Probably a really silly question!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 26 Jun 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Little Baron	26 Jun 2003
Not sure how to put this really. I have been reading for a number of years but still class myself as a beginner. When I read for myself, as I turn the cards, the meanings filter into me and my intuition starts working. Sometimes there are no words and I know what the cards are telling me. However, when I read for someone else, the same happens but I find it hard to communicate what they are telling me. Its like I can't find the words. I imagine that some of it is down to nerves; I am worried that I am not going to be able to give them a successful reading, maybe. It has been better occasionally, after a party, when I have had a few drinks (LOL) since I am much more lucid and I say exactly what I see! Just wondered if anybody had any tips. Is it just a practice makes perfect thing? Did any of you have this kind of shaky start? I do study the cards daily (card a day) and I do practice lay outs by myself. I read these forums and books too. Maybe it is too much information. Anything you guys can tell me would be appreciated. I know that Rome wasn't built in a day. Yaboot

Major Tom	26 Jun 2003
Practice helps. :) Try not to take it quite so seriously. Approach the process with a sense of fun. Engage your inner child in the process. Try hamming it up with your friends. Enjoy yourself. Once into the reading your reverence will return and the reading will flow. Good luck.

Diana	26 Jun 2003
When you read for yourself, you must TALK ALOUD. You must learn to practice putting thoughts into audible sentences. It is not something that comes naturally to everyone. But it can be learnt. I swear this will help you loads. And you'll progress very very quickly.

Trogon	26 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Diana When you read for yourself, you must TALK ALOUD. You must learn to practice putting thoughts into audible sentences. It is not something that comes naturally to everyone. But it can be learnt. I swear this will help you loads. And you'll progress very very quickly. Definitely have to second Diana's suggestion here... talking to yourself can be a big help during your self readings... of course, people look at you funny sometimes... ;) Another thing that has helped me, is to write down all my self readings. I just use a steno pad for this. But it also helps you with putting those ideas into words. The only other thing I do when I'm having trouble putting into words, the impression and ideas I have during a reading is to look at my notes on the particular card. I'm not talking about looking up a meaning, but rather using my notes to focus my thoughts into words I can communicate to the person for whom I'm reading. Generally I just glance over those notes and allow my mind to pick up one or two key words which fit the ideas, then I can expand the thoughts into words and phrases which allow me to pass those thoughts on to the other person (or to write down in my steno pad). But, as I do more readings I find myself having to do this less and less. I hope this helps... By the way... this was a very good question... definitely not silly... glad you asked it.

Khatruman	26 Jun 2003
Wow, three good advice givers here, and I would highly recommend listening to all of them!!! Taking it too seriously can most assuredly leave you tongue tied. It seems paradoxical, but once you loosen up and don't care if you say the right thing, you say the right thing!!! Putting down the words, vocalizing your thoughts is absolutely important. As a writer, I may have amazing thoughts about my subject and find it perfect, but putting it down is another matter. In reading for others live, I'll just spill out ideas that come to me on the cards. I tell the person I am reading for that these are just ideas. I listen to their reactions, look at the story that follows in the successive cards, but I don't in any way feel, or try to give the impression that I am breathing the words of the Almighty from my mouth, then again, that is was inspiration is.. spirare=to breathe, in.... As Obi Wan might say..."trust your feelings, Luke" and let your mouth go. Oh, and Trogon.. that talking aloud to yourself being looked at as weird simply goes along with them already looking at you weird with your "wicked pack of cards"... I am figuring on trying it, perhaps they will see me as some kind of shaman!! :D

Astra	26 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Yaboot001 It has been better occasionally, after a party, when I have had a few drinks (LOL) since I am much more lucid and I say exactly what I see! Some of my best early readings were done while drinking! It took me a while to be comfortable pulling off all the censors I normally have on around other people. The best advice I got at the time was to blame anything I was saying on the cards - after all, if it's not me saying it, it's not me offending people, right? It worked for me at the time, even though I hae me doots about it now. Eventually I started to realize that most of the censors weren't needed in the first place, and that changed a lot of other things, but that's a whole other story.

Kistarr	27 Jun 2003
Wow! I have also had trouble doing readings for other people. I get nervous... even if it's just really close family. I like the suggestion about reading it out loud. My sister writes fanfictions and she often will have me read her stuff out loud to her so she can 'hear' if it sounds right. Sometimes you can convince yourself of one thing inside of your head and then when you speak it aloud you'll suddenly realize, "That doesn't make any sense, what was I thinking..." or "Oh my God! Of course! I see it clearly now!" I also worry that I might say something wrong to upset them so I sometimes second guess myself. I don't drink--I've never really developed a taste for it-- but I think I'll try to find some other way to help relax myself. Hand puppets, anyone?? Lol

Little Baron	27 Jun 2003
To all of you, thanks. I think that more than anything, hearing that others, experienced in this artform, have had the same problems that I have is the biggest help. TarotTom, I think that you are right when you say that I need to aproach it with a more light hearted abandon. Sometimes, I can study a lot and feel that I am getting nowhere and it hinders the messages. They are not getting through because I am too uptight about getting it right. At the end of the day, I don't know the people I read for inside out so maybe I should say whatever comes through - it might touch something in them, even if it doesn't feel right for me. I do read aloud to myself when I practice alone. I suppose that with everything, practice is the key. It's like getting to know a person; the more that you see them, the easier the relationship will get. The more that you get to know them, the less embarassing silences in conversation. Once again, thank you all for your suggestions and support. Yaboot

Little Baron	27 Jun 2003
MajorTom, apologies for calling you TarotTom in my last post. So many names on here, it's not hard to get confused! Regards Yaboot

Silverlotus	27 Jun 2003
I'd like to say thanks to the advice givers on this thread too. Truthfully, I am far to shy to read for anyone in person (and almost to shy to offer readings here). But I think you've given some good advice that might help me out with my problem to. Of course, I'm a bit shy to talk to myself out loud. :|

Major Tom	27 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Yaboot001 MajorTom, apologies for calling you TarotTom in my last post. Don't be silly. ;)

Trogon	27 Jun 2003
Yaboot... I was just re-reading this thread. Got me to wondering, are you doing a "tarot journal"? I am keeping 2 journals in a way. One has my thoughts on cards, meanings, symbolisms, etc... This also has my layouts in it (diagrams with explanations). The other "journal" is just a steno pad in which I record most of the readings I do. The readon for this is so that I can refer back to a person's reading if the person has other questions or imput for me. Also, if I get some slightly different or new idea on a card during a reading, I can go back to my notes and transfer it to my other journal. Quote: Originally posted by Khatruman Oh, and Trogon.. that talking aloud to yourself being looked at as weird simply goes along with them already looking at you weird with your "wicked pack of cards"... I am figuring on trying it, perhaps they will see me as some kind of shaman!! LOL Khatruman! I like that idea! I can see myself sitting in the coffee house mumbling now... oh... wait... I already do that! :D So... do we now call MajorTom - MajorTarotTom?

Umbrae	27 Jun 2003
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/articles/process_one.html http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/articles/process_two.html http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/articles/process_three.html (Shameless indeed...)

The Probably a really silly question! thread was originally posted on 26 Jun 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.