Answering Querant's Questions

[Green Horse]

Hi,

I was wondering about readings and how people actually get their answers for their querant. Do you discuss the cards that are pulled and find the answer together?

Sometimes when I think I have answered the question and the querant says the cards explain certain things in their situation and seem correct, they still say it still doesn't answer their original question.

Hope this makes sense.

[SagiChar]

Hey Green Horse!

A couple weeks ago, I did a Celtic Cross spread for a friend...(I always ask if they have a specific question or want a general reading), and in this case, she said she had a specific question (I also don't have them TELL me what their question is). I get done the entire reading...ask her if the reading answered her question...she replied with a, "not really, I'm still not quite sure"...so...I had her reshuffle the remaining cards, and had her concentrate on her question again, and had her pull one card. The card that she pulled answered her question right on the nose.

So, that is how "I" handle a situation when my reading doesn't answer their initial question...hope that helps!

[poivre]

Originally Posted by Green Horse

they still say it still doesn't answer their original question.

I ask them to pull 1-2 or 3 cards, and try to blend the cards into the reading...
if this does not come clear for them I explain...
the cards "you" picked is the "information" you need to know,
at this time or you would have picked different cards.

I find sometimes...you can be exactly correct and there's always
someone who will say "hmmmm, I don't think......."

[RunningWild]

Originally Posted by Green Horse

Hi,

I was wondering about readings and how people actually get their answers for their querant. Do you discuss the cards that are pulled and find the answer together?

Sometimes. I like to think of a reading as a conversation, so there's some give and take.

Originally Posted by Green Horse

Sometimes when I think I have answered the question and the querant says the cards explain certain things in their situation and seem correct, they still say it still doesn't answer their original question.

Hope this makes sense.

This might depend on whether or not they told you the question to begin with, and whether or not it was a yes/no question or more of a solution/direction kind of question. I've rarely gotten a black and white "yes" or "no". Instead I might get an answer that more or less describes what will happen if things continue as they have been.

It makes perfect sense.

[Grizabella]

If their question is still not answered and a little discussion and clarifying from me doesn't do it, then I do more cards for them. It's their reading and getting their answer is the whole point of doing it in the first place.

I'm not the sort who won't take the sitter's question. Sure, it's an ego boost when the sitter is dazed and amazed that I got the answer without hearing the question. It's also kind of an easy way out, where I can read the cards in front of me in general and then tell the sitter that the Universe is answering what they should know, not what they thought they wanted to know. I mean, how can I go wrong?

Well, I go way wrong because the sitter has a right to have their reader address the question they're concerned about unless they've said they just want a general reading. I don't want anyone who sits with me to go away still having the same questions and concerns they came to me with. The exception to that is when the cards clearly tell me that the information isn't to be known at that time which does happen once in a great while.

I also prefer hearing background. It helps me get the best information for them from the cards when I know something surrounding their concerns.

If a sitter wants a general reading or just thinks I'm supposed to "know" the question without being told, that's okay, too. I don't know because I read cards, I don't read minds but if they want to fool around like that, it's up to them. I'll do it. Then I'll join in their amazement when they get their question answered.

Each reader has a way they read the best, and whatever works for you is what you should do. The above is what works best for me.

[Green Horse]

Thank you all, your replies were most helpful and I shall use it to learn from.

The exchanges have all been so far online, so I'll adapt the getting the querant to pull a few cards thing to pulling a few more cards for them.

[Sinduction]

In my opinion, the hardest part of reading lies in asking the answer in a way that the cards can answer. I like to figure out exactly what my sitter wishes to know. They may ask one question but really want an answer to another. I don't believe it has anything to do with who pics the cards or any other type of "ritual."

For example, say a woman comes to me wanting to know if her ex is still in love with her. That isn't what she really wants to know. She wants to know if there is any way to get him back. Instead of asking if he still loves her, which would be a yes/no answer which the tarot cannot do, it also doesn't tell her if he'd be coming back. Instead, I would ask her why she wants to know if he still loves her. Does she want him back? Does she want to be free of him? I ask these questions in order to get to the heart of the matter so I can answer the "real" question.

This way, I can advise her on how to go about reconnecting, or if it's even possible, or how to get him to stay away. It is a simple thing but also complex. As sometimes, people don't realize that what they are asking is not really what they want to know. It is also up to us to phrase the question in a way that the tarot can answer. Most sitters don't know how tarot works. I get a lot of yes/no questions, so I do a lot of rewording the questions.

I also have people who prefer to not tell me their question. That's fine too. I do my best to explain what I see in the cards. But I always tell them that I cannot answer a yes/no question. I tend to explain the ways that tarot can answer.

I hope that helps.

[WolfDeca]

Sinduction, I really liked your explanation.

(Silly thing that came into my head while reading it: To read the cards, you don't have to be psychic. To understand the querent, you DO!)