Emotional tarot readings

[AuroraSilvermist]

I just did a reading that really shook me. It was a simple enough question--the client wanted to know about the status of his relationship with his closest (female) Internet friend. But the cards I drew (which included The Tower, and The Devil) made for a really intense reading. My hubby walked in when I was just finishing up writing back to him (it was an email reading) and asked if I was okay; he said I looked drained. I have to admit, I was emotionally wiped out.

Most of my readings go pretty smoothly, and I try to keep some sense of detachment because I think that helps me be more objective, but this one really grabbed me and sucked me in. Have any of you experienced readings like that? (I'm sure you probably have.) How do you deal with the emotional drain and still keep some reserves of strength for yourself? Please share your ideas and techniques!

[blackroseivy]

Mainly, I just get really interested in the story the cards are telling me, if you follow me. It's like reading a novel, or whatever - in my case, I don't tend to take it quite so intensely personally. I've had some doozies - recently, someone was contemplating an affair. I kept it as objective as possible, but at the same time, emphasized where the cards were going in a negative direction - I just can't condone that sort of thing, but of course in the end it's always the querent who decides which way to go...

That's my experience, anyway. Just think of it like a movie, story, etc... More objective & detatched.

[Temptation]

I don't really get emotional or "sucked in" when I read for other people. This only happens when I read for myself. Some people say it's not a good idea to read for yourself because you'll be biased, but my Thoth Tarot deck (the only one I ever use to read for myself) makes sure that doesn't happen. It's so honest and blunt, and at times downright cruel with me, it really scares me sometimes. I've actually cried in frustration and anger many times during these readings. The only way for me to calm down afterwards is to go for a walk in the woods near my house. For some reason being surrounded by trees always made me feel safe. So that's what I do. I go talk to the trees. :)

[blackroseivy]

Even my readings for myself don't quite get worked up to a pitch like that - maybe I'm just not empathic enough, or something!

[Aine of the Fae]

It's rare, but I've had it happen as well. About a week before I last went into the hospital, a young woman came to me for a general reading. She was in a relationship, talking about getting married to him, and wanted to know if it was the right thing to do....

The reading took an entirely unexpected turn, and turned out to be about her father, who had died when she was very little. It was... frightening and amazing and emotionally draining all at the same time. She was terrified, because the cards were showing things she'd never told anyone, doubts and questions she'd had, etc....

I had to go take a nap after the reading, it was just.... draining... I don't usually do long readings since I got sick, but that one lasted quite awhile. I'd been easing myself back into reading, and wasn't expecting to get a whopper of a reading so soon... but I guess I should have been more prepared for it :lol:

[Dragonladyofwater]

About ten years ago I pulled a read for a lady asking about her brother. She gave no indication that he had died previous to the reading, (which she had done on purpose to test me) and the question was for me to just tell her how her borther was doing.

Come to find out he had died in a car accident, the family believed it suicide but in truth it was just an accident and the read itself was incredibly draining, as I wasn't prepared to read on a spirit. That reading was the most emotionally and energy draining I've ever done, but it was a one time experience. Most of the time I readings go fairly smoothlyjust like you said yours do, if I do a long series I may get a little drained, but nothing that extreme.

I don't know that I looked for a solution so much as I saw it as a unique situation, so I drank a ton of water, got some rest and went on... and learned to qualify people's questions better :)

[CzechWoods]

what i find most draining, is people who are insatiable s to speak.
who would hop from one question to the other and to add to the whole request some channeling en passant (by the way)
what i do in cases when they overdo the channel thing, i simply say, no contact for now, and shut that door. the spirit realm ALWAYS understands, and knocks on the shut door as soon as i am ready (well and the requesting party is, cause in fact that hopping often is aresult in not havinhg heard what they hoped for)
as for the reading after reading marathon. well, I would say practice is alot.
i used to offer free reading nights when i had a cheaper intenet connction (flat), which would be once a month. i requested people would make a donation, instead paying me, but have no control whether they did. my max was 13 readings in a row, which was pretty exhausting.
now when a customer wants to know more and more questions, its never as bad as the free readings, as its the same energy you are attuned to

if nothing goes, take a break, and recharge with stones

[AuroraSilvermist]

Just an update, here. The reading that I mentioned, the one that wiped me out, was for a fellow tarot reader. We both belong to a tarot exchange YahooGroup. He wrote me back the next day and told me more about his situation, and my reading for him was spot on. (I've never had anyone tell me that one of my readings was "off," but this particular reading was very specific, with a lot of margin for error if my intuition somehow failed me.)

After talking to the fellow I did the reading for, it became clear to me that his situation just hit WAY too close to home for me. I'd been in a very similar situation, and it really did a number on me. I'm pretty sure that's why I reacted so strongly, and also why my intuition was so finely-tuned.

Sometimes I think I just have to remind myself not to get so wrapped up, and to just, you know...breathe. I'm the sort of person who's like a clenched fist all the time as it is. (Even when I sleep, I keep my fists balled up and tucked under my chin like a boxer.) It's tarot readings like that one that make me wish I was better at meditation and relaxation. I think it may be time to invest in some guided meditation CDs or something. :holycow: