Do you put on a show?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Apr 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

HOLMES	11 Apr 2005
i am interested to know when you do live readings ,, do you put on any kind of show, or have tricks when you read? for my show is to keep things light, and entertaining. example when doing a spread i will use the major arcana to say stuff like wow you are going through a major change (the death) ohh something is happening but you are trying to stop it from happening (tower reversed) you want to move on but you dont' know how (chariot reversed) vague yes , however that isnt' the reading at all , it is to let the client know that the tarot has revealed a major influence in their life. my favourite memory is i began speaking to an aquaintance and i was talking about the devil card and fear due to an addictions. the person i thought was looking at me like "as if"or so i thought however he said "could you tell by looking at me that i was amazed "? and i said "i had no idea, i thought you were thinking what a load of .." i also make jokes about the cards , saying "this doesnt mean there is a person in the world trying to cast a love spell on you. " i bring this up for there is a sort of theatretics to the cards. it isnt a false mystificying unless i come out in big robes , big hat on, with a crystal ball. i saw a person use the ritual this cross you, this is behind you, this is above you, this is before you. and she said it so easily, and as she layed out the cross that i would of been not awed, but slightly impressed at the show. and there was a woman who simply used the playing cards and as she layed them out explains 52 weeks in a year , 4 seasons in a year hence the four suits. one trick i like to use when i read is sit there in silence a few moments as i look at the cards then began asking questions which i know i will get a yes to. so ,, there is a woman in the background interfering yes ? yes. and you think she wants your man " yes hmmmm does she have blonde hair ,and younger then 30? that is her. (i hope that doenst' sound like miss cleo lol. ) see sometiems the question gives a ton away , but in that instance the question was about she can move on in her life. after some thought and looking at the cards i said. yeah he is torn between you , however look at the future card. that indicates that it is possible however notice it isnt in the outcome card ? and the client may go "WHEEWWWW" anyhow do you have any sort of show when you read ? when i first started to read i used to move my hands a long a lot trying to explain what i was saying. now i try to look at the cards like a sage, cool, calm poised. also lately i just look at the cards and rattle off my information and now and then look up and does that make sense or is that right ? alas on the off days , we explore the cards more and i use the counslelling techique by asking questions silimar to the heart of the tarot method. i take a card and say this is you in here, how does that make you feel. and stuff like that.

snowy25	11 Apr 2005
My style is completely differend. Most of all I only do live readings for people who ask me. These are friends of mine. When I do a reading it's one to one and it's no show. Basicly it's the two of us on the floor or table and it's more like a conversation. Lately even someone wanted to tell me what a card meant. I liked it and she was amased how acurate it was. I liked it to and we both had a laugh about it. But why put on a show for people? Do you read the cards for intertainment?

tarotbear	11 Apr 2005
I can be very flamboyant in what I do, {Yes, even tarotbear has his 'glittterbear' side!} but 'cracking bad jokes,' Holmes? I dunno... If you carry that to too much of an extreme you will give people an impression that you are another Miss Cleo wannabee; after all they do say 'If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with Bulls**t.' Not that I don't think there is a place for humor in a reading -- of course there is! But 'making jokes about the cards'???? Sometimes when discussing the Chariot, after the posibilities that apply to the reading, I do usually add 'either that or you are going to get a new car.' But I do feel that coming up with a 'Henny Youngman or Mel Brooks' line to end each card with is going in the wrong direction. :smoker:

HOLMES	11 Apr 2005
it isnt' every single time eheh i do it for some of these reasons 1. to lighten the mood in tarot readings for me, i find there comes a time when it is either too serious, or the reading drags on, and it sounds like i am telling them off. 2. to prove the point of the card. (when the devil card comes up,hence the joke about love spells,) one time i saw the emperess card and she was pregnant and my teenage freind was two year younger then i as i was 19. i said "be careful or you could end like this " and held it up . she laughed and blushed. then i said this card acutally means this. i dont' want the person to leave the reading scared, depressed, or bummed out. nor do i like to read for a peson who is scared (not due to the issue but due to the first time they had a tarot reading ). i dont' read the tarot for entertainment alone. i do admit that i love tarot readings for the purpose of relating to a person. it is like a good conversation where you can be serious yet joke about the nature of poltics, religion, romance. i guess it is all in the flow of the moment.

mingbop	21 Apr 2005
You do it whatever way you want, Holmes, because you're a good reader - and what they remember and take away is your words and nothing else.

ncefafn	21 Apr 2005
I think everyone should play to their strengths. If you're a natural entertainer, entertain. If you're a natural smooth-talker, smooth-talk. If you're like me, and all you've got is honesty, you should sell your honesty. If I try and put on a show, it looks and sounds hollow -- nobody believes me. So I've just got to sit there and be honest. And sometimes (cringe) that means saying, "I have no idea what the Knight of Wands reversed in your fourth house means." But that's just my approach, and as I said, everyone should play to their own strengths. :) Kim

Gwynne	21 Apr 2005
I've finally broken down and admitted that I'm a fortune-teller... I work in a shop in the local mall! Which means people expect a show. They WANT a show! And without the show people will quickly lose interest. So I'm starting to add little things here and there. The readings that I give are just as serious as without the show, but the atmosphere helps with the marketing. First off, I read at the very back of the shop, at a round table. I have a large "tapestry" (cheap dyed cloth...) that has a round celtic knotwork design on it. The design fits the size of the table perfectly! It's purple with black printing. I use purple for myself (promotes psychic activity) and for the show as well. It's soothing and not as threatening as red or solid black can be! I have a dark purple velvet cloth that goes over that, and a pale purple reading cloth that goes over that. It creates a layered effect. On one side of the table I have four candles, in votive holders. They are unlit. In the center is a quartz crystal formation with another votive in it. This one is lit. Surrounding it are various gemstones. To the side is a bowl of rose quartz. I have my decks arranged arround that, and the my Runes, Rune casting tray, pendulum and charts arranged on another, smaller table off to the side. When a person sits down for a reading, I ask them to choose one of the four candles to light. This helps make them a part of the process, and the candles help me to know where the direction of the reading needs to go. The candle holders are Green, Yellow, Red and Blue (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) and correspond to areas of life, roughly similar to the Tarot. When I read Runes, I cast them into a tray that is divided into quarters with similar meaning, so it all ties together in one way or another.... I then ask them to choose one or two stones (thanks for that idea go to the book Professional Tarot by Christine Jette). It helps to ground and calm them, and I let them keep it at the end of the reading. I lay out the cards, face down, and turn them one by one, explaining each as I go. I then tie them altogether and finish the reading. When they walk away, I snuff out the candle, rearrange the table and wait for the next person. The show helps, a lot. It calms them in a way, and it's what people like to see. And each little thing that I do, or have on the table, has a purpose and helps with the flow of the readings. Generally I start with a Rune cast, and then correlate it with a Tarot spread. And if they like, and especially with past life readings, we do a pendulum reading too.

Mesara	21 Apr 2005
No shows, no theatrics, nothing but my pretty face and my gorgeous cards. Ncefafn said it right, play to your strengths. If you are naturally a theatric person, then Im sure that plays out well in your readings. If your not, well then I think it comes off as *empty* and tacky. Now that Im on the brink of reading professionally, ive been giving this a lot of thought. Ive been wondering if I should jazz it up in order to attract more clients, to make myself seem mystic and spriritual. And then I came to the realization that not only would I feel and look ridiculous, but anyone would be able to see that it was just an act. So, ive decided that all I can be is myself, and hope that is enough. My approach is honesty, like Ncefafin, and friendship. I guess that is my *gimmick*, is that I really try to befriend those I read for, even complete strangers. I try to build a friendship and a comraderie in the short fifteen or thirty minutes that we share together. I like to share drinks and chit chat with my querents to put them more at ease. I guess that is my foreplay style. I think all methods and styles work, as long as it is something that comes to you naturally.

Starlily	21 Apr 2005
I'm not theatrical when doing readings. So far I have only read in person for friends and family. Sometimes I will light some candles and burn some incense and turn on some acoustic guitar music. But that is really for me--to help me meditate, clear my mind, and ask the Lord and Lady for guidance and direction. I think that you have to be true to your own style. Be yourself. Do what makes you feel confident and at ease.

Tabby	21 Apr 2005
On the customer side of things, when I've had readings done on me by other people, I've always wanted the facts...lol Help in understanding or clarifying a situation and how it was going to affect the future. I didn't want any shows or theatrics. But, that is just how I'm looking at things. There may be some people that may like that type of stuff. I guess it depends on who your target market is and go from there.

Gwynne	21 Apr 2005
StormsNeverLast wrote: On the customer side of things, when I've had readings done on me by other people, I've always wanted the facts...lol Help in understanding or clarifying a situation and how it was going to affect the future. I didn't want any shows or theatrics. But, that is just how I'm looking at things. There may be some people that may like that type of stuff. I guess it depends on who your target market is and go from there. My advertising is more toward the spiritual side, those seeking self-growth and awarenes. And that's who I really like to work with. I don't need to put on a show for them, because they don't need one. However, two nights a week, I'm a fortune-teller at the local mall. The mall crowd are seeking fast answers and quick entertainment. I can try to encourage a bit of growth and self-exploration, but for the most part it's a game to them. However it helps me come in contact with a LOT more people, and there is the occasional person who really does want more than quick answers.

stella01904	03 May 2005
MM ~ I don't mind cracking a joke here and there, but people come to readers wanting to know what's going to happen, if they wanted "lines" they could keep their money in their pockets and watch Seinfeld reruns! I don't use props. The crystal ball stays put away when I am not actually using it. In a way, it would be nice to have some props, maybe a good-sized crystal fountain, things like that, I could probably attract a more affluent clientele and charge a higher fee. Bells and whistles - but no BS! I loathe BS. BB, Stella

FaeryGodmother	03 May 2005
Well I don't use any theatrics or props because personally I find it quite off putting, especially if I go to a proffesional and they seem too "airy fairy" or more about the show than the quality of the reading. But thats my personal prefrence. I'm a jeans and Tshirt kind of girl and I don't want to change myself to fit into peoples expectations of a Tarot reader. However, I do realise that this puts a lot of potential clients off. They expect the show, the candles, the crystals, the insence and I'm aware of the fact that if I want more people to try out my skills as a reader than I may just have to conform a little more with their expectations. Personally though, I think the experience of having your cards read is mystical enough without needing to add to it. Some of the best readings I've gotten have been from people who were just straight forward and down to earth. FGM

Indigo Rose	03 May 2005
I appreciate Gwyne's description of how she sets the ambience for her readings. That seems very nice and actually quite professional. What I would not be able to do is be anybody other than who I am. Don't get me wrong, I love acting. I am a natural at it and miss the "stage", but that is different. Being on stage or on camera is the appropriate place to release the creative theatric energies. However, I just can't carry that over into other facets of my life;especially Tarot. I don't read professionally. However, when I do read for others I take it quite seriously. I am dabbling in their lives and psyches, so I see a great responsibility to be geniune and offer them the serious side of myself. Perhaps this is born out of the seriousness of my profession(nursing) where I can't "play" with people's lives, but must be vigilant and clear minded. With all that said, to each his own. For those of you who have a more dramatic or comedic approach, if people keep coming back for more than you have a technique that works for you. I guess the thing I would hope is that whatever your approach you are being a genuine person, and not just playing at it.

psychic sue	04 May 2005
I did a party on Halloween once and I got dressed up in the gear for a laugh -headscarf, dangly earrings, Hippy top (purple). It was quite funny and everyone enjoyed it - I don't mind looking a fool! As for my readings, I don't really mess about with those, although if death comes up I do explain about the card and tell them no to worry about physical death, and try and lighten up a little. Some people look horrified when they see the ol' grim reaper! Sue x (Just imagining "Glitterbear" brings a smile to my face!).

stella01904	04 May 2005
psychic sue wrote: As for my readings, I don't really mess about with those, although if death comes up I do explain about the card and tell them no to worry about physical death, and try and lighten up a little. Some people look horrified when they see the ol' grim reaper! MM ~ I explain the Death card to people who have no familiarity with it like this: "It's like when you dream you're walking downtown naked. It doesn't mean you are going to go downtown and walk around naked, it's a symbol. Maybe you said too much to someone and now you feel exposed. The Death card is the same way". Usually gets 'em to relax and chuckle a bit. BB, Stella PS I like to wear dangly earrings and flowy stuff, so I'm half-"gypsied" most of the time anyway. Just don't do the earrings AND the scarf AND the multiple bracelets AND the full skirt AND the embroidered peasant top AND the necklaces AND the pachouli oil AND the etc. all at once!

The Do you put on a show? thread was originally posted on 11 Apr 2005 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.