Check Out Sam Duke’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Duke

Hi Sam, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been interested in exploring all things metaphysical for most of my life but it always felt taboo to talk about it openly. Roughly two years ago I came across a couple of kindred spirits who shared the same passion for helping people, not only through metaphysical means. After many video calls, text conversations, emails, and idea sessions we came up with a name and a plan. We decided on the name Tarot Tea. Tarot Tea is currently focused on offering different forms of divination techniques from Tarot card readings to Crystal Ball readings. Eventually, we want to offer physical items to help people as well, such as good luck charms or good juju jars – jars filled with different herbs and spices that offer positive energy based on what the consumer is needing. Right now, it operates primarily virtually, though we do meet people in person if requested. Our goal is to help people find clarity and confidence while also being a safe space for questions and exploration.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. We started Tarot Tea with nothing but motivation and hope, as cheesy as that sounds. We put the money we could spare into renting a booth at the Oddity Expos in Colorado Springs, and it was absolutely worth it. Unfortunately, being a new business seems to be more money spent than money earned. We’re at a point where we have earned back what we spent, but it’s been a slow ride.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Tarot Tea focuses on tarot card readings, however, we also offer other sorts of readings. I, personally, perform readings using pendulums, tea leaves, tarot, oracle, crystal ball, and runes. When I do a reading, I focus a lot on a persons’ energy at their core. It seems there is an even split in why someone requests a reading. Sometimes it’s for clarity, sometimes answers, and sometimes it’s simply because they’re curious. I am most proud of the fact that we collectively are very strong advocates for mental health and we try to help people any way we can. We don’t sugar coat readings, in that we’ll tell you what we hear or what we see, and we’ll interpret it appropriately. That being said, if it happens to be something that is… hard to hear. or confirms something that is a struggle for them, we also help them process it. Mental health is so important to us, since it’s something we all struggle with. Giving someone a reading that just says ‘you’re doing a good job, this is a bump in the road and you’ll get past it’ can be more impactful than skeptics may think.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When it comes to risk taking, the biggest risk from my perspective was starting the business to begin with. To me, it was very much a mindset of ‘this is either going to be successful, or it’s going to fail’. Making the decision, for me, was scary. We were putting ourselves out there in a society that isn’t always accepting of the weird and different, of things that don’t really offer physical proof. In my experience, most people tend to harbor at least a bit of healthy skepticism. It’s natural, to not believe in things you can’t see. I do think risk taking can pay off, but I feel it is important to evaluate the potential side effects of certain decisions.

Pricing:

• Tarot Readings range from $5-$45
• Crystal Ball readings range from $35-$60
• Tea Leaf Readings are $20
• Pendulum Readings are $5
• Rune Readings are $10