How do you practice?

GypsyHeart said:

I really need practice but am not quite ready to read here "in public" <gasp!>

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The best advice I got about this question is to read out-loud to your cat or the wall or whatever. We may think we are smooth as silk as we type a reading, or look over our own spreads, but verbalizing it is a whole nother ball game. So practice aloud, make up questions... what do I need to know about my car; Where is a good spot for a family reunion; who can I get to help with the yadayada; why did my 3rd grade teacher cry that day...

and read the cards aloud.

haha, I responded before I read the thread it's two years old and I already responded... Still, it's a good question.

I like the idea in this thread http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=138861 of practicing reading for TV characters, game show contestants, and reality show participants.

Advantages:

• you get immediate feedback at the end of the show.

• if you tape or record the show,

This seems like a fairly older post... but you know, I'm a scaredy-pants when it comes to initiating just about anything new except when it comes to tarot.

Just do it.

I get a new deck, I don't even bother reading the book, I just start using it... then I go back to the book if I must.

When I joined here, I didn't want to pay for a membership until I could check out the exchanges... I couldn't post things quick enough to get the posts I needed to get in there...

And as soon as I could, I just jumped right in.

People here won't bite. What you're afraid of is not living up to the standards you've set for yourself.

Get rid of the standards. Problem solved.

Ariostel said:

I'm curious whether anyone has had any success with freetarot.us. I joined the ATA just to work with their program, but I've not heard anything from my supposed mentor and no help from the leadership there.

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One of the staff of the ATA is a moderator on this board, her name's Sheri. Pop her a PM and see if she can help you. When I first joined the FTN, it took forever for me to get in the system.

I do what AJ does, but I not only read for characters in books, but in movies too, or about the news. What I didn't do, but AJ suggested brilliantly, is reading aloud, cause yes, one can think the reading, but putting it into spoken words is another challenge by itself.

I read through the whole thread and it's pretty inspirational. I have trouble just talking to people, as you can see from my post count, so doing readings is pretty much out of the question. But to see so many other people going through the same anxieties really helped me to not feel so alone. I'll be taking the thread's advice and just jump in and start reading for people. Well, maybe just my closest friends first. =p

Just saying Hey, and it's good to see you here.
Now that wasn't too painful was it?

You can also PM people here whose opinions you appreciate if you have a query. Just not reading requests!

One of the most helpful things a reader can learn is to have the humility to accept being wrong. In my own opinion, (not to offend anyone because it's just my own opinion and they're entitled to theirs) to think we're always accurate or else the person is in denial is like thinking if a certain guy doesn't fall for you it means he must be gay. We're just NOT always going to be right with our readings. We're not even supposed to be, in my belief. Gaining the humility and willingness to admit to ourselves that sometimes we're the bug, but sometimes we're the windshield, without offense or having our self-image crushed, is absolutely the most valuable lesson we can learn. It frees us to hear the message the cards have for us, to keep the sitter in mind so that it's about the sitter and not about us and to go on to improve our skills without freezing like a deer in the headlights with self-consciousness and fear or becoming adversarial.

For one thing, it takes away our fear of reading for others because we know we're gonna hit some and miss some and that that's normal and doesn't mean we're not "good" enough. It's just how things are. So then we can go on ahead and practice on others and improve our skills without ego getting in the way. Nobody is ever 100% accurate or, even if they are, they aren't always going to know that and aren't even entitled to know that. If we read for someone and they say "no, that's not it", instead of taking it personally or thinking they're just not telling the truth, you'll be able to just give the reading, know you've done your best to deliver the message as you got it, and that at any rate, it's out of your hands what the sitter does with it. Your job is to read the cards as best you can, then let the other person and his or her Higher Power if they have one take it from there.

Once you understand all that, it takes the pressure off so you know you don't always have to be right and it's much easier to read for other people without being afraid you'll look stupid or be wrong. Then practice will become lots of fun instead of so frightening.

Problem pages I still read for them now and then if I stumble across a real interesting one. Another fun and insightful thing to do I've found is reading for the cards especially for a new, unfamiliar or awkward deck - a simple 3 card draw to tell me all about a card.

irisa

irisa said:

Another fun and insightful thing to do I've found is reading for the cards especially for a new, unfamiliar or awkward deck - a simple 3 card draw to tell me all about a card.

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<sudden thought>

You know what I sometimes do? If I am puzzled by a card or cards from an unfamiliar deck, I'll sometimes pull that card out, and lay alongside it the same card from two greatly beloved decks: one a high, ceremonial, haughty deck full of esoteric symbolism, the other an earthy, warm, here-and-now practical deck.

Then I look at the new image alongside the other two images, and it helps me know the new image on its own terms.