Grr! Bad Tarot Reading Rant

[Xeen]

Okay, it was Angel Oracle cards, but I used them to do a reading for a lady because she has an angel obsession, but the rant/reading part of it still applies...

It was awhile ago, but I'm still mad about it...

She insisted that I practice reading Tarot with her, so I did one for her, with her sitting there.

I've only done a small handful of readings, and it was my first time reading them how I felt comfortable, how I wanted to: Not from the book, but from what I 'got' from the cards.

After I finished, or was it half way through? I forget... she grabbed the book for the cards and started translating each card she had, from the beginning (I did a 12 month layout). Grr!

It took maybe 10ish minutes. I was really nervous and was trying to do the best I could. She said it took too long, that I kept staring at the pictures when I should have been looking in the book, etc etc.

*whimper, growl, whimper*

Then she goes and tells a few people that I'm a slow reader, that I don't look at the books, that I took too long, etc. I did my best to defend myself, telling those people that I was doing it MY WAY, the way I felt most comfortable doing it, etc.

The people didn't really seem to care either way, but still, it made me feel mad.

I told the lady that I did the reading for that I'll never do a reading for her again, though I'm sure she'll try to get me to do it again.

Anyway, ranting never works, I don't know why I always do it. >.<

I just really hate being told how to do something, especially when it comes to something as 'open' as Tarot.

[Rowan MoonDragon]

I had 2 WONDERFUL sisters teach me to read the cards. The way I was taught was to not rely on the books. They taught me that each item in each card means something. And even though each item means something its up to the reader to pull the information out using the symbols in the cards and the readers intuition. Sounds like you and I read the same way. The books never made any sense to me, which is why I took the class I took. Obviously the lady just wanted a quickie reading and doesn't understand that for some of us, we rely on intuition more than book learning. I dont blame you for being angry. I would be too. Dont let it get to you. Its not worth it.

[Xeen]

I had 2 WONDERFUL sisters teach me to read the cards. The way I was taught was to not rely on the books. They taught me that each item in each card means something. And even though each item means something its up to the reader to pull the information out using the symbols in the cards and the readers intuition. Sounds like you and I read the same way. The books never made any sense to me, which is why I took the class I took. Obviously the lady just wanted a quickie reading and doesn't understand that for some of us, we rely on intuition more than book learning. I dont blame you for being angry. I would be too. Dont let it get to you. Its not worth it.
*nods* It is intuition that I rely on. I need more practice, though ^-^

Like, looking at a symbol on a card will bring something to mind for one reading, yet that same symbol on that same card will mean something else for a different reading.

Every now and again I'll pull out a Tarot deck and just glance through each one, for not particular reason. One day 'ideas' or 'thoughts' or whatever started entering my mind, and it was... weird.

I'd love to get some advice from you 'cause you sound like you've had tons more experience than me!:floating:

I wonder how many people actually do it our way... hmmm...

[FaerieGothMommy]

I can never stress enough to people learning tarot, NOT to rely on books! And go with YOUR intuition and how YOU feel comfortable!

I bet you did a good job sweetie - she is just someone who has to put you down in any possible way she can think of.... And i hate people like that too!! But if she wasn't satisified with the way you read your cards, then tell her to bog off & not ask again!

Inuition is always 100 times better than books (in my eyes)

[Xeen]

I can never stress enough to people learning tarot, NOT to rely on books! And go with YOUR intuition and how YOU feel comfortable!

I bet you did a good job sweetie - she is just someone who has to put you down in any possible way she can think of.... And i hate people like that too!! But if she wasn't satisified with the way you read your cards, then tell her to bog off & not ask again!

Inuition is always 100 times better than books (in my eyes)
Tell her to bog off? LOL... you're British, right? ^-^ I love Brit speak.

I'm going to use that someday...

But anyway... HUZZAH for us Intuition Readers!:colorful:

Thanks for being on my 'side' :)

[FaerieGothMommy]

Tell her to bog off? LOL... you're British, right? ^-^ I love Brit speak.

I'm going to use that someday...

But anyway... HUZZAH for us Intuition Readers!:colorful:

Thanks for being on my 'side' :)

:lol: Yup, i am british! Sorry, i always say bog off :lol:

[Azure]

A good reader uses intuition, period. Books are great as a beginning primer when you don't know your deck very well - but things strike you in a particualr way for a reason.

If she grabbed for the book, chances are she wanted a particular answer, not what you actually saw. If she wants that, she should just read for herself and keep telling herself the cards say just what she wants.

Moron. Bog off would be a great recommendation.

[Xeen]

Fairygothmommy - That's what I thought, but I couldn't remember for sure :-p

Azure - I almost gave her the damn deck... but they're probably my easiest deck to work with. Her birthday is coming up, maybe I'll give them to her then :-p

But yeah, she is one of those people that go by the book. Sigh.

[Azure]

Hmmm. My thought would be, if you afford it, just give her a book about the deck - not the deck itself. She obviously cares more about the book than the actual reading ;)

[Moon Momma]

:lol: Yup, i am british! Sorry, i always say bog off :lol:

I love British words and phrases! Maybe you could teach us some! :hehehehe: I'm always saying wanker and bugger...now I'm gonna have to use "bog off!" :lol:

Maybe this woman didn't want a real reading, maybe she just wanted you to tell her what she wanted to hear. :rolleyes: I *wish* I was experienced enough to do it without the books.

[Rowan MoonDragon]

Hmmm. My thought would be, if you afford it, just give her a book about the deck - not the deck itself. She obviously cares more about the book than the actual reading ;)

I agree. give her the book. then she can look at the pictures in it and decide what cards she wants rather than what cards are telling her what she wants to know. seems to me thats what she's looking for. :hehehehe:

[KoKoMe]

Hope,you gave your cards a good cleansing after that episode.I went through a same
situation,and wouldn't let the person near my cards again.I agree she wasn't hearing what she wanted to hear fast enough,so she was rude and jumped in and took over.
Let her buy her own deck and read what she wants to for herself.That way she cannot come back at you if things don't turn out like she hopes.
I eventually had to put the book away and let the cards themselves speak to me,and had better readings for it.

Good-luck and wishing you happier readings!
Kokome

[Xeen]

KoKoMe - Ack! I forgot to give 'em a good cleansing. I'm terrible at remembering that. Erk. I feel bad now. I'll do that tonight when I get home!

And yeah, I think I -might- give her the book along with a nice angel drawing. Nice, cheap b-day gifts ^-^]

[zakzekezedd]

Well, now I know why I never read for anyone but myself and a few close friends. Talk about brazenly rude! Of course, she sounds a bit like one of those "I KNOW everything" but am too lazy to do something for myself. I actually have customers in the store who will stand there and tell me how to look things up in the computer all the time (grrrrr!! mutter grrrrrrr!! mutter some more!) That's bad enough, but to have someone demand a tarot reading and then basically inform me that I don't know what I'm doing????????

[Kiya]

IMHO, people like that DO need to be told to Bog Off. If they are so concerned with what the book says, they should read for themselves. Books are a good grounding, but intuition is key to the Tarot. That's why keeping a tarot journal is so helpful - at first you can add 'book' meanings, but as time goes by you add your own intuition. And, in dirrerent reading,s the same card can mean something completely different. Go from your gut. I like others to read for me, to see their interpretations of the card. Quite often, when we read for ourselves, we miss things. It's amazing, some of the insights I have had from other readers.

Oh, and as for the British phrases.... maybe us Brits should start a thread on them and keep our non-Brit friends amused???!!!

[9-2-2]

I'm sorry your first experience was so terrible, and with such a dupe. :\
I applaud your first-time efforts at doing it WITHOUT the book... I keep running back to the pages after finding my head stumped. :p
I'm glad I wasn't in your shoes. I would've taken the book and given her a close-up of the pictures; right in her nose. :blech:

[PhoenixCOF]

*nods* It is intuition that I rely on. I need more practice, though ^-^

Like, looking at a symbol on a card will bring something to mind for one reading, yet that same symbol on that same card will mean something else for a different reading.

Every now and again I'll pull out a Tarot deck and just glance through each one, for not particular reason. One day 'ideas' or 'thoughts' or whatever started entering my mind, and it was... weird.

I'd love to get some advice from you 'cause you sound like you've had tons more experience than me!:floating:

I wonder how many people actually do it our way... hmmm...

I agree completely - if it's a choice between books and intuition, intuition wins hands down every time! When I was first learning, I started by studying every book I could get my hands on... as I got to know my deck better, I found that what I 'felt' about the card was sometimes different to what the books said about it... books are a good start, but in the end I think it's mostly intuition that makes a good reading.

As for symbols: I've found that any one symbol can mean a myriad of different things. Every meaning is valid, you just have to keep in mind the situation and the context of the reading when you decide how the symbols apply... I'm guessing that, as an intuitive reader, you probably get a feel for what it means when you look at the card in context... go with your gut.

If this lady knows so much, why didn't she just do her own damn reading?? (Says me... for some reason I can't get reading for myself working properly...) I find that ppl tend to lose their fascination and gratitude if you tell them something they don't want to hear... stick to your guns!

(Too SLOW?? My clients only complain if I'm too fast...)

[Xeen]

If this lady knows so much, why didn't she just do her own damn reading?? (Says me... for some reason I can't get reading for myself working properly...) I find that ppl tend to lose their fascination and gratitude if you tell them something they don't want to hear... stick to your guns!
The lady hasn't really asked me for a reading since, but she did want me to do a quickie 1 card draw and interpret the card for her for a yet or no question (she kept the question to herself).

I forget which card I drew, but I got a distintice "NO!" from it, so I told her no. Of course she was unhappy with that, I knew she would be :)

Then I did it for her again later, and the card wasn't so negative, not so strong, but it was more of a friendly yes. *shrugs*

And yeah, you're right, people DO loose respect and such for what you do for them when you aren't telling them what you want to hear. Le sigh...

You know, I thought she, of all people, would understand. She's a psychic and does very good readings (channelling). But eh... maybe she's just showing her own way of trying to get me to practice more. *shrug*

[LunaRose]

I still say she should Bog-off. If she is psychic, she should understand why you feel more comfortable reading your own way. Especially since she asked. My oppinion may not be wanted, but I don't think that is a really good way to teach anyone to practice more. That's a headache you don't need. Let her read for herself the way she wants and you remain free to read your own way.

[Xeen]

LunaRose, you're right, mostly. She really means well, she just kinda rubs ya the wrong way. :eyebrow:

Maybe I can get some practice through MW for some basic Tarot readings :p