I recently did a reading for a repeat client. "I looked up the cards after I left here the last time I visited you," she said, " and the meanings that you told me were not the meanings I found when I looked up the cards online." 

One of the reasons that people go to a reader -- and often pay good money to do so -- is because of the reader's experience. Anyone can get a deck of cards and do the readings themselves from the little white book that comes with the deck. How accurate is that going to be, though? Is the novice experienced enough to be able to intuit what the cards are saying? Is a beginner going to examine all aspects of the messages from the cards, or will they jump to the nearest conclusion and run with it?

When  professional reader is doing a psychic reading for a client, that reader is not just repeating parrot fashion what a good author has written about the subject. A good reader will tap into his or her own intuition, and reach out into the cosmos to see how the images on the card apply to the particular situation of the client. There is both skill and experience involved. I know that I for one would rather place my trust in professionals in their field, who had years of experience and a good reputation, rather than a newbie who was still honing their abilities, and I feel this applies to psychic readers, too.

Many of you will have seen the hot news that three girls have been found after having been missing for more than a decade. This in itself is newsworthy, but what grabbed me about this scenario is behind the scenes. Sylvia Browne, the TV psychic who appeared on the Montel Williams show, actually predicted in a psychic reading that one of the girls was dead. It poses the question that if a psychic as renowned as Sylvia can get it wrong, just who can you believe?

Sylvia Browne's website states that she charges $550 for a telephone psychic reading (1). Regarding the incident, Ms Browne says on her website, "I have been right more than wrong... Only God is right all the time..." (2). The social networking site Facebook is alive with comments about this, from those calling her a fake, to fans who are pledging support for her and saying that everyone gets it wrong sometimes. Fair point, but where does one draw the line between a mistake and a fraud?

Psychics get a lot of bad press as it is. Good readers are very few and far between. Yes, there are indicators in the Tarot and other tools that readers use, but both the reader and the client have to remember that nothing is carved in stone. We all have free will. Energies surrounding situations can change in a heartbeat. At best, a reader is looking into one of JRR Tolkein's Palantirs, and seeing vague images of what may or may not come to pass. 

We touched on how doubt affects a reading in the previous entry, and I want to go a bit deeper into this, because it really can make or break both the reading, and the reader / client relationship. People who do not experience Tarot readings or other forms of divination as part of their usual walk of life may not understand how it is that readers know what they know. 

One of the common ways that readings get jeopardized is when the client questions the reader's capability. I've been reading long enough that it doesn't bother me now, but I remember as a newbie this was a real hot button for me. I think it was because, at that time, I questioned myself. 

A good reader will be experienced. It's possible to go online and enter int a chat room and get a free reading, but how do you know who is doing the reading? It could be a kid with a book, or a con man, or someone who gets their kicks out of confusing the vulnerable.... It's impossible to tell unless 1) the reader is personally known or 2) the reader has been vetted by the host of the chat. Even then, nothing comes with a guarantee. As the saying goes, "Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances."

Here in central Illinois, the first days of spring have brought with them the heaviest snowfall of the year! It seems even Mother Nature has doubts about what is happening, and what is to happen next, as the Holly King and the Oak King battle it out for the season. Doubt is something that is just part of human nature, but it can truly thwart the energies during a psychic reading.

I often have clients ask me, "How do you know that?" The smartmouth in me wants to reply, "Because I'm psychic and you're paying me to see these things," but I do enjoy repeat clients! The truth is, we have to accept that what is screamingly obvious to us as a reader may be totally alien to the person for whom we are doing the reading. After all, if they knew the answers, they probably wouldn't be seeking them from us, would they?!

Tact is necessary on both sides of the conversation during difficult readings. Very often the client does not want to hear what the reader has to share. That also is human nature; we want what we want when we want it, and if we are determined that this is what we want, no one is going to be able to talk us out of it. The art is in presenting what we as readers see in such a way that the client can accept it. 

One of the most frustrating things that a professional reader can encounter is a client who expects them to do something that the reader does not know how to do. Just like any other trade, different readers work in different ways. Dr Phil and Dr Oz are both reputable doctors, but I wouldn't recommend going to Dr. Phil for open heart surgery!

It's very much the same with readers, too. I do not specialize in finding lost objects, and it is very frustrating when I get a client who wants to know where she put her engagement ring. This creates friction and tension, where, with a bit of forethought, it need not have happened.

Genuine professional readers -- and there are some who are not genuine nor, in my opinion, professional! -- want to help. Yes, they need to earn a living, but they genuinely want to assist you with your current problems. Remote viewers are awesome for helping you find lost things, but they may not have a thorough knowledge of the Tarot. Tarot readers might be able to read the cards with diamond clarity, but if this does not make them good remote viewers.

At this time of year a lot of people have been asking me if they can purchase a gift voucher or some other way of getting a reading for a loved one as a holiday gift. The answer is yes! Most psychics and readers will gladly do readings for others as gifts. There are some pointers that need attention, though.

The first is know the psychic. This is probably the statement I'm repeating the most often through through this series. Just like a favorite restaurant or hairdresser, it's important that you know the person from whom you are purchasing services, or at least have solid referrals about them. Remember, choosing a reader is like choosing a hairdresser; find one whom you like, with whom you gel, and stick with them.

It's all well and good to want to go to a reader and see what he or she may have to share with you. However, you, as the client, have to have some very realistic ideas about what your reader can offer to you. Knowing what to expect from your reader can go a long way to the reading being an uplifting and satisfying experience.

Not long after I'd started reading professionally, a client asked me if they were going to do something that they did not want to do. She did not want to share with me what the situation was, and she got rather upset with me when I tried to explain to her that I could not predict whether she would do it or not, as I could not take away her free will.

This month we are going to take a look at why people choose to become psychic readers, and it could get dirty before we're finished! There are many reasons why a person would choose psychic readings as their profession, and not all of them are as reputable as one might think. Take a few minutes to contemplate this; why would you choose to do this for a living?

Many people feel the call to do readings simply because they are fascinated with some kind of oracle or technique, and they want to hone their skills. I personally started out with Jamie Sams's Medicine Cards*, and then progressed from them to stones and crystals, and finally into Tarot. I wanted to read because I was hanging out at a spiritual coffee-shop type place with other readers, and I wanted to fit with them. I'd done some astrology back in the 1970s, in the days before computerized programs, and it was just too much math! I envied those who pulled out a bag of stones or deck of cards and started waxing lyrical to a captivated audience. I wanted to be part of that.

You've been contemplating visiting a psychic reader for ages. You've finally decided to take the plunge. The reader you have chosen comes with a lot of great feedback about her accuracy and how she has helped people. She starts speaking to you... and you just don't connect with her. It's disappointing for you, and for the psychic, but there are some steps that can be taken to insure that you choose the right reader, and that you get the most out of your experience.

This series of articles is going to look at the world of professional readers, from both the client's point of view and the reader's point of view. It will present to you both the good and the bad, and allow you to make an informed choice about the person you choose to do your reading. Education is everything – in more ways than one!

For a start, most people who are really seeking to improve their lives and their circumstances are not going to choose an anonymous psychic from a photo line up on the internet. There are many companies who will offer you free readings, or introductory minutes at special prices, to speak with their psychics. They will let you peruse the psychic's bio before you spend any money. It's all online, though; how do you know who this person really is? Let's look closer at that.