Friends that can't read!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 02 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Summerdream	02 Dec 2002
Any suggestions to help my other's read cards? My sister-in-law would like to learn to read them intuitively without using a book. Momof3girls

cjtarot	02 Dec 2002
Hi, Ok heres the deal. My best friend doesnt read, and isn't interested, doesnt believe, BUT still tells everyone she knows I read and has even aranged for me to come to the business school she attends to read for her classmates. She even told the woman who ran the "Christmas" Fair that I worked that I did readings. Go Figure. I am grateful for her support, I wish more people were like that (at least when it comes to tarot..ask her about anything else-politics, mothering, life - and you will get an earfullll..lol) blessings, Cj

Demonesse	02 Dec 2002
Well, I don't have any friends who CAN read. They view it as a somewhat eccentric, if harmless hobby; there are those who view it as nonsense...and there are those who think it's "cool" but aren't nearly interested enough to involve themselves in it. To each his own.

lawguy51	03 Dec 2002
Ever notice how you get a rote response from most people on the subject of Tarot or any other 'occult' practice. "I don't believe in that." And what I always think is 'You've been conditioned to say you don't believe in that when you don't really know what you are saying, because to not believe in something, you have to have a clue about the subject matter and you clearly do not'. I think this thought in about a third of a second, it just takes longer to write it down. :) What I usually say to people however, and this throws them completely off, is..."That's OK, it doesn't require your belief." Some will ask me what I mean by that, to which I usually say something like, "You could tell me you don't believe in air, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop breathing." The moral of the story? I don't feel the need to prosylitize (sp?) or convince people of things that to me are obvious and available to anyone who wishes to so inform themselves. If they require proof, then I always tell them that they should go find the proof themselves. I just don't feel that it's my responsibility nor is it my desire to convince anyone of anything. You can help people find their way but you can't drag them onto the path. At least imho! Lawguy51

Laurel	03 Dec 2002
My roomate can't read. She wants to learn, has had tarot cards long before she met me but hasn't ever really bothered to try. However, she is always enthusiastic about listening to me ramble about tarot and other occultnik stuff, swooned over the Celtic Dragon tarot I got her for her birthday, and has a lot of intuition and comon sense. She'd probably make a great reader.... if she picked up the cards, practiced, and learned. All my other close friends either have no interest in the tarot or are very accomplished readers. She's the only "middle ground".

DeLani	03 Dec 2002
I'm lucky I guess - all my friends have at least a good idea about the cards. But Tarot isn't like most things - you have to really use it and study it, you can't just pick it up and have it answer all your questions in 5 mins. (despite what the book claims!). Most people don't want to put the time and effort out to learn this. And you don't just learn Tarot, you must really examine yourself and your place in the world. It gets very deep, and many people can't handle that. The only thing on the topic I can offer is that my hubby (who believes he is psychic) thinks of my cards as a "crutch." But I get a lot more out of my readings than his.

Kiama	04 Dec 2002
A friend of a friend is somebody I would class as 'Friend who can't read'. I sa there trying to get across to him the concept of using yur intuition ad saying what you see in the cars, which usually works whether or not the person has read any of hte traditional meanings, etc... He sat there fr half an hour telling me exactly what he saw in the cards : 'I see a tree... many trees in fact, and a woman spinning. I see a heart with a funny symbol thingie hanging on a tree...' hen asked what those symbos meant, he was clueless... He simply could not understand how to interpret symbols. And because that's second nature to me, I oculdn't describe adequately HOW you interpret symbols... The conversation went something like this... Me: 'What IS the woman?' Him: 'Female.' Me: 'No, I mean... what does she look like?' Him: 'Well, she' got brown hair, and a cloth over her head, in a yellow dress...' Me: 'For Gods sake she's pregnant! What does that mean to you?' Him: 'She's ben having sex without contraception.' Me: 'But what does pregnancy SYMBOLISE!?' (Getting agititated now) Him: 'Er.... Fatness? No sleep?' Me: '*Sigh* Look, she's bloody well pregnant, and *&%@?#* pregnancy can be a symbol of the *~?#@$& birth of new ideas and projects! ~@?* &*$#@~!!!!!!' :D Kiama

cjtarot	04 Dec 2002
Hi all, Got to love this one..have done it before when reading.. Him: 'Er.... Fatness? No sleep?' Me: '*Sigh* Look, she's bloody well pregnant, and *&%@?#* pregnancy can be a symbol of the *~?#@$& birth of new ideas and projects! ~@?* &*$#@~!!!!!!' Thanks for the giggle Kiama, Blessings, Cj

destinyawaitsme	04 Dec 2002
Hehe, well count all of yourselves lucky. I haven't even met anyone in person that reads cards. I've talked to several people on the internet and become friends with readers, but being in the bible belt...tarot readers are hard to come by. I was so suprised when I moved across the state. At least there is a new age shop in town. Where I'm from a store like that would probably get a brick in the window. I'm still teased by my brothers (they are much older than I but still act as if they are 12). Most of my friends think it is a cool little hobby I have. But they personally have no interest. I had a friend ask me if I could teach her, but when she found out that it was more complicated than what she thought, she changed her mind. So I guess to be a good reader, it takes passion and dedication. Most people think it's cool if it's a hobby, but when I start telling people about the small deck collection and they see the mini-library located in my room...they get this puzzled look on their face. If they only knew how far this hobby has gone! lol. That is why I'm so thankful to find a group of people like this that truly understands. Love and Light, Lauren

Celtic_Dragon	04 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by DeLani The only thing on the topic I can offer is that my hubby (who believes he is psychic) thinks of my cards as a "crutch." But I get a lot more out of my readings than his. I know what you mean DeLani, my fiance' sort of has a psychic thing. It's mostly his intuition, the way he feels about a certian person or situation. A most of the time it's pretty good, but never bulls-eye. I'm very new to tarot and have been shuffling for a couple of weeks now and once I did a reading about a friends' breakup. I asked him about it (before telling him what I found in the cards) and his intuition felt (to me) like it was more accurate. Although it did help me figure out and become closer to one of the cards in the deck. I'm hoping that one day my reading will get better and blow the top off of his intuition.

Myrrha	04 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama Me: 'What IS the woman?' Him: 'Female.' Me: 'No, I mean... what does she look like?' Him: 'Well, she' got brown hair, and a cloth over her head, in a yellow dress...' Me: 'For Gods sake she's pregnant! What does that mean to you?' Him: 'She's ben having sex without contraception.' Me: 'But what does pregnancy SYMBOLISE!?' (Getting agititated now) Him: 'Er.... Fatness? No sleep?' Me: '*Sigh* Look, she's bloody well pregnant, and *&%@?#* pregnancy can be a symbol of the *~?#@$& birth of new ideas and projects! ~@?* &*$#@~!!!!!!' Ha! That is so funny Kiama! It reminds me of trying to talk about mythology with my father. There really does seem to be a personality type that just doesn't speak "symbolism" Myrrha

anjocoxo	05 Dec 2002
Most of my friend don't know how to read and are not interested in studying them; however they support me a lot (my first deck was a gift from them) and they respect my readings. They never told me they didn't believe it and they are always curious about it. and that's it basically; never met anyone who knows how to read tarot cards (unfortunately) Anjo

aeonx	05 Dec 2002
Echoing others here: Kiama, you crack me up!! :D :D :D ~aeonx~

Thirteen	05 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama He simply could not understand how to interpret symbols. And because that's second nature to me, I oculdn't describe adequately HOW you interpret symbols... Kiama, do me a favor sometime and ask him what the FLAG means to him. If he describes it, he's hopeless and you just pat him on the head. If he says "my country" or something like that, there might, just might be hope. Go on to ask what the cross in a church means, and work up from there. That is, if you want to try again. As your conversation shows, it might be way too much of an up-hill battle ;) MOM: Regarding your friend--got two thoughts. 1) Here's some advice--I doubt it will change anything, but you can try it: invite her over for tea and a tarot study session. Treat her like an equal--"I've no one to talk tarot with, let's discuss my new deck." Bring out a deck she's unfamiliar with, hide the book, and start to go through the cards one by one. I use to do with with a very knowledgable friend of mine, examining each card, talking about them. Say things like, "This image of seven cups swirling--I like that don't you. Really gives you the feel of a swirling illusion. What do you think?" Or, "I'm not sure about his one. How does it indicate victory? The usual card with the guy on the horse works, but this one...." If you pretend she's an expert, and you need her help, then you don't insult her. But you may open her eyes to the fact that tarot is bigger and more serious than she imagines. Mind you if she's having fun playing her game, she might keep on playing it till she grows tired of it and goes onto something else. 2) Which brings us to solution #2--easier and more likely to work: for Xmas, buy her "THE CUP OF DESTINY" by Jane Lyle (for sale online at at least this one place: http://www.elysian.co.uk/acatalog/Divination.html)--which is a ready made tea cup and book on tea leaf reading. Give her this, and she might just give up tarot for tea leaf reading (or any other fortune-telling "game") and give you some peace of mind. Good luck!

cricket	05 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama Me: 'For Gods sake she's pregnant! What does that mean to you?' Him: 'She's ben having sex without contraception.' Me: 'But what does pregnancy SYMBOLISE!?' (Getting agititated now) Him: 'Er.... Fatness? No sleep?' Now that sounds like something people would hear from me right about now. Me being the "Him" in the conversation. It will only get worse from here. ;) I've got a couple of friends that have me read for them once in a while when we get together (only happens a couple of times a year, if that often) who will sit through the whole reading, ask questions, go through the whole giant spread including clarifying cards, take notes, have me take notes, have friends take notes, and at the end sit there and look at me for a minute, then... "I don't get it." me: What don't you get? them: Uh, all of it? Look, see, in the notes it says that this card means this.... right? me: In this case, yes. I think so. them: I don't get it. One of them and I have sat until the wee hours of the morning trying to get her to understand a reading. Oy! Thank goodness for 24 hour restaurants with bottomless coffee cups! :D

Kiama	06 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Thirteen Kiama, do me a favor sometime and ask him what the FLAG means to him. If he describes it, he's hopeless and you just pat him on the head. If he says "my country" or something like that, there might, just might be hope. Go on to ask what the cross in a church means, and work up from there. That is, if you want to try again. As your conversation shows, it might be way too much of an up-hill battle ;) Thankyou for the suggestion Thirteen! (Tho the flag would be a bad idea... Most Brits don't particularly feel very patriotic as Americans do...) But that really is a good way to get across the idea of symbols. :D Kiama

Summerdream	06 Dec 2002
Great ideas Thirteen!

Jewel	06 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Thirteen 2) Which brings us to solution #2--easier and more likely to work: for Xmas, buy her "THE CUP OF DESTINY" by Jane Lyle (for sale online at at least this one place: http://www.elysian.co.uk/acatalog/Divination.html )--which is a ready made tea cup and book on tea leaf reading. Give her this, and she might just give up tarot for tea leaf reading (or any other fortune-telling "game") and give you some peace of mind. ~giggles~ this is priceless *LOL* ... My reading, tarot interested friends are pretty much all here. My best friend likes decks and oracles, but is very happy to look up meanings in the books and leave them at that. She is too much of a busy body to sit down and stick with the same subject year in year out. But when she comes to visit she always asks for a reading and we browse my collection and ooooohhhhh and ahhhhh over the decks *LOL*. My sister in-law on the other hand does show great interest and I have actually gifted her with 3 decks and a couple of good books based on her interest. I have also volunteered to study with her, but as of yet we have not done that. I believe the main challenge I will face with her is debasing the tarot mythology she has picked up (decks must be given to you, blah blah blah). I would really love it if she did take me up on the offer, it would be really fun to have someone to study with in person.

Kitty	11 Dec 2002
None of my friends read tarot - they say they can leave it up to me :) When I first started they were keen for readings, now, I haven't been asked much - novelty worn off I think. One friend did ask me to come with her to choose a deck - recommended Universal Waite to her - but told her it was up to her to decide. She has the cards and my notes from my class but each time she does a reading she writes down the cards, thinks about it then gives up and comes to me. But she is very appreicative of my help so I don't mind. The main thing is, is that she doesn't claim to be able to read them. Thing is - I don't 'claim' to be able to read either - I say that I can read what the cards tell me - wether I get it right or not I can't always be sure - I feel that honesty and compassion are important.

Kitty	11 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama A Me: 'What IS the woman?' Him: 'Female.' Me: 'No, I mean... what does she look like?' Him: 'Well, she' got brown hair, and a cloth over her head, in a yellow dress...' Me: 'For Gods sake she's pregnant! What does that mean to you?' Him: 'She's ben having sex without contraception.' Me: 'But what does pregnancy SYMBOLISE!?' (Getting agititated now) Him: 'Er.... Fatness? No sleep?' Me: '*Sigh* Look, she's bloody well pregnant, and *&%@?#* pregnancy can be a symbol of the *~?#@$& birth of new ideas and projects! ~@?* &*$#@~!!!!!!' :D Kiama LOL hahahahahahah Kiama that really made me chuckle - that is the type of conversation I have had with people who ask me about the tarot - will give them a brief over view and show them a card and describe it is general meanings -and the response Them: "Ha? It's just bloody hippy **** really isn't!!!." Me: "Do I look like a hippy to you?" Them: "No - you are young professional" Me: "Right -so tarot is not reserved for any particular type of person, get the gypsy and crystal balls image out of your head." Them:"No need to get touchy."

Bings	11 Dec 2002
Kiama, you have just discribed my husband PERFECTLY! Dianne

The Friends that can't read! thread was originally posted on 02 Dec 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.