To ask or Not to ask

I live in a more "back woods" kinda' place, even though its a small city. And I read a lot of people that are more or less "skeptic", even if their interested.

So, I don't like them to ask me the question, because I like to show how good I am that I can answer it based off of what the cards say. So far Only missed it twice...(in the last few years)... and they were more "frivolous" people any way lol.

But I find that if I know what they want to ask about, I can Hone in on what the cards are say faster and they are clearer (the clarity that comes with the "post reading" discussion) ...

But I don't want them to think I'm just making it up, so I don't let them ask me the question... Just the basic... Is this Love, Money, Basic question, or general... so i know what spread would work best....
Curious about others opinions about this topic...

Different readers have different preferences and there isn't any right or wrong. Some prefer to know a background and some prefer not to know anything. Personally, I prefer to know a little around their question to some extent. Not very much, but at least enough to know what part of their lives they have a question about. In my opinion, it's whatever the reader feels is going to provide the best and most expedient reading for the sitter.

I agree that it's important that you read 'cold' for your sitters. Here's why: When you give them information that only they know, you affirm what they've already experienced. This is very beneficial for them, because many people come for a reading when they're beginning to doubt their own perceptions and need an independent party to look at the situation from the outside. I find that the process of affirmation helps to open the person's energy field, so that they're more accepting of the guidance that the cards provide.

Sometimes, after my first scan of the cards, I feel prompted by what I've seen to ask a quick question, like 'are you in a relationship', or 'how's your financial situation going?'. If they launch into a rave, I politely let them know that we can talk about that later and that I'd like to finish reading before we chat about it. I find that when I know too much, it skews my understanding of the cards. Once I've finished interpreting, I'm happy to have a 'post reading' discussion and, as you say, lots usually becomes very clear in this.

I also use 3 hand made cards in my readings. One has a quick past/present/future spread written on it, one has a layout that looks more at where the person's currently at, and the last one is a spread that looks at what the person is asking and what resources they have to draw on. They're on white card; the backs have pictures of roses on them - all very similar. At the beginning of the reading I ask the sitter to choose one of the roses and I go from there. I find this helps enormously - the spread they draw lets me know where they're at, so that I can get a better 'grip' on their current reality.

That's my opinion

hazlit said:

I agree that it's important that you read 'cold' for your sitters. Here's why: When you give them information that only they know, you affirm what they've already experienced. This is very beneficial for them, because many people come for a reading when they're beginning to doubt their own perceptions and need an independent party to look at the situation from the outside. I find that the process of affirmation helps to open the person's energy field, so that they're more accepting of the guidance that the cards provide.

Sometimes, after my first scan of the cards, I feel prompted by what I've seen to ask a quick question, like 'are you in a relationship', or 'how's your financial situation going?'. If they launch into a rave, I politely let them know that we can talk about that later and that I'd like to finish reading before we chat about it. I find that when I know too much, it skews my understanding of the cards. Once I've finished interpreting, I'm happy to have a 'post reading' discussion and, as you say, lots usually becomes very clear in this.

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I'm completely with you on this. I can't add a word to it. Imagine! Nisaba, speechless!