impetus (sp?)

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 29 Apr 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

hexy	29 Apr 2003
this is sort of a request for assistance thread and sort of a get your opinion thread - what is your impetus for reading? what makes you read when you are too busy or dont wanna do it for someone, but feel obligated to, or when you just should be doing something else? what is your drive, how strong is it in you? i ask this cuz lately i have been having no impetus to read, not even for myself in a daily quickie anymore. i ask this also cuz i want to find someone to whip me into shape (so to speak) and get me back on my track. my drive is still there to do this, but the follow-thru just isn't. (like the deck i said i would create .. i still haven't started, though i had intended to do one card a day) i am lazy. so i guess i am seeking a mentor to set me tasks daily or weekly. pm or email if you want to help or think you can help etc and thanks in advance hexy

Dark Inquisitor	29 Apr 2003
I read mostly because it calms me & helps me to focus. It's sort of meditative. Maybe you would be more interested in reading if you left a deck or two spread out on a table - the cards have a way of working into your subconscious - it might stimulate something. Tarotphelia

Red Emma	29 Apr 2003
Hexy, I know the feeling...sometimes the cards just don't call me. Since I mostly read for myself, and an occasional grandkid and/or friends, it's not a big deal for me. What I have found is that when this mood descends, my subconscious is asking for a little rest. I put the cards away and don't think about them for a time. Sometimes it's only a few days, sometimes a week or more. I have learned that any activity which is so dependent on my subconscious, needs to be addressed from this area. Whenever I try to push myself because I think I ought to be doing something then the recovery period is just that much longer. I suspect you will hear from others with ideas which may be more useful. Best wishes

azuremariposa	29 Apr 2003
hmmm...well, the desire to read is not always present for sure, but i think, for myself, if someone else asks, i feel the need to help...i don't mind making the 'sacrifice' b/c i know that in the long run it will be helping the person... as for reading for myself, i almost never do it...i started to a little when i first joined Aeclectic, but i find that, while it is helpful, it is not always necessary... plus, the fact that my third eye has been practically buzzing lately, and if anything major is coming my way, i can usually "see" it...:| i don't think i have ever REFUSED a reading, though i have avoided them in the past...i have a friend whom i offer readings to, and she accepts, but i never seem to get around to them...i don't know if it is b/c i think she doesn't really need it, or if she doesn't really get much out of it, or whatever...but i find myself always "slacking off" when it comes to her...not good :( but then i think, you know it just isn't 'meant'...it's not meant to be if something keeps me from reading for her, you know? as an opposing example to this, recently i kept being 'told' to do a reading for a member of Aeclectic...i say 'told' b/c everytime i went to remind myself of a reading i had to do for someone else, it came out as "i have to do that reading for XXXXX", not the person i was trying to remind myself of...so, i ended up pm'ing the member & asking if they would like a reading...turns out, they had recently visited my site where they had looked over my tarot page! lol...so, was it me or was it them? who knows, but obviously it was 'meant' for me to read for them...:D anywho, to sum up, it is perfectly ok to take a break you know...maybe immerse yourself in a book or two and forget about reading for a bit...then go back to reading w/a new perspective...or not...:) maybe you need to throw yourself into that new deck for a bit...although i think a card a day is rather daunting...perhaps your goals/expectations are too high for yourself? i would say a card a week would be good... in either case, i don't know if i would be any good w/the mentor thing...i've only been reading 15 yrs, and i don't think that's long enough for me to qualify...if you want my help, i'd be perfectly willing however...on one condition...you have to answer these questions: what are YOUR motivations for reading tarot? what do you want to get out of tarot? if you can answer those, i'd be more than willing to help...though i still don't think i am qualified! :) it would be more peer-to-peer, than anything else... many blessings! (and i hope i didn't write a book!) ~azure

hexy	29 Apr 2003
well see, i havent done a "real" reading in months now and its driving me nuts a break that doesn't end isn't really a "break" to me but a break-off its like the cards "moved on" without me but i am now running to catch up cuz they want me to, but i can't find the thing thats right and so i do nothing :rolleyes .. if that doesn't sound too moronic anyways my motivation to learn tarot in the first place was to learn it (must learn *everything* before i can die lol), now it is to become more in tune with myself and environment and continue learning

azuremariposa	29 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by hexy well see, i havent done a "real" reading in months now and its driving me nuts a break that doesn't end isn't really a "break" to me but a break-off its like the cards "moved on" without me but i am now running to catch up cuz they want me to, but i can't find the thing thats right and so i do nothing :rolleyes .. if that doesn't sound too moronic it doesn't sound moronic at all! :) but what do you mean by a "real" reading? do you mean for other people?? or just in general? Quote: anyways my motivation to learn tarot in the first place was to learn it (must learn *everything* before i can die lol), now it is to become more in tune with myself and environment and continue learning ok, so you would like to become more in tune...both with yourself and your environment...do you wish to use tarot more for meditations? spiritual growth? do you wish to read mainly for yourself or for others? i think (and this is just my opinion) that if your goal is to become more in tune w/yourself, that you should focus more on personal readings for yourself...keep a journal...write EVERYTHING down...that would be the place to start... get back to me w/questions if you have 'em... many blessings ~azure

hexy	29 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by azuremariposa it doesn't sound moronic at all! :) but what do you mean by a "real" reading? do you mean for other people?? or just in general? ok, so you would like to become more in tune...both with yourself and your environment...do you wish to use tarot more for meditations? spiritual growth? do you wish to read mainly for yourself or for others? i think (and this is just my opinion) that if your goal is to become more in tune w/yourself, that you should focus more on personal readings for yourself...keep a journal...write EVERYTHING down...that would be the place to start... get back to me w/questions if you have 'em... "real" reading: one i take time for and put effort into understanding etc, usually takes me a couple hours to do one of these (if i were to write it out, which i have done before, it would be around a five page or so analysis); i do them for anyone, not just me. as opposed to a non-real reading: where i just look at the cards and verbatim what they say to me without taking the time to really truly apply their "meanings" and really interpret them the way i should (i usually do non-real readings when i am learning a new spread, just so I can get a bit familiar with it before I start ripping it apart and digging into it properly. the non real ones take like 5 minutes max ... other question: i am journalling at townmystic right now for that purpose, but there is more to the learning and in tune-ness that i seek. spiritual "growth": not really what i was meaning as I seek that wherever and with whatever. i like to read for myself, sure, but I like equally to read for others so I do not stagnate in my own juice if ya know what i mean. variety is 'opening'. plus i enjoy reading for others more than for myself cuz i can do myself any ole time, but others are more rarer. i think my languaging skills are falling apart today, sorry about that.

azuremariposa	29 Apr 2003
so, would finding a happy medium between the non-real and the real readings be your goal then? why not try doing both? next reading you do, do the "quick" version...leave it alone for a day...come back the next day and do a "real" version (w/o looking at the first quickie)...then compare the two... personally, i couldn't imagine spending hours on one reading alone...that takes more mental discipline than i am able to muster...do you normally do smaller readings or larger ones? (i.e., how many cards on average?) ~azure

hexy	29 Apr 2003
ahhh see, i have no impetus to do a reading: main problem

azuremariposa	29 Apr 2003
but you do have an impetus...you just don't have any subjects!! :D your impetus is this: Quote: originally posted by hexy anyways my motivation to learn tarot in the first place was to learn it (must learn *everything* before i can die lol), now it is to become more in tune with myself and environment and continue learning THAT is your impetus...ok, you want someone to tell you what to do, right? go to the reading exchange board and offer up some readings...just so you feel committed enough, offer 3...read the guidelines first & specify which decks, which spreads, etc. you would like to offer...it's up to you if you'd like readings in exchange or just feedback... if you are going to try new spreads, indicate that...but what i suggest is to try a spread you are comfortable with first... now, go...go now before you even think about it...:D i'm looking forward to seeing you over there... many blessings ~azure

hexy	29 Apr 2003
ummm ... imma chicken .....

azuremariposa	29 Apr 2003
no no no...that will not do!!! no chicken... you want to be motivated, then move it, sister! ;) i'm serious, the reading exchange is a wonderful place to start and it will give you excellent practice with your readings... by now, you've seen how wonderful the majority of Aeclectians can be...they are an extremely nice bunch, and will be honest with you about your readings... if you want impetus, if you want growth, then that's my suggestion to you... ok, ok...offer ONE reading..keep it simple, like a three card one... i promise you that once you actually DO it, you will wonder what all the fuss was about...ok...now go... you can do it...i believe in you! ~azure

hexy	29 Apr 2003
but i dont know any of these people .. i have never done a reading before for someone i didn't know

azuremariposa	29 Apr 2003
hence, the learning experience... you must open your mind to the possibilities... i will be back w/more...just promise you will think about it, ok? :) ~azure

HOLMES	29 Apr 2003
now is a perfect time to start :O) in fact til i got the aeclectic forum and doing distant readings for people i didn't know , 1. i didn't know them 2. it was absentee how could that work , 1. i realize that you developed a rapport with the card when you dont' know them 2. that absentee works just as well with out a person there to give feedback by just reading the cards, 3 it increases your knowledge of the cards as you understand how they relate to the question, gives you confidence to do it in purpose as by the time you do your tenth reading exchange, you will have proof of the tarot can work, and that we dont' have to know the person to read them. so let no fears hold you back no excuse hold you back for you feel compelled to do it,, and have knowledge, we teach each other, but can't do it for you,, you have to want to do it for yourself, *cheers her on *

le-mat	29 Apr 2003
hi hexy! it has happened to me too. I just didn't want to abandon the tarot path, but the mundane things in my life were somehow stronger than my desire to learn. I think that you don't have to force yourself to read. If it doesn't happen naturally, then it is of no use. So don't worry about that... I guess there are lots of readers who only go to the cards when they have a problem. Maybe something'll come up in your life and you'll need the cards to help you. It's not good to use tarot cards all the time, and asking a zillion times the same question, over and over. So maybe a break, taking distance, will improve your tarot skills. But if you really think this is more than a break, and that you just need to get back to your old path, there are some things you can do to to regain interest in tarot. Use your creative mind. Come up with a new spread and use it. Or just spread the cards on the table on a random order, use your hand to mix them, like you're erasing words from the sand... and try to read from that. Or try to forget everything about the cards, and look at them like the first time. Buy a new tarot book, one with a unique and different approach to the cards. You could try wearing an amathist to get you in touch with you intuition. I started taking distance from the cards when I started to forget the sacred things of life. Maybe you're too grounded lately, too focused on material things. If you start to focus on the spiritual world, eventualy you'll want to use tarot. Try to understand the messages the Universe is sending you. Try to see the meaning in everything that happens in your life. But if you try and it just doesn't work... then maybe you should forget about the whole thing, let it go... Tarot will come back to you when you're ready.

Astraea	30 Apr 2003
Hexy -- the only thing I would add to the good advice you've received here is, I think that images are very different in how we process them than words -- they are more "neurologically intensive." Tarot being visual, there is so much information in each deck, each card, that our brains can become saturated with symbolism that needs to be integrated into the total psyche. So we sometimes need to back off completely -- for what often seems like an inordinately long period of time -- in order to allow what we have seen and learned to become incorporated into our beings. It's one phase of a cycle, and when it happens, it is experienced as a lack of desire -- even an inability -- to read the cards. Eventually, the yearning returns (as Le Mat says, "tarot will come back to you when you are ready"), and then you will pick up the cards again, and understand them even better than before, because you will have made room in your mind for new insights. The impetus to read the cards has left me on several occasions. At first, I was frightened and wondered what it meant -- now I recognize it as a part of the tarot experience, itself, rather than a desertion of tarot (or the cards' desertion of me). If the suggestions you have received here don't work as well for you as you'd hoped, perhaps that is the reason. Above all, try not to worry about it -- tarot, once in the blood, tends to stay there! :)

hexy	30 Apr 2003
thanks to everyone for all the suggestions

MeeWah	30 Apr 2003
Hexy~ The impetus to read varies amongst each of us, & can be impacted by real life intrusions. Daily life concerns can take the heart out of one for any creative activity, let alone for Tarot. Leave one in a rut; depressed; not knowing what to do yet not feeling able to do anything either. Everyone hits a slump. One may be in a period of transition, which may give a limbo feeling, a stasis or inertia. Reading for strangers is a good "practice" as well as a means of inspiration. I would have to say that personally, I do not physically know in any way nearly all of whom I read for. There are only a few whom I know in some fashion in real life. Speaking from my view, I prefer knowing little or nothing about the querent, so reading for strangers is a plus. Therein do I get a "workout" that not only teaches but is inspirational. Ye never know until ye place one foot forward in "baby steps", as it were, but we all begin this way. The time is now. Ye need not prove anything to anyone, but perhaps ye need to show yourself what ye can do if ye let yourself be free to just go--

Alex	05 May 2003
feel like not reading. It's like thinking one ought to have sex with one's husband just because it's one's husband. Buy separate beds so you may feel like choosing to have sex one day. In the meanwhile, you can do something else, read a book, whatever. Alex.

The impetus (sp?) thread was originally posted on 29 Apr 2003 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.