Regarding Long Distance Tarot Readings

sammyofnyc said:

My question concerns remote or long distance readings. If you are reading for someone that is unable to touch/shuffle the cards let's say because they are based in another city or state for example and you do a reading for them and you send the results let's say by email, since the querent did not touch the cards is the reading really accurate for that person?

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I very rarely do long-distance readings, and when I have someone in front of me they not only shuffle, but even choose the deck from a small selection of my decks. I think it adds to the readings, after all, it's *their* reading, the shuffling should stop when *they* feel it should.

However, on the rare occasions I read for people at a distance, I tend to drop myself into a light trance and "give my hands to them". I usually can't even feel the shuffling as anything like normal sensation from my hands. Not only do they seem to think the readings are cogent, I also get a high degree of specificity (one, for example, pointing out to a guy overseas that his home desperately needed to be sprayed for spiders, a non-typical interpretation of that card and something I couldn't have possibly known from this distance).

However, giving away my hands is hard, nad typing is slower than speaking, even though I type fast. I prefer face-to-face, and feel I get more depth out of a spread. (I could be wrong - that might just be because of the preference).

Welcome to AT, Sam!

I do mostly long distance readings and so far they've been as accurate as face to face readings. The readings feel the same to me but long distance readings require a bit more preparation on my side. I will focus on the sitter, thinking of him and his situation. I stop shuffling when I get a distinct tactile feeling in my hands and then I know that it's done. The rest is the same as in face to face.

sammyofnyc said:

Now of course I know that generally speaking the querent or the person asking for the reading should touch the cards and shuffle them. Every LWB says that.

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I say screw the LWB and trust your own guidance. Only do what makes sense to you, what has meaning to you. If it doesn't help you or has no meaning to you, dump it. The fact that something has helped others doesn't mean it helps you.

sammyofnyc said:

I thought that it was the energy given off by the querent when they shuffled the cards and concentrated on their question (s) which made the cards reveal what is in store for the querent.

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Who says that energy can only travel on the physical realm? Think about the process of thinking. It's energy, too - mental energy. Think about a river and a water mill alongside. The water mill converts the energy of the water into electricity thus milling corn. So water is energy as well. In tarot terms emotional energy. The electricity is energy as well. It can start a fire, converting wood into ashes. It's energy - fiery energy that is mostly attributed to passion. Each of the four suits talks about a concept of energy. Wands are fire and passionate energy. Swords are air, mental energy. Cups are water, emotional energy. Pentacles or coins are earth, physical energy. (Beware that some people use other elemental associations.)
When it comes to long distance readings the energy is simply no longer a physical, earthy one, transported by touch, but a mental, airy one, transported by thought.

sammyofnyc said:

I know many people would say well a long distance reading is better than having nothing at all and I suppose that is true but I don't think that really addresses this issue in a substantial manner and provides an answer which I consider convincing. In my mind energy and the vibrations given off, especially through touch, is very powerful.

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Have you heard about the concept of thoughts creating reality? What you think is important because it subconsciously influences your whole being, your conscious thoughts, your behavior, your emotions, your actions. It all starts with thoughts, and through emotions and passion it becomes reality.

sammyofnyc said:

In my mind this process is crucial.

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If YOU think the sitter shuffling your deck with his own hands is crucial, then it is. But it's crucial to you. Doesn't mean it's important for another person. To me it doesn't matter.

Astraea Aurora

sammyofnyc said:

This is Sam and as you may know already I have several oracles cards and 1 tarot deck called the Quest Tarot which I really like a lot.

Well my question pertains to readings. Now of course I know that generally speaking the querent or the person asking for the reading should touch the cards and shuffle them. Every LWB says that. And the purpose of course is for the querent to impart his or her energy to the cards so that cards will respond to them although the reader is supposed to do the interpretation and perhaps provide some positive words of wisdom.

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Hi Sam. I would just say one small thing.

To your "of course I know that generally speaking the querent or the person asking for the reading should touch the cards and shuffle them. Every LWB says that." - I'd say there is no "of course" in tarot.

What works for you works for you. Almost no-one I have read for has ever touched my cards.... I have read almost exclusively on forums and by email. People seem cheerful enough with the results..... (any one with an issue with that statement, please PM me - and why didn't you say so in feedback !!!)

Ate you getting good feedback ? If so - then it's working.

celticnoodle said:

Welcome to AT, Sam!

I do quite a lot of long distance readings. in fact, did one tonight for a client, who replied soon after I sent it to her to tell me how accurate it seemed, and she will continue to keep me posted for the future that was included. She is a repeat customer, and the great majority are done via email--as we live hundreds of miles apart. however, occassionally when I am visiting in her area, I will meet up with her for a face to face. no matter how the reading is--long distance or face to face, the reading seems to be pretty much the same as far as accuracy goes.

this is not my only long distance client--as I have many others. in fact, the majority of my clients are long distance ones. I did a reading a month ago, and just hung up about an hour ago with that client, who called to tell me again how accurate my reading has been, (I did a 3mos. general reading for her). this is someone I do talk to on a regular basis--but since it was a future and general reading, it is still pretty good to get fb that my predictions w/the cards are so accurate!

besides this--if you think about it, the readings we do for each other here on AT are also considered 'long distance' readings. our fellow AT'ers are from all over the world, and we really do not know each other, though you'll find that many of us both receive and give very accurate readings to each other!

so, yes, it is very possible to do so, and I know first hand - as both the giver of such and the receiver of such readings too!

actually, i must say, I'm generally more at ease giving the readings by long distance for those clients then I am for the ones face to face. I'm more at ease really--and feel I personally do give a much better reading that way.

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Thanks for your wonderful answer.

Your friend,

Sam

I Thank Everyone for All Your Wonderful Comments

WOW! What excellent answers. I am really happy to know that I won't be losing anything in doing remote readings. To be honest, I also never really liked the thought of anyone touching my cards especially if I feel they are extremely negative. It's like they are contaminating the cards which then has to be cleansed and recharged as the Quest Tarot book states.

I also believe that energy has the ability to travel astrally without having to go through a physical medium such as someones hands. I believe energy can be "transported" through thought and the mind particularly through focusing and concentrating on the target.

I have seen many psychic shows on TV one in particular called Psychic Detectives which is excellent. It really illustrates the point that many people wrote in response to my question; that is, that energy has no limitation and boundaries. It transcends space and time and all physical objects.

It is amazing how the TV psychic detectives come up with specific information just purely on focusing their energy/mind on the target without having any prior knowledge or details about the target person. Amazing.

Great.....so now I know. I will trust my remote readings with all my heart, mind, and soul.

Again, I thank everyone for your kind and encouraging words.

Sammy

I haven't read the other posts yet, but will go back to read them in a minute or two.

I know I've got this all scrambled up in the translation, but maybe someone else will know what I'm referring to and can clarify it:

Physicists (or whatever branch of science applies) did some sort of test that showed that atoms(?) communicate with each other through huge distances of time and space. We're all made up of atomic particles, so I personally believe that means that if two atoms can communicate at great distances, then our energy and the energy of a potential sitter can do the same thing. In other words, the atomic particles that make up the mind of the sitter and the mind of the reader would be able to make an exchange of energy/information to make the reading just as successful as the in-person reading would be if it were possible.

I like readings in person the best myself. Interaction is easier and I just like the personal contact. I can do distance readings well enough, too, but I think the tendency to second-guess and tweak the reading is greater and that's not what readings should be, in my opinion. Besides, if you've got the chance to second guess and tweak and go on at enough length with a reading, then generalities set in and with enough of those, you're bound to hit things that will resonate with a sitter but won't necessarily truly have been the message of the cards for that particular reading.

I believe we alll have an innate ability to know things, anything, and we have only to communicate with that aspect in ourselves to find out the answers. I have discovered this on 'shamanic' journeys (sorry but I hate the term and can't find an alternative) and this idea seems to apply to the tarot also. by this way of thinking there is no need for any physical contact whatsoever.

edited to add: to be in direct contact with the 'knowing' aspect of myself may take several days' difficult preparation whereas the tarot can bypass the need to do this by 'tapping in' and going around the outside of the conscious mind.

sammyofnyc said:

To be honest, I also never really liked the thought of anyone touching my cards especially if I feel they are extremely negative. It's like they are contaminating the cards which then has to be cleansed and recharged as the Quest Tarot book states.

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Aha! A culprit for how this silliness about people contaminating your cards by touching them and the need to "cleanse" and "recharge" comes about! Seriously,those are myths. I've never felt the need to do either one to my cards. They're not contaminated and they're not "discharged" by someone else touching them, whether the person can be perceived as being negative or not. I like people to touch my cards. If they don't bend them or tear them or something, I'm happy with it.

What she said - though almost no-one gets to touch mine..... That is chance, not design, though.

It really doesn't bother me if others touch my cards, unless they're careless or have mucky hands. Because I'm the one who finally handles them in any case, for a reading.

But I do know people who get sensitive about it. I think it's because when a person is in the first flush of 'learning' the cards, many sources insist on allowing no-one else to touch them, and similar things like wrapping your deck in silk etc. It can be difficult to over-ride that initial self-programming.

So aside from individual approaches, long distance readings make no real difference. In fact many readers find them more valid!

Bee