My first live reading with Thoth - What a bust

Okay, today I was all excited about reading with Thoth for the first time. So I had carefully set up a reading table, with a beautiful silk cloth, decorating it with beautiful seashells, aromatic tea-light candles, and a large votive candle in the center. My Thoth deck was smudged with lavender, and I was waiting eagerly for my querent.

An hour and a half (from the appointed time) passed by and then I get a call, "Hey, I kinda forgot about the reading, can I come in 20?" Biting my lowerlip to prevent myself from cussing her tardy ass off, I smiled sweetly and said it would be alright. Forty minutes later she arrives, all smiles, carrying bags from certain stores at the mall that's barely 10 minutes from where I live. I take a few deep cleansing breaths to calm myself down, as she begins to sit opposite to me. When I ask her to do the same, she goes like, "Oh-okay, lemme get rid of this gum first", pulling a disgusting pinkish mould from her mouth and placing it in it's wrapper, while her lips smacked, causing noises more repulsive than Fran Drescher's mother in the show The Nanny. Just as I ground myself and am about to offer her the cards... guess what... her cellphone rings. Gazing at the screen, her eyes bright up, without a courteous "Please excuse me", she took the call and for about fifteen minutes I had to hear about how some woman kept claiming that her husband's family was after her. Man, that woman could bitch about anything and everything under the sun.

Just as I'm about to give up, she ends the call and goes, "Okay, so my question is, Will I be invited over to the launch party of so and so magazine". (Wannabe socialite, desperate for attention and publicity). Trying my best to control my urge to bitch-slap her mouthy lil mug, I asked her if this was really what she wanted to know. She went like, "Not really, I originally wanted to know how long it would take me to lose five pounds for the party, but now I learnt that my rival is incharge of invites, hence I want to know whether I'd be invited or not". (Cue my innerself plunging down an infernal pit)

As luck would have it, her cellphone rung again and after five minutes of hysterical screeches, she claimed she had to go. Rushing out the door, and speeding away in her car. I deleted her number and threw away her card. I can't read for that mess.

This is probably the universe's way of telling me that it's not the right time to start reading for others in real life.

Go figure!

I'm so sorry that happened to you, but you had a delightful way of telling it. Hope it goes better next time!

I'm sorry this was so unpleasant for you! I have to say, though, that this sort of thing happens quite often once you've hung out your shingle, so to speak.

I don't know what other readers do, but what works for me is to go to my inner neutral space anytime I am about to begin reading, which allows me to stay detached from what would otherwise be very distracting thoughts about a querent's childishness, greed, lack of evolvement, how they're putting a coffee cup down on my beautiful spreadcloth, etc.

I also have a rule that I will wait 20 minutes for anyone, 21 for no one. At the point where she called, it would have been perfectly acceptable in my opinion for you to tell her you had had to continue on with your day, and there was no appointment time available.

Just out of curiosity, where did you meet this woman?

My god..

It's a pity she didn't stay... I think the Thoth would have had a lot of fun with that one!

Well it doesn't seem to be the fault of the poor Thoth deck, just a really insensitive querent. She certainly seems to have less than no understanding that Tarot is a spiritual tool. And no respect for it either. I would not give her a second chance.

I'd like to say that the only time I have ever read for someone in person was a total disaster too. It was a girl I worked with at the time. I had my cards at work with me and she wanted a reading during lunch, which I agreed to do. I was very very careful to explain to here that the cards did not necessarily mean what their names implied. That the Death card did not mean she would die, that the Devil card did not mean the real Devil was trying to contact her...I actually remember before I started explaining it to her.

So as soon as I pull the cards, out come the Death card. And I never saw a look on someone like that before in my life. Her eyes were like literallay spinning in circles. And she kepy saying: "I knew it, I'm going to die!!!" Over and over again.

I was talking to her and it's like she could not hear a word I said after, just total panic. I kept saying over and vofer that it has nothing to do with death, and she kept saying over and over "I knew it, I'm going to die!!!"

I know she did not hear a word I said afterwards. Then she literally ran out of the room, did not speak to the next few days and then quit her job.

I was pretty sure at that point that there was an experience that I did not ever want to repeat. To me Tarot is always a tool to help other and never to cause them any harm. I know I harmed that woman, but I never knew what I could do differently. She seriously did not listen to me before during or after.

That decided me that I do not care for reading for others in person. I do read for others now, but I have decided I am a reader who prefers remote readings. And they do work remarkably well and can be just as scary accurate as in person ones. The querent just gives me the question and I do it alone and type it all up (images of the cards included) and either e-mail it to them or hand it to them in person.

That way I can take as long as I want to to mull things over. Usually my readings take more than one day to complete. And you don't have to worry about the querent's actions irritating you as they are not there.

I've been reading remotely for others for about a year now. I know I have helped a lot of people that way. And I am hoping as well over the next few months to get a web site going and do some professionally.

Reading for others does not have to be done in person. A lot of people prefer doing it in person, but not everyone does. The choice is the reader's.

And yes that was one rude woman in your story. It would have been nice if she had turned her cell phone off for the period of the reading. But if she had not done so and it rang, she should have said that she was too busy to talk....To do less shows no respect for you.

Bar

Indeed .. a "delightful way" of recalling your experience! .. I giggled when i read your post & perhaps it helped to "dump". I for one have no patience with people who "talk" on the phone when they are in the company of another. I'm one of those people who has an answering machine & when i have company i always let any calls "go thru the machine". IF its really necessary for me to answer, i keep it brief by explaining that i have a "guest" & as such will get back to the person later. Perhaps you should set "ground rules" when it comes to reading for others. For instance .. yes they can bring their cell phone, but they are only to use it IF its really necessary & then they are to keep it brief. Same goes for tardiness .. if someone's running late they have 1/2 hr.'s grace .. or in otherwords, they can be 1/2 late &/or they need to phone within 1/2 hr. to let you know they will be delayed & also to confirm that you are still available to read for them. People will walk all over you IF you let them .. so don't .. live & learn!!

SunChariot said:

did not speak to the next few days and then quit her job

Click to expand...

Well, I suppose you were right then. Death often brings about major change and endings. And there she was with a new job in a couple of days, lol.

LB

Go to the trash can...

Go to the trash can, grab her card out then dun her!

Hey, your time is your time. Even if you never get paid, she just might learn something here. If nothing else, not to play mental helter-skelter with YOU.

I would dun her. Hell, find the scariest card from the Thoth deck & put it on the letter head, to boot!

Set that time limit and stick to it. You don't need people like her, but geesh, the Thoth could have ignored her question and told her that she needs to keep her mouth shut more often.

Barb

SunChariot said:

And she kepy saying: "I knew it, I'm going to die!!!" Over and over again.

Click to expand...

Well, I had a lady get the 9 of swords in the position of "what is hidden", and no matter how many times I told her this card was in the hidden position, and meant her negative thoughts were working on her, she kept thinking it was the outcome!

Your story is much worse! Now I can see why one might use a fluffier deck where card 13 is renamed to "Renewal", or "Metamorphosis".

Your story sounds like a nightmare Sunchariot. But don't let it discourage you from reading forever.

firemaiden said:

Well, I had a lady get the 9 of swords in the position of "what is hidden", and no matter how many times I told her this card was in the hidden position, and meant her negative thoughts were working on her, she kept thinking it was the outcome!

Your story is much worse! Now I can see why one might use a fluffier deck where card 13 is renamed to "Renewal", or "Metamorphosis".

Your story sounds like a nightmare Sunchariot. But don't let it discourage you from reading forever.

Click to expand...

Thanks firemaiden.

Isn't it amazing how people tune out and stop listening when scared, just when you are giving them info that can calm them they stop listening. It's almost like they prefer the fear. It was a nightmare at the time, because there was nothing I could do to fix it(sigh) try as I might.

I still read often for others, but I won't do it in person anymore. Over time, I also found that I prefer it that way. I need the peace and quiet to mull ov er the cards, and many of my readings (if not most) take over a day to complte anyway... And I certainly do tons of readings for myself. I could never give up Tarot, it's who I am.

Bar