I'm just interested to know...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Jul 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

katie_here	23 Jul 2004
how soon after learning to read the Tarot did you feel confident enough to do a reading for someone else. (Either for free or monetary gain)? I'm just curious. :) another question, did you teach yourself, did you learn from books/internet or have a mentor?

Aun	23 Jul 2004
Hi Katie, My advice to you is to start reading for your friends or relatives. As long as you let them know about your current limitations, you should be fine. Also, you should avoid readings on deeper or crucial matters. A book on the side always helps, why not? I always found it easier to read for others instead of reading for myself, since it allows for more objective interpretations, and the querent always helps to narrow down the meanings of the cards.

Little Baron	23 Jul 2004
Hi Katie I can't honestly remember, but I think that from the start, I did readings for people. Some were not that good and some were not that bad. At that point, I didn't know that my interest would grow into what it has, so I was pretty much just playing around. When I got the first deck I considered to be a 'proper' one and people started to ask me to read out of interest, I thought I had better get a bit more clued up and started reading books; then I found this place and havn't looked back. When I think about those days, I did use the lwb, but on nights where I had had too much whisky and took a friend into my room, away from the others (if I was having a get together) to read for them, it would be intuatively. At that point, I didn't know what I was doing (thought it might be even cheating or making it up), but having learnt more now, I look back and see that some of those early intuative readings were the most spot on and exciting. I am reading like that now and it has opened so many doors. These days, the difference for me, is confidence. I am not 100% confident andalways get nervous before I read, but I know that I have grown with it and thats what keeps me learning. Did that, in any way, answer your question? Yaboot

katie_here	23 Jul 2004
Thanks Aun, I'm not thinking of taking it up myself yet. It was just a general question because I am very interested in how things come about and how they evolve. I would just like to know about other people. At one time I thought you would have to be psychic before you could read tarot cards, like a Romany Gypsy, clairvoyant or something in the same vein, but now I can see differently. I got interested when I bought my first deck out of curiosity and it has grown from there, but still being a novice I have only done readings for my friends. and Yes! Yaboot001, you have answered my question.. thanks!! :)

VGimlet	23 Jul 2004
I started right away - As was usual, my sister was my first vict..er...recipient. I think I looked through the cards, did a reading for myself, and then read for her. The last time I read for her, she joked with me about how much better I was. (at age 11 my reliance on the LWB was nearly completel, LOL) I taught myself, I learned from books, and I wish I'd had the opportunity to have a mentor at that age! (Especially someone who would have told me to not worry about the books so much at first - plenty of time for that....)

Bosorka	26 Jul 2004
I learnt from books also. And a lot I learnt from Aeclectic. Maybe more than from books ;). When I started to learn tarot, I did readings for my friends, telling them that´s on their risk, and carring my notebook always with me to look at. When I knew meanings of all cards quite well, I started to read for others, and also for strangers - without charging, just for opportunity to read. And very soon after it my friends told me that I´m no more tarotist "limited". (They studied economy...) And that my acuracy rised to 90%, and being higher they would start to be scared of me ;)

Goldenhair	27 Jul 2004
The Hierophant is my Soul and Personality card(s). Since he deals with education and institutions, I felt comfortable learning off the internet (which to me is an institution) on Joan budding's website, www.learntarot.com. She uses a logical, straightforward system based on keywords for each card, which appealed to me. AT has greatly expanded my understanding of the cards by helping me to access my intuition. I haven't read for anyone else. I use the tarot to help me understand myself and to change my more negative thoughts and the behaviors they cause.

littlehermit	27 Jul 2004
I've been reading for others pretty much since I got my deck, though at first I had to look up meanings. (I found Joan Bunning's site to be a tremendous help.) I read for others pretty much any chance I get, for free, with liberal disclaimers that I'm not a pro at this (been at it for less than two months). Judging from my feedback, I'm right a whole lot more often than I'm wrong, but I'm still not going to start charging anytime soon. Maybe eventually, after a lot more practice and study (and I'll probably get another deck or two), I'll institute a "pay what you think it's worth" policy. But I can't see that happening in the near future. :)

Alta	27 Jul 2004
Reading for others is similar in effect to starting to play a musical instrument for others. The effect on your reading/playing is dramatic. It introduces new levels of meaning and ability. The nuances become sharper and better defined in your eyes. The value of feedback from others is immeasurable.

katie_here	28 Jul 2004
who replied to my post. It made very interesting reading. I am always keen to learn about how things became, and was very interested to learn how people came about reading tarot cards and what they gain from it. It seems that a lot of people have been doing this for many years and some started very young. Although, I knew about tarot a long time ago, I have only come to it lately, but it is fast becoming an important part of my life. thank you again

Shalott	31 Jul 2004
It was several years, though largely due to lack of opportunity, and I was really scared that I'd be WAY off, but I wasn't! Now I pester my friends and few family members that accept it ad nauseum (until we're all nauseous). :eek: (Do you want a reading? Do you want a reading? Do you want a reading? Maybe I could do a reading on that? Do you want a reading?)

The I'm just interested to know... thread was originally posted on 23 Jul 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.