"You Read Tarot? OOoo DO ME, DO ME!!"

I'm curious how other readers feel about this kind of situation, it's one I find myself in from time to time and I find it uncomfortable, but I'm curious about the other views of Tarot readers out there. Picture this: you're at a bar/party/social club/gathering. There is music playing, there is alcohol flowing, and people of all ages, mentalities and inebriation levels are around.

And then... someone let's the cat out of the bag. "Ohhh Alissa reads Tarot/palms/runes," they announce loudly. I cringe in my chair and shoot death looks at the person whose done this to me.

After that, the stampede begins. "You do? Ooo read my palm!" (Stranger smacks their stiff hand at me and doesn't understand that I'm not interested). "Do you have any cards on you?"

(I could lie, sometimes I do). "I always have a deck on me," I might admit in such a situation.

"I would love a reading, will you do one right now?"

My guess is we will see a variety of answers to the question, but what would *you* do next?

Myself, I *hate* and *detest* these situations, and have made it a point to tell my friends and family do NOT set me up like this. [Although my sister did exactly this about a year ago at a bar with her friends, and I almost killed her. "No, I won't read for you. No, drunken pleading won't change my mind...."] I hate it. I don't want to read in a bar, I don't care how loud the music is (it's often a distraction, at the very least, and I refuse to SCREAM a reading at someone beneath loud speakers), I don't want to read your palm when you're drunk, and I don't want to philosophize on the Satanic origins of Tarot with you, or whether or not our future is set in stone or something we can change, esp. when you and Jack Daniels have your pet theories.

Maybe it's just that I have negative connotations with the situations I've found myself in previously, but I abhor being "outed" in a public place specifically because I don't want others to bombard me with "Read for me!" requests at a moment when I'm not prepared to "be" a reader. It's not that I *can't* read anywhere... it's that I *Won't*. I respect my readings too much, and I feel it's pointless and a waste of time.

I think my other base contention to this issue is the fact that situations like bars and such don't give *me* the respect I deserve. I read for money, or trade. I don't do it for free unless I love you to pieces. So some stranger demanding a free reading is liken to a stranger demanding a free massage from a massage therapist once they discover their profession. It's disrespectful.

As for the setting, inebriation and loud music = inattention. No one gets a reading from me for free - you have to at least Pay Attention. It's not that I can't read when I've been drinking, I've done great readings on occasion, but again, most often I simply won't.

How do you feel? It's a big social gathering, and you've just been outed as a reader. Now folks are curious. They may or may not be inebriated. It may or may not be a quiet atmosphere you're in. But regardless... are you happy to oblige, or angry for being bothered?

My monsterous ego aside . . .

I can just imagine this; Alissa said it so well.

A brief aside:

Someone: "Oh, so you read Tarot cards, huh ?"

Me: "Well, I work with Tarot cards."

Someone: "Then you think you can tell my future, huh?"

Me: "Nope." (But my ego says, bet'cha I could. Honestly, I am not a social worker, I don't have the credentials or qualifications to be a social worker, but you might as well wear a sign saying . . . )

Your problem, Alissa, but, sorry, it did make me smile.

~ Talisman

I think that at a party or bar gathering you have the perfect and polite excuse: I'm not going to risk my cards on some nasty bar surface or around a bunch of people with glasses of pop and cheeto orange fingers.

Of course, there are other things that can happen around groups of people. I used to play Vampire Live Action Roleplaying and I had a character who did various "occult" things. I brought a deck to the game and eventually lost one card and had a few others knocked out of my hand and trampled.

If I still had the deck, I'd go look at the "singles" bar here, but I had no idea this place existed five years ago.

...Sorta depends...
It's an opportunity to do a one or two card reading and drop a business card on them...

however at holiday parties with friends I try to explain that it (the reading) would suck due to distraction and we'd have to go off someplace more private and that'd be kinda rude...and I drop a buisiness card on them, "Call me!"

and at the same time I'm not a performing monkey...

But there are other times when someone comes up and asks and I look in their eyes and...

Well...

I know it is what I have to do at that moment - and no matter how I feel, it is what I do. and it is why I carry my cards with me...and sometimes I gotta swallow my own ego and...

I don't go to places where I cannot hear myself think due to loud music...

Alissa,

I relate totally to what you say.

An opotion answer would be: " I would love to read the cards for you.Here is my number...call me to make an appointment.I only do it in my office.
It's too loud and busy here...I like to give all the full attention to my customers."

There, in that answer you say it all.That you are a professional, that the place is not appropriate and that you respect the person enough to give them the option of a real reading. And that you charge for it.

I have done that and it works very well...of course you will get the occasional just looking for fun/thrill person that will look at you like " you cannot be serious about this"...but the truth is WE ARE.
So they have to live with it...it's on us, the readers to present the Tarot seriously, like something you don't use for enterteinment or show.

Hope this helps you Alissa

Blessings to you

I sometimes go okie, and sometimes I go no. Once I did ask someone if they had £100 coz thats how much I charge lol.

When they start begging and pleading I go 'why do you want a reading?' And then argue on their points on wanting a reading so badly all of a sudden.

Sometimes I get a bit p-ed off and defensive and go ' Would you ask a Christian to bow down and pray for them right now? Well thats how sacred tarot reading is to me'. Usually followed by an explictive.

OH if they throw their hand in your face you could ask them to read your hand gesture

Thankfully though most of my friends that know about my reading tarot, will ask politely and quitely for a reading when I have a spare moment, not in some loud horrible bar.

Ask you can tell, when people do the 'do me do me' thing I get really arsey and not apologise for it lol.

Sezo
x

I feel for you.
It's funny I found out that someone I know at work does tarot readings. I asked her about it in the hallway in passing and ever since then she has sort of "avoided" me.
Either she thought I wanted a reading from her or wanted one from me-not sure. I told her I wasn't that confident to read for others and I certainly would never have asked her for one like that.
The funny thing was I only wanted to bond with someone about the cards. How sad is that.

Doctors and lawyers are faced with the same problem...

In the days when I practiced law, I'd always get asked about people's divorce or dispute with the neighbours over a dodgy gate. Then, not long after I started to read tarot, the same thing would happen.

I don't have a single response - if the seriousness of the situation warrants it, I will give the person an appointment (this is rare). Otherwise, I tell people I'd not be able to do justice to a reading then. I do occasionally do fun-play readings, generally 1-2 cards max.

I'm always amazed at the reaction people have when they find out that you read tarot. It's like some how you've become the "circus freak" and it would be great fun to have their cards read. I usually won't read for people that are just curious, or don't have a serious question. I do sometimes break down and do it. I used to read alot for other people when I first started, but now I mostly read for myself. I've had some good and bad experiences, but the bad outweigh the good.

I went to the laundromat today. I was bored....you know how it can get in those things...so I opened up my purse, took out my deck, started shuffling for a few minutes, laid out three cards for my economic situation....every time someone would pass me, I'd smile at them, like I usually do, but then I noticed....

No one met my gaze!
The floor was suddenly the most interesting place in the world to look for them.

Did I not brush my teeth this morning? Hmmmm....