Tag Archives: tarot-cards

April 9, 2026 · 11:07

The Ardanes, The Laws and Gerald Gardner

Why I Don’t Charge For Readings.

This piece comes from a few conversations regarding charging money for tarot readings & study recently.

I don’t charge for readings; I did charge one person, one time, because the subject was a horrendous and who, frankly, gave me the willies. She reinforced my rule for not charging, funny enough. If I am not providing a service with a fee? I can pick and choose, as I wish. Readings, TBH, really take a toll. I’m often exhausted or out-of-sorts for several hours afterwards.

The origin of not charging comes from a set of 161 Laws; they were reputed to be old laws but the vernacular was a mixture of reputedly old and modern English, as a result, its…validity was pretty damn murky to me. They are supposed to have been part of GBG’s BOS. (GBG – Gerald B. Gardner & BOS is “Book of Shadows).

#119 Never accept money for the use of the art, for money ever smeareth the taker. ‘Tis sorcerors and conjurers and the priests of the Christians who ever accept money for the use of their arts. And they sell pardons to let men ascape from their sins.

#120 Be not as these. If you accept no money, you will be free from temptation to use the art for evil causes.

These are direct quotes from those laws, the spelling and laughable grammar is not mine own. Be that as it may, the words stuck with me. I never charged for classes, for study groups or any other activities related to the practice. Donations for rental space, for food/drink were accepted but payment? Nope.

There is the argument that these stanzas related to spellcraft, herb craft etc. but as divination in all its forms is viewed as an “art”, tarot, naturally fell into the category outlined in the laws.

So why do I follow those two laws if I don’t take all of them seriously? Because they make sense to me, they struck a chord. To each his/her own.

Before you reach out to request a reading? I withdrew from that world, a long time ago. I don’t read for folks anymore. I simply don’t have that kind of energy.

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November 23, 2025 · 12:52

Esoteric Jaunt

Tarot – to charge or not to charge…

Not delving into politics…have the flu, I feel sick enough. NyQuil is your friend.

For some reason, my Tarot cards have been on mind, a LOT, lately. I even dream about them. Yeah, yeah, a sign that I should pull them out. I don’t wanna. I haven’t done a serious reading since 2013. Some information just doesn’t need to be “had”, you know?

I started with Tarot in the early 80’s; like most, I started with Rider-Waite, for about 5 years and then, jumped into the deep end with no life preserver, moved to Thoth. The deck was a gift from someone and I just felt electrified by it. It was my deck from that point forward.

One of the larger controversial points in my practice was charging for readings. I don’t. It just goes against my own beliefs. You charge? Fine. Whatever you wish to do. And the blowback? Holy crap on a cracker! You’d think I was kicking puppies or something. My practice, my choice.

Why don’t I charge? Well, it was something I was taught, decades ago; you don’t charge for Craft and Tarot readings fall into that purview for me. I see it as a gift of sorts and my ethics (not better than yours, just mine), do not allow me to charge for a gift.

Gives (gave) me a lot of freedom as to who I read for and who I didn’t feel I wanted to read for. I learned relatively early on, not to read for family, I WON’T read for my kids or immediate family, for example. A couple of reasons, the readings could be tainted by my intimate knowledge of them and their psychology, another reason is learning too much, perhaps…bad news or huge struggle on its way. Selfish on my part? Probably.

I used to hold Tarot classes, didn’t charge those those either. What people did with what they gleaned from those classes/workshops was up to them.

Why am I writing about this? I guess I am just working out, whether or not I should pull the cards out.

Okay, well – if you stuck around? Thanks for reading. I am off to open a new box of tissue and dose up on DayQuil.

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