How to handle a "redo"

Pique Dame

Have you ever sat down to do a reading, had a hard time understanding the message, then decided maybe it wasn't the right time to be doing it so you picked up the cards and tried again at a later date? If so, how do you handle the original reading? Do you discount it completely or somehow tie the 2 together, or what?
I recently sat down to do a spread and the energy just felt "off." I'd had a lot of coffee so I was very jittery and light-headed, plus I was staying in someone else's house so I was away from my usual "zen" space and the reading just felt a little all over the place. I pored over it for a while before deciding maybe it wasn't the right time to do it so I should wait until I'm back home then try it again later. I did and the message was a lot clearer that time, but a side-by-side comparison showed some of the cards were similar or in one case identical to the original reading while others seemed to contradict it. How would you treat the first and second readings in cases like this?
 

Barleywine

It seldom happens, but if the reading is completely incoherent after an earnest attempt to salvage it, I will just scrap the original attempt - discounting it completely - and try again later. But that's only when reading for myself. In paid public-reading situations I just have to struggle through. It always turns into something - it must!
 

Pique Dame

It seldom happens, but if the reading is completely incoherent after an earnest attempt to salvage it, I will just scrap the original attempt - discounting it completely - and try again later. But that's only when reading for myself. In paid public-reading situations I just have to struggle through. It always turns into something - it must!

Yes, I was just reading for myself. I wouldn't say it was completely incoherent but the cards felt more like a reflection of my current state of mind than anything else. I thought it would be better if I tried again when I was more calm and in my own space and see if it made any difference. I probably would have scrapped it completely if some of the cards from the 2nd reading hadn't been so similar, but now I'm not so sure.
 

Alissa

I agree with Barleywine on both accounts. When reading for myself, I strike it up to not bring in the right head space to read, and/or personal bias making it difficult.

If it's a client? You have to push through. But I have a standing policy that if a client completely disagrees with their reading, no payment is expected. It doesn't happen often, maybe about 2% of the time? But it happens, and it sucks, and it usually throws me into an existential crisis about myself and the universe in general. Sigh.
 

Pique Dame

I agree with Barleywine on both accounts. When reading for myself, I strike it up to not bring in the right head space to read, and/or personal bias making it difficult.

If it's a client? You have to push through. But I have a standing policy that if a client completely disagrees with their reading, no payment is expected. It doesn't happen often, maybe about 2% of the time? But it happens, and it sucks, and it usually throws me into an existential crisis about myself and the universe in general. Sigh.

LOL! Aw, Alissa. I know the feeling. I don't charge for readings (yet) but I had one friend a few months ago who said "No." to every single card I pulled for her. She had so many shields up, though, it was like trying to read for a brick wall.
 

Alta

I am also in the camp that says that if it just doesn't seem to be working, well it isn't. I will delete the initial reading completely and try again later when I'm in the correct mental and physical space.
 

lilylilac

I don't currently read for money, but I have been doing alot of practice readings.

Occasionally I would just get something that didn't make any sense at all. The client would be asking about love and the cards just seemed to want to talk about health or money.

When that happens I tell them what I interpret the cards to mean, if it doesn't make any sense at all I tell them what they could mean and see what happens.

Twice what seemed to me a nonsense reading really freaked out the person I was reading for, because it explained their situation perfectly.

I think sometimes the cards can surprise us.
 

Tanga

I agree with Barleywine on both accounts. When reading for myself, I strike it up to not being in the right head space to read, and/or personal bias making it difficult.

Ditto.

...But I have a standing policy that if a client completely disagrees with their reading, no payment is expected. It doesn't happen often, maybe about 2% of the time? But it happens, and it sucks, and it usually throws me into an existential crisis about myself and the universe in general. Sigh.

Ahh yes - that one!
The very first time I read professionally this happened. Lol!
I shoved my cards under the bed and didn't read again for a long time after that.
(only to later discover that I'd hit the nail on the head and the sitter just wasn't liking it. Sigh.)
 

euripides

I wouldn't say it was completely incoherent but the cards felt more like a reflection of my current state of mind than anything else.

This reminds me of a concept from psychology - 'state' versus 'trait' so we talk about 'state anxiety' versus 'trait anxiety' quite a lot - states are transient, while traits are fairly much hardwired.

I'd probably scrap it, there's only 78 cards and so you'll inevitably get some repeats but they are likely to not bear any connection to your previous reading.

An exception would be when I'm having difficulty understanding and re-draw immediately, then I tend to pay more attention. I tend to avoid doing that nowadays, and instead make a note of the cards and lay them out again later for further reflection.
 

Ace

Yes, I was just reading for myself. I wouldn't say it was completely incoherent but the cards felt more like a reflection of my current state of mind than anything else. I thought it would be better if I tried again when I was more calm and in my own space and see if it made any difference. I probably would have scrapped it completely if some of the cards from the 2nd reading hadn't been so similar, but now I'm not so sure.

Sometimes a reading just doesn't work but I believe that as we become more proficient in tarot, the less we can read for ourselves. We have more control over the cards and a better sense of what card needs to be picked and we are more likely to manipulate the cards in our own favor.

At this point, I recommend NOT using the cards for yourself, but just sitting back and saying, "OK, head, what do I need to do?" the answer will come.

Or have someone else read you (great reason for a reading exchange!) or if you MUST use the cards--read the Little White Book rather than rely on your interpretation. That way, you can't "cheat".

Barb