Career Questions
Tarot is an excellent tool for helping people with questions about their working lives. In the hands of a skilled Reader, the cards can give guidance on many aspects.
One of the most important topics that people want to discuss in a Tarot reading is their career.
Querents coming for a career reading are generally seeking advice about the following topics:
Which direction to take: are they in the right job, should they change their career path?
Help making a decision between two or more options.
The Querent may simply need a boost to their confidence.
Astute Readers will help their Querents to define a goal that is in their best interests. They will also be able to adapt SPreads and their style of reading accordingly. A Reader should never underestimate how important questions about work are for the person sitting across the table. Querents who ask questions along the lines of 'Which career should I pursue?' usually fail into one of two very different categories.
One type doesn't have a plan while the other needs to make a choice. Each one requires a different approach as detailed below.
No Idea
The first type of Querent has no career plan in mind so they have come to the Reader seeking direction. They may already have a job but have no idea where this job is leading or whether that destination will be a rewarding one. Though they cannot put a finger on what they want to do, these QUerents are aware that something is missing.
However, when it comes to their career, they are longing for a sense of purpose. They will often feel frustrated by not knowing what their 'true calling' is.
Multiple Paths
The second type of Querent is likely to be choosing between two or three possible career options. They may have a job and find it rewarding but another opportunity has arisen. This Querent is curious about the short-term challenges and long-term benefits of this new option.
People in this position want to maximise their potential while minimising the risks. They tend to come to the Tarot reading seeking to increase their confidence.
Reading for Direction and Guidance
The Querent who is looking for guidance may appear open to suggestions. However, these can potentially be the most difficult types of Querent to please. The reading can quickly degenerate into an unproductive dialogue if the Reader is not careful. They may offer overly specific ideas based on cards. Having drawn the Sun, for example, the Reader might suggest anything from opening a tanning salon to taking acting lessons. The Querent is likely to start rejecting every suggestion.
This type of pitfall can be avoided by choosing the type of Spread very carefully. A single-card Spread, which might seem attractive at first, will identify a general theme but may ultimately be more difficult to interpret with objectivity and fresh eyes.
Reading to Inform a Choice
When the Querent has two or three career options in mind or has reached an important crossroads in there career, the Reader will find their work easier to accomplish.
One approach involves drawing a single card to represent each option. The Reader may then inform the Querent which cards are most favourable.
The Querent can then use this information when making their final choice.
Alternatively, the Reader may draw two cards for each option: one representing the positive aspects of the position and the other representing the less attractive ones. The Reader and Querent can then discuss the pros and cons of each option.
The querent's final decision will be informed by this debate. Querents who enjoy exploring options in detail can look at two identical Spreads, one after the other, to represent each career option.
Positive Interaction
questions about careers carry enormous ramifications. Skilled Readers understand this and therefore proceed with great caution. The temptation to offer personal commentary ('If I were you, I would choose this...') or to make the decision for the Querent ('I think you should do this...') must absolutely be resisted.
The Reader should remain as impartial as possible.
This is easier when the Reader adopts an interactive style of reading. Rather than dictating the meaning of each card, the Reader engages the Querent in a conversation about the meaning of each Arcanum. The Reader begin by asking questions along the lines of:
What symbol on this card stands out to you?
What attitude does this character seem to have?
What job would this character enjoy?
What job would this character hate?
Remember that people's careers don't just affect their financial well-being, they also influence their personal growth, life satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
The Reader must not forget that too many options might create a block in the Querent, who will feel overwhelmed by their inability to properly access all possibilities.
When working on a decision-making process, especially as important and far reaching as a career, it's very important to empower the Querent to make their own choice, rather than offering a random solution just because 'the cards said it'.
Updated
1 January 2025 at 15:36:40
Rich in Symbols
In order to make the cards as accessible as possible in a career reading, the Reader might like to choose their most richly illustrated deck. Fully illustrated decks invite Querents to ask questions and offer personal interpretations, and so get them more involved in the process. The Reader can combine the results of these conversations with traditional or intuitive meanings and produce a unique and personalised interpretation for each card.
The Querent may then draw on this synthesis to understand the direction or gain the confidence needed to make their own best choice.