Dominoo
That's interesting. I think I know exactly what you are talking about too!
Does Doing a Reading Drain You/Your experiences?
That's interesting. I think I know exactly what you are talking about too!
nisaba
I've never felt drained by doing a few readings.
When I used to work in one of the new-age shops where I was a resident reader, we'd get anything up to eight or ten readings a day - after about eight I'd start to feel a bit depleted, but that had more to do with consistently sitting down for hours on end than anything else, I think.
On a fundraiser where I read for free to earn money for a nursing-home, I did thirteen readings back-to-0back, and a few for some of the volunteers when the day had officially ended. I felt happy to pack up and go home after that.
Get fresh air in your lungs, stay hydrated, you'll be fine.
When I used to work in one of the new-age shops where I was a resident reader, we'd get anything up to eight or ten readings a day - after about eight I'd start to feel a bit depleted, but that had more to do with consistently sitting down for hours on end than anything else, I think.
On a fundraiser where I read for free to earn money for a nursing-home, I did thirteen readings back-to-0back, and a few for some of the volunteers when the day had officially ended. I felt happy to pack up and go home after that.
Get fresh air in your lungs, stay hydrated, you'll be fine.
Disa
Yes, what Nisaba is saying is what I meant by the situations AROUND the reading can be draining- not the reading itself. The physical environment, getting hungry, thirsty, tired of being in one spot, having too much noise, ready to go do something else. I haven't done 13 back to back, I'm sure that would be physically draining. I guess the most I have done is about 7 back to back(face to face) -it was fun.
If you are just learning and spending time figuring stuff out it is mentally draining. If I'm studying or doing a complicated spread for myself then it can be mentally draining because I'm thinking and figuring stuff out... When I'm just reading for others either on line or face to face, it's not really thinking anymore once I'm "in the zone". At that point, I'm not really analyzing or figuring stuff out, I'm just opening my mouth and words are coming out(or typing them) ?
-it was fun.If you are just learning and spending time figuring stuff out it is mentally draining. If I'm studying or doing a complicated spread for myself then it can be mentally draining because I'm thinking and figuring stuff out... When I'm just reading for others either on line or face to face, it's not really thinking anymore once I'm "in the zone". At that point, I'm not really analyzing or figuring stuff out, I'm just opening my mouth and words are coming out(or typing them) ?
Citrin
Yes, I do, but I've noticed that the more I read the cards, the less drained I get! I used to get very drained by one medium sized reading, but now I'd say I can do about two large readings a day for someone else before I feel a bit too tired so to speak.
Why this happens I have no idea. Like someone else said here, I also view tarot a bit like reiki in the way that I'm only the messenger, not the creator of the message... But yeah, still I do feel drained after too many hours of doing readings. :/
Why this happens I have no idea. Like someone else said here, I also view tarot a bit like reiki in the way that I'm only the messenger, not the creator of the message... But yeah, still I do feel drained after too many hours of doing readings. :/
Tanga
"Drained" by a reading - depends on:
1) How easy I find the reading to do in terms of interpretation - so the more practiced and experienced at interpretation I get, the less I feel drained.
As has been said - it takes a great deal of concentration to remember stuff, intuit stuff and tie it all into a meaningful package (spoken or written down smoothly) whilst also being the "perfect host and agony aunt" if you like.
Some weeks I have a lot of energy and it's just easy (perhaps I'm emotionally "up", or it's a full moon and I'm feeling sparkly...) - other weeks, and depending what people ask, I may feel like I'm walking through treacle to get the reading together.
What ties into this is -
2) How well rested and nurtured I am , including well watered and "grounded" (which basically means finding some way to quiet or still the mind, and keep ones internal awareness sharp - through some form of mental discipline, ritual and/or meditation etc.)
3) How much I can detach myself from the person I'm reading for - In terms of being able to let go of the hopes, fears and doubts I have about how good and useful my reading will be for them - and how able I am to build a rapport - and let go of worrying about them (because ultimately their life it their path - not mine).
All these thoughts and concerns keep the "monkey mind" chattering away and hence it becomes energetically draining.
So it's practice and more practice; at interpretation, keeping oneself centred and well, and keeping oneself detached from the sitter whilst simultaneously offering the rapport and support that is required. When these fall into place (and in some cases they may never...she says. It's a continuing dance.) then one may be like nisaba or Barleywine et.al.
1) How easy I find the reading to do in terms of interpretation - so the more practiced and experienced at interpretation I get, the less I feel drained.
As has been said - it takes a great deal of concentration to remember stuff, intuit stuff and tie it all into a meaningful package (spoken or written down smoothly) whilst also being the "perfect host and agony aunt" if you like.
Some weeks I have a lot of energy and it's just easy (perhaps I'm emotionally "up", or it's a full moon and I'm feeling sparkly...) - other weeks, and depending what people ask, I may feel like I'm walking through treacle to get the reading together.
What ties into this is -
2) How well rested and nurtured I am , including well watered and "grounded" (which basically means finding some way to quiet or still the mind, and keep ones internal awareness sharp - through some form of mental discipline, ritual and/or meditation etc.)
3) How much I can detach myself from the person I'm reading for - In terms of being able to let go of the hopes, fears and doubts I have about how good and useful my reading will be for them - and how able I am to build a rapport - and let go of worrying about them (because ultimately their life it their path - not mine).
All these thoughts and concerns keep the "monkey mind" chattering away and hence it becomes energetically draining.
So it's practice and more practice; at interpretation, keeping oneself centred and well, and keeping oneself detached from the sitter whilst simultaneously offering the rapport and support that is required. When these fall into place (and in some cases they may never
...she says. It's a continuing dance.) then one may be like nisaba or Barleywine et.al.IndigoViolet
I look at it this way, as an explaination not (directly) involving energy, or something that is semi mundane - tarot as an exploration tool, or you being the channeler of somebody else's emotion, like every issue in our daily life, there is a certain limited capacity that we can only endure so far before we get tired, drained and even exhaused, depending on how intense the emotion is. Only when one's capacity increases then we get a bigger container to fill up those energies into a cup for example, before we get exhaused.
When I suddenly had a power boost (I saw things clearer), I was all drained badly when I pick only one or two cards, until I was able to handle the stress.
Achlys
I think my level of feeling drained depends on the type of reading and the person I'm reading for.
There are times when I can do a 20+ card reading for a person and feel just fine afterwards, and then I do a 3 card reading for someone and it just takes too much out of me.
Mostly it's with people who are severely negative that I feel drained the most.
There are times when I can do a 20+ card reading for a person and feel just fine afterwards, and then I do a 3 card reading for someone and it just takes too much out of me.
Mostly it's with people who are severely negative that I feel drained the most.
