Practices to Stop Projecting

Barleywine said:

Nope, I'm giving them an approach. They formulate their own question or topic area and concentrate on it while shuffling. I just try to blank my mind.

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Asking what their question is, or giving them a focus/approach - same thing imo. (you'll argue-ish).
You are saying - that you haven't heard their focus out-load, before you start reading for them, yes?
When I have a sitter with "no question" - I may suggest an approach in this way and then start reading and see where it leads - rather than looking in the spread to "see where the answer to their question is"...

Barleywine said:

I think when we cross the line from "just reading the cards" to making attempts at counseling or advising (unless we're qualified to do so), we can overreach in this way. As Padma said, it's all about listening with all your senses before opening your mouth.

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Yes.

Tanga said:

Asking what their question is, or giving them a focus/approach - same thing imo. (you'll argue-ish).
You are saying - that you haven't heard their focus out-load, before you start reading for them, yes?

When I have a sitter with "no question" - I may suggest an approach in this way and then start reading and see where it leads - rather than looking in the spread to "see where the answer to their question is"...

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The answer to the first part is "Yes." I usually have very little preliminary dialogue since there simply isn't time in a 20 or 30 minute reading for much "stage-setting."

The second part is a little more complex. I don't start into a reading by saying "Well, this looks like a relationship reading or a work related reading" and then build on that, I just do what you do: start reading the cards and let the flow take me where it will, with the sitter's input to zero in on. It's more organic than mechanical, even if I do have an analytical bias.

Wow, I'm so happy with the tremendous responses! So glad I asked; you've all given me so many different perspectives to consider that I doubt I'd have come to on my own. I'm about to go back through this thread and take notes, then meditate on the points that really stand out to me. Thank you guys so much, you've definitely made me feel a lot better about this challenge!