We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Holstien. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Amanda, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

One of the greatest gifts of being a professional tarot reader and spiritual worker is that I am able to help people diagnose where there may be difficulties in their life and also offer practical solutions to those difficulties.

Recently, I had a client come to me who had been facing business difficulties – no client calls in months! They came to me for a tarot reading, and I was able to see where there was stuck energy and how to best move that energy along. I suggested the customer purchase 3 open roads baths, a candle and anointing oil. In less than a week, the client emailed me to state that since working with me, they had a client email them for a gig for the first time in months. Plus, their landlord gave them an extra $1,000 for helping sell a house.

This is just one of many success stories from my clients,

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always been an intuitive and spiritually-minded person. The path to becoming a professional tarot reader and spiritual worker has been a natural progression. Apart from my religious upbringing, I received a B.A. in philosophy from Columbia University and attended Rice University for a M.A. in Religious Studies. This philosophical and academic background has been beneficial to help develop my critical thinking skills alongside my mystical practice.

One thing I often see lacking in spiritual communities is a healthy degree of skepticism. This is one of the crucial elements that separates me from other tarot readers – I keep one foot grounded in practicality. I read tarot to help my clients get clarity and find practical solutions. I’m less interested in New Age theories about crystals and the Andromeda Galaxy and more interested in helping my clients improve their lives today.

The overwhelming amount of positive feedback I receive from my clients, particularly the accuracy of my readings is another thing that separates me from others.

I began reading tarot professionally 5 years ago, and in March 2023, I opened my own brick-and-mortar shop in Marfa, TX called Mother Mary’s Spiritual Goods. I make and sell my own spiritual products, including anointing oils, spiritual baths and candles. All my products are blessed and prayed over, so they are charged with the particular intention and ready to be put to good use.

Often clients come to me for tarot readings to get clarity on their love life, finances, a big move and more. Clients then purchase the appropriate candles, incense, etc to help manifest their intention.

The main thing I’d like for my clients to know is that they ought not be fully at the whims of fate. I am well-equipped with tools to help you remove unnecessary negativity and draw in that which is beneficial. If you feel stuck or unhappy with what life has dealt you, there are ways to improve your life. We create reality with our minds, beliefs and words; my insightful tarot readings and effective spiritual products can help tune your intention and tip the scales in your favor.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When the doors opened for me to open the doors of Mother Mary’s Spiritual Goods, I was resolved to only spend the money I had, which, after paying first month’s rent and deposit was only about $500. Before I opened my brick-and-mortar, I had been making my own products for about 2 years. I initially made products for myself – a love drawing oil, a business success potion, some holy water. After those 2 years, I had grown my product line to over 20 products. I also began dressing and selling candles.

When the time came for me to open Mother Mary’s Spiritual Goods, I had a decent amount of my own products to sell. I also worked with a friend who makes jewelry and asked her to make some evil eye earrings for my shop, which I sell on consignment. I also work with another local woman who makes rosaries and jewelry, which I also sell on consignment. Consignment has been a great way for me to support other local artists while also filling my shelves without having to spend any of my own money on inventory.

To help put together the necessary funds to get the business open, I read tarot cards all over Marfa, TX and in the Big Bend region. I would set up a table at events, bookstores and galleries to read cards and sell some of the products I made. I also had products for sell on consignment at another shop in town. This helped me to get some extra cash, which I was able to use to purchase some shelves and tabletops for displays at Mother Mary’s.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me has been from my online presence. Every week I get new clients who find me on Google or Instagram. Many of my clients go online to plan their trip to Marfa and find my business while looking for sound therapy, tarot readings or just something interesting to do while they’re in town. An increasing number of my new clients are coming to Marfa and Far West Texas for spiritual reasons, so when they find my website, they book a tarot reading as part of their spiritual retreat. I also get many clients who come to town for a “girls’ weekend” and book me for private readings or group sound therapy sessions.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MarfaTarot.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mothermarysspiritualgoods/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MotherMarysSpiritualGoods
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@athousandseriousmoves/

Image Credits
The photo of me holding the tarot cards are taken by Jennifer Esperanza