Everyone else is looking at someone else, or someone else’s stick. This one individual is confident, self-composed, and examining his stick like someone would examine the cards life has dealt them. 
• Notice his stance. He is balanced and upright. His body language reinforces the notion of his self-assurance and stability. He hols is stick with both hands, but away from him as he examines it. If this boy represented your client in a reading, it would sho that they are an island of sanity and calm in the middle of chaos. 

Tarot card keywords for study: activity, enthusiasm, disorder, chaos, clown show, youth, youth sports, comparison, uncertainty, seeking acceptance, peer pressure, mob mentality, small groups, discordance, loud noises, inclusion.

There is a huge clue that the sea is golden and the sky is yellow. This gives us time of day and the direction he is facing, and therefor it limits the number of places in the world this can occur — if we need this card to tell us where a thing will happen. But don’t read too much into that unless and until you are specifically asking for that level and type of information.

Tarot card Keywords for study: oceans, bays, sunsets, west facing beaches, ships, voyages, watching, missing the boat, progress, momentum, early stages, management, overseer or foreman.

The globe is a metaphor for where is mind is at. His eyes are not on the lands around him, which represent his community and potentially his estate. His eyes are on the horizon — but once again, look closely and he is not looking at the mountains or anything familiar. He is looking out at the empty sea and comparing his view to a giant map of everything that is.  

This image is showing us someone whose awareness is far from the moment. This is the antithesis of the 8 of Coins, where a laborer happily focuses only on what is in front of him right here and right now. In that card, even the coins he just struck are a distant memory — even as they are within reach. That man only focuses on what is in front of him and what he is doing.

The weakness of this card is being too detached from one’s current environment. While this person is a visionary or an idea man — someone with great vision and intellectual capacity, this Sagittarian global perspective runs the risk of not seeing the trees right in front of him because his mind is on the forest at large. 

This is a great card for big picture perspectives but it is horrible for paying attention to the here and now, and what needs to be done to pay the rent or feed your family tonight. This card only works when you have the time and resources to survive while you go on a mental vacation to put everything into perspective.

Tarot card Keywords for study: critical thinking, thinker, analysis, planning, observation, intellectual, entrepreneur, visionary, vantage point, perspective, view from the top, executive, C-suite, CEO, CIO, COO, bay, coast, mountains, elevation, ambition, morning, Sagittarius, Jupiter, expansion

In today's easy tarot lesson we look to see the screws hidden in The Fool card. First off, can we derive meaningful rom the NAME of this card? Well . .  yes, and no. But surprisingly yes. And what is up with that dog? Where did that dog come from? (hint: this was not in the original art, but was added way back around 1450 CE).

And why a cliff? The old versions mentioned nothing about a cliff! This was something Arthur Edward Waite changed. This is not in the core meaning of the card! But that is a clue in and of itself. We are in fact reading the modern images, not the "ancient" ones (hint: the tarot is NOT from Egypt — the pyramids are). But there is a lot of information hidden in plain sight right there in the image.

THERE IS NOTHING TO MEMORIZE. The secrets of The Fool tarot card are right in front of us. look at the way he is dressed. By the way, he has some of the fanciest clothing in all of the tarot. Did you know he was a prince? (of sorts) Also look at his bag, the rose in his hand (it is the only white rose in the [ "Rider" } Waite-Smith tarot).

We examine the secrets of this card, and also how to LEARN any card (not memorize keywords) by learning to look at the images. This is a short but powerful revelation of what The Fool tarot card means in any spread you cast. Take notes, because after this lesson you will never go back to guessing again.

Also, if you have any questions, we are always here to help! Ask us at www.advancedtarotsecretc.com!

Thanks for being here!

In today's easy tarot lesson we look deeply into The Magician card: what do you see? A guy standing at a table, right? What does that image mean esoterically? What are the symbols, and more importantly, how do the various "things" in the image contribute to the esoteric meaning? 

Without memorizing anything, we unlock the magician’s secrets. He is the nexus between the tangible and the ethereal. He stands at the crossroads of the artificial (human-created) and the divine (natural world). The Magician is “supernatural” in that he represents that part of us that is the blend of cosmic and mundane. 

This is a *very* Aries card, and he stands at the beginning of our journey through the tarot, from The Fool to The World. Give us half an hour and we will help you master meanings of the magician in this world of tarot. Take notes, because after this lesson you will never go back to guessing again.

Also, if you have any questions, we are always here to help! Ask us at www.advancedtarotsecretc.com!

Thanks for being here!

The point of sessions like these is to help yo bring thetarot into your daily life rather than restrict it to some "sacred space" where it gets used as often as yoru massage table or archery set. I want you to get answers from your cards. I want you to help other people with your cards. And if you want to earn a living, we are doing it and we want to meet you! My job is literally to help you succeed.

So please give this a listen, and if you need any help at all, we have a school at easytarotlessons.com where you can learn and also study with other students. We have an extremely friendly tight-knit community, and we would love to welcome you to the family. Also, I have free workshops, but you know where those are.

Questions? Just ask!

Thanks for being here! 

Dusty

Today we stepped back to examine what happens during a reading and some of the essential parts of being a *great* tarot reader. There is far more to this than memorizing card meanings or  formulas (like the Christianized Kabbalah or forcing numerology into the tarot). Some things work better than others, and some things just don't work.

This is why we do this series. This is why we give these lessons away for free. If the world is going to have better tarot readers, we need to train people the fine art of divination. It is work. It takes practice, and a skilled tarot reader is worth the $60 to $150 an hour that the "average professional" charges. The best readers in the world charge more than that—and are worth it—but they are hard to find as they already have exclusive clienteles and don't need to prove themselves to the rest of us.

In any case, today's session was filled with personal anecdotes on how to avoid many of the problems we see tarot readers committing over and over AND ALSO some things you should be doing that will make your readings better. 

We try to keep these sessions casual and fun, because mastering the tarot is a LOT of work. Lessons can be found at easytarotlessons.com, so we want to be a bit more entertaining here. Thanks for being here!

Dusty

Today, Nicole and I sat down and explained EXACTLY what you should expect when you get a job reading tarot at a shop, or when you work a booth at a faire, or when you are reading cards at a (friend's) party. 

We also covered what to expect when you read at a tarot party. The problem was there was so much to tell you we probably didn't get to all of it. This podcast was only supposed to be 20 minutes, but it went for an hour! There is so much excellent advice from real, working professionals here — and this is FREE!

Of course this is brought to you by The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot - Ever!! That book is the best textbook for beginners ever written (read the reviews, talk to any of my students—I made this for you to LEARN after all), and by Advanced Tarot Secrets (the tarot bible for professional tarot readers). Seriously, that book has secrets you won't find anywhere. Go ahead and read parts of it for free on Amazon if you think I am lying.

So, in my quest to (die poor and) give you as much free professional tarot education as possible, I am back at work making more free audio lessons. Today's session is all about what you should plan for when dealing with bosses, clients, and other readers. The good the bad, and the ugly. We hide from no witch (or evil boss).

Listen to this lesson along with the one we just did on how to read professionally, and the episode on how to get LOTS of clients — oh, and the one on how to make $20 an hour right now, if you need money right away.

And while you are here, consider helping out! We need just ten bucks a week to keep the lights on. We will get you tarot study buddies, make you a member of our exclusive community, give you FREE ACCESS to live personalized help from me every Saturday, and also give you an entire master course on tarot, from absolute beginner to professional. 

All for just ten bucks a week (+ $4 to PayPal fees - once a month). We are here to help you. If you are at all serious about learning the tarot, and reading like a professional (accurately, helping others, and getting paid), come join us. Head over to easytarotlessons.com and help us help you. In fact, you can even start for a dollar. Your first month is on us. Just one dollar gets you in.

Thanks for being here! (really)

Dusty

How to make $20/hour reading tarot right now! (Also pick up numerous repeat clients.)

This session is for anyone who can't give me $10 weekly to teach you. If you just gave one full reading a month ($48), that will grant you a month's worth of education.

Here's how to start attracting clients. All you need is a deck of cards.

DO THIS.

1. Get yourself a tarot deck 
2. Start by giving 1 card readings. Price is $1 per card. Offering $1 readings. 3 minute timers.
3. Alway be shuffling. shuffle while talking to the client. Then pull out 1 card, and then 3 minutes answer their question. Make sure you have a timer.
4. When the timer ends, so does your reading. If they want more, they can pay.

———

2 card reading for $2. 2 minutes per card. 

3 card reading for 9 minutes.  

And so forth…

$1 readings may seem demeaning. But let's be clear, $20 is more than most people make. If you do a great reading, you'll get tips.

If you're giving a Celtic cross reading, and it's only $10 (which is a STEAL by the way!). You've got 30 minutes to sit and read. 

You want your client's jaws to drop further and further. People with money will want more than $1 reading.

Your first 100 readings may be worth $500, as every reading won't be $1, you might end up averaging out to $5 per reading.. 

After you've got some money, keep it up, but now its $1 for 2 minutes, etc. $3 for 6 minutes, $5 for 10 minutes. 

When your dance card is full, overwhelmed, raise your prices again. Now you've also got repeat clients.

Consider selling PACKAGES.

A block of 4 weekly readings, 1 reading for 4 weeks -- give them a little discount. At the end of every reading, give them a business card and say… I’d like to help you in the future. 

When you do get paid to give weekly readings -- a very slight discount (not more than 10%). However, give them a little bit more time, give them an action plan, checklist.

Make the subtle transition, then they will put you on retainer with that client. They'll keep coming back. You've got 4 sessions to WOW them.

Right now, you are just using the common man as a personal psychic. When you've got too many people, you are raising your rates. Make them feel valuable, then they will pay you for the rest of your life. 

If they agree to pay you monthly, give you an extra reading every other month. Don't cheapen yourself for affiliates, or mega discounts, etc. Just farm organic clients. 

This is how to keep your clients coming back. Keep developing more skills that will bring them more value, year by year, the quality increases, you can always charge more.

Always give back to the community, show the world you're generous person with a generous soul!

Nicole has an event coming up (spoiler alert: it went smashingly well, and everyone was happy and wants to do it again). Dusty gives her center stage and just lets her share her steps, methodology, and details on how she is doing this "right now." She is only one year into this, so you can do this too. This is not a story told by someone who has been doing this so long that the world has changed over the years.

Nicole is ALSO the author of a brand new book called "Kickstart Your Tarot Business." This is a shameless plug and NO, we are NOT getting paid for this. Nicole knows her stuff, and she shares it succinctly in this book, which is highly usable as a checklist of things to do so you can focus on reading cards, and let your business handle itself (for the most part). In any case, this is the first in a new series of interviews with people who are actually doing it in the real world.

HOW DO THEY DO IT? And how can you?

Ready to make money with your tarot cards? Read like a professional. Also, we have free live workshops (currently three times a week) where you can come get help—live—from the top tarot instructors in the world. And just in case you are thinking it is only free because it is worthless, we ALSO have a two-year professional course on how to read tarot—from absolute beginner to corporate-level psychic.

Get in the free live workshops or COME TO SCHOOL and get a real education from real teachers at advancedtarotsecrets.com. Thanks for being here!

Each ace in the tarot represents a beginning, something new, or an abundance—even just the raw material. All card meanings change due to the nature of the question and the context in which they appear. Still, there are solid guidelines ALL cards must adhere to.

This is a mystery school lecture provided free to the public in ways that anyone can understand, absorb, and verify for themselves. We do have a mystery school academy when you are ready for an affordable in-depth education in the ways of magic, astrology, and the tarot. We have the best textbooks on the subjects and even free live help from some of the best instructors in the world. Come to www.advancedtarotsecrets.com for all of this and more.

Thanks for being here! 

Summary: Today we examine WHAT a significator is (for professional tarot readers, it is rarely a card), how to use one (or more), when to use one, and we cover what to do when cards sly out of the deck. LOTS of extras revealed along the way.

DETAILS:

Q: How to tell if a card is upright or reversed when they fly out during shuffling? 

A:- Some readers refer to these cards as "Jumpers". 

- Usually happens when you're hyper-focused 

Recommendations: 

1. Discount statistics/law of probability. Just because something happens, doesn't mean it's divine providence, not everything is a "sign", if it is you will know it. If you miss it -- it's okay. 

2. Do we flip it, do we turn it? Most people turn the card over regardless -- because subconsciously we need to make order so we end up flipping the card upright to see what it is.

Mentions of the "no-spread" technique, for more advanced students. **

Additional notes: 

To get the most confidence out of this, stop for a moment, really focus on what you were thinking of the moment or prior to the card flipping out. 

1. How does that card relate to that thought? 
   
   
2. Does it make more sense if it were reversed versus upright? 
   
   
3. If you can't find instant, clarity, resounding voice or sensation in your head of "this card is telling me this.. therefore reversed or upright makes sense". Set the card off to the side and keep going. 

Don't ignore the card, just set it aside. Continue to shuffle with that card on the back burner in your mind. 

Allow input from the peanut gallery, as long as the card that flips out does not stop you in your tracks midway and/or distract you from the rest of the reading.

How do we know if "jumper" card is meant to be reversed or upright?

• You don't, but context helps fill in the blanks. How relevant is the card (in both angles) to the question at hand?
• Until the card makes sense, don't stress out.

Q: Can we go over multiple significators, and when to use them? 

A: Okay so why do we use significators in the first place?

• A Significator can represent "this is who we're reading about". Remember, if we have to memorize anything, memorize card position meanings, not card meanings.
• It is one card that sits outside of the spread OR it is the first card of the spread specifically in the celtic cross. 

We don't always need it, sometimes it is a lot simpler without it — but really it's whatever works for you and the reading at hand.

***

When choosing a significator, preferably select one from the 2's to 10's, it provides more personality to the individual. 

Ask yourself...

• Is this the circumstance the person is in, how does it relate back to the question?
• Does this card match what this person is going through now?

Significators do not need to be tarot cards at all. 

The greatest significator ever is a photograph. Ever heard of psychometry?

Not to say that the tarot card itself is the actual person. Remember the Tarot is a tool to help your intuition. It's like Astrology, it's not about people's personality, it's a tool to help people answer questions. We just happen to be talking about people all the time.

We don't just assign or pull a random card as a significator. The significator is a grasp of who this person is in relation to the person asking the question.

If you don't have time.. just take a piece of paper, write KoS (King of Swords). Transmute, translate that KoS into a psychic image, your best guess to what "Bob" would appear like. Picturing Bob, or anthropomorphizing this description I'm given. I'm telescoping on Bob's energy. So that's a rundown of how or why we would use a significator.

-- Example -- 

A mother wants to know if her daughter is interested in marrying loser bob. In mothers mind, this guy is unacceptable or unworthy of her daughter. She's interested in knowing how it's going to go? She wants to know what's going on.

Simple answer is to do a "this or that" spread. This spread for Bob, that spread for the unnamed daughter. We're asking a central or overall question about how this relationship is going to be for each person. Because we're asking about people. 

When do you need focal points? Ask yourself that when using multiple significators. When information gets too convoluted, if you can't just do spreads consecutively, if you need to have multiple points of references, that is where multiple significators work. 

Q: Am I practicing the connection with the cards by using card per month and card per day?

A: A 2 card spread — Card of the month, card of the day. There's only so much you can pull out from one card. Sometimes we are asking too much with too little tools.

These and more questions were addressed her, live. If you have questions, show up and ask Dusty. To get in to our FREE live-help with Dusty White workshops on magic, tarot, astrology, and manifestation, go to www.advancedtarotsecrets.com! Its just that easy.

Thanks for being here. 

Thanks for being here! 

Thanks for being here! 

 This podcast is a MUST for anyone!  We demystified the Aces and made them user-friendly.  Be sure to take copious notes!  This lesson goes in depth to help understand the Aces in ways you would never have expected. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. I am here to help. Thanks for being here and learning :-)

Spend an hour with us and think about the concepts here. This is not a note-taking lesson: this is one that requires you spend some serious time contemplating the nature of your job and your interaction with your clients. If you do this: if you take some time alone (often) and really dig deeply into your interaction with your clients you will master a skill so few readers ever do—and one essential to being a god among mortals. You will learn to hear what people are saying behind their words and how to get people to open up so that you can better help them find the answers they need to their dilemmas. 

This is MUST KNOW information and easily worth the cost of a private lesson (currently $90 for an hour), but because it is free you should grab a pen and take COPIOUS notes on all of this. Plenty of highly detailed analysis of why this all works and explicit instructions on how to do it. That and a few really crappy jokes but we couldn't help laughing. DO THIS. Then write me and tell me what you have questions about. Thanks for being here.
Dusty

Alternatively, we can do our pre-spreadwork properly (shuffling, focusing, talking to ourselves/our client, listening for the "ding" . . .) and by doing this we can get MUCH BETTER answers. And that is what this lesson is about.

There is no way I could cover all of this in 40 minutes so this is just a shot of information to improve your skills "right now" with an invitation to come learn ALL of what you need to know to become a kick-ass tarot reader at our academy. Right now we have a $5 special: $5 a week for three lessons/week (two 90-minute video lessons and one 60-minute audio), and forums, and study groups, and study buddies. You really should check this out: http://www.easytarotlessons.com/members/sign-up-for-the-course-here/

It will change your life. Anyway, thanks for being here. 

Please post any questions you have. 

Dusty

Today's lesson covers several topics and it lasts about an hour. It covers a lot of ground that will help you become a MUCH better reader by indirectly correcting most mistakes readers make. Good habits come from this lesson. I hope you enjoy it. I will have more free lessons soon. Dusty.

All in all Lilianne asked three main questions today and the core purpose of this podcast episode is to give you a complete rundown on wwhat pre-spreads are and how to do them, and before we got to that we covered the other two questions briefly. Thanks for being here. As always, proper practice is everything but you can always ask me questions. Comment or email me. I am here to help.

Dusty

In any case, I hope that you enjoy today's lesson. It runs about an hour and a half, but there is no fluff. It is education from beginning to end. Thanks for being here. Please post any questions you have.

The problem is that it gets a bit confusing: with the advent of a "this of that spread" how can we get more information and are we stuck with that one spread? Lori wanted to know what her options were in decision spreads and this lesson covers, in great depth, how to choose or alter a spread to create the best reading to resolve conflicts and make decisions. Of course our cards don't make decisions for us, but like any form of divination we are reaching out to the divine and asking for guidance. YOUR SKILL at talking to the divine (with the help of your cards as clarification devices) will determine the quality of your assistance (to your clients). This means that my job is to help you get better at what you do; hence this lesson.

We start off answering the question about this or that spreads in general, and in detail, but then move on to help Lori (and you) get more accurate and precise information from your cards in every reading you do. I hope that you enjoy this lesson and learn a lot. Please post any questions that you have. Thanks for being here :-)

You MUST ask great questions if you expect to give answers that have value and meaning to your clients.  It is not a difficult skill, but there are some factors to consider, such as what spread you will be using to best answer that question, and whether this is a preparatory question to get information before you ask your main question, or whether it is a follow-up question, and so on. These are many tiny parts of divination that go unnoticed to the uninitiated, and MY JOB is to initiate you: to help you understand the nature and methodology of divination so that you can then go accomplish your own miracles. I can't do the work for you but I can teach you what I know in ways that make sense so that you can go get your own experiences. 

This class is a bit rambly, as it went on for 90 minutes (it was supposed to be 20), but I wanted to help Taura, who is quite new at the tarot, and the chance to get some "free" time with me is impossibly rare so I made the most of it. Please take notes and use the knowledge you will gain from this lesson to make your own readings more clear and accurate. Thanks for being here. If you have any questions please post them in the comments area(s).

When you are preparing to cast a spread (to answer a question) you need to have a question in mind, and you should be shuffling. LET THE GODS DECIDE when the cards are right. Never think you are smarter than the universe, and never try to force the cards to be in order just because you don;t want to shuffle any more, or you are getting nervous about how long it is taking to get your "ding!" of awareness that the top cards are in the right order. Stretch out your senses and extend your awareness into your cards while you are shuffling. Do this with the intent of "feeling" the answer in the form of the cards you need (for your spread) being in the right order. Shuffle, cut, shuffle, shuffle . . . you will feel it closing in. Then you will get a "ding!" (like a tiny bell) of awareness that the cards are "just right" for this spread.


So, how do we get there? Well, if you have been practicing the exercises in The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot EVER!! and Advanced Tarot Secrets or if you have been taking the course here, then you will be well on your way to knowing all of this. BUT, if not, today's lesson will help. It runs about an hour and I gave Laura a few different examples and techniques, all of which work amazingly well for my students. So I hope that you enjoy this free lesson. Please post any comments that you have, and thanks for being here.