If you were a professional reader and I asked you.......

LabyrinthOfDreams

In regards to sweet_intuition and Umbrae.... :D You both sound like the perfect, no nonsense, ganna open up a bag of sarcasm with a side of truth on you kind of people so ....... I'd be more than satisfied with those answers and be happy to pay you for a reading. :p

But ....... I didn't intend to tie the reader to a chair and beat them over the head with unparalleled wraith..... I was just going to work those questions into conversation, (As was suggested) but I know my original post didn't come across that way. It is very cutting to place your trust in a person, be active in a reading, share private information to help the reader help you.... And have it all twisted around and used to get more money out of the deal. Fool me once... (No pun intended there) I'll also take the advice to start a thread with those questions just for fun. :)
 

The crowned one

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
I'm considering going to check out a "professional" reader down the road from my job. Being that I have experienced two negative readings from con artist in the past I've complied a list of questions that I expect answered before I make an appointment with this person.

I will answer these very honestly...for fun, as if I took them anyother way I would call you a skeptic.



LabyrinthOfDreams said:
How did you come into this profession?

Slowly and in spurts.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Why do you read for other people?

I enjoy it....and...

For my self gratification and their( the person I am reading for) understanding of the paths open to them...in the back of my mind I am always trying to improve my "
how could you know that" ratio when I read...I enjoy watching reactions.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Do you believe that you can solve other peoples problems via "spell work"?
No, but they can build on them.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
What type of deck will you use and or will I have the option to choose my own deck?
No, you will use th deck of my choice. If I was building you a house I would not let you dictate the tools of my choice to build it, but I would use your blue print to get to the end result you are looking for as best as I can.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Are you comfortable with the fact that I do read for myself and I am aware of the "book meaning" behind each card?
That is always helpful... if I have read that book, if not are you open to learning?

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
How do you think that the tarot works?

Everyone is different, if you want me to teach you my method, give me 2 concentrated years of your life...or 20 casual. (I do belive my method and a few others I know here who read differently then me are the best methods)

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Do you use reversals?
When needed.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Do you allow any particular religious beliefs to influence your readings?
no, not beyond the symbolism of the keys to art...a dog has a meaning as does a rose...I do not ignore those facts.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Do you believe that the cards themselves hold any kind of "power"?
no.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Have you studied psychology (Such as Jung) and do you apply that to your interpretations of the cards?
yes I have studied, and I suppose I do apply it in a abstract round-about way, but it is more about the symbolism and language of art based on the precepts of the time of the icon/image I am looking at that plays that roll...as far as the image go...but that is only one small aspect of reading.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Do you believe yourself to be psychic? If so, explain to me how that will come into play during my reading.
Yes I do, it will likely not come into play.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Are you comfortable with my active participation during the reading?
I insist on it in all readings.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Are you put on the defensive by sitters who have a prior understanding of the tarot?
no.

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
What type of spread will you be using for my reading if any are used at all and why?
I can not answer that without a question being asked...I lean heavily towards free style spreads.



LabyrinthOfDreams said:
Do I sound like the Spanish Inquisition here? I'm just a tad bit over the bullshit and I'd like the reader to know that I'm SERIOUS about her claims to be serious. Think I'll offend?

Your questions are a bit much...I would know based on these questions I am dealing with a inquisitive skeptic.

I answered these off the cuff, as I would in a interview.

Do you want a reading? Or am I just being interviewed ;)

EDIT I just read post 21...no worries, I was not insulted.
 

Logiatrix

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
...I'll also take the advice to start a thread with those questions just for fun. :)
That would be fun!:D
 

Nevada

Okay, first I'm not a pro. I also hate to be tested or expected to prove myself to anyone. But of course, when one is in business, one must expect that at the beginning of a business relationship -- within limits.

I think your questions won't really tell you how good or how honest a reader you're getting. The answers would set some readers up for possible judgments that might not be fair or have that much to do with honesty or quality of the reading. It would also matter to me, as a reader who was trying to make a living, whether you expect these questions all answered for free. There are a lot of them, and it would take some time.

But here goes. I know many of these answers will seem harsh, and let me say up front that they're not meant to offend you or hurt your feelings. You asked for feedback, and these are my honest reaction to your questions. I also want to say up front that I'm sorry if you've been swindled by bad or con artist readers. It's a shame they made you feel you have to ask all these questions.

How did you come into this profession?
I'm not sure why that should matter to a paying client, or what it would tell you about the reader's ability or honesty. I came into tarot because of a passion for it. If I were to read professionally it would be to make money, clear and simple. I can read for people for free, after all, if I just want to help people, or just do it out of joy of reading. But doing that would take a lot of my time, which I feel is valuable, so yeah, if I did a lot of it, I'd feel a need to make it a paying business.

Why do you read for other people?
Someone could have altruistic leanings and enjoy the interaction with people, and yet not be an entirely honest or talented reader.

Do you believe that you can solve other peoples problems via "spell work"?
This might be a good question if you don't believe in spell work. But only if you feared that would be part of the reading process. Someone might believe they can solve problems via spell work, but not necessarily make it a part of their professional readings. When you get into the others' religious beliefs, be careful to only ask how that will affect you. Otherwise it's really none of your business unless they volunteer the information, and judging a reader based on their religion is religious bias.

What type of deck will you use and or will I have the option to choose my own deck?
I wonder why this matters. If it were me paying for a reading, I'd hope the reader used the deck they worked best with, no matter what deck that happened to be.

Are you comfortable with the fact that I do read for myself and I am aware of the "book meaning" behind each card?
As a reader, I wouldn't care whether the client was aware of the book meaning. But I might not use the book meaning, and I wouldn't want to read for them if they intended to take over the reading, though I wouldn't mind their input as to book meanings after the fact. Does that make me a "bad" reader? Why do I feel I'm being tested?

How do you think that the tarot works?
Does this matter? Really? Doesn't that again have to do with one's religious or other beliefs? Clearly you have your own ideas about how tarot works. Isn't that enough for you? I can turn on a light switch as well as anyone else, but we might have different ideas about how it works.

Do you use reversals?
Again, I don't see why this would matter. Each reader has their own methods and technique. One thing works well for one reader and not for another. I use reversals with some decks and not others. Some days I do, some days I don't. I don't see why it should matter to the sitter as long as I give the best reading I can for them.

Do you allow any particular religious beliefs to influence your readings?
Again with their religious beliefs. Everyone's beliefs affect their readings. It's how those belief affect what you'll get out of the reading that you seem to be concerned with, and perhaps that shouldn't matter. Does it really have much to do with reader honesty or talent/ability?

Do you believe that the cards themselves hold any kind of "power"?
Again with beliefs. See above.

Have you studied psychology (Such as Jung) and do you apply that to your interpretations of the cards?
Ah, well at least this isn't about religious beliefs, but it is about beliefs. This would feel like a trick question and make me wonder why it mattered -- as, by the way, would all the religious questions before it. If you really want to go to a Jungian and that's why you're asking this, then I suppose you'd look specifically for a Jungian before getting to this point. If you don't like Jungian psychology, then would this be the deal breaker? Those thoughts would run through my mind. But I think long before this point, I'd have decided I didn't want to read for you. If I'm any good, I just don't need the bother of answering all these prying questions. Either you want a reading, or you don't.

Do you believe yourself to be psychic? If so, explain to me how that will come into play during my reading.
I personally think we're all psychic, some more than others. So this would be a sort of meaningless question to me, as both a reader and sitter. How does one measure one's own psychic ability and relay that to the client? It's almost like inviting the person to lie to you in order to impress you. Not a good way to find an honest reader.

Are you comfortable with my active participation during the reading?
This is a better question, though I think the reader should call the shots as far as how the reading is conducted. Some like to invite participation from the start, others prefer to go through at least an initial interpretation first. Some don't want any interaction at all, though I think most invite at least some, at some point. In any case I'd likely give that information before the reading began, whether you asked or not.

Are you put on the defensive by sitters who have a prior understanding of the tarot?My answer would be no, as long as they let me do the reading. You're the customer, but this is my business. I don't want someone instructing me how to read, even if they're paying me for the reading. I mean, unless Umbrae or Thirteen, or Mary Greer sits down at my table and offers instruction, if I'm any good as a reader, I likely wouldn't think I needed your money that badly.

What type of spread will you be using for my reading if any are used at all and why?
This question is the most sensible of the lot, in my opinion, but it still won't tell you whether the reader is honest or capable.

Maybe it's a good thing I'm not a professional reader. But I think if I wanted to get a reading, and I felt I needed to ask all these questions of the reader, I'd just go home and read for myself, or come here and offer a reading exchange -- without the Inquisition (your word, not mine).

But look, I understand why you feel uncertain about getting a reading from a stranger, if you've been burned. But I think there are better ways to learn whether the reader is for you. Maybe ask for a low-rate one or two card reading to get a feel for their reading style, or get word of mouth recommendations from others? But these questions will, I think, put some perfectly good readers off, and still allow some dishonest ones to go ahead and reel you in.

Nevada
 

LabyrinthOfDreams

No worries about my taking offense to any of these answers, they really are much appericated. Good points have been made all around. Yes it's tough getting burned, even more so when you drop a hefty amount of money into the tricksters pocket. :(
But all of your answers are helping to reform my questions and shorten the list.
 

Grizabella

If you were going to go through all that stuff with me, I'd expect you to do it on the clock so I'd get paid for it. Just saying----- ;)
 

Debra

The crowned one said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabyrinthOfDreams
How did you come into this profession?


Slowly and in spurts.

bwah hahahaha

*snort*
*chuckle*

Why not get a simple 3-card reading and see how you like the situation? Most readers here describe their practice a bit (astrology or no, numerology or no, etc.) In terms of pay and training, a reader is more like a hairdresser than a psychiatrist. A great hairdresser and a great reader can enhance your life, but if the sides are uneven or the color is wrong...go somewhere else.
 

SunChariot

The thing is of course that if you WERE dealing with a con artist, how honestly can you expect them to answer. If they are already dishonest people they will likely just tell you what they think you want to hear. Like they would not likely tell you they were put off by reading for querents who know about Tarot....

and if you ask why they read, if someone is just scamming you to get your money, you can't expect an honest answer from them on that either.

As for myself, and the question: "Are you comfortable with the fact that I do read for myself and I am aware of the "book meaning" behind each card?"
For me it doesn't bother me if you know them as long as it doesn't bother you that I don't use them much in my readings. I read by analying the imagery of the cards, not by using set book meanings. My readings work very well for me that way, but if the querent was adament I use the book meanings or saying I was not following them, I could not read for them. There are many ways of reading, reading with the book meanings it one, but by no means the only way. It is not how I personally read. So if someone were to insist I read that way for them I would decline the offer to read for them.

And I personally do not like an active participation with the querent during the reading. I do not do in person readings, in large part for that reason. I only do e-mail readings. I need to focus on what I am doing, which I beleive to be hearing the answers from my higher powers, as I read. Any distraction detracts from my ability to do so.

There are many many valid ways to read and many paths to get the answers in accurate ways. Maybe the questions don't take into account all the valid ways there could be to read. Like if you presume someone who does not use the book meanings is not qualified, I think that is not necessarily true.

And of course no one knows of sure how Tarot works, so whatever the answer is, it would not likely tell you much about how good a reader they are...

Just my thoughts.

Babs
 

Sinduction

LabyrinthOfDreams said:
...Being that I have experienced two negative readings from con artist in the past...
This worries me. I mean, they are two different things.

If you were conned, and I'm going to assume that you were conned out of money, the easiest way to not have this happen again is to not pay more money. If you're asked to fork over more than was agreed upon, you don't pay more. That's pretty easy.

If you had bad readings there is nothing to say that you cannot let the reader know you were unhappy with the reading. I always refund if my sitter is not happy.

But then, if you think you were conned by receiving "negative" readings, I have to ask why you think so. Not ever reading is sunshine and rainbows because life is not that way. I've had readings that at the time I thought were full of bs only to later have them unfold right in front of me. Thankfully, because I'd had the reading I was better prepared to handle the situation.

And when reading for myself, there's a good deal of negativity there. Why would I consult the cards if everything is fine?

And I also think none of these questions are going to protect you.
 

Tarotphelia

If you wanted to ask me anything or everything on that list , I wouldn't be offended at all . It's your money , you're entitled to ask whatever you want pertaining to the reading .
In fact , I might give you a handy informational paper ahead of the appointment that would answer some of those questions for you . As a reader , I want you to be as comfortable as possible and if I put your concerns and confusions to rest then I'm happy and we can both have a relaxed exchange .

And furthermore , right after you get a reading from me , you can run right over to another reader and get one on the same subjects and compare the two. It won't bother me a bit .