Being an Empowered Reader

[SunVisionsTarot]

The main point was presentation and how the client perceives you through your display of your tools. Washing hand is for hygiene, but you do not have to wash your hands if a little bit of sweat ends up on them.

The point I will give to everyone is. If my version of the the tarot does not resonate with you it doesn't have to and if it does, well then you are the crowd that I want to share my wisdom with.

Namaste

 

[Citrin]

Thank you for sharing It's interesting to see how people have different methods and different philosophies about the tarot cards.

Personally I am very careful with my cards, just like you, but if I met a reader with very worn cards I wouldn't mind at all actually. Worn cards have their charm and can be quite beautiful and "look loved" to me.

Do you read professionally?

 

[nisaba]

1.) Know your worth. The amount of time, energy, resources and struggle it took to get where you are now in your practice is crucial.

"What you're worth"?

I'm worth quite a lot. My training course, so far, has lasted in excess of 35 years, and looks to continue for a lot more years. By contrast, the most highly trained medical specialists train for perhaps only one decade, yet they can ask the equivalent of the average weekly wage for less than fifteen minutes.

What client can afford that?

I charge what the market can bear. I charge what other readers in my community charge. I charge enough so that I can eat, but not so much that people who really need me have to sell their TV, their bed, their shoes, their car and their kid's one toy to afford me.

2.) Your friends may want to pull cards every 10 seconds and have you make decisions for them all the time as their diviner.

You may have had that problem once to even think of it - I don't. It would never have occurred to me.

 

[nisaba]

The point I will give to everyone is. If my version of the the tarot does not resonate with you it doesn't have to and if it does, well then you are the crowd that I want to share my wisdom with.

Will you accept that others have wisdom too?

 

[starburst_au]

Hello everyone, I am new to Aecletic Tarot so I want to share my knowledge!

Welcome to AT! And thanks for sharing your knowledge. It's great to gain different perspectives from a range of people.

Recently I have been focusing my energies on doing readings in a way that comes across more professional and clear. I'm learned a few simple methods that can change your whole tarot practice.


Here we go!

1.) Make sure you keep your cards in excellent condition. Plan on having the same deck of tarot cards for the rest of your life. Your cards are your tools, treat them like a baby. Cover them in silk put them in a special wooden or metal box, and make sure you read your cards on a cloth. This is also very key to presentation, and how you come across, your cards shouldn't have any etches or tears on them, because this take away from the divine randomness of the client shuffling the cards. They will not want to pick the torn up card most of the time.

**I guess because I don't read 'professionally' I don't have any issues about needing to read my tarot on a silk cloth and keeping them in a special wooden or metal box. But that's just a personal choice. I read the cards on the balcony, in the lounge room, on my dining room table, in my bedroom... wherever I feel comfortable to do so. I get what you're saying about keeping the cards presentable, if you're reading professionally. However, all the 'professional' readers that i've seen (face to face) have had older well used decks that felt very comfortable to shuffle. Like a comfortable pair of slippers lol.

2.) Plan on doing reading for an hour, If you have to rush through a 30 min. reading it will not be beneficial. You can go deeper with an hour long session.

**Devoting 1 hour per reading could be quite time consuming for some people. But I'm glad that you've devised a method that works for you.


3.) Before you start the session make sure your querent has a specific question or questions in mind, this way the querent can't complain that you didn't answer their question. The tarot is a specific tool, if you ask the tarot general advice it will give you a general answer, if you ask it specific advice it will give you a specific answer. Have them hone down which area of life they want to focus on; Love, career, finance, spiritual path, relationships, then have them hone that question down even further. For example if it were a relationship question then a question like 'what's blocking me in my relationships' or 'how can I improve my relationships' would be specific and effective.

**Again, as I'm not a professional tarot card reader and i'm still learning myself, I do find it easier for myself if a specific question is asked. But my opinion of the tarot cards is that it's a consulting process and advice is given. If the reading i've given resonates for whom ever, that's a good thing. If it doesn't I take the feedback on board and learn something.

4.) When giving a readings, make sure you are speaking at a pace the person can follow. Guide people along with the story of the cards. Read each card individually and in the end do a overview of all the cards together.

** Thanks for the practical advice.

This simple advice will take you long way and will lead you to being a highly effective and empowered tarot reader. I suggest you experiment with these methods and report back to me!

Sincerly,

Tito L Ferdinand

Thanks for sharing your advice as a professional tarot card reader / guru. Your advice has been most enlightening and entertaining and I don't mean that in a negative way.

Cheers,
SB

 

[esspeet]

I treat my RWS deck like I would a Bicycle deck of cards.. a lot of the time to clear the deck out I'll bridge shuffle a few times even.. which seems to be a big faux pas among many when it comes to tarot cards. But this is how I look at it: They're a tool to help me figure this whole thing out, so why not get comfy with them?

Once a month or so I'll clean them with cornstarch and a lightly dampened paper towel.. but that's about it.

For me right now, becoming an empowered reader is more about learning to understand and trust the messages that come through.. though I'm not a seasoned pro by any stretch of the imagination, so take that as you will.

 

[DownUnderNZer]

Cards dont have to be prestine or wrapped in silk.

One hour doesnt mean an in depth reading is 100% guaranteed. Few people have ever been able to read my sister, I am one that can, because she is like a brick wall yet is open to it. No idea why it is that way, but most that have tried are off off off.

Each reader has their own flare to how they read and if your friends are asking every 10 seconds something is absolutely amiss.

Its great that you.have a system that works,.but how flexible are you as a reader and person if you live by your watch, the cards have to be perfect, a sitter has to be question prepared and if people dont.share your beliefs ~ its a no way ho sei attitude towards them.

Not everyone comes in a tidy.little package.

 

[Thora Euryleia]

Thank you for your insight.

I am fairly new but comfortable with my deck. I like it worn in, it shows character.

I am curious to those who follow the hour reading philosophy - or just run that long- do you do multiple spreads or is it just your explanations that take you so far into an hour.

I have done hour readings but with multiple questions and multiple draws (I am by no means a professional reader but I practice with friends and family) so I would love to understand how others perform readings.

 

[GotH]

I can almost hear the gasps of many tarot collectors and owners.

This made me . I call myself a deck user, not a collector. My decks are becoming well seasoned and there is only one deck that I treat really special because well, it's just so pretty to me and I just want to keep it new like for as long as I can. The rest are spread out all over my home and are in constant use.

 

[greatdane]

I believe I found your site, most impressive

Very pretty site and you have lots of information. You do mention on the first post of your thread here one should plan on doing an hour reading, to rush through a 30 minute reading isn't beneficial, yet your site offers a 30 minute reading at the top of the fee schedule with no mention it may not be long enough. That seems a bit contradictory.