Tarot reader finds niche at coffee shop

Ball State alumnus, Brandon Beeson, gives a student a tarot card reading on Jan. 12 at The Cup in the Villiage. During his readings, Beeson helps those that he performs reading for work through difficulties that they may be experiencing or difficult decisions that they are struggling with. DN PHOTO ALAINA JAYE HALSEY
Ball State alumnus, Brandon Beeson, gives a student a tarot card reading on Jan. 12 at The Cup in the Villiage. During his readings, Beeson helps those that he performs reading for work through difficulties that they may be experiencing or difficult decisions that they are struggling with. DN PHOTO ALAINA JAYE HALSEY

The price of prediction:

3 cards: $5

5 cards: $8

16 cards: $20

Prices may differ based on the duration of readings

Source: Brandon Beeson

He can predict fate and help with life changing decisions. Brandon Beeson, a former Ball State student, sets up at The Cup in the Village, but his business involves cards, not coffee.

Monday and Friday, from noon until 5 p.m., Beeson performs tarot readings for strangers.

His offbeat hobby fits in with the eclectic atmosphere of The Cup, said barista Brandon Shawver.

“Weirdness lives here,” Shawver said. “He’s part of our weirdness.”

Shawver sees the Cup as a haven for those who feel different.

And while Beeson may know the paths of others, his own wasn’t always so clear-cut.

He began his secondary education as an English major at Ivy Tech almost 11 years ago, but found himself doodling more than he wrote.

He discovered a love for the freedom of painting. Colors, like his cards, tell a lot about another person, he said.

In 2009, Beeson started at Ball State as an art major, but financial issues forced him to drop out.

“I didn’t have a plan,” he said. “I freaked out and I didn’t know what to do.”

But Beeson pushed on. He balanced two jobs, dabbled in graphic design and even worked on a landscaping project before picking up his first tarot deck in January.

His friends gave him his first set of tarot cards, but the practice isn’t exactly foreign to him. His aunt is a medium.

“She’s been a guide for me,” he said.

Before he brought his cards, Beeson had been a regular at The Cup. He’d even hung his paintings in the coffee shop with Glue and Scissors, a Muncie art collective, said Shawver.

He never had his own “show” until recently.

During his readings, Beeson said he transfers all of his and his customer’s energy into the deck.

A tarot deck holds 78 cards with 22 pictures. The illustrations depict characters and four suits: cups, swords, wands and pentacles.

While he shuffles, Beeson said he receives a frequency of spiritual emotion from both parties. Facial expressions help too.

Sometimes, Beeson must check to see if his customers want to continue the readings. He’s gotten some judgmental reactions.

But ultimately, it’s worth it to Beeson.

“I like giving it back to people and help guide them to happiness or the right path,” said Beeson. 

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