Still working on how to handle a caller who wants a "fortune teller" type reading

Still working on how to handle a caller who wants a "fortune teller" type reading

As I'm still very new to the whole process of phone readings (barely a month into the job), there are still some occurrences that are either brand new to me, or are things I have very little practical experience with.

One of the "very little experience" issues is how to deal with people who want a fortune-teller type reading. When I read cards, I see the images and I start discussing the things that the caller can do to bring about their goals. I got a lady last night who didn't WANT that. She wanted to know about a relationship, but what she actually wanted was a blow-by-blow description of what was going to happen, as if she was a bystander in the relationship process.

As I said, when I do a reading, my normal perceptions when I lay cards out are things like "this is what's going on, and these are the things you can do to bring about what you want to see happen." So this particular caller ended the conversation mid-reading.

I know I can't satisfy everyone, because no one person can do that. And fortunately, I haven't run into a lot of people with that particular mindset. Most people WANT to know what they can do and most people LIKE to be empowered.

But... here is my question. When I do get a caller who wants a fortune teller and not a reader, how can I handle it so even THEY get a reading experience that leaves them with at least some satisfaction? Is there a different way to present what I'm getting from the cards in the reading, a way that's not occurring to me at the moment?

While I know it's humanly impossible to satisfy all of the people all of the time, I'm not willing to just write off the people who want their fortune told as impossible cases. I feel like if I take that attitude, I'm being unfair and pre-judging an entire group of callers who are seeking readings. I keep thinking that maybe there's another approach I can take with them, something that will resonate better with them and also sit well with me and my non-fortune-teller style of reading.

For now, I'm going to just keep doing what I do, my best, and hope it'll get through to at least some of them. But any additional techniques or perspectives I can draw on will definitely be welcomed.

I see this as being a common experience for a lot of readers who go from AT to the phone and online readings as a paid venue. They don't realize that a lot of what's learned here is "new" Tarot while the rest of the world who uses the online and phone readings is still "old school". Here on AT you learn a lot of techniques that have come along more recently---I'm not sure where they all came from but quite honestly, I suspect some of it is timidity on the part of readers to stick their neck out there and make an actual prediction for fear they'll be wrong (I know---I'm gonna get slaughtered for saying that but bring it on if you really must. ) and then too, there are those who want to use the cards as a method of therapy or counseling, whether or not they're formally licensed to do that. People like to claim high degrees of "accuracy" and if they just tell a fortune, their actual accuracy rates will probably scootch down quite a bit.

I believe that the readers here read for tons of different reasons and depending on which reasons you read for, you're going to either be well-equipped or ill-equipped to dive into the phone and internet readings pool for places like Keen and Kasamba (I always forget what it's called now.) Just my opinion---if you fall into the category of a reader who isn't willing or able to make predictions, then you probably shouldn't try to sign on with places like that because an awful lot of your clients want predictive readings. Having signed on already, a reader has the choice of either jumping the fence or finding some other way of earning money with readings.

Now, I want to say loudly and clearly that in no way is this the "fault" of AT. AT is the biggest and best place on earth to learn about Tarot and reading the cards. Any preferences or mistakes we learn here are purely a result of there being thousands of individual members doing their learning and reading and socializing, NOT the fault of AT as a forum.

And anyway, I'm also not saying that how any individual chooses to approach their readings is wrong. Wrong for me, maybe, but not wrong wrong. All I'm saying is that maybe what's been learned here or elsewhere isn't a good fit for a phone or online reading service you sign on with.

shelikes2read said:

... here is my question. When I do get a caller who wants a fortune teller and not a reader...

Click to expand...

This is me sticking my neck out.

Who's to say they are exclusive of each other?

Sometimes, it is how we word our answers.

First off, trust the cards. The answer is there.

Second, you're on the phone. “Ahhh, the Seven of Hairbrushes” means nothing to them. “The suit of Hairbrushes indicates Ordo ab Chao. Sevens indicate the entropic field descending upon...”

See – they don't care.

However if you answer, “ahhh – I see that chaos is beginning to insert itself in your life path” that's something they can understand.

Its more a style of presentation as opposed to what the symbol on the chest of Temperance means.

We know the answer is there, it's how we couch our words.

When one begins reading outcome cards as outcome cards – and we don't rob the sitter of their own free will – styles no longer matter. The differences between a fortune teller and a reader become moot.

I agree with Umbrae.

Also, If you don't want to do "fortune telling" readings then state that clearly on your site {or wherever you advertise} and you won't get those type of calls. I am not a professional reader, but am definitely a 'sitter" to a fortune telling reader. So I hope that you don't mind that I answer as a sitter.

I personally wouldn't pay a 'reader" but a 'fortune teller". That, to me as a non professional reader and sitter, is what I want. I know there are many others who do the fortune telling. I also agree that telling the outcome won't do anything for their free will. It may if nothing else, give a much needed warning or sign they are on the right path. As a reader, you have to decide what you want to do. If you don't want to do those type of readings then don't. I would say to let the sitters know BEFORE they have already given you their money, driven to meet you, etc. It should be upfront and clearly noted imho. While you may not want to do those type of readings, that is what some paid clients want. It is just as much their right to get what they want for their money as you. So if you don't do those then send them to someone who will. That wil make everyone happy and maybe later they will give your reading a try. I can 'read" for myself, but I pay to know {detail by detail} what is going to happen if I don't change directions, etc. It has worked for me for years and that is what "I" expect as a sitter.

It is perfectly okay if you don't want to do that. Just be very clear upfront so as not to tick people off who think they are getting a certain type of reading they paid for. I am not sure how to "mix" the two if you don't want to tell their future.

I am sure that you will figure it out. I know that your readings are good. Good luck!
BeyondtheVeil

Umbrae said:

This is me sticking my neck out.

Who's to say they are exclusive of each other?

Sometimes, it is how we word our answers.

First off, trust the cards. The answer is there.

Second, you're on the phone. “Ahhh, the Seven of Hairbrushes” means nothing to them. “The suit of Hairbrushes indicates Ordo ab Chao. Sevens indicate the entropic field descending upon...”

See – they don't care.

However if you answer, “ahhh – I see that chaos is beginning to insert itself in your life path” that's something they can understand.

Its more a style of presentation as opposed to what the symbol on the chest of Temperance means.

We know the answer is there, it's how we couch our words.

When one begins reading outcome cards as outcome cards – and we don't rob the sitter of their own free will – styles no longer matter. The differences between a fortune teller and a reader become moot.

Click to expand...

That's the problem. The caller said she wanted a relationship reading. I laid out cards and saw, and described, what the caller could do to promote the relationship she wanted. Most people *like* getting empowered by the cards. Not this caller. She got impatient and snapped, "Will he call me? That's all I want to know."

That was my clue that she and I speak different dialects of Tarot; my style is to highlight proactive behavior wherever possible and her preferred reading style appeared to be a more reactive or predictive style. I pulled another couple of cards, as the ones in front of me were related to HER and what SHE could do for the relationship.

And again, I looked at the additional cards and my brain started processing the proactive possibilities that were open to the caller. Fortunately, one of the cards was the Nine of Cups, so I was able to give her an affirmative answer, but I found it more challenging than I'd expected to switch gears and try to interpret the cards in the manner that the caller was looking for.

Maybe seeing the cards in the manner that would more closely match that caller's question just takes practice. Maybe there'll also be the occasional caller whom I'll have to tell, "What the cards are telling me is something different than what you're asking. Sometimes that happens when there's an important detail that the caller needs to know..." and proceed to relate the message in front of me. (I've already had that happen once, where the caller asked questions about her beau and the cards that came up were related to the caller herself. That time, the caller was fine with the direction the reading took.)

I'm really glad that most callers are willing and able to have readings with proactive content. I made a point of describing in my little bio paragraph that the future is something that we shape for ourselves, rather than being something carved in stone. But not everyone reads the bio -- some of my calls probably come to me via the automated system sending callers to the next available reader. So I'm occasionally going to get someone who wants the future described to them, rather than a blueprint for how to sculpt the future they'd like to see.

But I was a tad surprised last night by how challenging it was to look at the cards and seek the kind of answer that the caller was looking for. I guess it's just another avenue for me to apply my knowledge and grow as a reader, in a way I wouldn't have done if I'd stayed reading just for myself and friends.

It sounds like you did a great job! I would let the caller know if the cards come up with a different answer for another question. I would do exactly what you said about "The cards have an important message that isn't related to the question you asked". Who could be mad at that? You can always throw the cards after they receive the message to find the answer/help for the question asked first. It seems that you have worked it out yourself on how to handle it. Great job! Maybe you just needed reassurance?


If they get switched to you automatically, you can still upfront tell them that you don't do "fortune telling" readings. I see no harm in that and it helps everyone understand what to expect.

BeyondtheVeil

I've been reading for a little while now, and one sitter asked me, "Will I be with the one I truly love?" or something like that. I knew I wasn't supposed to answer questions like that, but I thought, 'F*** it!" and shuffled the cards. I dealt the Nine of Cups, and you know what? I said, "Yes, you will." And that was it.

i think lines are blurred, its hard to say that you wont do anything predictive because then you often break your own rules without realising it.

I often have to mitigate things when doing something thats predictive in saying "if you continue to follow this path, this is the outcome, however if you change your path then things will likely change"

most sitters will ask for a mixture of things, i know i do.

A quote another tarot reading told me about a sitting she had:
" the sitter said that all the things about the past were correct, but all the things about the future she had got wrong..."

Umbrae said:

This is me sticking my neck out.

Who's to say they are exclusive of each other?

Sometimes, it is how we word our answers.

First off, trust the cards. The answer is there.

Second, you're on the phone. “Ahhh, the Seven of Hairbrushes” means nothing to them. “The suit of Hairbrushes indicates Ordo ab Chao. Sevens indicate the entropic field descending upon...”

See – they don't care.

However if you answer, “ahhh – I see that chaos is beginning to insert itself in your life path” that's something they can understand.

Its more a style of presentation as opposed to what the symbol on the chest of Temperance means.

We know the answer is there, it's how we couch our words.

When one begins reading outcome cards as outcome cards – and we don't rob the sitter of their own free will – styles no longer matter. The differences between a fortune teller and a reader become moot.

Click to expand...

I totally agree with this. Just do the reading and tell the sitter what the cards say will happen... let THEM figure out how to get there. If the reading is not that positive, then pull some cards asking for advice on how to alleviate the problem. This to me would seem much EASIER than trying to tell them what they can do:

shelikes2read said:

As I said, when I do a reading, my normal perceptions when I lay cards out are things like "this is what's going on, and these are the things you can do to bring about what you want to see happen." So this particular caller ended the conversation mid-reading.

Click to expand...

After all, how do you know your advice will be good? Do you want to tell them they should pick job A over job B? (I think you need to be a really good psychic for that!!)
I regularly have readings from a very good psychic and she has said a few times that "I see this situation coming about... but I can't tell how this will happen (something along those lines)".
I would be more worried about telling someone what the best course of action is than just saying the cards say this will happen. A reading to me is more a mirror for the client to reflect on their situation and listen to their own inner voice so THEY can make the right decisions.
Some readers I have found will give "common sense" advice such as "take Vitamin C, be careful etc" but who wants to pay for this??

Umbrae said:

This is me sticking my neck out.

Who's to say they are exclusive of each other?

Sometimes, it is how we word our answers.

First off, trust the cards. The answer is there.

Second, you're on the phone. “Ahhh, the Seven of Hairbrushes” means nothing to them. “The suit of Hairbrushes indicates Ordo ab Chao. Sevens indicate the entropic field descending upon...”

See – they don't care.

However if you answer, “ahhh – I see that chaos is beginning to insert itself in your life path” that's something they can understand.

Its more a style of presentation as opposed to what the symbol on the chest of Temperance means.

We know the answer is there, it's how we couch our words.

When one begins reading outcome cards as outcome cards – and we don't rob the sitter of their own free will – styles no longer matter. The differences between a fortune teller and a reader become moot.

Click to expand...

Exactly! They don't want a history lesson or to hear all your extra knowledge of the cards, they just want the answer to their questions. When you take them all around Robin Hood's barn to get there, you're just wasting their money and money is dear for readings.