"How to be a good sitter" in 20 minutes...advice appreciated!

I'm signed up to give a 20-30 minute class on tarot at a Fall Faire sponsored by the little meta shop where I read.

The Faire is a benefit for the local food bank. Readers are volunteering all day and the short readings $5 fee will go to the food bank.

The following week I'm offering a 2-1/2 hour "Intro to Tarot" class, so the Faire is a chance to advertise myself.

I want to focus the Faire class (love that "e") on how to get a good reading--how to be a good sitter, in other words--rather than on how to read the cards yourself, which is the topic for the longer class.

I figured I'd start with common tarot myths, to see what folks have heard, and do a little bit of tarot history (not Egyptian, etc.) and talk about stuff like how to refine your question...

Suggestions? Thank you!

eta: I've linked the flyer for the Faire as my "website."

If you only have around 20 minutes, I would skip the history and deal with the myths in the 10 minute question period at the end. Suggest focusing on: formulating your question, watching the cards and seeing if they evoke personal reactions, jotting down brief notes, asking good clarifying questions of the reader.

Alta

Debra said:

I want to focus the Faire class (love that "e") on how to get a good reading--how to be a good sitter, in other words--rather than on how to read the cards yourself, which is the topic for the longer class

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Yeah, I think rather than redefine your question, I would say the importance of actually having a question! When I read, Im amazed at how people tend to think they're hoping to get just a general "future" reading, which they may well get.

Even when you say they ought to have a question (general subject begets general reading = not really very useful!) it tends to be "I want to know about the future" or "I want to know about my job".

And also the importance of participating in a reading. I like it when people lean over and add comments; "gosh, he looks how I feel right now!" I like this, and it invariably contributed to the reading. I don't like the sort of reading when the sitter sits back in an awed silence as if gazing at the Delphic Oracle. I like readings to be interactive, conversational, but maybe that's just me!

Oh and teach the sitters that there are many different ways to shuffle and that it neednt involve ramming cards in and bending them! It's extraordinary how difficult shuffling can be for people. Sometimes it's as if they've never seen cards before... Funny... But it's alright to do little piles or spread them out on the table..

Now that's funny (about the history !!!)

How to be a good sitter is a great idea. Also how to phrase a question so that it isn't totally limiting. ETA as LeFanu says ! though I do like a general reading - it is "unwise" to ask for your future laid out on the table....

I wrote up a blog post about this awhile ago -- maybe it will help you? [personal blog link removed by moderator - please use the 'Website' button below this post

Feel free to use any/none of my post!

Good luck!

I recently wrote an article about that, but I bet its quite useless since its in Swedish! My focus was more on how the ister would get more quality in their readings, but in my opinion thats more or less the same as being a good attentive sitter!

I divided everything in 3 parts:

*Before the reading - as said by others: How to ask the right right questions!

*During the reading - How to really own your reading: Be focused, attentive, b ring paper and pen and not beign afraid to ask questions!

*After the readings - I also tell them to be attentive to their dreams a couple of days after the reading and not being afraid to ask again if something is unclear! I also mention that its really important to take care of your body, heart and soul after an intense reading.

~Don't get hysterical if the Death card shows up.

~Don't bring a spouse or a friend to "sit in".

~Don't bring children. Especially not really young ones.

~Don't bring your lunch.

That's about all I can think of just now.

Grizabella said:

~Don't bring your lunch.

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I actually wouldn't mind if a sitter brought lunch so long as s/he brought some for me too! Or at least a pie or some cookies. In fact, maybe I will make that a requirement from now on!

I'm sorry I didn't realize I was breaking a forum rule with my post above. Please disregard.

Anyway, the jist of what I wrote about this earlier was that the sitter should be upfront and clear on the expectations of the reading. For example, I had had clients come in and ask for a "general reading" and then after I throw cards and tell them about their career or education or spiritual changes they look at me blankly and say, "Okay well that's fine but what about my love life?!?!" If you want a reading on romance, ask for one! The universe is not as emotionally invested in your love life as you are!

The other advice I have is to find a reader who shares similar philosophies to you. For example, I'm really uncomfortable with mediums or people who channel angels or dead relatives -- so I don't think I could expect a productive reading from someone who does that. But there are plenty of readers out there who I do jive with philosophically and can give me excellent readings!

Good luck with your class!

Hey, these are really great ideas! And Bloudwedd, the idea of a three-part "before, during, after" structure just put everything right into place for me! Thanks so much, everyone.

I'll let you know how it goes (we're counting down the days; the shop is in a tizzy!)

Hello Debra,

I think you're doing a fine project there and I wish you a lot of success.

I can see how the idea about the structure of your course came to be, with tarot being such a huge topic. Twenty minutes isn't much time and the question obviously is what to present in that timespan.

However, I'd think your audience would propably have different expectations. I can't imagine they'd be happy to just get some talk about how to do something. They'd propably be after at least a very tiny direct experience. It's similar to dinner time: When you go to the table and the food and drink is there in front of you, you really like to start. You don't want talk about what need to observe during collecting of herbs.

So, can you imagine a way of teaching them at least a little bit of practical tarot? Some way they get to touch their cards, look at them and discover something?

There are many ways to approach this (use a subset of the cards, use RWS and let them read by going into the picture, have them select personal cards from the majors, teach them a very simple reading method and let them try it with their neighbors and so on). Depends on what you like to do. But I think it's important to let them do something and let them experience the cards.

Have fun
N.