Cardslingers Coast to Coast

The Cardslingers tackle a sensitive topic of deck boundaries. How do we cleanse our decks? Who do we allow to touch our tools? We get a bit deep about boundaries, cleaning, and possession around our divination tools. Is there  There was a small side topic that was touched on in Episode 32, which made me want to ask a question. Feelings about other people touching your decks. This got me thinking a...

Melissa and Jaymi work on their new musical (don’t worry, it’s not coming out anytime soon). They answer a good listener question from Laura T.: When I read cards, I like to have two rocks..a silver obsidian and a quartz wand. One anchors me, and the other I just like to hold. Are there any objects you like to have in your space when you read?  Place items around you that make you feel grounded. K...

Running a business is a marathon. Getting into this profession requires everyone to wear all the hats. Marketing, social media, sales, accounting. In this episode, we spend some time talking about wearing all the hats. Homework: Look at your energy and figure out your capacity. Learn what you can do at this moment or when you’re at your best. Doing so will help you uncover what is sustainable. Pas...

Understanding and developing timing in tarot is one of the true moments when you can play with your cards. There are so many different systems out there for divining “when” questions. Melissa, Hilary, and Jaymi discuss various methods they know of and use. We also recommend ways that you can develop your own systems based on your personal locations and situations. Homework: Practice timing reading...

The cardslingers invite mentor Nancy Hendrickson onto the cast. She helps us dive deep into her world of writing, family history, and her art of healing with blends of tarot. Nancy says, “The more you know about family, the more you know about yourself. People want their stories told.” So, it’s time to get personal with Nancy and learn more about connecting with the ancestors. Nancy’s books, Ances...

Hilary and Jaymi talk about reading tarot for your self and Mary K Greer’s Tarot for Yourself. Strangely the two do relate, and cross over, and we feel it’s time to chat about the connections and our observations. We discuss what happens when the cards call you out and go a lot deeper than you expected for reading material. And we share stories of when tarot came for us when reading for others. Ho...

Reading and understanding cards can be hard for beginners. The companion book or little white book (LWB) can be viewed as a boat or a harbor that anchors you instead of being set adrift on a sea of tarot meanings/interpretations. However, as you grow and learn, you’ll find that cards have a wide variety of meanings. So, in today’s episode, we answer two listener questions about how you figure out...

Usually, tarot uses the information from the cards that readers lay on the table. But what about what doesn’t show up? Can it tell us anything? Hilary and Jaymi talk about how one can read between the lines and show what’s missing from what doesn’t appear in a spread. Jaymi views cards in a spread as the main focus. When cards or suits don’t appear, they’re unimportant; things are a-ok. The real a...

Welcome back, Lis! We missed you. And what is this? A haunted deck. Oooh. Thanks. Hilary hates it, and Jaymi wants to get her hands on it. So, dear listeners, we’re discussing personalities we assign to our decks, whether they are truly haunted or angry. We give you ways to deal with these personalities. Decks mentioned: Untold Tales, a home-made deck by Ingred Blackstock (Jaymi was not able to fi...

Hilary and Jaymi revisit some listener questions focused around spreads. This episode revisits and expands information from episode 53. Which is “what spreads do you guys use, and how to determine which to use for each client?” We recommend you have a small stockpile for various topics. We also like to create our own spreads from scratch and often use a spread creation deck. Hilary has a formula f...

Hilary and Jaymi take time to chat with one of their beloved mentors, Theresa Reed. Join in as Theresa shares many great nuggets of wisdom, including this one:  “We must never take our elders, teachers, and mentors for granted.  They deserve the ultimate respect for passing down their experience and wisdom. To be in the presence of greatness and knowledge is a gift, one that can be taken away in t...

Welcome back to Cardslingers in 2023. We've had a nice winter break, which allowed us to relax and update the site design a bit. Hilary and Jaymi give a preview of what's to come this year! Thanks for sticking by with us. We're glad you're here. Mentors series More reader questions More card episodes Do you like what you're hearing? Send feedback to us at cardslingerscc@gmail.com. Follow us on Twi...

Content Warning: While we’re under an explicit tag for cussing, we get sexually explicit in this episode. So, please don’t listen to this around kiddos; we also want to be aware of those who have sexual traumas or issues around sex. We’re not making fun of anyone’s sexual kinks or labels. Our crew spans all types of sexuality. Jaymi digs deep into her tarot library, and comes up with an amazing ge...

What happens when two authors and tarot readers get together and reminisce about their history with tarot with someone who is freshly learning to read tarot? We welcome in “newbie” reader Bo Jofferon, who reminds us what it is like to be a reader in their first five years. Each tarot journey is different. Your journey will be different than everyone on this ‘cast. Remember to go at your pace. Find...

The Cardslingers get down to business, the business of readings. Special guest, John Verbrugge, is here to help us understand more business for readers. While coming in from the tech world, John gives us all some great advice on running your readings as a business owner. Think big and look to the future. Invest in yourself. Here’s hoping Hilary gets her private jet one year. So much good homework...

The alternate title of this episode is “Grand Rising, Beloveds!” Be careful of how you get a witch’s attention. Scammers online, and off, are everywhere and we’re fed up with it. Even tarot decks are being “counterfeited” and scammed. Listen to our stories about scammers; being copied; or having to deal with unhappy people who think we’re frauds. Amanda sums this up by saying, “It's easy for scamm...

Note: Zoom had some technical glitching in recording, so there may be some weird transitions in this episode. Don’t let it get in the way of this good stuff. Self-care is the best care. What happens when you can’t even look at another deck? We’re talking about how to not turn into a chunk of charcoal. This field is lonely, and burnout can be real. Learn how to create containers for your readings a...

Let’s talk about the dark side of the tarot community. Readers are people, not products or things. Yes, we appreciate each other's ideas and opines. However, there is a way to come at us and befriend us, and help us through our own journey. Think about how you use your privileges towards others and remember that a person is at the other end of the communication channel. Also, there is no light wit...

Welcome to the last formula for our “What to Charge” series, where we show you our consummate competence. That’s right; we’re talking professional-level charging. We’re using craftsman instead of master because, at this level, you do so much more than just read and offer advice. You craft magic with the cards between your hands. At this level, you can continue to read, but you also reach out throu...

We push the What to Charge series one level further with the Journeyman level of charging for your reading, being a Journeyman. What does this mean? Well, at this level, you’re 3 years or more off book and should be charging between $50-$100 depending on where you live. This level is about experimentation with your readings or learning what works, including dropping prices. It’s also about looking...

We’re back with another episode of the What to Charge series. Today we dip one step above a Student level to Apprentice (aka “knight”). You took your skills and knowledge as a Student and have started putting it into practice. This is where you do it all events, online, friends,and family; and to make the mistakes that help you develop your business acumen. Charge for situation versus time.  As we...

Welcome to the wild world of reading for others. Our student formula helps you dip your toe into getting used to charing for readings. Students are those who have studied the cards for a bit and may still rely on books for deeper meaning. At this level, you’ll be charging $25-$30 and hopefully you aren’t using your books. At this stage you’re learning you’re authentic reading self. Set expectation...

Welcome to the long-awaited series on what to charge for your gifts and readings. We kick off this series by letting you know how this will go, some of our stories from the trenches, and other things to consider before you jump straight into making tarot a business. Thanks to our listener who came in and asked, “Being off book for 3 years, what can I start charging others for reading?” Our formula...

Melissa, Hilary, and Jaymi bring up many Disney properties to discuss aspects of The Devil. Dating far back from Roman Catholic/Christianity origins, The Devil brings in the aspects of choice, from staying chained to following the pretty one who promises the world to us all. He is comfort, safety, and security that protects us from stepping into our promised greatness. This is an opportunity to re...

Representation matters. Melissa, Hilary, and Jaymi talk about their queerness and how we can see beyond the gender to get to the core of their energy. Jaymi’s mission is to remove the binary from the cards and give readers and sitters the power to create their own language for gender inside the cards. Hilary wants the bi-erasure to stop and to know that when we share our queerness with others it i...