Personally, I see a lot of card readings on social media. You, too?
If you are anything like me, your life revolves around tarot and cartomancy just a wee-little-bit. You might be a part of card reading groups of all sorts, follow many different readers, and even post your own readings on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, like I do. If you are posting readings on social media, you need to find a way to make yours stand out from the crowd.
Unfortunately, many of the readings I come across don’t really serve the reader – they just blend anonymously into the background of dozens of one, two, or three card readings.
Honestly, the biggest mistake I see people make is just posting a picture of a card and the companion book’s description (or a simple, non-invested description of the card). Posting a picture of a card with a description from the book (or app) doesn’t really make a reading stand out. In my opinion, it’s a better way to advertise a deck than it is to advertise your reading business. (No problem with that if you created the deck yourself!)
The Star from Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine’s Angel Tarot deck
Why is that a mistake?
Because the reader who is posting the reading hasn’t taken the time to personalize (a.k.a. brand) the reading at all. There aren’t any visual cues to point to who the reader is. There isn’t any personality infused into the reading, itself.
So, how can a you personalize your posts so that people will automatically know who posted the reading?
1) Put a business card into the picture. This is a simple tactic that automatically ties the reading to a specific person.
2) Use the same background in the majority of your readings. If you follow my readings, you’ll notice that I almost always use a burgundy reading cloth (one of my brand colors). When you’ve established your brand’s color scheme, stick with it in your readings (and memes, too).
3) Add some personalized items to your reading space. Aside from my business card, I almost always use my little porcelain angel, a couple of crystals, and my lucky feather in my readings. No matter what deck I use or which spread I am working with, those elements are almost always in the picture. They make my readings uniquely identifiable among a sea of reading posts.
4) Use your own voice when describing the cards and what they mean. Look at the cards and allow yourself to type what you truly think about the reading – in your own voice. If you find it interesting, say so. If certain elements related to the cards stand out to you in some way, cue your readers in on your observations. Be witty, be funny. BE YOU! It’ll allow people to connect with you in a real way. They’ll know what they’re getting.
Card from Colette Baron-Reid’s Wisdom of the Oracle deck
**Bonus Tip – because you all know me and my obsession with good spelling and grammar (if you didn’t know that, now you do). Seriously. If you are a professional reader – ESPECIALLY if you are selling email readings – put some effort into making sure that your readings are as perfect as possible, spelling and grammar-wise. We all make a mistake here and there, but sloppy text will turn people off. It isn’t just me saying that – it’s a Google Algorithm, well-documented-survey point.
And don’t forget to use the same background and props for the pictures of readings that you send out to clients! If they are looking back on the image of a reading that particularly touched them, you want them to know WHO to contact for another reading!
When you are posting readings as a way to attract followers and clients, make sure that the people who see your readings know who did the reading. That way, people will be more likely to follow your posts and to become fans of YOURS, not just fans of the people who published the deck. Even though each card does have its own unique charm and character, you – as a reader – will always be communicating your interpretation of a card. Don’t blend in by highlighting the card, stand out by highlighting your interpretation of the card and the style of your business. That will make YOU more memorable.
Want more ideas about how to make your spiritual business stand out from the crowd? Click here!
Are you ready to take your spiritual business to the next level? Book a Discovery Session with me to find out how to turn your business dreams into reality! Click here for more details.
Combining essential oils and tarot readings can help to deepen your connection, enhance your intuition, and keep your reading space energetically clean and positive. In this article, I’ll talk about the basics of using essential oils or incense to enhance your tarot reading or other intuitive practice.
Working with scent
Personally, I prefer using essential oils to burning incense, as I don’t want to “smoke out” the whole house (really, it is about what my family will tolerate). As smoke can represent the element of wind (intellect, speech), you might prefer to actually burn incense or find an oil-based room spray. Experiment with different variations and methods to find out what best works for you.
Honestly speaking, most of the time I just put a vial of oil to my nose and inhale a few times, allowing the scent that I am using to really work its way through my nasal cavity and into my pineal area. Closing my eyes and turning my attention to the scent(s) I am using signals the start of my session. I have even started getting images right when I start inhaling perfumes – they are that good!
You can also apply the oils to different areas of your body. For example, if you would like to strengthen your connection with Spirit through your Crown Chakra, you could rub a few drops of lavender oil on your crown prior to your reading. Or, if you wanted to concentrate on opening your Third Eye Chakra to be able to accurately see during a reading, then you might try rubbing a drop of Frankincense on your third eye area. People who have a hard time communicating their intuitions to clients might do well to rub lavender on their throats prior to a reading session.
If you would prefer to release the scents into the room without burning anything, you can buy a good diffuser that uses air to “blow” the scents into the air. There are several different types on the market, and they range in cost and area covered.
Make sure that you are getting good, quality oils or incense that are made with care to the Earth and environment – not to mention to the integrity of the oils themselves! Cheaper oils can be made from tinctures or synthetics (YUCK), thus making them far less powerful and more poisonous to the environment. Other cheap oil brands use bark when resin is called for (so the skin instead of the sap) – or they simply grind all of the pieces together to make a conglomerate scent, instead of working with the plant in a truer manner. Another thing to take into consideration with quality is eco-friendliness of the company. Whenever possible, the plant and tree species used to make the essential oils should be cultivated in their native habitats. This ensures that the plants are healthy and hearty and are able to thrive in the environment in which they are grown.
If you are interested in using the oils I’ve described here or even start your own part-time business sharing oils. Please email me at sue@sueellissaller.com if you would like to sign up or order, or go straight to my doTerra site.
There are a few different scents that will help with every reading, and those that are geared more toward working with specific sorts of energies, like fairies, spirits, elves, and angels. I will suggest a few of each in the following section and tell you why they help!
Clearing, Cleaning, and Connection:
Sage in bloom
Sage:
Sage is a sacred plant that has been used by various tribes and groups around the world for ages. It is the “go to” herb for smudging/clearing negativity out of spaces and objects. I recommend using SMOKE when possible so that you can really connect with the spirit world when working with this holy and sacred scent – but I have also heard that room sprays can be just as good for clearing space (personally, I wouldn’t spray my cards with anything, as they might get ruined by liquid).
If you would like to clear your cards either because you have purchased them second-hand or for “maintenance,” fan your deck out on a table and “push” the sage smoke over the cards, holding the intention to clear the cards of any negativity or lower vibrations that might have become attached to them in their usage.
Cedarwood:
Cedarwood has clarifying properties when applied topically, and can also help to remove negativity or negative residue from a person’s aura. I love using this oil to clear my energy after doing readings.
General Scents:
These scents are those that I would use regardless of what sort of reading I was working with.
Aside from being a plant known to help keep spaces cleaned, it is also strongly associated with connecting to the Spirit Realm.
Sandalwood:
Sandalwood is renowned for helping people to enter meditative states. It can help to relax and focus a person – helping them to settle their thoughts, concentrate and turn inward. It is also astringent and antiseptic oil, so it can really “clear the air” and help you to create a sacred space. This essential oil/scent is high in something called “sesquiterpenes” – these are compounds contained in the scent that are said to stimulate the pineal gland.
Frankincense:
Frankincense is well noted as being an oil that healers and prophets have used for ages. Like sandalwood, this scent has antiseptic and antibacterial qualities and can aid in creating a sacred space. This oil also has a very high vibrational frequency, and so it can serve as a protective agent in your readings – keeping lower level spirits out of your space and reading. Using frankincense can also help a person increase his or her perceptive abilities.
Lavender:
Lavender is another all around great oil/scent to help with meditation and connection with the source so that your readings will be more accurate. Known for its calming properties, lavender can help a person to better relax and be more open to receiving messages from Spirit. This “purple” smell relates to the Crown Chakra, and is said to help people to see and hear spirits.
Attracting Guides and Good Spirits:
If you are interested in working more closely with your guides and good spirits that are in your space when reading tarot, then try some of these oils
Rose:
Rose essential oil has one of the highest vibratory frequencies. Many recommend using rose scent to attract angels and spirit guides associated with joy and love into a session. You can use this scent to increase your psychic awareness as well.
Wisteria:
Wisteria is another great oil to use when connecting to the spirit realm. It can help to attract specific guides and aid in the development of energetic healing skills.
Protecting Your Energy from Negativity:
We all want to make sure that the entities that help us out in our readings are high vibrating souls, spirits, and angels, and that they have the greatest good of ourselves and our clients in mind when working with us. In order to protect your energy, space, and the space and energy of the person you are reading for, you might want to use these scents…
Carnation:
Carnation has been used in the past to protect people from wayward and negative energies and entities. According to Llewellyn’s article, carnation “was worn during Elizabethan times to prevent encounters with ghosts.”
Super duper helpers:
Rosemary:
Rosemary is another scent/oil that is very antiseptic and antiviral, and can help not only to clear and clean your space – creating a sacred area to work within – but it is also considered to be highly protective. It is associated with elves and can be used to work with them. Aside from these uses, Rosemary is said to help people to focus and relax at the same time, and that can help to increase psychic awareness and a peaceful, calm feeling for the reader. **DO NOT use Rosemary if you have a seizure disorder, as this scent has been known to bring on seizures in those who are prone to them.
Gardenia:
Like Rosemary, Gardenia has a wide variety of uses related to working with Spirit. It is said to attract good, high vibrating entities and to increase a person’s telepathic abilities.
Lilac:
This wonderfully versatile fragrance is known to enhance psychic visions and fine-tune clairvoyant capabilities. People have used it to clear hauntings from houses and connect with fairies. It is also a great scent for attracting good, high vibrating entities and spirits into readings.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of different essential oils that you can use to help with your tarot reading, angel card readings – and even mediumship sessions or just for general spiritual cleansing and connection. Experiment with different oils and decks and find out what works best for you!
If you have any additional oils or rituals to add, please feel free to share your experience and the combinations you use!
The Star from Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine’s Angel Tarot Deck
What kind of things should someone consider when trying to choose the perfect tarot deck?
Angel Biz Tip! I was just spying on my keywords, and came across the search term, “Choosing a New Tarot Deck.” I thought, ‘What a fabulous topic to discuss!’ (Biz angels, do check out your keywords to get some SEO friendly writing topics to ponder!)
Back to the post…
I know there are others out there who, like me, admittedly start squeeling when one of our favorite artists announces a new deck – tarot or oracle, or we find out about a deck that we simply MUST. HAVE. That is the easiest way to choose a tarot deck!
I am currently waiting for the Tarot Apokalypsis by Erik C. Dunne and Kimberly Huggins, a favorite tarot creation duo of mine. You can see many of the cards as they are released on the Tarot Apokalypsis Facebook page. I love the artwork that Erik does; I love the prose that Kimberly uses to describe the meanings of the cards; I love the presentation that they use: a gorgeous box with rich colors and elements of gold. The cards are just the right size in my hands, and the card stock is quite nice – not too thick, not to thin… just right! Their Tarot Illuminati deck is one of my FAVORITE decks! It is stunning, full of detail, and the deck is easy to understand because it is based on the Rider Waite system (you can see it on their Pinterest page). All in all, a great deck to work with – and that makes me want more decks from them!
The Star from Erik C Dunne’s Tarot Illuminati deck
When I am not waiting with baited breath for a deck, then it is something of exposure to certain tarot artists and their work. For example, I love most of the oracle and tarot decks from Doreen Virtue, and I choose to pick those up when the mood strikes. Angels, Ascended Masters, Goddesses… they all speak to me, the decks help me with my Shamballa Reiki sessions, and I love having a variety of different sources to call upon for guidance for myself and for my clients. Not only does Doreen release cards that can allow you to connect with different deities, she also covers a variety of different topics like Romance, Life Purpose, and Healing. She also co-creates decks with Radleigh Valentine and other experts, like Robert Reeves, ND.
I became more familiar with Robert Reeves, ND’s work when I was volunteering for Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine in Zurich, Switzerland this year. Actually, I had the privilege of working quite closely with Robert, as I was helping translate his one card readings from English to German for his German speaking fans who were there! After getting such an up close and personal and very thorough introduction to the Flower Therapy deck, to Robert, and to his philosophies, I had to have the deck. I love it’s gorgeous pictures and its simple, but very striking messages! And, he is a super nice guy, so I was happy to support him by buying his cards and book!
Robert Reeves, ND and I. Zurich, 2014
Another great reason to choose a tarot deck is because of a feature specific to a deck. For example, I heard about the Psychic Tarot‘s Chakra cards, which allow a reader to either lay out a card for each of the different energetic centers in the body or shuffle the Chakra cards into the deck, allowing for energetic influences to show for different happenings in a person’s life. Those go so well with Reiki and energy therapy sessions, and I LOVE using them to get a little more information about what a person might be storing in a particular Chakra. Please be aware, though, that the Psychic’s Tarot isn’t a standard tarot deck.
There are also oracle card decks being released by fabulous spiritual and wellness authors like Louis Hays and Dr. Wayne Dyer. These decks make excellent additions to your collection, and can add more information, cues, and clues into a reading!
And then there are themes, like Ancient Egypt, Angels, Halloween, dragons, fairies, cats… you name it and there is likely a tarot deck that is based on it! Personally, I have the Isis Oracle deck and there is an Ancient Egyptian tarot deck I have my eye on, along with the Art Nouveau deck and a Jungian deck as well… (Yes, I am a little addicted to decks… Just a little…)
The Star from the Rider Waite Tarot deck
Of course, when choosing tarot decks for your collection, you have to also consider the classic decks. I don’t feel that any tarot collection is complete without the Rider Waite deck and the Thoth deck. Both are foundational decks that many, many other decks are based on or refer back to. The first deck I ever bought was the Thoth deck, and I find it to be one of the most trustworthy, open, and humanly honest decks that I have worked with. I learned so much from that deck – and I also learn from the Rider Waite deck every time I use it!
There are going to be decks that you love the imagery from, but that just don’t resonate or work well with your energy. For example, I have the Shadowscapes Tarot deck from Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and it is phenomenal. The artwork is stunning – dreamy, light, airy – simply beautiful… but that deck and I haven’t been able to work well together. I just can’t get the same level of messages from it as I do from other decks I work with. Maybe I will work with it more because I think it is such a beautiful deck and I WANT to connect with it! I do! I do!!
The Star from Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s Shadowscapes deck
And there are also decks that I just don’t like, no matter what others think of them. Well, I like them, but they are just not ‘my style’ – like some of the darker, heavier decks, and cutsy themed decks. No thank you; they aren’t for me.
Bottom line is that your tastes should drive your tarot and oracle deck choices. You don’t need to work with a particular deck because it is what everyone else is working with. But, there is such a wide variety of tarot decks to choose from that there is bound to be something that fits your specific taste and needs.
Some great resources for checking out new decks are:
Your local bookstore or metaphysical shop. They will likely have at least a few different decks for you to look at. If you have the chance, take a look at the cover art and the booklet. If you can get your hands on a sample that they have, make sure to shield yourself before you touch it, tap out the old energy in the deck, and then leaf through the deck to see how the imagery and artwork strike you and what the energy of the deck feels like. Even if you can’t hold the deck, holding the box and concentrating on it should give you an indication of how that deck would feel to work with.
AclecticTarot.com has a wide variety of decks listed. They show a variety of the cards in the deck, all of the stats, and also have several reviews to peruse.
Lisa Frideborg’s blog – Lisa interviews the decks as she gets them! You can check her work out here: Lisa Frideborg
You can check out my deck selection here: My Decks. If you’d like to schedule a reading with me, click here.
This is a question I sometimes ask myself: Am I good enough to work with the angels?
Am I kind enough? Am I generous enough? Am I pure and holy enough?
Can I pass their messages on properly? Who am I to tell others what I think the angels are telling me?
What if I am making this stuff up…???
You see, sometimes I doubt myself. I doubt my access and my connection. I doubt my abilities…
And honestly, I sometimes think I can’t be good enough. I am not perfect. I know that. I drink coffee, I yell at my kids sometimes, I curse, I judge, I eat meat and sugar, I don’t meditate as much as I should. I seldom go to church for a mass. I am not religious. I am a little rough around the edges.
And what if my messages are just random happenstance, not real messages at all…?
I’ll admit, the messages I get from the angels don’t come to me in the way that I would ideally like to have them!
I want to SEE choirs of angels surrounding the people I am working with – yet I only get the hint of an outline or feel the impression that someone there. I want to experience messages in a HUGELY PROFOUND way – the way others get them so that they KNOW without any hint of doubt that they have been visited by angels.
But I don’t…
When I am feeling down and out and questioning my ability to truly connect with angels, with God or with the Source of All That Is, I ask for a sign. And, generally speaking, I get one.
It might be a heart in the clouds, or a feather or coin in my path, or a song on the radio, or even a meme on Facebook – it is the way that the angels choose to show themselves to ME. I can either accept the messages as what they are – I can TRUST and BELIEVE – or not. It is up to me.
Personally, I choose to trust and believe.
You have that same choice. You can open up to the Universe and to angels and trust in the messages that they give you – or not. It’s up to you!
Click the birdie to tweet!
Some things to consider when making the decision about whether or not you are good enough to work with the angels:
If you are called to work with angels, then you are meant to work with them. Never doubt that.
The angels don’t expect perfection. They called you in the state that you are in. Of course, they might lead you to better yourself – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and energetically. But you don’t have to be perfect to work with them. You can just be who you are. The most important thing to the angels is your desire to hear them and pass on their messages.
Your messages will come to you in the way that they do. This might not be the way you want them to come, but when you recognize them as messages, then you can trust that they are.
You have to believe. If you don’t, then there IS NO MESSAGE. It is as simple as that.
So, if you are called to work with the angels, that is a definite indication that they want to work with you! Perfection isn’t required. Belief is!
Ahhh… The call of the free tarot reading. When someone advertises “freebies,” they generally get a line going around the block.
I used to LOVE having reading parties! The energy was fantastic and I had a lot of fun…
But free readings can be draining for a reader. They take time, energy, and resources.
And then figuring out that I was reading for 30 or 40 or a hundred people who had no intention of actually buying a reading got frustrating. I’d see the same names over and over again on my free reading threads, but never once would many of those same people pay for a reading – even when I would run a “Pay What You Can” offer.
That made me feel so unvalued and just plain old used, to tell you the truth.
So, after more than a year of running an online tarot, oracle, and angel card reading business, and after having given away literally hundreds of free readings, I have decided to make some rules for my “free readings.” You’ll want to pay attention to these for future reference!
1) Each person can only have ONE free reading per year – unless they win a contest or send 3 referrals to me.
Free readings are meant to be a sample of my work so that a person can see if they appreciate my style – they are not meant to be our only means of interacting with one another! I do notice the same people requesting free readings over and over again – so obviously they like what I have to say, but they just might not value my time or understand about energetic exchanges. Because of this, I need to create boundaries.
Free tarot readings are also meant to be a form of appreciation or a thank you from me! Those people who purchase a reading from me will be added to a special pool that will get insider access and notification of when I am running freebie offers.
Also, those clients who refer 3 people to me who buy readings will get a free reading!
2) Those who don’t give feedback for free angel and oracle card readings will be put on my No Thank You list.
I really have a problem with those who can’t even say,”Thank you for taking the time to read for me.” Honestly. We all know it is quite rude. Please don’t even put your name down if you can’t bother to say thanks!
3) Please do not contact me behind the scenes to ask me for a free reading. The answer will be no.
**Reiki and energy healing are totally different things to me, and I will gladly pray for or send a bit of energy to you, your friend, or your family member regardless of their ability to pay.
4) I am going to start bringing the free readings on my Facebook page. I may run a contest on Facebook or have a Twitter chat from time to time, but the majority of my “free reading” offers will be on this website.
5) My direct mails will give details about free reading times and venues in the future. That means that, if you want to know when I’ll be practicing working with a new deck or where to sign up, you’ll probably want to sign up for my newsletter.
Honestly, I LOVE doing readings and I love working with people. This is the job I have chosen (or that has chosen me), and I want to do well with it. I am a real person who puts her heart and soul (and time and energy) into readings, and I won’t just give myself away for free any longer.
I am totally happy, though, to show my appreciation and gratitude for those who truly support me by giving them privileged access to my reading parties and learning sessions. Those who support my work by actually purchasing readings and referring new clients will get better access to free offers.’
If you’d like to purchase a reading from me, click here for the details.
If you are just looking for a free tarot reading, there are so many different websites to go to. Here are a few of my personal faves:
