Why I became a Tarot Card Reader

My Life as aTarot Card Reader

A Little About Myself

My earliest memories are of living in a back to back terraced house in Birmingham where I lived with my mom and my older sister (by eighteen months) Pauline.

Our father deserted Mom before I was born. She had a desperate struggle bringing us up during and after the war until she remarried. We then moved to Northfield, and we both passed the eleven plus examination to grammar schools. Pauline went to Kings Norton Grammar School, and I, to my dismay, was sent to Bartley Green Grammar School. I was happy at my junior school and certainly didn’t want to go to Bartley Green.

I was more than happy when I left the school, and after a few jobs I settled down happily to work at ‘Ten Acres & Stirchley Cooperative Society, Birmingham,’ as a secretary. Pauline also worked at TASCOS as a secretary to the assistant director, and we were both to meet our future husbands there.

A few years after we married we left Birmingham to start new lives in Staffordshire. I moved to Rugeley, and Pauline to Tamworth.

When we moved to live in Rugeley I had two children. A daughter of three years and a son of two months.

After living in the busy city I initially found it difficult to settle and returned to Birmingham as often as I could. Eventually, I settled down, the children grew up, and left home to live their own lives. I worked at various jobs from running a mobile café, to working at Colourtrend a photography developing laboratory. My job was to adjust the colours in faulty photographs. I enjoyed this job tremendously. The trouble started when I found that having to sit for long periods of time hurt the base of my spine.

In the end I had to leave that job and others that I tried. I decided to work for myself and I started my own cleaning company. At least I would not be sitting for long periods of time. At this time my husband worked at the pit and they went on strike. We had bought a detached Victorian house near Rugeley. We realised that with my husband being on short time we were going to lose the house. I searched the area and found a smaller semidetached house almost opposite town but the canal was not far away and it was almost countrified. It was quite nice as there were only four houses down the lane. There was a transport business at the top of the lane but they did not bother me.

All went well with my new cleaning venture then tragically my daughter lost her first baby. It was a sad time for all concerned. Time passed and one day my daughter mentioned that she wanted to visit a clairvoyant and asked if I would go with her. I hoped that the clairvoyant would reassure her that all would be well if she tried for another baby. I knew that she would have another baby but did not say anything.

As it happened, a clairvoyant worked from a shop about a five-minute walk from where we lived. I found the reading she gave my daughter interesting and wondered how she managed to gain so much information from a pack of playing cards. I also felt surprised that she did not offer any sympathy or reassurance that all would be well in the future for my daughter.

I was so intrigued by the clairvoyant’s reading that I decided to book a reading for myself. Little did I realise that the reading would prove to be a huge turning point and change my whole way of life forever. I must admit that after having the reading, I was sceptical and laughed, saying, ‘None of this will happen!’ I had to eat my words as the next day I received an unexpected cheque in the post and remembered that the clairvoyant had predicted this. The same day two more things that she had said occurred.

That evening I sat down and thought about the reading and read the notes I had made (I am a huge note taker). I recall thinking there is more to this card reading than meets the eye. I decided to find out as much as I could about the subject.

I felt quite excited about my new venture but hadn’t a clue what I would discover along the way. I had visited the local library to see if there were any books on the subject. No joy there and the same in our local bookshop, so Birmingham it had to be. Not that I minded. I loved going into the city, and why not? It’s my home town. I was born on the outskirts of Birmingham, and to me going there is always like going home. Anyway, I had the perfect reason to go: I needed tarot cards and a couple of books. It took me a while to locate the cards, but I found exactly what I wanted in Waterstones, in New Street. I was delighted and selected two packs of cards that attracted me. Instinct told me that they would work for me. I also bought a book about the meanings of the cards. I also decided on the way home that I would buy a crystal ball. I had not a clue where they were sold. I looked forward to learning everything I could about my new venture.

That evening, speaking on the telephone to my mother-in-law, I told her what I had bought. She was so excited for me and insisted I bring them with me when I next visited her so that I could give her a reading. She had such faith in me and my abilities and, unbeknown to her, she gave me a huge confidence boost. My mom was intrigued and also said to bring the cards along when they came to the mainland (they live in Guernsey). I did tell both moms that it would take me a long time to teach myself the meanings to the cards and then discover the way of reading the cards that suited me best.

To my surprise, my sister Pauline was quite horrified at my news and shrieked down the telephone, ‘Burn them, Carol, they’re evil!’ I told her to calm down and said that the cards worked for the good of people when used correctly. As far as I knew, she had never had a reading and knew nothing about the cards. She muttered scathingly, ‘The occult, yuk!’ I left it at that. It seemed that she was not in favour of my new venture. 

Instinctively I knew that giving tarot card readings would be right for me. More than anything I wanted to use them to help people. The reading I had from the clairvoyant had been so fast I had forgotten most of it. I felt even more determined to achieve my goal and forged ahead with my plans for the future regardless of any opposition.

***

While teaching myself the cards, I visited numerous clairvoyants and mediums; this was my way of researching the subject. There were very few books in the bookshops. But I was always determined that I was going to succeed. I found it all fascinating.

I needed to practise how to read the cards for people. My husband was not interested, but fortunately my lovely mom and mother-in-law were.

I was also lucky to meet a lady who read the playing cards for the general public; she gave me a lot of information about how she started her career and how it had progressed over the years. She had done very well for herself as she worked in Birmingham city centre. She rented rooms on the first floor of a huge building along New Street. Her name was Joanne.

In the course of my research, I visited psychic fairs and watched and listened to how the readers worked. I also visited Spiritualist churches. I know strictly speaking that Spiritualist churches are nothing to do with tarot card readings but the mediums who give platform readings give out messages of hope from loved ones. I must admit I have never received a message, but I do know many people who have. I visited quite a few mediums in my quest for proof but eventually realised it was not meant to be; I stopped going.

My research progressed, and after twelve months I knew the tarot cards inside out and had also acquired a crystal ball. My lovely father-in-law had sent away to London and bought one for me. How lucky I am. I was all set to float my new business.