Amethyst Rose
February 28th, 2005, 04:37 PM
This is the last lesson in the tarot class. I hope everyone has enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. After this lesson is posted, and the assignment, I'm going to post a couple questions to get your imput on how I can make the class better, and such, so I can start teaching on my website. I'd appreciate it if you took some time to help me out with that. :)
I've really enjoyed teaching this class... (just ask my husband, it's all I ever talk about! :)), and you guys have really made it as successful as it was. I really appreciate the work and dedication you put into it. Thank you, all of you! :hugz:
And now, on to the lesson....
This lesson is purely a lesson based in my personal experience. It has nothing to do with fact, or research, it's just what I have experienced and what has worked for me. I hope that no one minds my basing a lesson on my opinion alone, but I thought if you saw some things through my eyes, that it might help a bit.
Reading long distance can be the hardest type of reading for some people...other people may find it a lot easier. The challenge for many is found is the lack of physical contact or energy from the querrant. Often they'll find that the cards are reading very vaguely, or not making any sense at all. The best way to counter that is to use a signifier for the querrant, based on their age and sex, and any characteristics, if you know them well enough. Or, you can use any knowledge of astrology you have and concentrate on their birthdate while doing the reading. If you wanted to you could use numerology as well.
I've found that for me, live readings over IM are easier than emailed or PMed readings, because you can get the querrant to concentrate on the cards while you're shuffling, and they can tell you when to stop shuffling as well. IMed readings are also easier to do longer readings for....anything over a 3 card reading, I've found, is easier during IM. Email and PMed readings just tend to involve a lot of typing, and for me, I can't type as fast as I can think, so my intuition may have moved on before I had a chance to write down what it was saying to me. However, that's not always the case. If you quickly write down the first impressions of cards, before you lose them, and then go back and write deeper meanings, it really helps. One card readings are great for email and PM though, because it gives you the time to examine the card and go over it's symbology and really meditate on the meaning.
Reading for yourself is really the best way to learn your cards...not only the card meanings, specificially from single card daily meditations, and writing in a journal, but their personality as well. When I first started with the cards I used to read for myself all the time... I got a book on spreads with my first deck, a learning deck with the card meanings printed directly on the deck (excellent for beginners!! If you're brand new at tarot, I suggest you try to find one...it was just called the Beginner's Tarot...it completely eliminates the need to look at the LWB so you don't create the habit or need to have the book with you), and I used to do the romance spread all the time...so much that the book just automatically opened up onto that page.
Anyway.... I found that after I got more into tarot and understood the ins and outs much better, that I can no longer read for myself. I just find that I'm not objective enough, and start second guessing my intuition. It's like I try to find in the cards things that I want to see there, rather than what the cards are actually trying to tell me. I did have one deck that I gave away here on MW, called the Light and Shadow tarot, that I used specifically for reading for myself. It was black and white, and forced me to see the meaning of the card, because it didn't offer up symbolism to trip me up. I hadn't used that deck in ages though. If, on the rare occasion I find it neccessary to read for myself, such as in a situation when it would be prudent to be aware of any possible outcome, then I have taken to casting a circle and lighting some incense, to help ground and focus my attention on the cards, and stop my intuition from wandering. Some of you may want to do readings in a circle anyway, it can be quite helpful...I find it relaxing, where readings can be draining otherwise.
I find my tarot cards most rewarding when I can read for my friends and family. I love seeing the awe or relief or joy on their faces...or even just amusement. The last time I went to my parents for an extended visit my mom asked if I brought my cards with me...she was very disappointed when I told her I hadn't. I've only recently gotten out of the habit of carrying my cards with me. I used to have a huge purse....a bag, really, and they fit in their fine, but I traded it in for this little purse instead... haven't carried them around since.
Anyway.... you basically have two types of people to read for, when considering friends and family.....the believer and the skeptic. My cards hate reading for skeptics. They'll do it, but very reluctantly...it's like pulling teeth, and I'd rather not do it. They also prefer reading for women, for some reason.... Anyway, that's not here nor there.... If you're going to do a reading for a believer, try to do it away from skeptics who will laugh, and make fun of any cards that come up, or try to read them on their own...that just butchers your concentration. Not to mention you should consider confidentiality, if that's one of your ethics.
I've also found that it annoys me to no end to have a friend with knowledge of the tarot to re-interpret the reading that I did for them. I pull the cards, MY intuition says that it says this, so dont' go back and tell me what YOU think the cards mean. Get your own darn deck if you wanna read your own cards!! Uhg...just a pet peeve of mine. :)
Basically, you just have to use your own judgement in regards to your family and friends, to decide if you want to read for them. If your jerk cousin wants you to read for him, just so he can make fun of the cards, then don't do it. If your sister is worried that her boyfriend is cheating on her, and you think she's right, but are scared that the cards will just make her cry...then don't read for her.
Reading professionally is the easiest thing to do with tarot, believe it or not. Any idiot can get on a phone or IM, charge someone money and tell them what they want to hear. Miss Cleo was worth millions, and her readers read from scripts!! (or so I heard). The challenge is in being a reputable professional reader.
If you choose to take your tallent to an agency to do readings, or to set up your own little table at a psychic fair or in a new age shop these are some very important things that you have to remember:
1. Always be ethical. Have your ethics written somewhere visible and make sure they're straight forward and make sense.
2. Don't charge more than you think you are worth. Sometimes it's practical just to read by donation, or to leave it up to the querrant to give what they think was appropriate. (I have a friend who did this, and Asians typically gave her upwards of $100 for one reading... infact, she was shocked when I told her how much I would get for a typical reading when I was doing it online (basically $1.00 per minute).
3. Keep references, experience and testimonials handy -- this is a job, and your clients want to know you're worth spending money on. If you think it may help, get yourself certified at a place like http://www.tarotcertification.org I'm actually considering getting certified before I open my website.
4. Always use a disclaimer.....blah blah blah....entertainment purposes only...blah blah blah....over 18....blah blah blah..... to cover your @$$ so no one tries to sue you because they thought your reading meant they should gamble their house, and they lost and are now homeless.
Here endeth the final lesson. :D
I've really enjoyed teaching this class... (just ask my husband, it's all I ever talk about! :)), and you guys have really made it as successful as it was. I really appreciate the work and dedication you put into it. Thank you, all of you! :hugz:
And now, on to the lesson....
This lesson is purely a lesson based in my personal experience. It has nothing to do with fact, or research, it's just what I have experienced and what has worked for me. I hope that no one minds my basing a lesson on my opinion alone, but I thought if you saw some things through my eyes, that it might help a bit.
Reading long distance can be the hardest type of reading for some people...other people may find it a lot easier. The challenge for many is found is the lack of physical contact or energy from the querrant. Often they'll find that the cards are reading very vaguely, or not making any sense at all. The best way to counter that is to use a signifier for the querrant, based on their age and sex, and any characteristics, if you know them well enough. Or, you can use any knowledge of astrology you have and concentrate on their birthdate while doing the reading. If you wanted to you could use numerology as well.
I've found that for me, live readings over IM are easier than emailed or PMed readings, because you can get the querrant to concentrate on the cards while you're shuffling, and they can tell you when to stop shuffling as well. IMed readings are also easier to do longer readings for....anything over a 3 card reading, I've found, is easier during IM. Email and PMed readings just tend to involve a lot of typing, and for me, I can't type as fast as I can think, so my intuition may have moved on before I had a chance to write down what it was saying to me. However, that's not always the case. If you quickly write down the first impressions of cards, before you lose them, and then go back and write deeper meanings, it really helps. One card readings are great for email and PM though, because it gives you the time to examine the card and go over it's symbology and really meditate on the meaning.
Reading for yourself is really the best way to learn your cards...not only the card meanings, specificially from single card daily meditations, and writing in a journal, but their personality as well. When I first started with the cards I used to read for myself all the time... I got a book on spreads with my first deck, a learning deck with the card meanings printed directly on the deck (excellent for beginners!! If you're brand new at tarot, I suggest you try to find one...it was just called the Beginner's Tarot...it completely eliminates the need to look at the LWB so you don't create the habit or need to have the book with you), and I used to do the romance spread all the time...so much that the book just automatically opened up onto that page.
Anyway.... I found that after I got more into tarot and understood the ins and outs much better, that I can no longer read for myself. I just find that I'm not objective enough, and start second guessing my intuition. It's like I try to find in the cards things that I want to see there, rather than what the cards are actually trying to tell me. I did have one deck that I gave away here on MW, called the Light and Shadow tarot, that I used specifically for reading for myself. It was black and white, and forced me to see the meaning of the card, because it didn't offer up symbolism to trip me up. I hadn't used that deck in ages though. If, on the rare occasion I find it neccessary to read for myself, such as in a situation when it would be prudent to be aware of any possible outcome, then I have taken to casting a circle and lighting some incense, to help ground and focus my attention on the cards, and stop my intuition from wandering. Some of you may want to do readings in a circle anyway, it can be quite helpful...I find it relaxing, where readings can be draining otherwise.
I find my tarot cards most rewarding when I can read for my friends and family. I love seeing the awe or relief or joy on their faces...or even just amusement. The last time I went to my parents for an extended visit my mom asked if I brought my cards with me...she was very disappointed when I told her I hadn't. I've only recently gotten out of the habit of carrying my cards with me. I used to have a huge purse....a bag, really, and they fit in their fine, but I traded it in for this little purse instead... haven't carried them around since.
Anyway.... you basically have two types of people to read for, when considering friends and family.....the believer and the skeptic. My cards hate reading for skeptics. They'll do it, but very reluctantly...it's like pulling teeth, and I'd rather not do it. They also prefer reading for women, for some reason.... Anyway, that's not here nor there.... If you're going to do a reading for a believer, try to do it away from skeptics who will laugh, and make fun of any cards that come up, or try to read them on their own...that just butchers your concentration. Not to mention you should consider confidentiality, if that's one of your ethics.
I've also found that it annoys me to no end to have a friend with knowledge of the tarot to re-interpret the reading that I did for them. I pull the cards, MY intuition says that it says this, so dont' go back and tell me what YOU think the cards mean. Get your own darn deck if you wanna read your own cards!! Uhg...just a pet peeve of mine. :)
Basically, you just have to use your own judgement in regards to your family and friends, to decide if you want to read for them. If your jerk cousin wants you to read for him, just so he can make fun of the cards, then don't do it. If your sister is worried that her boyfriend is cheating on her, and you think she's right, but are scared that the cards will just make her cry...then don't read for her.
Reading professionally is the easiest thing to do with tarot, believe it or not. Any idiot can get on a phone or IM, charge someone money and tell them what they want to hear. Miss Cleo was worth millions, and her readers read from scripts!! (or so I heard). The challenge is in being a reputable professional reader.
If you choose to take your tallent to an agency to do readings, or to set up your own little table at a psychic fair or in a new age shop these are some very important things that you have to remember:
1. Always be ethical. Have your ethics written somewhere visible and make sure they're straight forward and make sense.
2. Don't charge more than you think you are worth. Sometimes it's practical just to read by donation, or to leave it up to the querrant to give what they think was appropriate. (I have a friend who did this, and Asians typically gave her upwards of $100 for one reading... infact, she was shocked when I told her how much I would get for a typical reading when I was doing it online (basically $1.00 per minute).
3. Keep references, experience and testimonials handy -- this is a job, and your clients want to know you're worth spending money on. If you think it may help, get yourself certified at a place like http://www.tarotcertification.org I'm actually considering getting certified before I open my website.
4. Always use a disclaimer.....blah blah blah....entertainment purposes only...blah blah blah....over 18....blah blah blah..... to cover your @$$ so no one tries to sue you because they thought your reading meant they should gamble their house, and they lost and are now homeless.
Here endeth the final lesson. :D