How long?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Sulis	11 Jul 2002
I`ve been reading tarot for about a year now, I still consider myself a complete novice. What I want to know is how long was it for you all before you felt confident enough to read for other people? One of the reasons why I don`t really mention my interest in tarot to too many people is because they tend to want readings and I just don`t think I could do it. Blessings Crystalmynx xx

cherrywind	11 Jul 2002
I think it probably differs for a lot of people depending on how comfortable one is with the symbolism of the deck. For me it was around a year I believe. I did a lot of one-on-one studying with my first deck before I decided I was comfortable with reading for other people. You also have to take into account how comfortable you are with giving people news that might not be so great. That was something that I found the hardest to do when I started reading for people.

zorya	11 Jul 2002
funny thing was, i started out with a lot of confidence. no problem reading for others. it wasn't until i got older, and realized how little i really knew, that i became nervous. you can always practise here on the forum, where we are all students.

Umbrae	11 Jul 2002
I too started reading for others “before I was ready”. However, it taught me confidence. It also taught me to go beyond the ‘meanings’ provided in the lwb. Do readings. Do a lot of them. It is the only way to learn and grow. Reading books is nice, but not nearly as educational as reading cards for others.

the hermit	12 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by crystalmynx What I want to know is how long was it for you all before you felt confident enough to read for other people? Quote: Originally posted by zorya ...you can always practice here on the forum, where we are all students. Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae Do readings. Do a lot of them. It is the only way to learn and grow. Reading books is nice, but not nearly as educational as reading cards for others. crystalmynx: I started doing readings for others almost immediately in Tarot classes that I took and worried then. I've been reading for over 15 years now and sometimes this old hermit still worries. zorya & Umbrae are offering excellent advice. You can practice with us as your guinea pigs in the "Reading Exchange". We’re all learning here. Read, chat with us, do lots of readings for yourself, keep a journal so you can look at those readings down the road and you will SEE your own progress. Don’t be afraid to read for others. Do your friends, tell them you’re learning and want to share with them. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to help and learn something themselves. Look for some classes in your area. Do daily 1 to 3 card spreads for yourself and others. They’re easier to read and are just as useful as the bigger spreads. Tarot is like anything else… practice, practice, practice.

hyperborea	12 Jul 2002
Crystalmynx I am new to reading cards as well. I used Osho zen tarot for couple of years before I decided to move to Marseille ones. I think that you never feel confident enough if you thinik about it too much. Our minds know deedly squad- is our soul who knows... I learned that reading Tarot you need to be clear about who you are first- so that you get the projections out of the way. But you can only do that my doing and learning. I read for my friends- this way I learn the meaning of the cards (symbolism) and learn to make a final analysis. Friends are great - I tell them is a joint process and that we should take all of it as an additional tool for self reflection- it is like school environment. Maybe you could also talk to someone to find out whether you are meant to read them for other people at all....maybe your instincts are telling you, that it ain't your thing (I mean to read for others).. well, this are just few of my thoughts - but ey, as i have written, trust your instincts. My mum showed me a spread which gives you a yes or a no answer and you can try this to see if your are ready or not- choose 5 cards rendomly from the pack, lay them from right to life, turn them around- all that are up right are YES, reversed are NO- the one in the middle counts for two so if that one is reversed means 2xNo or if it is up right is 2xyes (total score is always 6). But be careful how you pose the question. Two on the right show you the past, the middle is the present and two on the left are the future. give it a go... greetings hyperborea

wavebreaker	12 Jul 2002
I started reading for others fairly quickly, mainly because I was curious to see whether that would work, if I could do it... ;) I simply asked some friends if I could read for them and told them that I was still new to tarot, and that worked fine for me. And, as others have already said: why don't you give it a try on the Reading Exchange here on the forum?

The How long? thread was originally posted on 11 Jul 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.