How Do You Read?

When you have a live querant, how do you read?

Do you have a short chat before the reading? What do you talk about? How do you set up the situation?

When you lay the cards out, do you turn them all at once and read the spread as a whole, or do you turn them, one at a time, focusing on each card as you go along? Do you draw attention to what the card means or what you feel about it?

How much is your reading a joint effort - asking many questions. How much information do you feel you need from your querant before you start or do you prefer to know nothing?

Do you ask them to take notes or do you record the reading?

Do you keep your own notes from these readings?

How do you close and wrap up a reading?

Any information would be most helpful.
LB

LittleBuddha said:

Do you have a short chat before the reading? What do you talk about? How do you set up the situation?

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Okay, let's start with the physical situation. I make sure both of us are comfortably seated. This may take a while and an uncomfortable chair, or a table that's too low or small is going to be a problem. So, comfortable chairs, good table for spreading out cards. Also, good lighting. Low lighting might have a mystic ambiance, but you've gotta be able to see the darn cards

I put the querent beside me, so they can see the cards as I see them. I've never understood forcing the querent to look an the spread up-side-down! I shuffle first, and I ask them their zodiac sign; I ask them if they've got a specific question, and let them explain as much or as little a they like. I perfer them to tell me the question if they have one.

I hand them the deck, tell them to think on the question or situation, shuffle long as they like. I tell them how to shuffle if I don't want reversals (i.e., keep the cards going in one direction)--when they're ready, I have them cut the deck once. Then I take it up and lay out the spread as a whole.

I like to see the whole spread, because I want to see if there's a majority of suits or numbers, majors or minors or courts, and how the cards might connect or relate. I can't see that if I turn them up one at a time.

I go through the cards one at a time, however, with the querent, telling the querent what the position means ("This is your current work situation....") and what the card means in that position, ("8/Pents, you're still new at the job and working hard..."). Sometimes I ask the querent questions if I'm not quite sure, ("4/Cups...did you have a drug or alchohol problem?").

I keep their question in mind as I do the reading and try to relate the cards to that question. If the cards don't seem to be answering it--I try to find the REAL question, the one that wasn't asked, but that the cards think is imporant to answer. I let the querent say what they like, and take what they say into account. People do tend to open up during reading and what they say can really help to clarify and expand the reading ("I didn't have a drug problem, but alcholism runs in my family....").

I do not take notes or record the readings--when I'm reading, I'm way too focused, too much in the zone, to take time to record anything--not unless it's an on-line reading. I suppose I should provide paper for the querent to record stuff if they like.

After going over the cards individually, I indicate connections and what the spread looks like as a whole ("You've got a lot of Cups and Swords here, you really need to ground yourself and get a bit more passion into your life. You're lacking earth and fire...."). I ask them if they want any clarification on cards, and if they feel the question was answered.

Then I rap the table and pull up the cards. Done.

Does that help?

ditto

I agree with Thirteen's remarks. I really like the idea of both reader and querent facing the same direction, looking together at the cards. Not only does the Querent not have to see the spread upside down, but there is something wonderfully symbolic about both Querent and Reader together looking in the same direction...........towards Wisdom. Besides, a reading is a collaborative event, in my opinion, and this seating arrangement reinforces that. I like to use simple 3 card spreads focusing on each card as it's turned, and trying to relate it to the question. I like the idea of seeking the REAL question if things don't seem to click...................peace and blessings to all........Michael

Thirteen said:

Then I rap the table and pull up the cards. Done.

Does that help?

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Hi Thirteen

I am curious about the rapping on the table part... Can you please elaborate

thanks
FF

Thanks for your responses. Yes, that does help, Thirteen. I also got from your post that you take things in a relaxed manner, which I think would be important for me. To take it slowly.

One other question - could you explain to me about 'drugs and alcohol' with the 'Four of Cups' - is that a layer that you developed with the card from expereince or is there a traditional meaning in that card that fits with those kind of addictions?

LB

Take Thirteen's approach and add more questions.... like for example, 'What stands out in this card for you?" and so on. My background is in psych counselling so building rapport is important, as is reading body language. Involving the client in every step of the process ... in effect involving them in creating their own meanings, and identifying their feeling responses is important for me. The more involved the client is, the more they own the process, and are more likely to make changes that are indicated as necessary by "their" cards.... which brings me to the fact that I tend to use a problem-solving, identifying strengths and limitations, and what you can do approach. I encourage the client to develop an action plan from the reading and so on.

It is worthwhile to get a good book on counselling skills to provide you with some ways of helping the client explore their reading. Also, creating a resource list of agencies where they can seek assistance, if needed ... e.g. relationship counsellors, grief counsellors, practical assistance agencies, community centres that teach assertiveness training or self-esteem development, parenting programs and so on can be very important ... says she who still thinks like a psychologist/social worker. But, some people come with issues that need further input that we as readers can't provide ... so we need to know where to send people, how to effect a referral, what the eligibility criteria is and how to encourage people to take such steps.

mythos

Rap the table....

Mythos: Nice point about the list of agencies. Yes, indeed--and Marriage counseling should be at the top of that list.

Free Flight:

Free Flight said:

I am curious about the rapping on the table part... Can you please elaborate

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I learned this some years ago from another professional reader. The question was how to "cleanse" the deck after a reading, so that it doesn't carry the "residue" (sic) of that reading. I've had first hand experience with this, times when I didn't cleanse the deck between readings and the reading I got for a new querent was clearly for the last one handling the deck, not this new one.

But if you're at a party and doing readings for several people, you need a way to cleanse a deck quickly and easily. One reader told me to rap on the table. It signals the end of the reading, for querent, reader and the deck--a way of "grounding" the energy, bringing everyone back down to earth. I've done it ever since; one of those little rituals we all have for our readings. I'm sure you could create or find other similar gestures to do the same thing if that one didn't appeal.

Which doesn't mean you forgo giving the deck a good shuffle before and after every reading. A good suffle is a must. Also relaxes you for a reading, and brings you down after a reading. Readings can be exhausting.

4/cups & addiction

LittleBuddha said:

One other question - could you explain to me about 'drugs and alcohol' with the 'Four of Cups' - is that a layer that you developed with the card from expereince or is there a traditional meaning in that card that fits with those kind of addictions?

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There are traditional meanings that fit with that. Cups in the positive are about love, imagination, psychic abilities, etc., but in the negative they can be about illusions, overindulgence, emotional fragility, etc.

The "overindulgent" part applies, particularly, to drugs and alchohol, but can also be food and laziness. The 4/Cups is one of several cup cards that can indicate such a problem. It's a card, traditionally, about pleasure but with discontent beneath; passivity with restlessness. The person lazily indulges themselves, but something isn't quite right; like most of the 4's, there's a feeling that they've stopped moving; that they might even be stuck.

I often think of people I've known who smoke a lot of pot--and do little else day in and day out. They may talk of what they're going to do, or want to do, their dreams for themselves and their future...but they smoke the pot instead of doing anything.

Now mind you--I wouldn't interpet the 4/cups this way without other clues surrounding it. I did actually ask a person that question about drug addiction during one reading, and I did it when both the 4/cup and 7/cups turned up in certain key positions along with the Devil. That's when I got the feeling that this guy might have had a problem in the past--I asked, and...yep. Sure enough. He'd been through rehab for drug addiction. It very much affected the answer I gave him because there were a lot of warning in the cards about steering clear of temptation and being strong, etc. In his case, these seemed to be cautions to keep sober.

Reading how-tos

Little Buddha,

You've gotten a lot of great advice from everyone who's replied to your thread about "How to read." I especially liked the suggestion about being able to provide a client with community resources for things like counseling, unemployment, vocational resources etc. if the cards suggest problems like this.

I guess I can add two things. First, I let the querent cut the deck as many times as he or she wants, and then stack it as they want. Then I start the reading, laying things out all at once as others have mentioned, and interpreting the cards -- first one by one, and then in relation to one another.

As for clearing the deck between readings, I've never tried the "rapping on the table" trick, but I always shuffle several times, whether I'm at a party doing multiple readings or not. I also keep a small vial of a blend of essential oils known for their purification abilities with me. They're already diluted in sweet almond oil, and if someone's energy is particularly heavy, I'll put a drop or two in my palms, rub them together, and then start shuffling a couple of ties to clear everything out. The bit of oil doesn't seem to hurt the cards, and everything smells great to boot!

Blue skies and blessings,
-FireRaven/Karen

I typically used the 15-card spread mentioned in Robin Wood's LWB, so I tend to take each three at a time, but relate them to the rest of the cards as I move on.

In regards to my interaction with the querent, I also stress that the reading is not a game and that I'm not here to prove that I can discover everthing in their life via Tarot; they have to give me information and feedback as I read. The cards are intuitive tools that don't simply say: "you're cheating on your spouse," "you just lost your job," etc.; therefore, cooperation is vital.

So many people expect readers to know everything, so instead of cooperating they play games to see if you really know what you're talking about--they want to make you look like a Professor Trelawney!

And once I make this point, the reading is much more fruitful.

Blessing, FaerieStorm