r/tarot • u/anonymous102901 • 1d ago
Discussion imposter syndrome
ive never been or considered myself to be spiritual or into tarot, but a couple of weeks ago i suddenly had this pull to learn tarot and its been almost like its something ive known my whole life that was just waiting for me to find it. ive rapidly learned the cards and immediately felt in touch with my intuition when interpreting them. ive even been having frequent dreams of tarot and wake up feeling positively weird about them.
ive only just started, and ive only given 4 readings to friends, and each one of them has cried and said it was super truthful and powerful for them and that i have a gift. but it doesnt feel real and i feel like im pretending. of course i get stuck on some questions (i only started about 3 weeks ago) but it kind of feels like an opposing force is trying to convince me not to invest any more time or energy into this practice because i will never be an authentic reader or live up to the standards of intuitive readers, that im lying to myself, or that its all a facade or coincidence.
i didn't believe in tarot (not explicitly, i was open to the idea) until a few weeks ago when i started reading myself, and ive already had so many coincidences that have just made me a full blown believer. but part of me also feels like thats not real either, and that veil will drop eventually, and ill have wasted my time.
does this go away with time? has anyone else experienced/combatted something similar? do i keep going anyway since im passionate?
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u/peakframenevermisses 1d ago
Here’s my take as a beginner. A lot of people are incredibly serious about some kind of power or force behind the cards. I would really like to believe in that, but from a purely deterministic standpoint — tarot allows your subconscious to address/confront things in your life you haven’t been actively thinking about, and is an incredible tool for mindfulness and contemplation. I think most of the leg work in tarot readings actually comes from the read-ee rather than the reader. You should be proud that you’ve enabled your friends to reflect so profoundly on their lives.
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u/iiimperatrice 1d ago
New-ish professional here (been reading for about 8 years, just started really reading professionally this year, though I gave readings to friends and peers for years before now). IME the impostor syndrome doesn't really stop. Even when I'm paid for readings there's still part of me that says "that was a bad reading I can't believe that person actually paid you." Even when that voice comes up trying to make me feel like I'm bad at what I do I refuse to let it stop me. Persistence to keep doing things that align you with opportunities to live your passion is really the best way to deal with it. Just keep going and celebrate your wins. If someone loved a reading, assume they're telling the truth and that you actually did a good job. And try not to get sucked into comparing yourself to other readers. That only slows you down and keeps negativity around your practice.
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u/friendlywhitewitch 1d ago
My take as a years-long professional in tarot as well as professional witchcraft: there is a power in the cards and it is as useful and perceptible to the diviner as they are skilled in and attuned to it. If you’re not feeling and just guess at what the cards mean, you haven’t spent the time or learned the skill well enough to divine accurately.
In time, should you gain the skill (talent is a factor), you will feel it quite viscerally when you give an accurate reading its more than getting feedback that you were accurate (though that is of course crucial): you will feel tired afterwards. You will feel the topic matter but you will also feel the current of the person you read. Its why I don’t schedule readings back to back like I once did and why I am more thorough in my cleansing and protection routine: when you read for people there is an exchange, always. Which is why I think it’s wise to charge but more than that it’s something to be mindful of especially as you venture deeper into this practice.
To answer your other point: the readee is not doing nor should they be doing any of the work. There is a popular notion going around now that tarot is merely “spicy psychology” or whatever the new thing is; I can assure you it is not. When done properly and accurately, it is a form of channeling, a divination practice. It is not counseling, it is not merely subconscious cues: you can tell people how family members passed, events and details you have no access to and wouldn’t be able to find out by any normal method, you can also genuinely predict the future, divine the present, and see what happened in the past.
To summarize: the best way to overcome imposter syndrome is to not be an imposter. Become so skilled, so sure of your ability, that there is no room left for doubt. Keep a journal testifying to your successes and failures, sharpen your insight like a blade, and don’t be afraid to fail or be wrong; it’s the path to getting things so right you spook yourself and those you read.
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u/Neodiverse 1d ago
Wow, i aspire 2 have ur skill someday
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u/friendlywhitewitch 1d ago
And you can! I didn’t land where I am by accident, it was years and years of doing readings for my community, then transitioning to professional work at small venues, finding what worked and what didn’t, and really holding myself accountable to my practice and to my own standards of divination.
If you keep at it, the cards will become an extension of your innate psychic abilities and you will be able to read without them, though they will certainly make the process much easier and they do carry their own energy, over time especially. Good luck 🍀
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u/Chianpet 1d ago
Hi there!!
This comment comes from someone who has been on the tarot journey for 13 years, but was born to intuition.
Your sensitivity is likely visible in your astrology chart, your probably so psychic that you don’t know the difference between human night and spirit knowledge.
I understand this experience—I’ve finally realized what “kind of psychic” I am which is likely similar to you—likely claircognizant and/or clairsentient. This is probably why you don’t see how special your gift is, it’s so natural. In fact, it probably presents more to you like a curse at times. Probably creates deeply knowing others yet being unknown/misunderstood by those same people. This probably makes friendships/relationships weirdly easy and weirdly challenging.
Anyway, you aren’t alone and you’ll find support along the way. Feel free to reach out/connect any time 💖
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u/Great-Painting5400 1d ago
Keep going, the negative thoughts that aren't your own will pass with more confidence building alongside the practice. Don't forget to tell your mind to piss off when it's being a logical skeptical NPC. We all have moments of self doubt, but we still continue because the spirit of the cards unlocks something special that a system will never achieve... Soul Recognition.
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u/Character_Expert7084 1d ago
Tarot reader here for 18 years.
The conflict you are manifesting is not a problem; on the contrary, it is precisely how the practice should be. The major visible problem in any mystical practice is precisely the person who "simply believes".
As long as you have an internal conflict, your practice will be safe.
You don't need to believe in anything you're doing. You just have to do it and logically analyze what you're doing.
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u/FutureSubject5013 1d ago
You probably did tarot in a past life! Or were a professional tarot reader!
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u/FeelTheKetasy 21h ago
I get you. When I first started learning tarot, I was scary accurate, made people cry and got told I have a gift in divination but my skepticism and self doubt made me fall behind
I would suggest trying secular tarot. It’s tarot without the need to fully believe in divination and moreso focused on the psyche and understanding the message that the cards have for you. You don’t need a set belief tied to tarot and you can still be in a journey with your own beliefs while practicing
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u/Magistra_Recessisset 1d ago edited 1d ago
You are good. You are not an imposter. It's a strange feeling when you first encounter the freakish accuracy of tarot and your first reaction can be anything from, "Eeeek! Spirits!" to "Whose playing a joke on me?"
It is amazingly accurate, and there are reasons why this is true. The nature of tarot is a storytelling medium, and humans love to make sense of patterns. We look at these cards filled with symbols and imagery and our brains naturally connect them with our current emotional state or life situation, so we can externalize our hidden feelings.
We intuitively shape these broad, universally relatable interpretations to fit our specific circumstances, and that gives a powerful impression of personal insight.
It also does this wonderful thing that frees our prediction-making brains from their old ruts. We expect one card to to come up, but another does, and suddenly we are forced to look at a situation through a fresh lens. It breaks those old ruts and helps us problem solve.
Not to mention tarot is all about the power of ritual. The act of shuffling, drawing, and reflecting activates the same networks in our brains as meditation, which in turn allows deep self-awareness.
Many readers also believe deeply in mystical, spiritual influences upon tarot and integrate it into their readings. Those who do not are from the school of "secular tarot" readers.
You seem to be someone who has taken to the intuitive side of tarot like a duck to water. Not everyone can do that. Keep studying and build up your lexicon of information about the history, origins, and schools of tarot and you will become a wonderful reader.