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As a professional Diviner, I pride myself on giving my clients a great experience. It's a responsibility that I take pretty seriously, but as the old saying goes, "It takes two to tango." The best readings happen when clients also understand their own role in the experience, as well as the realities and limitations that exist for all of us.
Keeping that in mind, here are some things that I think most readers wish their clients understood.
1. Respect our time
Spiritual services are a niche business. For a great many practitioners, spiritual work is often more about helping their community than a way to turn a profit. As such, many readers also need to take on day jobs in order to pay the bills and provide for their families.
Most readers I know are incredibly busy people, and we always appreciate clients who understand that and respect our time. Little things like having your questions prepared, ensuring your tech is working/charged (for online sessions), and most importantly, showing up on time go a long, long way. I love when clients do these things because it lets us get straight to business and lets them get more out of their sessions.
It's also important to remember that while we care deeply about our clients, readers are not on-call 24/7. As I said, many of us have jobs, families, and obligations to take care of outside our spiritual practice. The biggest thing a client can do to show their respect is to be respectful of these simple boundaries.
2. Respect our humanity
We're all human. Whether it's a CEO or a janitor, everyone deserves respect and dignity, and your readers are no exception. Sadly, working in any service industry tends to open one up to a host of disrespectful encounters - intentional and unintentional. Regardless of the intent, the result is the same - a line has been crossed and the session must end.
Many a reader can recall sessions where clients use their time to practice their comedic skills by mocking or sarcastically interrogating us about what it is that we do. Some clients also show up under the influence, which can be highly disruptive to the process as well. This kind of callousness can be incredibly frustrating.
Readers work hard and exert a lot of energy to create a space for clients to open up. We don't sign up to be tested or tricked. Treat this experience like you would any other professional service.
3. You may not get what you want, but you'll get what you need
Accessing messages from spirits isn't like placing a direct phone call - it's more like working a CB radio: you can't really control who's on the line on a particular day, or what they want to talk about. The messages that you get will be what you need to hear - whether it's what you wanted to hear or not is an entirely different matter. I always advise clients to take notes during sessions, because the advice given at that time may not become clear until later on.
Every reader's gift is slightly different. Sometimes the messages come in bits and pieces, sometimes they come in a torrent of information - some spirits love to chat! Occasionally, messages may even refer to a different time or place altogether. Part of the reader-client relationship is working together to make sense of these messages over time.
It's also important to remember that your reader is still human, even if they can access the spiritual plane. Just like you, we have good days and bad days. No reader can guarantee you 100% accuracy or success (and claiming to do so is a real red flag).
4. Don't ask for something we can't give
You wouldn't walk into a candy shop and demand a medium-rare steak, or ask a lawyer to give your surgery. Asking your reader to provide a divination service they simply don't provide is similarly absurd... yet it happens ALL the time!
There's no such thing as a reader who can do it all. It takes years of study and practice to strengthen our gifts and cultivate the skills needed to read others accurately. When a reader says they offer X,Y, and Z, it's because they feel confident in the time and effort they've put into being able to do those particular things well.
As a client, it's perfectly OK to want a variety of services. Choosing a diviner who specializes in the service you're seeking prevents frustration on both ends. If you want to connect to the deceased, seek a medium. If you want to know your future, seek a fortune teller. If you want to connect with your spirit guides, seek a diviner.
There's nothing wrong with seeking a specific service, but let your reader know ahead of time. In most cases, they'll be more than happy to refer you to someone in their network who's the right match for what you're seeking.
5. Wait a while between readings
Messages from spirits are complicated sometimes. Time doesn't function the same way on their plane as it does on ours. A seemingly cryptic message today may seem crystal clear a month from now. When you finish a reading, take some time to decompress, meditate, and process what you received.
You might be tempted to call back with a follow-up question right away, but most readers would likely prefer you wait a while. It may seem counterintuitive to turning a profit, but as I said above, our goal is to help you. Just as it's possible to overmedicate yourself, it's also possible to overdo it on spiritual advice. Take the time to let things run their course - I advise most of my clients to wait at least a month or two before booking another session.
Final Advice
The relationship between you and your reader can be a beautiful thing. They become the second set of eyes to help you navigate your spiritual journey. When clients remember and respect the considerations above, it also makes the experience so much more enjoyable for the reader - it's no coincidence that some of my favorite clients who I have the best readings with are also the ones who mind these basics!