Readings for the curious/skeptical

Jane

tarotbear (20 Oct, 2001 15:05):
Jane- once you trivialize what you do, the audience loses respect for you.

tarotbear,

It was not my intent to trivialize tarot. I was merely pointing out that historically tarot was a game, and is still played as such in many places,(mostly in Europe)

I'm sorry I was not clear on that.

I think if you can point out historical facts about tarot and explain how it evolved into the tool it is today, people will tend to take you seriously.

For more information on various tarot games....

http://www.pagat.com/tarot/index.html

Jane
 

tarotbear

Jane- don't mean to sound like I was harping at you - just trying to make a point about how we percieve ourselves and the image we project, sometimes unknownst to ourselves.

Look at this easy question and two possible answers:
"What is it you do, again?"

"I'm a brain surgeon at John Hopkins Institute"

"I read Tarot cards".

Truthfully, when someone asks me what I teach, I know they think I'm going to say math or sewing ( I design costumes). I know better than to tell a complete stranger I read Tarot cards, so I usually say ' I teach Adult Education classes in Tarot Card reading, and have done so for a state college'. They usually pause when I say this. I also wait for them to say the next word, so I can judge where the conversation should go from there. I usually say next " I read tarot cards; I am not a fortune teller" or " I am NOT Miss Cleo. If that is what you are expecting, that is NOT what I do."

I DO NOT say something like " Yes, ah... I read cards --BUT-- ah -- I HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT FOR LONG!" or "It's a LOT of fun!"
When people ask the inevitable " Do you BELIEVE in this stuff?" depending on their attitude my answer runs the gamut from "Yes." to "Yes. What do you believe in of which YOU have no proof?"

Don't falter, don't stumble -- look them straight in the eye. The skeptical leave; the curious stick around.
 

isthmus nekoi

thanks for the link, fairyhedgehog - it would be nice to see big corporations suddenly wake up to the fact that keeping your employees in total drudgery plus cutting out sleep and play will reduce their overall productivity...

Ooo, I hate the question do you believe *in* tarot, b/c it often implies tarot is some sort of religion w/lots of rules which govern your life. I find it patronizes tarot as well. I'd much prefer the questions, do you think tarot is valid, how and why do you think it works etc.
 

fairyhedgehog

I'm glad you liked the link :)

About believing, unfortunately when my sister says she 'doesn't believe in Tarot' she means that she actively disapproves of it. In fact, my mother and sister have no idea that I have any Tarot cards and I prefer to keep it that way ;)

All the best,

FH
 

catlin

Some days ago I did a reading for a skeptical person.

I did not manage to convince her that tarot can unreveal the things you know already in your deeper self but I knew before that I cannot convince her because she did not want to be convinced.

I prefer doing readings for the curious because they are more cooperative.
 

NightQueen

I dont read for people who are sceptic i just feel it isnt necessary for me to prove my abilites for people, i feel if people want their cards read they need help or guidance in situations in their lives but also even if the person doesnt tell me they're skeptic as i shuffle my cards i see like a black curtain and this to me means the cards wont unfold and its not their time to have their cards read by me
 

Theworld98

I'm actually really glad this came up. I feel that reading for skeptics is completely up to you. Being an intuitive I generally understand how the reading will go and if I should stop the reading or not. I have an amazing amount of confidence in myself and my readings so I will always try to give a skeptic a good reading because they deserve to receive the messages the tarot is trying to communicate. However, if at any time I feel uncomfortable or feel that our energies are too conflicting I will apologize, end the reading, and not charge them a penny. By "conflicting" i mean that I feel that if our energies can't meet halfway to be able to work together to have a good reading, I do not feel comfortable to continue. But, if you feel like you can read for them, that's perfectly fine and your choice. Never feel like you HAVE to prove something to them and force yourself.
On the subject of curious clients, i love to read for them and show them all of the wonderful things tarot can tell them. I suppose this could work for skeptics but it really does boil down to knowing your boundaries and not causing yourself distress.
Hope this helped!
 

SunChariot

curious about Tarot is ok for me, if they have an open mind. That is where I was when I started Tarot myself. As long as the person is willing to concede that it might be possible that it could work. I would read for the person.

I do not read for skeptical people. Or anyone whose mind is too closed to give it the benefit of the doubt. Someone who is set against believing will find all kinds of excuses why it's not possible. If it clearly works it will be a lucky guess or a coincidence. Anything less than clear will be a lie.

To me, its a waste of time to read for people who are dead set against believing. It doesn't change what I know, but just why bother and then after all the work having to hear how they KNEW I couldn't do it. It makes a lot of work for someone who does not appreciated it or feel helped by it.

Babs
 

nisaba

How do ppl feel about conducting readings for those who approach tarot in a curious/skeptical mindset?

My boundary is reading for someone I know. I prefer to read for strangers.

Twenty-odd years ago, my then-partner asked me to read for my sceptical father-not-quite-in-law. I knew the guy well and was fond of him: I said no, go to such-and-such a place, they have a different reader in the shop every day.

I knew only one of their readers, then him only slightly. I didn't speak to him about my father-not-quite-in-law.

He went and had a reading. I didn't know on which day, and didn't know which reader read for him.

He came back, certain that I'd gone over there before he turned up (how would I know what day he went before the event?) and filled the reader in on his whole life-story. More than I knew, in fact.

I pointed out that I didn't know much of the stuff he claimed the reader had told him until just then. I pointed out that they had different readers every day, and I had no idea he was even going, let alone what day he decided to go.

He was slightly more impressed with Tarot readers in general and me by default after that. <grin>
 

BeyondtheVeil

Jane- once you trivialize what you do, the audience loses respect for you.

If you defend yourself and what you do and they think-"well, here's a real nutcase" - then that is their loss. At least you made you point.

If you tell them that it's a lot of hooey and get vague and make it sound like something that was created by hippies on some bad weed, they will never respect what you are doing, nor should they.


AGREED, TarotBear! :thumbsup:

If you don't take Tarot and what you do seriously, why should someone else?



I personally will not read for a skeptic because, from personal experience, it doesn't matter if you get it right... they are out to prove you wrong. That is a waste of my time and disrespect for what I truly believe in. I take it personally I guess, but why shouldn't I? I also will not give a free reading as that is also asking for trouble. When you start giving free readings then those same people will expect it every time plus they won't take it seriously. It could start a pattern of constant free readings with nothing for your time and no serious thought on theirs. If they pay, they will then think if it is important enough to pay for. I don't mind doing exchanges on the board for learning or trying out a new deck, new way to do divination. That is totally separate to me, but another thread. :)

I wouldn't mind someone curious because, I think, that means they are at least open minded about Tarot.


Brightest Blessings!
BeyondtheVeil