Fun?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

closrapexa	09 Apr 2004
I have a friend who's been reading for a while now, and she did some pretty good readings for me at a time I needed it most, but for the past while I've been having a feeling about my friend that when she reads she's too fatalistic in her readings, something like "now I'm reading and its serious and it could change your life." Funny thing is, she did change my life with a reading last year. Still. I feel thats she's forgotten that Tarot is FUN; it shouldn't be frightening or too sad or overly serious. Not that it is a superficial pastime, not all, but I feel like telling her "lighten up" Any thoughts?

Khatruman	09 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by closrapexa I've been having a feeling about my friend that when she reads she's too fatalistic in her readings, something like "now I'm reading and its serious and it could change your life." Funny thing is, she did change my life with a reading last year. Still. I feel thats she's forgotten that Tarot is FUN.... I feel like telling her "lighten up" Any thoughts? Ok, here's what you do. Grab a deck and do a reading for her...ohh, and don't let her see the cards. Act like one of those poker players on TV looking at his hand. Lift a card to look at it... and gasp, or shake your head... look at her with a serious, sad look.... shake your head again...sigh dramatically. When she asks what's wrong, tell her that she is fated to terminal seriousness unless she can immediately log on to a computer. Once there, go to the internet and type in www.aeclectic.net... find the forum and immediately sign up for a paid subscription. Then tell her to go to the Chat forum and talk with some of us. We'll get that fun gene of hers straightened out (have her join one of our lascivious parties...heh heh }))

Kittaine	09 Apr 2004
LOL! Blame it on pop culture! But seriously, it's so tempting to get all dramatic while reading Tarot, cos you're supposed to be connecting with powers that lie beyond. Tarot reading is about life, and how often do dramatic things happen in real life? How often does your life change drastically? Even if it does often, it may be less stunning than what you're told in readings.

contrascarpe	09 Apr 2004
While I agree that Tarot can and should be fun, it doesn't have to be. I enjoy it on many levels - mostly to provide insight into myself and in humankind generally. Things like that make it fun for me. Perhaps your friend's intensity is how she has fun (everybody's definition of fun can be different). Or perhaps when she reads for you she senses some intensity. While I do not agree that every reading should be doom and gloom (and personally, I usually soften my readings when I see bad things) I would never attempt to change someone's reading style - it is just another thing that makes people individuals. Your best bet is to find someone else to read for you.

cricket	09 Apr 2004
Don't forget that it might be that what she sees tends to be warning signs to keep you FROM the doom and gloom. It happens to me quite often, which gives people a heads up that something's on the horizon they might want to avoid. Unless, of course, the voices in my head are in a joking mood... ;)

galadrial	09 Apr 2004
Maybe she lightens up when reading for herself but feels too strong a sense of responsibility in reading for others to do so. Or maybe it's the deck. Some of my decks are a lot easier to be lighthearted with than others.

Mojo	09 Apr 2004
I don't know, I tend to have fun when I'm giving someone bad news in a reading. Better the bad news be for them than me. But then again, I'm pretty whacko.

mj07	09 Apr 2004
maybe your friend is just a serious kind of person? some people are like that in all areas of their life!

Kiama	09 Apr 2004
To show your friend the 'Lighter Side' of Tarot, you could play the Story Game. You and your friend, or maybe a few more friends, each pull a card from the deck, and each tell a part of the story based on your card, continuing until you've gone round the circle (with a large group of people) or until you finish the story (with just a few of you.) So, if you drew the 7 of Swords from the Robin Wood deck, you might think he looks a bit shifty, so you might say... "Once upon a time, there was a Highwayman! Now, this Highwayman was good at what he did... Every night he'd steal from the rich and give to... himself. But one night........" And then your friend pulls a card, and she continues the story. This goes around until you reach your conclusion. "And they lived happily ever after." Or "and they lived not-so-happily ever after." Now, it'll start pretty normal, but wait til your Highwayman is walking through this forest and comes across a girl tied up (8 Swords). He then decides to kiss her (2 Cups) and somehow she escapes, elopes with him (4 Wands) and they go on a sea voyage together (6 Swords.) It can get pretty whacky, especially with a large group of diverse people. So far, my group at Tarot Coffee Club have had Highwaymen, priests, girls tied up in forests, jail-time, dragon-advisors, sea voyages, broken marriages, trees that grew money on them, a girl who could give you money if you squeezed her bum (don't ask!) and a 10 of Swords ending... }) Enjoy! Kiama

Jewel	12 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Khatruman (have her join one of our lascivious parties...heh heh })) Hey Khat! I know I've been lost for a (long) while. So you are still hosting those parties ehhhhh ~giggles~ ..... I should have known .... PM me some time.

Alissa	12 Apr 2004
Jewel! Our precious gem! You've returned from the Deep, where you've been swimming around for ever so long! DO come back more, I miss you ever so and was so happy to see your face on the boards, I couldn't help but post it!!! :D (p.s. How are your Fae? ;))

The Fun? thread was originally posted on 09 Apr 2004 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.