Anyone else read only for themselves?

It seems that many people here at AT do readings for others, whether professionally, or for friends/family. I'm still fairly new to tarot, and only do readings for myself. In fact, the thing that drew me to tarot was its use as a tool for introspection and personal reflection, and at this stage in my learning, I really can't even imagine doing readings for anyone else, because my relationship with my deck is so personal.

Just wondering if there are others out there who only do readings for themselves.

I'm one! Although it isn't because of a relationship with a deck. I'm kind of tied up with the responsibility thing. I've seen so much in life where vulnerabilities were manipulated or exploited that I would always be afraid of making things worse for the person that asked. I have pulled a few cards or runes for people online, but I leave the interpretation or message-taking up to them.

Maybe it's the Gemini, but even my answers get phrased as questions . . .

I used to read for as many people as I can but ever since starting the Intensive Deck Study program, I pretty much read only for myself. I stopped reading for others (outside of reading circles) because when I read for others I feel like I am on a time limit. When I read for myself, I feel as if I can take all the time I want studying each card in depth and I get to tie each card to my personal life experiences or to actual people I know--it really makes the cards come alive. And it makes studying tarot more personal and fun. When I read for others, I cant really do all that.

I'm headed in that direction. I'm pretty new to Tarot, too, and I've done some of the reading circles here, and still do in fact, but the more I get involved with my cards, the more I see Tarot as a personal thing in my case. I use the cards mostly as therapy and as a way to expand my perspective. The more I learn, the less I think I have to say to anyone else about it! Which may be all screwed up, or just part of the process.

I'm starting to read for others, the "select" few who nag me to read for them.

Mostly, though, I use tarot as an introspective tool for me and read only for myself. I find that I am so shy about reading for others, which is odd as I'm not shy in other aspects of my life. But I find the stress of gazing at cards, having to think quickly, and being gazed at by a friend looking for answers, a bit too much.

I think I ought to do some readings exchanges. It amazes me that there aren't more people terrified of giving readings...

Honestly, I don't like reading for myself. I'm too close to my own issues to see things objectively. Plus, I'm not that interested in tarot as a tool for introspection. I'm more interested in the old-fashioned fortune telling aspect, and so I prefer to read for others .

Well, I thought for a long time that I had to think quickly, too, when reading for others. But that's not so. You can take the time you need to get what's in the cards. For one thing, being acutely aware of the person sitting there expectantly, our own anxiety will make us tense up till seconds seem like minutes and minutes seem like hours but it's a distortion of the real case of it. Just read the cards, peruse and mull them over silently for a few minutes here and there if you need to---or mull and peruse the whole spread for more than a few if that's what it takes. I found that I was sweating bullets at first if I did that, but with experience you learn that it's just an exaggerated sense of time passing because of your own anxiety that makes it so uncomfortable. Sitters would rather you sit in silence and ponder than rush through it and not get all the information that's there.

I mostly read for myself.

Le Fanu said:

I think I ought to do some readings exchanges. It amazes me that there aren't more people terrified of giving readings...

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I tend to freeze when trying to read for others, so I mainly read for myself. I need to start practicing in the way that others have suggested, in the past: reading for toys, television characters, etc... just to get away from my own issues once in a while (although it is helpful ~ I wish I'd picked up the cards years ago).

hopena said:

I need to start practicing in the way that others have suggested, in the past: reading for toys, television characters, etc... just to get away from my own issues once in a while (although it is helpful ~ I wish I'd picked up the cards years ago).

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I took the advice someone here gave and have been doing practice readings for my cats. They are frequently around when I'm reading, so it's convenient and great practice. And they don't seem to mind if it takes me a long time to interpret a card.