What’s in a Name?

So, you might have wondered, what’s the deal with the name “The Naked Tarot?”

Well, it was born out of a joke between me and my husband. I was unhappy in my career and wanted to make a change.

But, as is the case with most of us living in a capitalist society, I needed an income. 

I was applying to different jobs that resonated more with my priorities and values, but I was not finding success. The job market is a gladiatorial gauntlet, and job searching can be a full-time job itself. 

After a few cocktails on date night, I jokingly told my husband that I was going to quit my job and start doing topless tarot readings on … a subscription-based application for people and their fans. I was halfway through my Biddy Tarot certification program, and I often fantasized about making a full-time career out of tarot. My husband laughed at my joke but then asked me earnestly why I didn’t pursue tarot as a career. I didn’t have a good answer. But I had a bad one: Fear of failure.

As I neared the end of my tarot certification program, I gained more confidence in my ability as a reader and advisor. And I saw others living my dream. Why couldn’t I be a professional tarot advisor?

I’d been conducting readings for friends for years. I’d also begun reading for clients I had never met as part of my certification. The consistent feedback on my readings was that I didn’t sugarcoat the messages I interpreted in the cards. Clients often commented that I delivered my interpretations with compassion and empathy, but my readings were raw, real and honest. They weren’t dressed up.

They were naked.

I was reviewing feedback from a client when I thought back to the joke I’d made about conducting topless tarot readings. It’s a good schtick, but it’s hardly unique. (Yes, there are quite a few topless tarot readers out there. And they do great work!) But what if the nakedness in my case doesn’t refer to the tarot reader? What if it’s the reading itself that’s naked? I scribbled the idea down in my tarot journal and moved on to another client. 

And then, after a particularly stressful day at work, my husband encouraged me to quit my job. “You can take some time off or read tarot cards with your feet on the internet or whatever will make you happy,” he’d said at the time. And I thought back to my little scribbled note about naked tarot readings. And then I set things in motion. I intended The Naked Tarot to start as a side hustle. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I could do this. Just this. 

I realize I am incredibly fortunate to have the means and support to take this leap. It is not an opportunity everyone has. It’s not something I could have done until this exact moment in my life. 

But when the time is right and the opportunity presents itself, we have to be brave enough to strip down and get Naked.