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

ravenest

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?

I would be quiet happy to answer. I believe people are offended about questions like these when they have difficulty with the answers. A pity most people dont ask this of all types of 'spiritual' advisors and teachers ... if they cant answer the questions as to their bona-fides and intentions, then .... ???
 

HOLMES

hmm

as a just beginning out pro reader (one event where i read at the pow wow so far), i ask the client the following.

1. have you ever had your cards read before ?

I do this because I want to be sure that the person has some knowledge of the tarot workings as a client.
so when if i explain my reading style ,, it will have some merit for comparision.

2. do you have any questions about the tarot itself ?

this one i leave myself open a bit for I want the client to feel that it is ok for them to ask questions,, and that they have to keep it bottled inside.

3. then i might ask a question based on the situation.. or make a statement..

example they look nervious

"now dont' be afraid of the cards for I work with the light "

or if they look withdrawn..

"dont' be afraid to talk,, for i like to talk when i read the cards ,
and try to establish a rapport,, might picture us in the circles of the figure eight for example.

now after that ,, it would all depend on how the questions were asked,, if i was a tired individual or not at the end of a long day.
i am just an human being after all trying to read tarot cards.

so if the quesitons were asked filled with anger,, and i couldnt' establish a rapport i might say ,

i am sorry , i just can't connect with you, you should seek your fortune elsewhere. (eheh a pun )

now if you asked me t hese questions gently, eagerly looking to meet a good tarot reader (i should say a earnest tarot reader who tries and isnt' a con man) then I might say the following.

How did you come into this profession?

1. well i came into this profession just now because i feel i was prepared and praticed enough to start reading for others for money.
the charge of the money is for my time, the respect for the time i have put into it..
and let me make a comparision,, would you go to a hair stylist and expect a free hair cut ?.

now how i got started in the tarot is i was a teenager oh about 17 years and i wanted to know if any one loved me and this book interested me for it said find your love .. i forget now though what the back cover exactly said,, i know it was written by eden grey.. and i read that book cover over 50 times that month.
and I Started to study by books .. and

(i was cut off as the next question was asked lol )

Why do you read for other people?

2. well i am reading for people to make some change, to intereact and exchange communciation, and have fun.


Do you believe that you can solve other peoples problems via "spell work"?

3. spell work ?

nah i don't study wicca, or even my own shamanism (i say my own from i come the ojibwe background ),, though i read up on shamanism sometimes.

i have seen some books that have visualization spreads in them, and that would work like postive visualization but for all the golden dawn history behind the tarot and its ritual magicks .. it just didnt' appeal to me.

What type of deck will you use and or will I have the option to choose my own deck?

4. you wouldn't have to ask this for the first thing i do when you sit down is i ask you what deck do you want to work with.

Are you comfortable with the fact that I do read for myself and I am aware of the "book meaning" behind each card?

5. hell yeah.

i do my best readings when people know what i am talking about so i dont' have to sit there and explain every card but can really flow ..
praise the lord, the lords, the queens, the ascended masters, the buddhas, all aspects of jesus, the angels, and heck everything contained in the source that you have come to me , for we will have a great reading now.

How do you think that the tarot works?

6. it works by subconscious to some,, and for me,, it works by the angels and the guides, and the source helping me understand the signs of the tarot for you .

Do you use reversals?

7. yup sure do..

i weaned myself on reversals and use them all the time except with doreen virtue oracles. , oh doreen virtue ? darn you see some of these decks,, let me show you one..

Do you allow any particular religious beliefs to influence your readings?

8. sure ,,

i come from a christian, native traditional , and a new age spirtualist unist back ground .
i seek the harmony in all the religions that appeal to me ,, to find the universal whole.

Do you believe that the cards themselves hold any kind of "power"?

9. hmm ,

well as you must know form the quesitons you have asked me so far,, it is subjective like beauty in the eye of the beholder..
and dont' get me started on psychometry possiblities of the tarot, and how a reader can pick up energy that way.
let just say that i believe in inner tarot guides that server as dream posts in our inner mind.

Have you studied psychology (Such as Jung) and do you apply that to your interpretations of the cards?.

10. it is interesting that you should ask that..
i have the jungian tarot and the book to study it..
this one time at the tarot forum i go to,, i once started a study group for it,, but no one was interested init.
but for actual study of jung, and freud,, nay ,, i am not educated enough.
but i try to apply general concepts like the father to the emperor and the mother to the emperess.

Do you believe yourself to be psychic? If so, explain to me how that will come into play during my reading.

11. eheheh psychic,, sometimes i wish i was 100 percent psychic , fully trusting in my abilities then i wouldnt' need the cards,,
but in truth i love the tarot..
oh yes the question..
well i do believe i channel when i read the tarot so when i read for you,,i belive i get higher insights implanted into my brain from either my soul,, or my guide by mental telepathy..

and sometimes i try to be imaginative and go outside the book meanings, as you know they are just skeltons for which we can work with..
and the systems i study now and then can add muscle to the skelton but you get the gist.

Are you comfortable with my active participation during the reading?

12. sure am,,
hell let talk after about channeling, reiki,, if you want.

Are you put on the defensive by sitters who have a prior understanding of the tarot?

13. umm i already answered that,, heck no.

What type of spread will you be using for my reading if any are used at all and why?

14. oh the answer is simple..

20 dollars for 5 card, or 25 for a whole ten cards spread i specialize in called the keltic cross.

besides that,, i dont' have ny spreads on me at the moment as alllll my books are in storage right now,,and most of my decks wahh.



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?

15.
nay you dont' sound like the spanish inquistion asking these questions to me..

i like how you did them for you haven't given any of yourself away for i dont' even know your name..
all i know is that you probaly read the tarot ,,and want to question everything.. now i got to be on the ball .

so let us begin..
now what i do is i am going to ask you to pick one question ,, unless you prefer to see what the cards say..

and we will both ground ourselves,, just picture yourself as a tree connected to the earth..
while i do my own thingy here..

*and we start reading i hope*
 

HOLMES

hmm part two

two negative readings from con artists.

ohh con artists..

well you see there is two versions of that for me.

1. the severe con artist..
he knows he knows nothing about the tarot,, didn't study anything , just doing it so he can make a quick buck.

2. the tarot con artist.

this person has studied the tarot,, has perhaps even studied inuitative studies or something alone those lines..

but something is missing.
so they feel they have to make it up,, and impress,, and have no qualms about telling you to move to palm springs..
lots of ego this con has.

3. the innocent con artist..

they just starting out in the tarot,,and possibly coming from an inuition approach and so they figure they can do it..
and voila do the best they can.. and you pay them..
and nothing comes true of what they said..

4. the fool artist,
just basically just doing it for fun,, has no desires to figure out the meanings..
hey the stock information from this hot line i have to follow will do nicely,,
there are better things to do for sure,, but there are worse too.

you could probaly come up with a con artist in the tarot and in all things that fit everyone of the 22 major arcana.

but there is the con artist who has to be taken in account.

the person who cons themselves.
i will be famous ????????/ yes thanks you here take this 100 dollars.

i will travel ?? to jamica no less ? ok if the guides say so.. (innocent native giving power over to the cards and the reader , bah ).

to avoid this,, one is doing good starting with questions, ,
but what i did was went to several readers as many as i could and compared their reading styles in real life.

and sometimes we all have our bad days,, our times when we can't read. (or can't hit a home runn,, or make the top rope body splash off the tope rope ).

so question a reading carefully.

1. is the reader saying something so abstract one can't put it into pratical terms. ..

2. is this meaningfull ? deep ,,

sometimes when you go for a reading,, it seems like there is a big connection made,, then after you review and you realize,, heck what did that mean ??

it is getting late so i am off.. but hopefully this helps .
 

shaveling

These questions seem to be a bit of a mixed bag. Are there "right" answers to some of them? Or are they designed to see if the person knows and says the stuff a bona fide reader should know and say? "Do you use reversals?" and "Are you comfortable with my active participation during the reading?" seem like the first sort of question. "How did you come into this profession?" and "Why do you read for other people?" seem to be the other sort.

Asking this list of questions may show that the inquirer is serious. But I honestly don't think it will filter out the con artists. It will just filter out the con artists who don't know how to talk like somebody from AT. The Internet and new agey books just arent' that hard to come by, and neither are answers to that list of questions. After all, several people here have provided lists of possible answers a crook could use. Con artists lie to people for a living, and the good ones lie convincingly.

As far as going to the place down the street. Probably the best you can do is to ask the reader the price for a reading and then say to yourself, "This person may or may not be for real. Am I willing to gamble that amount of money?"

Finding word of mouth recommendations is the best way to go. And if nobody you know goes to readers, then do ask at the new agey places that have been suggested. And you can ask at hoodoo stores as well. Check the yellow pages for "candles" and "spiritual supplies." Yes, those folks sell magic candles, but they're not a $300 surprise fix offered at the end. They're sitting on the shelves when you walk in, for under ten dollars each. And I wouldn't have any reservations about going in a candle store (as they're often called) and buying something, a couple of high john roots and a bottle of van van oil, and then saying, "Is there a good Tarot reader around here? I'm not looking for a healer or anything like that, just a plain reading." The roots and oil are because I have a rule against asking a business person for free information until after I've bought something that they're actually selling. I'd buy a pack or two of incense sticks in the new age place. But roots and oils are more fun.

As far as the questions with right answers are concerned, I think questions are a backward way to go about things. Just be upfront about what you're actually shopping for. Since I don't know what the right answers are for sure, I'm not saying this is what you want, this is just an example:

You phone and say, "Hello. I'm looking for a Celtic Cross reading, without reversals. I want to choose the deck myself from an arry of four or five possibilities. And I don't want any references to God, angels, spirit guides, life after death, reincarnation, karma, feng shui, or old souls. I want a pure Tarot reading, not a psychic one. And no references to Jungian archetypes or personality types, either."

"I don't hold with spells and charms and magic candles or washes, so I don't want to hear about any of that stuff. I just want a reading, and no follow-up sessions."

"I'm a reader myself, and know what the cards really mean. I'll probably be adding my own interpretations to whatever you're trying to say. How much would that be, please?"
 

LabyrinthOfDreams

Whoa now.

So reading all of the replies it seems that my questions have hit sensitive nails right on the head regarding abusive readers and other forms of assholery that have pissed off a lot of you during your reading careers. I did state in the beginning of this thread that I was simply seeking advice about my intended questions, and yes it does come off as aggressive and pissy because that’s exactly how one feels when they pay to get screwed over. I posted these questions to get honest reactions and again, they all are appreciated and I have been modifying my questions and shortening the list…. BUT considering the direction that this is headed I do want to make it clear that I posted this thread to AVOID being rude or abusive and it seems as if I’m being made out as such. Maybe I’m getting a touch sensitive myself. I’ve got no desire what so ever to attack anyone despite my hard feelings. In any I do plan to post the new and improved questionnaire/conversation after considering all of your replies. :)
 

magpie9

I haven't read the whole thread, but as a Professional, here's what I do

Good Grief. this seems so convoluted. People ask me questions about myself as a reader all the time. I usually get:
How long have you been reading
Are you Psychic
Do different decks give you different answers
Do you read with all those decks
and now and then, a few others.

What I tell every client up front is:
I don't read reversed
Not all the meanings I give the cards are standard, so please remember that the reading is set up for me to read, not you.
If you don't like the outcome we can look and see how to change it by you making different choices.
Nothing is carved in stone.
Feel free to comment or question anytime during the reading.
If you have several questions/concerns in different areas of you life, I'd like to take them one at a time in the order of most important first.

What I ask every client first:
Do you know what you want to know?
Have you had readings before
Are you familiar with the tarot

And later:
Do you have any questions about this spread,
Does this make sense to you.
Is there anything else you want to know about this

I want my clients to walk out of a reading with me feeling that they got a lot of good straightforward information, and that they are better prepared for their personal future than they were before, and have more control of their lives and the way the future unfolds.

What drives me nuts:
People who are so suspicious or wary and confrontational that they demand that I read with the one deck they're familiar with (usually standard RWS) and use the Celtic Cross and explain every thing I say to the satisfaction of their level of Tarot knowledge- (usually gotten from one beginning book) -card by flaming card.

What just annoys me:
People who claim they want a combined Psychic and Tarot reading and then slam themselves shut. And me without a crowbar or Mr Spock's Vulcan Mind Merge Grip !
 

Nevada

Magpie9, what a great post. I think you've simplified the important points to take from this thread.
magpie9 said:
What I tell every client up front is:
I don't read reversed
Not all the meanings I give the cards are standard, so please remember that the reading is set up for me to read, not you.
If you don't like the outcome we can look and see how to change it by you making different choices.
Nothing is carved in stone.
All good, IMO. The question about reversals bothered me, though I understand the concern. But when I started out with tarot I didn't know what a reversal was. I was using my cards upright all the time. It was helpful for me to work with reversals for a time and learn the greater depth of meaning that tarot cards can reveal, but now I don't pay so much attention to them. It seems more important to read the whole card and the whole spread. It's funny that I've come full circle -- no reversals to reversals, back to no reversals -- but learned so much in between. I still leave cards reversed -- sometimes -- it just depends on the reading and how it feels to me. Sometimes looking at the card reversed tells me more than looking at it upright. It just depends.
magpie9 said:
Feel free to comment or question anytime during the reading.
If you have several questions/concerns in different areas of you life, I'd like to take them one at a time in the order of most important first.
When I read, I have to really quiet my mind, and that's the reason that I prefer email or online reading when I read for others -- as SunChariot mentioned she does. Maybe it makes me sound like a prima donna, but it's just that I want to give the best reading I can, I find that my best readings are more intuitive and take more time, and that requires silence from the sitter while I process what's going on in the reading. Afterward, though, questions and interaction are no problem at all. But that need for silence and time with the cards is why I'll probably always remain a better reader long distance. I'm too empathic at times, and someone sitting in front of me or beside me, hoping and wishing for whatever they hope or wish for, is a major distraction.
magpie9 said:
What I ask every client first:
Do you know what you want to know?
Have you had readings before
Are you familiar with the tarot
I especially like "Do you know what you want to know?" I also think that a lot of what you share up front would preclude the need for the sitter to come armed with questions. In fact, perhaps the best sign of a good reader is how much information they give the sitter up front, before the reading.
magpie9 said:
What drives me nuts:
People who are so suspicious or wary and confrontational that they demand that I read with the one deck they're familiar with (usually standard RWS) and use the Celtic Cross and explain every thing I say to the satisfaction of their level of Tarot knowledge- (usually gotten from one beginning book) -card by flaming card.
I don't blame people who know nothing about it for being fearful or suspicious, but when it comes to actually trying a reading, I don't understand not setting all that aside and just being open to the experience.

Nevada
 

Hooked on TdM

I find this thread has given me a lot to think about. How will I handle these types of questions, what are my answers to them. How I feel about being asked? etc...

All the different responses and view points sure has been enlightening. It's given me an idea of what would be helpful to share at the beginning. Questions I can expect to be asked. Even different ways of handling tough sitters.

There is a lot to think about in here. Since I'm just beginning my adventures in reading for strangers, it's been mighty helpful!

Hooked
 

Nevada

HOLMES, I missed your post earlier. I think the questions you ask the sitters are great, and I especially like:
HOLMES said:
"now dont' be afraid of the cards for I work with the light "

or if they look withdrawn..

"dont' be afraid to talk,, for i like to talk when i read the cards ,
and try to establish a rapport,, might picture us in the circles of the figure eight for example.
HOLMES said:
now after that ,, it would all depend on how the questions were asked,, if i was a tired individual or not at the end of a long day.
i am just an human being after all trying to read tarot cards.

so if the quesitons were asked filled with anger,, and i couldnt' establish a rapport i might say ,

i am sorry , i just can't connect with you, you should seek your fortune elsewhere. (eheh a pun )

now if you asked me these questions gently, eagerly looking to meet a good tarot reader (i should say a earnest tarot reader who tries and isnt' a con man) then I might say the following.
Exactly, I think that the tone and manner in which the questions are asked, no matter what questions, will make all the difference with a desirable reader rather than pushing them into defensiveness or an "I can't read for you" attitude.

HOLMES said:
Are you comfortable with my active participation during the reading?

12. sure am,,
hell let talk after about channeling, reiki,, if you want.
See, I think each reader is different on this. Of course the sitter should go with the reader they're most comfortable with, but helpful interaction/participation can come at any stage of the reading, it doesn't necessarily have to happen all the way through. Though I like to sort of be uninterrupted for some time in the reading, I also wouldn't want the sitter to become a wooden stick sitting there, or to act as if they're awestruck by my "superpowers". :)
HOLMES said:
Are you comfortable with the fact that I do read for myself and I am aware of the "book meaning" behind each card?

5. hell yeah.

i do my best readings when people know what i am talking about so i dont' have to sit there and explain every card but can really flow ..
praise the lord, the lords, the queens, the ascended masters, the buddhas, all aspects of jesus, the angels, and heck everything contained in the source that you have come to me , for we will have a great reading now.
I think this will be true of most legitimate readers, though not all. For me, it's more convenient if someone knows tarot, because it eliminates a lot of time taken explaining what tarot is -- if they're interested, though some people aren't, they just want a reading and not knowing is part of the mystery.

HOLMES said:
and we will both ground ourselves,, just picture yourself as a tree connected to the earth..
while i do my own thingy here..

*and we start reading i hope*
I like your grounding visualization, because it would work well for people who have no idea what grounding is or why they should need it. Regardless, they'll still likely ground themselves. Anyone can visualize being a tree. Nice universal image there.

I also like how you break down the different types of con artists one might come across, though I don't consider the innocent one a con artist, per se. Just naive. But the outcome is the same, for the sitter. Might as well be a con artist. It is nice when people actually learn how to do something before they try to make money doing it. :rolleyes:

I'm thinking more about this, and I think there are warning signs of con artists that are almost universal, others that are more iffy.

If someone requests more money to remove a curse or spell, or cast a spell, after the initial payment, then I'd demand my money back and threaten to call the sheriff. Honestly, I think that's a cardinal sign of fraud.

I would avoid anyone who works under a big flashing palm sign. I could be wrong about that, though. Maybe somewhere there's a talented and honest reader working under a big hand. But I think for the most part if someone is any good they're going to get word of mouth business and don't need to be lit up like the Las Vegas strip.

Nevada
 

magpie9

Nevada said:
Magpie9, what a great post. I think you've simplified the important points to take from this thread.

I especially like "Do you know what you want to know?" I also think that a lot of what you share up front would preclude the need for the sitter to come armed with questions. In fact, perhaps the best sign of a good reader is how much information they give the sitter up front, before the reading.
I don't blame people who know nothing about it for being fearful or suspicious, but when it comes to actually trying a reading, I don't understand not setting all that aside and just being open to the experience.

Nevada
Wow! Thanks for the kudos, Nevada. *blush*

The odd thing is that most of the fearful & suspicious people you see are usually not utter newbies to having readings...usually they've had some bad readings, or felt ripped off or lied to. Total newbies usually have a sense of adventure and openness about it. They're a pleasure.

It took me a while to develop "Do you know what you want to know?" as an opening question. A lot of people don't want to talk about what they want to know--even if they do have an specific issue they're here about. With some of them I think it's a privacy issue, with others fear that you'll milk them for information and just feed it back to them a la cold reading, for some it's that ol' demon testing :rolleyes:....for others, who knows? So asking them to come up with a vocalized question or area of interest can put them off. So when I say that to them, they can choose to tell me yes or not, or ask a question, or whatever's comfortable for them. It also gives me a place and way to get them to focus, so we don't get the General Reading From Hell.

I don't give them all this information in a lump, up front, unless it's clear that they need to hear it like that. Mostly I mention it as it comes up--like if I lay out a reversed card, I'll tell them I don't read reversed. Or if I lay out a scary card, like Death, Devil or Tower, before I go any further I tell them that it isn't what it looks like, not to worry. Mostly I try to give them the information that I would want to have if I were the client. It works well for me, I rarely have a client that stays hostile for more than a few minutes.