Hello and welcome to the second installment Great Small Businesses! This week I interviewed @thetarotreader (Marilyn)

1. Tell me a little bit about your business:

“My business is called Tarot Clarity LLC and I’m a fully formed and licensed business entity. I offer remote Tarot readings at a variety of price-points to help as many people as I can, and, I’ve reduced all my fees for services during Covid-19 so everyone who wants a reading can afford one. I offer remote readings which means a person never even has to leave their house. Readings are done via private mp3 recordings which allow my clients to replay them whenever they want in the privacy of their own surroundings. I’ve been offering remote readings since the early 1990, so I’m experienced with the delivery of remote readings. You may find me at: https://www.tarotclarity.com/

Most people think of tarot as fortune-telling, and while there may be a predictive nature to tarot, tarot really has evolved from the world of fortune telling to being more a tool for self-empowerment. The beauty of tarot is that no matter your question, the cards will always apply in some way to your question or situation. As an experienced reader, it is my job to interpret the cards in a way that brings meaning to your circumstances and helps you make informed decisions. 

All my work is done in my tarot parlor, a room completely dedicated to my tarot practice and tarot research. Nothing happens in my tarot parlor unless it’s in some way related to my tarot practice. This is an important feature for a professional in this field, because it allows the reader to be completely immersed in spiritual work and separated from other distractions. In this line of work, especially as a remote reader, it is critical for a reader to be centered, focused, and able to go deep within to find the mental space (for lack of better  descriptive words ) required to connect to the client and their needs. Tarot is about making connections in a profound way. My clients deserve my undivided attention, just me in my sacred space focused on their need, among my cards, plants, crystals and other beautiful objects imbued with love and magic.

 I also have a considerable tarot collection with a few hundred decks and having storage units in a dedicated space is the only way for me to remain organized.

 

After nearly forty-five years reading Tarot, most of my business is driven by word-of-mouth and repeat clients, but social media platforms like Instagram, and Facebook, have brought me new clients. I can be found on Instagram @thetarotreader  and @tarotclarity   on Facebook: TarotClarityLLC  on Twitter: TarotClarity  and on YouTube as Marilyn from Tarot Clarity

2. What made you want to start your business?

“Oh my gosh, we’d have to go way back to being a ten year old girl who ran home from school every day in the 1960s to watch the Gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows!

In 1968 there was an episode where a fortune-teller played by Grayson Hall, read Barnabus Collins’ fortune that foretold of the arrival of the evil Angelique. In fact, I wrote a blog about it. You can read about that here.

Anyway, the cards in that episode (the 1JJ Swiss Tarot Deck) were just stunning and kind of chilling for a ten-year old and I never forgot them. I was totally bewitched by the idea that this instrument of divination could redirect a person’s life if they so choose, and that was my first exposure to the mysterious life of a fortune-teller which seemed pretty amazing to me. Six years later, by chance, I found that exact same deck in a novelty shop and of course, I bought it on the spot. Even now, forty-five years later, when I use that particular deck, I can still recall the thrill of holding that deck in my hands for the first time all those years ago. I knew then and there that no matter what else I might do in life, tarot would always be a part of it. 

 

In 2000, I was certified by the Tarot Certification Board and the American Tarot Association, as a way to bring credibility to my practice, but by then I had already been reading tarot for twenty-five years.

 

Fast forward fifty-two years after falling in love with Tarot on dark Shadows, Tarot is still in my life. Other jobs have come and gone but Tarot reading has been my one constant and now it’s the only work I do. I’m older now and am at liberty to focus on what I really want in life, and this is it. I’m not a fortune-teller as was depicted by Grayson Hall in Dark Shadows, I’m a modern witchy kind of woman who interprets tarot cards. I like helping people, which is what the cards allow me to do. I interpret what I see and pass that information on to my clients so they may proceed as they will to achieve the best possible outcome for themselves. My goal is to empower my clients so they may employ strategies and improve their situations. They feel empowered and that is very gratifying to me.

 

As an interesting aside, I learned that my father’s grandmother, was also a Tarot Reader and Tea Leaf Reader. Without even knowing it, I have been carrying on a family tradition. Maybe it’s a role we’re born into. I have been teaching my daughter since she was a child and she will continue in my foot-steps. I have a grand-daughter coming into the world soon, and I’ve already bought her a Tarot Reader onsie, and I’m putting tarot cards aside for her. I’m hoping to pass the tradition onto her as well, if she shows an interest when she grows up. Passing the tradition on to future generations is important to me. Every family needs a mystic.”

3. What are your three top decks and why?

“This question is the most difficult to answer. Asking a person with a few hundred decks which is their favorite deck is an exercise in futility. When my children were growing up, I told each of them they were my favorite and so growing up they each thought that they were my favorite. Years later after they had grown up, they ganged up on me during a holiday when they discovered that I had told all three of them they were each my favorite.  But it was true I explained, because each one of them possessed unique qualities that made them my favorite for those reasons.

 

It’s kind of similar with the cards. However, with the cards, I can narrow it down a bit. I have several pieces of furniture in my tarot parlor and one unit in particular houses my more cherished decks; like if the house were burning, these are the ones I’d grab. On the top shelf of that unit are my historic Italian decks, which are probably my favorite en masse. They are literally what I consider my top-shelf decks. 

 

I like the Italian decks the most because they appeal to my personal aesthetic more than other decks. My personal ancestry is predominantly Italian so maybe the Italian aesthetic is hardwired in me. 

 

I’m not sure I can pin-point only three decks as my favorite because as I explained to my children in the story I shared, certain decks are my favorites for different reasons. I like the Italian decks like the Della Rocca because it’s gorgeous, the Vergnano because it’s cheery, and the Perrin because it’s fun.

I like some modern pip style decks like the Fergus Hall’s (007) Tarot of the Witches, Matthieu Hackiere’s Tarot Noir, and Ryan Edward Playing Marseille decks because they’re quirky and a little off beat.

I love the 1JJ Swiss deck because it still gives me tingles every time I use it.

 

I prefer to use pip style cards because they are old school, and so am I. I know what the pip cards mean and I don’t need pictures on them. Illustrated pips are like training wheels; once you know what you’re doing they get in the way. Still, some illustrated decks are interesting and very beautiful and sometimes a client will request that I use one of them because they like it.

 

 I will often reach for a deck that I feel is simpatico with the question or the client’s needs. Some decks align with a question or a person’s energy, and I’ll choose the deck on behalf of my client based on which deck I think will serve him or her best.  

I also love my very inexpensive Spanish Tarot by Fournier for when I’m doing several readings in succession, like at an event, because it has a fresh vibe and allows me to easily transition from client to client.In short, each deck has something special and magical about it. I love them all for their own unique qualities.”

4.What subjects do people ask you the most and why do you think they are popular subjects?

“The most frequent questions center on emotional and physical well-being.  A majority of people ask for tarot readings when they’re hurting and want insight into how they may redirect their lives. People want to know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel and a way to get them there. Tarot is really good at helping a person navigate a situation to achieve the best possible outcome for his or herself. 

Less frequently, but often enough to mention, a person already knows the answer, but they need validation because they don’t trust their own instincts either because they are too confused or because they’re being dominated by others’ opinions. Tarot will help validate one’s and gives them permission to trust themselves when their own vision is foggy.

Tarot is a very human tool, and offers an infinite combination of possibilities every time the cards are laid. Each reading is a unique and fascinating event, and I think that is why it is still relevant after nearly 600 years for both the client and the reader. “

 

5. Do you have any exciting news, events, or promotions that you would like to share?

“Thank you for asking because as a matter of fact, I do! I’m offering tarot lessons based on old school methods. Six one-hour classes begin Sunday, June 7th 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST. Here’s the link to sign up https://www.tarotclarity.com/tarot-lessons.html

Please sign up early because I am limiting the class to five students in order to maximize learning.

Of course, I want to remind everyone that during the current pandemic, my fees for services have been reduced to help everyone who would like a reading to get one. I currently offer readings for as low as $10.00 and I give every reading my undivided attention. Don’t let money stop you from getting a reading. I have a price point for everyone.

I maintain a tarot YouTube channel that I’m pretty consistent with and I have an excellent playlist on the topic of numerology and each of the respective tarot suits. I actually recommend anyone interested in my class to view this series, which can be found here

I also maintain a tarot blog which is a rich resource for those interested in reading and learning about tarot and I invite everyone to peruse it. I’m not real consistent with entries, but there are already many articles there to choose from.”

 

 

Thank you so much for the interview!!

Until next time!