Storytime: My First Experience Reading Tarot Professionally

Ace of Wands, The Wild Unknown Tarot (2014)

I have been reading tarot cards professionally since 2011. I fell in love with the experience. I find it so similar to playing music. Maybe this tale can explain why…

The first time I ever read tarot professionally was for Witchstock on Historic 25th Street, Ogden as a Psychic Reader. Witchstock is our cities Annual Halloween Festival. I will never forget it… my Mom and Nana were SO excited for me! They went out and bought me a beautiful black, velvet cloth to cover my vendor’s table, and a stone chalice holding earth-colored “prayer stones” to give out with each reading. Faux autumn leaves with glitter wrapped around its base. It was wonderfully witchy! Next to my prayer stones there sat a had a purple vase with a hand-scrawled “TIPS” note on the front in call caps with a few stars and spirals in the background. 

Nana and I even made business cards! I loved my business cards! (#caprisingthings) They were black and purple, with stars and cursive “~Illuminating the Illusion~ Tarot Readings by Jonali” written on the front including my phone number and website. I was ready to give my first readings to strangers. Couldn’t be much simpler than busking right? 

Each section of the Witchstock Festival had different types of vendors, visual artists, craftists, jewelers, etc. I was in the PSYCHIC READERS section in the northeast section of Union Station. There were 5 of us all lined up next to each other. 

I said goodbye to my family after we set up my table and decided to go to the restroom to freshen up. I was wearing a beautiful red halter dress with small sequins adorning the front. I got it from a street vendor outside Boston Common earlier that summer and it made me feel divine. I felt like I was floating. I was so excited for the day. I felt like a goddess, just vibing! As I drifted across the convention center in dreamy satisfaction and was quickly approached by another psychic reader. She bee-lined it straight to me.

Upon looking around, she seemed to be the oldest psychic in the line-up. The way she stomped toward me was palpably sassy - like she owned the place. She had long, silver hair wrapped up into a bun on her head and a long, rainbow patterned shall draped upon her skinny shoulders. She expressed a look on her face that I can only describe as absolute disgust for me. 

Lifting her bony finger to me, she scowled “How old are you?” 

I replied smugly, “Why does that matter?”

I was 19 at the time and VERY proud to be there crushing a goal I set out to accomplish. I felt like I was in a movie with this character witch coming out to play the classic creepy hag trope.

Defiantly, she raised her voice with emotion, “You’re not old enough to read here! You don’t know anything!” 

I was shocked and dismayed. Still feeling like I was in some sort of quirky horror movie. Am I about to be cursed? Where’s the poison apple?

Another one of the psychics must have seen this coming (pun intended) and approached us. She stopped the old witch and said, “Leave her alone!” putting her arm around me. I was her baby bird. I felt immediately comforted. She would be the one to show me the ropes.

“My name’s Shiksa.”

We walked together. She was a younger woman, mid-30’s, adorned in gypsy style clothes with a street smart attitude. Her booth featured eclectic tapestries and a little silver tabby kitten who would calmly sit upon her table during readings. She showed me kindness.

 “I’m Jonali. Thanks for saving me. That was soooo weird. I’m really excited to be here!” 

Shiksa smiled. “Don’t worry about her. Unfortunately, you’ll find that working witches tend to see you as competition. She’s threatened you’re going to take her money.”

What a bummer. I thought. But laughed instead, “How dramatic! If she knew anything about energy she’d know that abundance is infinite.” We laughed together. Money was the last thing on my mind. I was so excited for the whole experience unfolding before me and I could tell my new friend felt that way too. I was thankful to have met Shiksa. She became my first fellow psychic friend and we’d go on to work alongside each other many events and private parties for years to come.

I felt like I had been initiated by fire into the working witches’ way. Glares! Threats! Friendship! Going on with the show! What a feat.

I continued my stride, my glide, my glow; flipping through celtic cross spreads for hours discussing life’s mysteries with a beautiful variety of local strangers. My community. We loved each other. We shared joy, triumph, anger, sadness, and so many other colors that day. It was those moments that I knew that I had something I wanted to hold onto forever. The divine wisdom of the tarot connected us all and became a loyal conduit to it’s cosmic channel. The energetic exchange was so pure. So necessary. And it always continues to blend out into the beyond. Many readings only truly begin - after you leave my table. 

I am grateful that this experience was a breakthrough in my tarot journey. My first professional psychic reader experience felt like playing music. So I kept singing. I have since performed hundreds of tarot readings for individuals from all walks of life. I also went on to graduate Debra Katz' International School of Clairvoyance in 2014. 

I am proud and honored to assist those seeking discovery, healing and guidance through the power of our collective subconscious. Together we can assist in the process of illuminating illusion.

xo

Jonali*