by Taylor Goodman

“We don’t script these things,” Mary Miller assures.  She and her husband, Raymond Miller, are accustomed to high praise for their tarot card reading, but are also familiar with being berated by skeptics.  Having thick skin and integrity in the spiritualistic industry is vital, and the Millers are seasoned professionals, and both identify as psychic.  With 57+ years of combined experience working in the spiritualistic industry, they’ve found, through trial and error, how to own such a unique business.

Tarot card reading is a spiritual practice that originates from the occult in 15th century Europe.  Although it originated as a card game, tarot card reading was believed to offer insight and guidance for life. The couple believes in the use of tarot cards to channel their psychic abilities during a reading.

The couple met at Universal Matrix Incorporated, a psychic call center in Columbus.  The company was comprised of 350 self-identified psychics, awaiting customers’ calls for psychic readings. Mary says, “Even though [Universal Matrix] was fully staffed with people, the level of work that Raymond and I did, I think, was deeper than a lot of the other people.”  The couple was soon known as the “psychic psychics.” The Millers felt unsatisfied with this environment, and they decided that, to achieve happiness, they would have to work for themselves.  They started development on a concept that would shape their lives forever: Owning their own tarot card reading business.

Little did they know, this would prove to be a difficult endeavor.  Despite having the means to rent the space they wanted, the landlord in Ohio was not compliant. “As soon as they [hear] the word, “psychics,” it’s all over with.  People will not rent to you.” Mary says. However, they soon discovered that in Oregon, certification is required for spiritualistic businesses, but it was a legally sound practice.

They then moved to Oregon and received certification, but ran into trouble again when they tried to register their business with the IRS. “The IRS thought we were very rare,” Mary says. “It was crazy. So we ended up going back to the idea of being a hobby rather than a business to solve that problem.”

Today, the Millers run their business out of their home in Eugene, Oregon.  They’re currently working on a book about their experiences as psychics, tarot card readers, and spiritualistic business owners.  Raymond says, “There are no bad cards, there are no good cards; It’s what your interpretation of those cards […] mean.” Perhaps that optimistic mentality assisted the Millers when they were dealt a difficult hand in life.