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So, I tend to put a break in Tarot and Tea, for the ‘Dark of the Year’ in this hemisphere.

The reason being is that for our standard sort of readings most folks are used to, the timeline forward is 6-8 weeks at MOST – and often closer to 2-3 weeks.

Now, with Samhain/Halloween just coming – after that point thee is a stillness that descends – often times you’ll note that if you’ve not completed a life event by 31 Oct, it’s basically not happening until after the new year.

I tend to think this is a holdover from the final harvest – where the choice was made between which animals you were sheltering and feeding over the winter, and which were feeding you.

Think about it – how many times did you stay at a job/with someone/in a house when you wanted to move ‘just until after Christmas’ but really it took until Feb – Mid March, to actually make the move or change? We just aren’t really huge fans of making change during the dark of the year. We tend to settle in and just ride it out. There are a lot of discussions around this we could (and maybe should!) have – but at a later date.

So, I feel it’s best to do other, more fun, festive, but also introspective and relaxing things during he dark of the year – and change up the routine a bit to facilitate this.

Meanwhile, I’ll be organising some seasonal & festive tarot and other events, more specific to this time of year – so keep an eye on my events page for details!

As you may or may not have noticed, I have reduced most of my service prices, and deferred increasing class/course fees due to the cost of living crisis. This has made my services more accessible for people who maybe wouldn’t be able to afford them otherwise, for which I am glad.

However, I’ve also had to implement some less-exciting changes to accommodate for that. TL;DR at the bottom.

The whole enchilada:
I have always done my readings by the booking, not by the hour. I don’t set timers, watch a clock, or even have a clock within sight, to prevent distraction, and the feel of being rushed. Your reading takes however long it takes, and I am prepared for that.

However, one change I’ve had to implement is that I will now only accept bookings from new clients, as well as all workshops & courses, when they are paid in advance.

The main reason behind this, is that I am just one person, I have limited time, and places available.

Like an airline, there is limited availability. There are just 5 evenings that aren’t weekends, and those evenings really only have a viable time window of around 3 hours (5-8pm). This means that logically, I’m only able to take 1, and only very rarely 2 clients on any given weekday evening. Given that I do not time my readings, a booking at 5pm means I am potentially busy until 7pm. 6:30pm, busy until 8:30pm, 8pm, busy until 10pm and so on.

Most people who work weekdays, and also have children, dinners to get on, house things to do etc., means that the most common time people ask to come, is between 6-7:30pm That means I can do maybe 4:30pm, or maybe 8:30pm – but you see where I am going with this. Weekday evening bookings are just very limited, therefore quite often booked in advance by a few weeks at least.

Far too many times, I have held a date for someone who was ‘definitely for sure coming’ and sure enough, on the day? No call no show. I always send a reminder 2 days before, and get invariably a ‘See you there!’ or similar – only to be flaked on, on the day. I’ve heard the whole ‘well I am not like that, if I say I’ll be there, I’ll be there’ except they were JUST LIKE THAT – and often, I’ve re-arranged a class or plans, or sitting around without my bra on, to be there for that client, and that really pisses me off.

When I’ve done dinner early, banished the kids, planned our evening around their appointment time, being sure to leave a full 2 hours just in case it’s a complicated, or really emotional one, because that’s the level of service I commit to, and people don’t show? They don’t call, text, email, send a smoke signal?

Well that is extremely frustrating, and by then, it’s too late to then offer the booking time to someone who asked for it 2 weeks ago, but it was booked to our no call no show.

I absolutely understand things can happen – and for that reason I offer FREE reschedule of your paid booking, at the earliest next possible date. Hell, I even often try to offer extra availability, like early on a Saturday or Sunday morning at no extra charge, which I usually wouldn’t, because that’s usually when I have classes later in the day, and need to get things prepared.

I consistently go above and beyond for any of my clients, but I can simply no longer allow tentative bookings of any kind.

If you talk to me, I may be able to work something out, or hold a date for you overnight, or until you are home from work, but that’s at my discretion, and not guaranteed.

I have to be able to plan my diary and my budget, and it’s not possible to do that when some people lack the basic common courtesy to at least let you know they won’t be there, or when they’ll be paying.

There is literally NEVER a time when I don’t have something to do in the evening; so to plan my evening around someone who doesn’t even bother to make a proper reservation, like any other service, is not something I’ll be doing any longer.

You know who almost always shows up though? People who have paid upon booking. At worst I might get a note in the afternoon, that they will not make it that evening, to which I am straight onto finding a date that will work for them instead.

TL;DR: Due to having limited availability, as I am just one person, I no longer accept tentative bookings. All bookings must be paid, or have had payment arrangements made, in advance – or the date/s will not be held.

Deposits are forfeit for any cancellations made fewer than 5 business days in advance. Rescheduling, however, is always free.

We’re on a break!

Some info around my new Booking & Payment Policy: