Question for ex-beginners

I was wondering when did you guys feel it was time for you to start doing readings for others? I've only started learning tarot about 2 months ago and done very few practices for other people that I know and only 1 girl that I didn't know and felt drawn to do reading for her. I haven't done reading for anyone at aeclectic forum yet, I don't feel ready yet (i'm chickened out)

Hi VoodoGyal!!!

Putting your toe in the (Tarot reading) water is wonderfully refreshing!! Bit by bit you will immerse yourself until you are swimming - freely, fluently, relaxed and enjoying everything about the experience!!

Maybe you could consider joing one of the reading exchange groups - they are great and keep you in touch with reading for others. Feedback will benefit your readings so much too. Just have a browse through some of them and see which one feels right for you to join. There are also some in the Oracle and faeries section!!

When you're ready - you will know - but everyone here is so accomodating and ready to help - theres no harm in letting others know your experience - it helps heaps.

You're on the right forum to learn and discover your abilities and find your comfort zone with readings. Maybe its something you can consider for the year - the year you started reading for others!! Your confidence will soar!

Many blessings and good luck with your endevour!!
Elven x

Come on, Jump in!

If you feel called to read for others there's no better place to start than the Newbie Forums and the various other groups here. I've developed great connections with people that all I know about is what they wrote in their member profiles, and reading for each other created a real bond. I'm sure many others will implore you to jump in and get started and see how fast you begin to get really inside your readings.

Getting completely involved in reading for another defeats the chicken.

Sign up, VooDooGyal, sign up!

~B~

Definitely join a reading group -- the Newbie Exchange is quite wonderful, and really, this is a great place to read for others. The bottom line, for me at least, is that reading for others stretches my intuition -- especially if I don't know the people or can't SEE them... I have to go with what the card tells me and what that whisper in my head says... And, especially at Aeclectic, if you make mistakes or get something wrong, no one will be terribly upset. We all here to learn, and part of that is working together to learn together.

At least, so has been my experience. Despite the fact that I've had the desire to read a lot for others this last week, about the only place I do that most of the time is in the Circle of Stones... And sometimes (not for awhile, though due to time constraints) the Newbie Exchange. Really, give it a try... You'll see... It's a really good thing.

Julien

Hey Voodoogayl...
I'm still a beginner it feels like some days... but the way I did it was in steps... posting my readings for others interpretations and then adding my interpretations to other peoples readings... I'd been reading for about a year before I ever read for anyone and (this was before any of the circles or beginner exchanges) offered to do a reading exchange with someone... it was scary, but the more I did it, the more comfortable I felt with it. Then the reading circles started and it's really been wonderful experience. I've only had one live guinea pig, none of my friends are into tarot, so far all my readings have been for members online or freinds I chat with on MSN.

Oh... I just wanted to add a cautionary note... about posting your readings... I started using it as a crutch for affirmation that I was getting the giest of it instead of trusting myself.

Thank you all for the encouragement!! I think I'm ready to dive into the "water"! Just waiting for the right moment when the water is just calm enough (ie the current circle to finished).

Just one more comment, I'm not familiar with all the cards in the RWS, There are groups of cards that I'm more likely to get than other cards. Do you think it would be advisable to get to know all my cards before I actually get into the circle of reading or not let that stop me galloping all the way at all?

I started doing readings for others when I first started to learn tarot, and never stopped. My idea of tarot at the time was that it was made to read for others and to explore oneself, and since the only book I owned back then (78 Degrees of Wisdom) didn't say when was the right time, I figured it was straight-away. I made it clear to all my friends I was just practising on them, and they were happy to oblige me (I am very grateful to those early guinea pigs!). When I didn't know something & felt my intuition dry up, I consulted my notes or even the book in front of them! But they were very tolerant and even said it was useful to them . After about 6 months, I bought Tarot for Yourself, which has useful exercises to explore the cards intuitively and imaginatively - it helped me in reading for others. Little by little I learnt to trust my knowledge and intuition more, and above all, I developed a reading style based on conversation, exchange and getting together to what the cards might mean to the querent (for example, an image on a card might remind them of a dream, and we will then explore the dream and the image together). I think the fact I started reading for others from the start (I think I tried it out on one of my flatmates the very evening I got my cards!) led me to develop that interactive style.

So the right time is - when it feels like the right time to you!

I wouldn't say I'm an ex-beginner, but I did readings for others pretty much as soon as I took up tarot. I love reading for others because it's great practice and you will be able to get feedback from the people you read for. The important thing is don't rush it. If you feel you are not prepared to read for others, then simply don't. Don't be scared either! Let the cards speak to you and everything will work out fine

lad

VoodooGyal said:

Thank you all for the encouragement!! I think I'm ready to dive into the "water"! Just waiting for the right moment when the water is just calm enough (ie the current circle to finished).

Just one more comment, I'm not familiar with all the cards in the RWS, There are groups of cards that I'm more likely to get than other cards. Do you think it would be advisable to get to know all my cards before I actually get into the circle of reading or not let that stop me galloping all the way at all?

Click to expand...

Jump in... use your intuition... look at the cards themselves and see what they tell you... don't worry too much about the book meanings... in fact write down your impressions first... then if it makes you feel better look up the meanings... but don't let it stop you from joining in the circles.

Got to echo the above advice - learn the cards through practice as much as study and the two will gradually merge and reinforce each other. Experience will breed confidence too. Good luck.