So you practice Tarot. And you’ve started telling people about it. But you are afraid your Tarot will not be taken seriously and wonder how to build credibility.
You’ve probably heard: “Oh, you read Tarot? I don’t believe in that stuff…” Or “Isn’t that taking advantage of vulnerable people?” Or my personal favorite: “Wait, are you a witch now?”
The condescending smile. The amused look. The straight-up judgment.
Between the Madame Irma stereotypes and accusations of being a charlatan, it’s hard to get anyone to understand that Tarot is a legitimate tool.
So how do you gain credibility without apologizing for what you do?
Here’s the thing: you know Tarot is more than fortune-telling nonsense. It’s a powerful tool for introspection and personal development—a mirror of the unconscious that helps people understand themselves and move forward.
But knowing that doesn’t automatically make other people take you seriously.
Here are 4 keys to building real credibility—without watering down what makes your practice meaningful.
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The first obstacle to your credibility isn’t other people. It’s you.
How many times have you said: “I do Tarot, but just for myself…” or “I know it sounds weird, but…”?
Every time you apologize, you send a clear message: even you don’t take this seriously.
And if you don’t, why should anyone else?
The “yes but” problem
Notice how often you use these phrases:
That “but” betrays your discomfort. Your doubt. And people pick up on it instantly.
What actually works
Own it. Fully. No conditions.
When someone asks what you do: “I practice Tarot as a tool for personal development and introspection.”
Period. No nervous laugh. No “just for fun.” No disclaimers.
If they want to know more, explain calmly. Don’t defend yourself—you’re not on trial.
Your confidence is contagious
People believe what you believe about yourself.
If you’re comfortable with your practice, they will be too.
If you radiate quiet conviction, they’ll have a harder time dismissing you.
But if you’re embarrassed, seeking approval, apologizing for existing… yeah, they’ll think you’re doing “something weird.”
The first person who needs to take you seriously is you.
Nothing kills credibility faster than pretending to be something you’re not.
What destroys trust isn’t being a beginner. It isn’t hesitating or consulting your notes.
What destroys trust is pretending to be an expert when you’re not.
If you’re still learning: say so
There’s no shame in being a beginner. The best readers all started where you are.
Before a reading, try: “I’m still learning Tarot. I’ve been practicing seriously for [X months] and continuing my training. If you’re up for it, I’d love to read for you—and I’d really appreciate honest feedback after.”
What happens? People respect the honesty. They feel valued. And they’re often more forgiving AND more engaged than if you’d pretended to be a pro.
But—transparency doesn’t mean putting yourself down.
You’re learning, but you’re not “zero.” Give yourself credit for what you already know.
Checking your notes during a reading? Totally fine
“Hold on, let me look this up—this Card has other traditional meanings I want to check.”
Nothing wrong with that. It shows you take the work seriously.
The difference is HOW you do it. Sneaking peeks while mumbling apologies? Sketchy. Doing it openly, naturally, explaining what you’re checking? That’s just being thorough.
If you’re more advanced: keep learning!
The best readers never stop learning. They read, take courses, discuss with other practitioners, explore new decks, deepen their understanding.
They don’t rest on “I know everything now.” Because you never know everything. Tarot is a lifelong practice.
Know how to explain what you do
Whether beginner or advanced, you need to articulate your approach.
Different people work with Tarot from different belief systems—and that’s completely valid. What matters is that you’re clear about YOUR framework and what you believe Tarot can and cannot do.
If someone asks “but how does it work?”, your answer will depend on your belief system:
Psychological/mirror approach: “I’m learning how Tarot works as a mirror to help understand situations. It’s fascinating how the images speak to intuition, how the mind puts meaning to the images.”
Jungian/archetypal approach: “Tarot uses universal archetypes that speak to the unconscious. It’s a tool for deep reflection that reveals parts of our inner landscape we hadn’t consciously seen.”
Spiritual guidance approach: “I shuffle and ask my guides to show me what I need to understand. The cards that come up are never random—they’re always exactly what I need to work with right now.”
Your belief system shapes what you think Tarot can do, how it works, and what its limitations are. Own that framework. Be clear about it. You don’t need to adopt someone else’s explanation or defend your approach against theirs.
You don’t need to convince anyone. But you need clarity about your own practice.
Authenticity and commitment—that’s what earns respect.
If Tarot has a bad reputation, it’s largely because of the abuses: scams, manipulation, catastrophic predictions to keep clients coming back, creating dependency, exploitative pricing…
To be taken seriously, you need to be ethically impeccable. This is baseline.
All Tarot ethics boil down to two absolute rules:
This is the Hippocratic principle applied to Tarot. Your practice should never cause harm, whether intentionally or through negligence.
Concretely, this means:
You know your limits.
You don’t create dependency. You don’t encourage clients to come back constantly for the same questions. You don’t keep them in a state of constant need. Your role is to help them develop their own discernment and autonomy—not make them dependent on you.
You don’t manipulate. No vague, anxiety-inducing phrases like “I see something serious but I can’t talk about it now” to get the person to come back. No creating imaginary problems. No psychological games.
You don’t judge. No matter the person’s situation—their choices, their mistakes, their moral dilemmas—you don’t judge. Your role is to illuminate and support, not to judge.
This might be the most important principle, and the one most often violated in the Tarot and energy work world.
You NEVER scare your clients. Period.
This means:
You don’t predict death, accidents, or catastrophes. Even if you “see” something, even if a card strikes you, you don’t drop terrifying predictions. First, because the future isn’t fixed. Second, because that kind of prediction can traumatize someone long-term and create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You don’t talk about “curses,” “evil eye,” “negative entities,” or other anxiety-creating concepts. This vocabulary creates fear and dependency. If you sense blocked or difficult energies, talk about them constructively: “There seems to be resistance here—would you like to explore together what that is about? What might release it?”
You reframe “negative” cards in evolutionary terms. The Tower isn’t “something terrible is going to happen,” it’s “a deep transformation is underway—yes, destabilizing, but one that can lead to stronger reconstruction.” The Devil isn’t “you’re cursed,” it’s “there might be attachments or patterns you’d benefit from releasing.”
You always give agency. Even facing a difficult situation revealed by the cards, you show there are options, possible choices, resources to activate. You never leave someone feeling powerless.
Fear paralyzes. Fear destroys. Fear helps no one. In my opinion, a Tarot practice that generates fear in clients is destructive, full stop.
Be transparent about your methods, your rates if you charge, your limitations. No shady sales techniques. And never pressure anyone.
When you don’t know, say you don’t know. When a card escapes you, admit it (the confusion could actually be the message!) When you can’t help, acknowledge it honestly.
This absolute integrity is your best asset. People sense when someone is honest. And they return to people they can trust.
A solid ethical framework protects you, protects your clients, and by extension, protects the image of Tarot as a whole.
How you talk about your practice hugely influences how people perceive it.
But contrary to what you might think, it’s not about “phrasing it right” or “finding the right words.”
It’s about authenticity.
If you sincerely believe spiritual guides speak to you through the cards: say it. With conviction. Simply. “I work in connection with my guides who help me transmit the cards’ messages.”
If for you it’s your intuition speaking: say it. “The cards activate my intuition and allow me to pick up information I wouldn’t perceive otherwise.”
If it’s the universe, energy, archetypes, your unconscious, whatever: speak YOUR truth. The one that resonates with you. The one you genuinely feel.
People won’t judge you on the content of your beliefs. They’ll judge you on your sincerity. An authentic message, even spiritual, inspires infinitely more respect than a “polished” but empty one.
When someone asks “what is Tarot?” or “how do you do it?”, it’s useful to have a short, authentic answer prepared.
Here are some examples based on different approaches. Choose what fits you or create your own:
Spiritual/intuitive approach: “Tarot is a tool for spiritual guidance. The cards allow me to connect to a greater wisdom—whether you call it the universe, guides, or deep intuition—and receive messages that can help you see your situation more clearly.”
Psychological/mirror approach: “Tarot is like a mirror of your inner world. The card images bring to the surface things you already know unconsciously. It helps you put words and images to what you’re feeling vaguely.”
Eclectic/personal approach: “For me, Tarot is a blend of intuition, symbolism, and deep listening. The cards create a space where I can pick up subtle information about your situation and transmit it in a way that helps you move forward.”
What matters? That YOUR pitch genuinely sounds like you. That it comes naturally out of your mouth. That it authentically reflects your practice.
People will take you more seriously if they see your practice has real impact.
Share concrete testimonials:
“A friend came to me completely lost about her career direction. After the reading, she told me: ‘This is wild—you put words to exactly what I was feeling without being able to articulate it. Now I know what to do.'”
“Someone contacted me recently to say the reading I did six months ago unfolded exactly as the cards showed. That really moved me.”
“I did a reading for my sister who was hesitating about moving. The cards revealed aspects she hadn’t considered at all. She finally made her decision feeling much more at peace.”
Share your own experiences:
“Tarot helped me through a very difficult period of my life. That’s why I wanted to deepen it and now share it with others.”
“At first, I was skeptical myself! But I had so many unsettling experiences where the cards revealed things impossible to guess that I can’t deny something real is happening.”
These concrete examples do infinitely more than theoretical speeches. They show your practice has tangible effects in real people’s real lives.
If someone challenges you with “But how do you know it’s not just chance?”, don’t get defensive.
Answer from your experience:
“Honestly, I can’t prove scientifically it’s not chance. What I know is when I do a reading, people tell me it resonates deeply with their situation. For me, that’s enough.”
Or:
“That’s an excellent question. Maybe it’s chance, maybe it’s intuition, maybe it’s something else. I don’t claim to have all the answers. What I observe is that it helps people. And that’s what matters to me.”
Here’s a liberating truth: there will always be people who won’t believe you, won’t understand you, and will think Tarot is nonsense.
And you know what? That’s perfectly okay.
You’re not here to convert radical skeptics. You’re not here to prove anything to hardcore “scientific materialists.”
And you know what else? Too bad for them.
You’ve done your part. You’re honest. You’re sincere. You genuinely help people. You harm no one.
If despite all that, some people refuse to take you seriously, it’s not your problem anymore. It’s theirs.
You’re here for people who are open. Those who are seeking. Those who sense there’s something more. Those who resonate with your approach.
Those people exist. In large numbers. And they’re the only ones who matter.
If you want to be taken seriously as a Tarot reader, focus on these four essentials:
🌟 Quiet confidence: Own your practice fully without apologizing, minimizing, or seeking approval. Your self-confidence is contagious.
🌟 Real skill: Master your craft deeply, train continuously, practice intensely. Excellence speaks for itself.
🌟 Impeccable ethics: Set clear boundaries, respect limits, refuse abuses. Your integrity is your best asset.
🌟 Authentic communication: Talk about Tarot with your heart and intelligence, and show concrete results.
Credibility isn’t declared. It’s built, day after day, reading after reading, with patience and consistency.
But the good news? You already have everything you need inside you. All that’s left is to own it fully and show it to the world.
Tarot deserves respect. And you, as a Tarot reader, deserve to be respected too!
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