Why I’ll Never Offer $50 Tarot Readings

Also known as The Art and Science of Knowing Your Worth

Before I started offering tarot reading services to the public, I did a little market research. I wanted to see what people were charging for individual readings. This was harder to nail down than you’d think. Prices, reading lengths and what was actually included all varied wildly across the board.

There are some compelling reasons for that. Tarot, after all, is what I like to consider one of the “magical arts.” It’s seen as “woo” or “a bit out there” or a “for fun” activity that’s not meant to be taken too seriously. Because of this reputation, I get the sense that many readers believe the only way to make a living is to offer cheap services and shoot for volume.

There are other factors to consider as well. For many, tarot is a spiritual practice, something that doesn’t quite fit into a neat category like “life coaching” or “financial planning” or “legal services.” When I went to set up my Stripe account, in fact, the only category that fit was “fortune telling.” I found this delightful at first—until it turned out that selecting this designation gave the platform an excuse to delay payouts due to “an increase of instances of fraud in your industry.” What a strange mess.

All this is to say, my market research yielded one decisive conclusion: Tarot professionals believe people are not willing to pay a lot of money for readings, and they are pricing their services accordingly. Now, know that this isn’t true across the board. I’ve met many people who charge well for tarot readings. These professionals, however, are more exception than rule.

During my deep dive into the industry, some of what I found shocked me. Hour-long readings for $50. Thirty-minute readings for $20. Single-card pulls for $10. Pure insanity. The highest rate I saw recommended was $100 for an hour-long reading. I knew immediately that this was not going to fly for me. To understand why, you’re going to need a little backstory.

Those who don’t know me well, might not know that I’ve spent the majority of my career as a writer and editor. Most of that time has been a freelancer, which means (among other things) that I had the ability to set my own prices. Not sure what to charge and not wanting to turn away work, I spent YEARS offering my services for $40 per hour. I eventually raised my price to $45 per hour, and when I was hired to do glorified busy work for $55 per hour, I upped my rate to $65.

And what happened after years and years of producing top-quality work that my clients loved and strangers sought out? I fucked up my gift. Writing, the one thing that felt beautiful and easy and in alignment with my higher purpose, became a goddamn chore. It was completely devastating. I knew I couldn’t keep going at this same pace forever, so I kept a few things that would pay the bills and got rid of the rest.

When I finally started Cup of Sugar, I vowed never to make the same mistake. I decided to charge a premium for my services because I know my worth. Even more than that, I know one thing deep within my soul:

I am really fucking good at reading tarot.

Now, I know you’re not supposed to say that out loud, especially as a woman, but being humble about my writing prowess was precisely what got me into my burnout predicament to begin with. No more. I’d rather work with fewer people and protect my energy than work with a ton of people who don’t appreciate what I bring to the table. In the (paraphrased) words of Rachel Rodgers, “I am Tiffany’s Diamonds, not Bargain Bob’s Discount Gem Emporium.”

I may not charge the industry’s highest rate for my services, but I am confident in what I do ask my clients to invest. As I become more established in my business, I will raise my rate in conjunction with my experience. In the meantime, I’m unwilling to sell my soul simply to get clients in the door. The right people will find me.

Before I end this post, there’s one other thing I’d like to add: Attempting to win on price is a fool’s errand that does everyone a disservice. This happens in every sector, but I see it more commonly with spiritually focused endeavors.

I’m not about to cheapen the industry by charging a fee that makes tarot seem like a joke. If you’d like an example, look no further than the commodification of yoga. It makes me kind of sick to think that people won’t pay more than $20 for a class—even when it’s lightyears better than the norm. But when you can get any number of “good enough” classes for bottom dollar (or free on YouTube), why spend more?

When it comes to tarot (and anything, really), it helps to remember that people will always pay a premium for the services they value. And the people who value tarot are the ones I want to share space and energy with. Everyone else can have their pick of the sale-rack readings. They shouldn’t be surprised to learn that they got what they paid for.