Reading for people of different cultures.

As usual, discussion on a previous topic has created another one for me.

What are you thoughts, suggestions, experiences of reading for someone of a very different culture?

Like I said in another thread, reading for someone from Nigeria is very different than reading for someone from the US or UK. People of different cultures have different preconceptions of divination, card reading, etc.

Anyone got any thoughts or stories?

oh, i don't know if it really matters if you're from different cultures. i mean, here on A.T. are a ton of folks from all over the world, and different religious beliefs, and such. AT is a huge melting pot of differences, and yet we offer readings to one another and share and learn from each other.

it may be a bit different from what you are thinking, since everyone here, obviously has an interest in tarot. but, i would think anyone who came for areading is the same too. unless i'm majorly missing something in your question?

so, what I"m saying is 'a reading is a reading, no matter your culture'.

Splungeman said:

As usual, discussion on a previous topic has created another one for me.

What are you thoughts, suggestions, experiences of reading for someone of a very different culture?

Like I said in another thread, reading for someone from Nigeria is very different than reading for someone from the US or UK. People of different cultures have different preconceptions of divination, card reading, etc.

Anyone got any thoughts or stories?

Click to expand...

Oh yeah...

I'm in the US, and we as a society are overall less inclined to believe and/or support "divination". The country incorporated a lot of Judeo-Christian tenets in its founding and growth and that is evident in the laws that some states have against "Fortune-telling." People wear that whole Witch of Endor thing (in the Old Testament) into the ground.

Now within the US, there are definite cultural differences...some based on the said J-C tenets, some not.

For example: I'm black (or an American of African descent) and there is a big taboo against any type of divination within the black community, mainly due to the perceptions of the black church and its leaders (e.g., "The Bible says divination is a sin...you can't pretend to be God", etc, etc.)...although we tend to play numbers (especially based on dream interpretation) and incorporate superstitions into our daily lives. People who can read cards or use other forms of divination are portrayed as evil, satanic, etc. And then you add those who have studied voudoun (voodoo), santeria, or any other religion and next thing you know, your name is on the prayer list at church so that your soul won't be damned.

However...everyone has that member of the family who has "The Sight" or "can see things." LOL

I find it ironic since American blacks are an amalgamation of cultures, especially Native American and African. The Native Americans are a mystic people, as Africans tend to be, and divination is an integral part of those cultures. Of course, this is based on what I've read; I've never been to Africa, so I can't say firsthand. And my Native American ancestors are long dead.

Within the "New Age" community, there are relatively few black practitioners that I have seen. Whenever I'm at a gathering of like minds, I'm one of the few pieces of pepper in the pot.

Just my $.02.

T.

got off topic!

I said all that to say...yes, there is a difference reading for cultures in the US, depending on if they are of like mind or not. Like-minded folks don't bat an eye at readings, etc, and you can use certain terminology and speak of certain things with comfort. But for those who are kind of sneaking around to get a reading (for fear that their local reverent, pastor, etc. may get wind of it), you have to pull your punches a bit.

But that's just my experience.

T.

Yes, there's a difference in reading for different cultures. I tried doing readings on Kasamba for awhile, and there are much different expectations from some cultures as to what a reading is supposed to be as compared to reading for Americans and Brits, for instance. Other cultures want predictions made and questions answered like "when will I marry?" and "how many children will I have and what will their sexes be?" or "who is my husband seeing?" Americans and others are more into getting readings for life guidance and counselling. Especially if they've participated here or somewhere like here.

Fudugazi would be a good person to ask about it. Maybe she'll contribute here on this thread if she sees it. She's travelled widely around the world and I think would have some really good answers to the question. She was in another discussion about this once and had interesting things to say.

I don't want to, or mean to do any stereotypical racial/cultural profiling here, but I live in a town with a lot of Asian and Mexican Immigrants, and this is my experience. this does not refer to people who are assimilated into the culture, but new arrivals.

I find that people from Asia and Mexico have different expectations from readings than standard (Is there a standard?) Issue white Americans do. The Immigrant Asians I have read for take the whole things very seriously, ask very pointed, deliberate detailed questions, and don't do much discussion during the reading. Lots of Immigration issues, job issues, all very practical, long-range questions. It seems to be pretty Oracular to them; there is a tendency to view the reading as set in stone rather than as the result of choices made, that can change with different choices. However, they do make life-choices based on readings, that's usually why they come for readings.

With the Mexican immigrants, it is also taken very seriously, but is less used as a life-planning session, more as information on emotional issues, marital problems, jobs, and if they are cursed by someone, and who....with something of an expectation that you are a Bruja of some sort, and can give them spells, etc., to avert misfortune.

Neither of these groups are much interested in spiritual issues and growth. a reader I know says that she sees it as connected to Maslow's (spelling?) heirarchy of needs--before people are going to spend time, money and energy on spiritual guidance from Tarot, they must have their survival and emotional needs met. She feels it is more a issue of Income than Culture. I see it as some of both.

After being in the UK for a few days, I worry I won't be able to understand them or they won't be able to understand me because of our accents.

magpie9 said:

With the Mexican immigrants, it is also taken very seriously, but is less used as a life-planning session, more as information on emotional issues, marital problems, jobs, and if they are cursed by someone, and who....with something of an expectation that you are a Bruja of some sort, and can give them spells, etc., to avert misfortune.

Click to expand...

Although I don't work with immigrant population, I can tell that most mexican people still believe that any person who reads Tarot is also into witchcraft, astrology and/or any other kind of hollistic therapy, at the same time many readers offer the Tarot reading only as a previous step to any magical work, Querents ask for some witchcraft jod and the Tarot gives it, is a terrible circle I see very difficult to break, we are light years away from Querents that think about Tarot readers as some sort of counselling professional so most of the reading are about cheating couples and as magpie9 said, concerns about beign cursed.

Now regarding the main question, I think is our duty educate our Querents no matter what the culture or background is about what a Tarot reading can do and what not, so they adjust their expectation and hopefully start making questions with another mind frame.

I'm interested in seeing where this discussion goes.


I'm a first generation daughter of a Mexican immigrant and while I don't go and face problems of having to hide what I do or anything like that, it's interesting to see how tarot is treated from my Mexican family's perspective versus how everyone on the "American side" sees it.

With friends and family who are mostly Americanized, it's ya, no big deal- something you do for fun sometimes and if you really want to work through your problems; it's interactive.

With family from Mexico and such, it's seen WAYYYYY more seriously. It's not about working with the tarot as much as seeing an expert who tells you how it is and that's all there is to it. I think it goes past the simple subtlety of superstitions, but more like magpie said: you're held in a different light and maybe more of a Bruja who you consult and divines. There's really no sense of "interaction" and "working with the tarot"- it just is what it is and the cards and meanings are taken at unchanging face value.

The only thing close to a local "psychic" we have in my Texas town is a mexican lady who runs a shop with various candles, incense, herbs, and catholic stuff. It's kind of an odd Catholic/ supernatural store. She does candle readings, plain 'ol psychic readings and occasionally Tarot. She wears a crucifix around her neck at all times and considers herself a Christian. Her clients are primarily spanish speaking hispanics.

She is a remarkable and very kind lady. Her father lives in the nursing home where I work, so I see her on a regular basis when she's in visiting her father. It told her about my newfound love for Tarot and she occasionally asks me how it's going.

Anyway...where I'm going with this is that it would seem she gets a lot of business from Mexicans (many non-english speaking immigrants) who do not consider her a witch in the very least. She attends Catholic mass regularly!

SO...perhaps the Mexican view of these things is more complex than we have so far discussed?