Reading for Skeptics

Yarnie

(nudges Jimilyn with a stick...)

Pssst! Pssst! Lansing! Pssst! Lansing!


Montgomery, Juneau, Phoenix, Little Rock, Sacramento, Denver, Hartford, Dover, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Honalulu, Boise, Springfield, Indianapolis, Des Moines, Topeka, Frankfort, Baton Rouge, Augusta, Annapolis, Boston, Lansing, Minneapolis, Jackson, Jefferson City, Helena, Lincoln, Carson City, Concord, Trenton, Santa Fe, Albany, Raleigh, Bismarck, Columbus, Oklahoma City, Salem, Harrisburg, Providence, Columbia, Pierre, Nashville, Austin, Salt Lake City, Montpelier, Richmond, Olympia, Charleston, Madison, Cheyenne (whew!)

(after going back and checking, I can't believe I actually got them all right! WOOHOO!)
 

Demon Goddess

lol, Yarnie, well done!

I was marvelling with some friends about Canadians not being able remember the names of all the Provinces and their capitals and had commented that we're lucky we only have 10 Provinces and 2 territories, that Americans had 50 to remember... Colour me impressed! <btw, note the spelling of "colour", That's not a typo, I'm Canadian.>
 

MeeWah

Sorry I'm so late to this thread.
What Mojo said about skeptics is true, as I'm sure there are others who will agree.
The thing is to avoid falling into their mind trap, as it could affect the reader. Nothing will kill a reading more than the reader losing confidence or faith in his ability, whether from letting what someone says affect him or his own doubts.
My time & energy are valuable to me. If a querent is that unwilling to permit a reader access to his private space (because that is what it is) then offer to cancel the session & suggest another time. Or some other alternative.
I had one skeptic who interrupted her reading with the disclaimer "I know that already! Tell me something I DON'T know!" She hushed up & apologized after I politely pointed out a few things. She contacted me for a reading of her own free will; I did not seek her out. I was telling her details of the current situation in her life without any prior knowledge (I do "cold" readings) & she was confirming the accuracies--that should have indicated I was heading somewhere! She needed to think about whether she wanted the session to continue as it was a waste of my time & energy; also hers if she didn't really want a reading. I didn't tell her I could feel this density (as if there was a wall between us) so I knew she was fighting me & herself. I did not want to exhaust myself trying to maintain a link between us if she wasn't ready nor lose my focus & the purpose. The reading concluded without further incident. I gave her a time frame of from 2 weeks to 2 months, probably sooner in which some things would probably be more evident to her. A couple of weeks later she called to tell me I was right about certain concerns (what led her to want the reading), including a warning about the possible direction a domestic situation was heading--something she wasn't aware of.
Rhiannon: Some "friends" take advantage of "friendship". A friend did the same to me. I realized she was not taking me nor the readings seriously--perhaps because I didn't charge her for my services &/or she saw it as "entertainment". She called upon me often for readings, sometimes within a couple of days of a reading! I tried to tell her this wasn't healthy without offending her, but she wasn't listening. I was concerned because by then, the last few readings told me she was not ready to act on anything, was consulting with local "professionals" as well & creating more confusion for herself. The readings were also frustratingly repetitious--the cards are not going to have anything new to say if there have been no changes (& not sufficient time has elapsed--things in this realm do involve time ). Due to what I'd been seeing, I had suggested a physical exam; also counseling or therapy. It was during a get-together (that didn't involve a reading) that there was an opportunity to sort of address the matter, when she inquired about my Tarotwork. If money was a sole objective, perhaps I would be more aggressive in marketing my skills. & I would be taken more seriously! Tarotwork as not just a life work for self-knowledge & wisdom but also a means of giving service. I am glad to be of service but there are those who take advantage; & not only that, do not view my efforts seriously! The last is a dis-service to me, for it means my efforts go for naught; but more so to themselves because they cannot realize any benefit from the experience. Since the discussion, she's not requested readings as often; is trying to work with the occasional ones she does get. She still has much of the same concerns but has made advances on different levels--including obtaining a physical, somethng she was fearful of doing. Significantly, she feels more empowered rather than at the mercy of a capricious "Fate" & is doing 300% better (her assessment) than when I first started reading for her.
A reading is not a panacea for what ails one; nor can it be relied upon to "predict". It can offer insight & guidance based on the current & past trends, from which possible outcomes can be extrapolated.
 

Dee 04

Well said Meewah! You actually spoke the situation I am in more than you could ever imagine (well, u might imagine, who knows>) :D

Thanks for those words.
 

Dee 04

Well said Meewah! You actually spoke to the situation I am in more than you could ever imagine (well, u might imagine, who knows>) :D

Thanks for those words.
 

MeeWah

Dee: Perhaps you need to "educate" them. Consider charging them, regardless of their relationship to you. This announces that you are serious about your work & as Tarotbear said a while back, "eliminates the riffraff" (I just love it!) If they are also serious, they will appreciate where you are coming from. After all, would they expect to consult with a counselor or therapist for free? Or shop for free? Etcetera!! Your time & your energy are valuable, regardless of how experienced or not you may be. Even fledgling professionals in other fields get paid for their work; however, you may want to take each request at its own merit.
I headed off some of the requests by handing out my business card & telling the individuals to call me or email me, at which time we can discuss the arrangements. Of course, there are times when I do not hesitate, but those other times are well worth setting things straight & saving yourself any possible hassles.
 

Dee 04

That is good advice - how do I charge those that are already "spoiled" by "free" readings.


All this input from all of you had been very valuable and I feel really supported - Thanks again.
 

MeeWah

Dee: You can always give as a reason that you've been giving "sample" readings("sample" sounds better than "just practising") just like some companies hand out samples or trial sizes :D
Now that they have had a "taste" of what you offer, you are following up on establishing yourself on a professional basis.
If you are not quite comfortable with verbalizing something along those lines, make up a flyer to hand out & attach a business card to each. You might want to include a disclaimer, such as a brief statement on what Tarot is/isn't--not fortune-telling; no predictions; but a means of insight & guidance, etc.
Or as Buca suggested: they should get their own Tarot deck (I do not recommend "lending" yours) & do self-readings :)
I bet none of them would be willing to work for free at whatever it is they do!
 

schaea

Hi there,

I guess I've just been lucky. Most of the people that I read for are usually pretty good about that. If they are skeptic they sure don't say it.

I've had a few skeptics, but after one reading, they change their mind! All the skeptics that I've had are now regular customers :)

Blessed be,
Andrew.
 

tmgrl2

MeeWah said:
Dee: You can always give as a reason that you've been giving "sample" readings("sample" sounds better than "just practising") just like some companies hand out samples or trial sizes :D
Now that they have had a "taste" of what you offer, you are following up on establishing yourself on a professional basis.
If you are not quite comfortable with verbalizing something along those lines, make up a flyer to hand out & attach a business card to each. You might want to include a disclaimer, such as a brief statement on what Tarot is/isn't--not fortune-telling; no predictions; but a means of insight & guidance, etc.
Or as Buca suggested: they should get their own Tarot deck (I do not recommend "lending" yours) & do self-readings :)
I bet none of them would be willing to work for free at whatever it is they do!

MeeWah...I love this post of yours. I have been going through the Mechanics Threads...I like the idea of calling it a "sample" reading.

Also, I don't mind if someone is skeptical...especially if they have ASKED for the reading. When they ask me questions about what I believe about the Tarot and how it works, my answer usually says something to the effect, that I use the Tarot to give a person some guidance or another way of looking at something ..since they are often "stuck" in thinking about a situation or decision. I also say I, myself, am somewhat skeptical, since I can't explain scientifcally what we are doing, but that it works most of the time...people seem to feel they have gotten some good guidance ...or even reinforcement that they are on the right path...or direction into another way of solving something.

We take them as we get them....and part of the fun of live readings, I am finding, is that I don't know what is going to happen and where we are going. I like that..

terri