Reading for others

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 02 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

calligirl	02 Mar 2005
Yes, it's me again. I'm just full of questions today! I was scanning the posts about reading for others and whether the questions are spoken or not. I've only done two readings, one for my SIL and one for my MIL. I didn't ask what the question was. My MIL just wants to know what's there period but my SIL had a question she kept to herself and I told her what I saw but I think she kinda did her own interpretation and got her own answer. It was weird because I kept seeing her way blocked by someone who I 'saw' as her husband but she kept saying no, but she knew what it was. She never said if anything was accurate which kinda bugged me. I would have liked feedback. What was really interesting was that both readings (one after the other) had the Emperor in the past position which I took to mean that they had lacked courage before and were coming into power. Three days later, we got a phone call that my MIL's father was dying. He had been a very powerful (i.e. frightening) influence on both of them to the point they didn't often speak to him. Comments please?

Thirteen	02 Mar 2005
You didn't actually ask a question :) I'd say good call on the Emperor. And I'd say that I don't usually read for people who don't tell me their question. I'll do a general spread, no real question behind it--but if there's a specific question, it doesn't help me if the person keeps it secret. I mean, as the Tarot reader, I'm part of the loop. If they want it to be just them and the cards, they can learn to read and do their own spreads. When the question is spoken aloud I also get an idea, when seeing the spread, what the answer is about. Some times the cards do not respond to that question. Some other topic is far more important and the cards want to get that message across. It's only by knowing the question that I can tell if THAT question has been answered, or if the cards trying to tell the querent about something else entirely. It's up to you, of course, but I would tell querent's that you have to know SOMETHING about the question before you'll do a reading. Querents who play these secret games with the reader are like a sick person refusing to tell a doctor about their symptoms--they make it difficult to accurately diagnosis the problem.

calligirl	02 Mar 2005
That's exactly how I felt! I didn't know what symptoms to look for! If a kid has a stomachache, it would be nice to know if there were candy wrappers all around the chair or when the last bowel movement was...sorry, off the subject but not really. This particular person is a very close mouthed one. Even when I read the runes for her, she wouldn't tell me what the question was so I'm always grasping for meanings and I usually just say what I feel is staring at me. I wasn't thinking the Emperior was an actual person in those two readings and I was feeling odd that that card came up in the same position in both but they are actually a lot alike, mother and daughter. There was actually another point in that reading for my SIL where it was awkward. There was a page (don't remember which one) and I thought it was her son but she insisted it wasn't, that it meant news or something. For somebody who never had a reading, she pretty much was directing the show. I'd get her a deck for her birthday so she could do her own but she's scared of paranormal stuff, go figure. Her sister on the other hand is psychic to the point of lights flickering around her. Haven't read for her yet...don't know if I want to...

Thirteen	02 Mar 2005
calligirl wrote: I'd get her a deck for her birthday so she could do her own but she's scared of paranormal stuff, go figure. I think I'd avoid or just not offer to do any more readings for her. There's really no point in doing readings for people who are hostile or secretive or on the offensive ("No, it's not about that!"). It's not worth your time or effort--and it doesn't do them any good either as they don't really want to participate.

The Reading for others thread was originally posted on 02 Mar 2005 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.