Running before you can crawl...

Sinduction said:

In all honesty, I don't even go into the Readings part anymore.

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Same here. Of course, one can ask anything and we say this is only for practice - but is it? Its not hypothetic questions - its real people with real questions. And while i respect the new age thing - everything is ok and everyone is ok, to me it isn't like that and since in real life i have set borders, i don't see why would i continue supporting someone in doing something i consider stupid at best and immoral at worst.

Amen to what Franniee said!

Thanks for bringing this up, 214red.

214red said:

Should you really be reading for people on subjects that can affect their lives, for instance asking about the fidelity of their lover/wife/husband...what impact will it have on the persons relationship, are you giving the information to the person in a responsible manner.

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To be honest, when I was just starting to really learn the tarot I did ask questions that were serious. I was just reading for myself, though. Still, it probably wasnt a very responsible thing to do (just learning that with this thread) but at the time, i felt it was ok because I had AT and so many people who were experienced to help me. so maybe new people have that same sense of security that i did?

All this is true.

BUT - I didn't learn by using Your Readings (I never dared to comment on them, as I didn't know what the hell I was doing myself ! blind leading blind comes to mind...) - I went for one of the circles - and I recommend them most highly. There is even one for beginners. Newbie Exchange.

greatdane said:

and I can obviously only speak for myself, but I don't even have the desire to read for anyone right now. I'm trying to get comfortable with my first deck, get some basics, and feel the connection. I wouldn't even want to practice on anyone else yet, because even if I made VERY clear I was new and didn't know the ropes yet, I think many people, whether consciously or not, would take the readings to heart and I wouldn't want that on me! But like I said, I don't even have the desire to try to read for anyone else at the moment, too much to learn and get used to myself I can understand if there are people around you who see you with your deck, their inclination is to ask you to read for them though, whether one does or not is obviously about their comfort level doing it, or asking the person to wait a week or so, because they don't feel they could do the reading justice yet.

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As I was reading all the replies and trying to gather my thoughts, I came across greatdane's reply. Greatdane, you took the words right out of my mouth! The most I can manage is a Daily Draw for myself, and taking a class with Janet Boyer, which is going great. I am not even remotely ready to connect cards in their appropriate positions, but I'm learning. Some family/friends have asked me to read for them, and I've just told them I'm not ready.
That being said, there really are some naturally intuitive folks out there who probably can look at the cards and know what's going on. Should they be doing this without proper training? Hard to say because they might really be good at reading the cards, maybe better than someone who's been studying for years.
Now, when I got my first Tarot deck, I did read for my oldest daughter (once), and I prefaced the reading with 'You know this is just for fun, right?'
Of course, her question was not a life or death thing. She was having trouble with one of her assignments at school and needed some guidance. Incredibly, the cards did direct her along the best course and she did extremely well. But I've been afraid to do any other readings, I just don't feel ready. And I wonder how much of the Tarot's answer was from Tarot, or from her Mom.

Excellent Point, Makani!

When I said I didn't want to read because I don't feel ready, for those who intuitively get a sense of the cards and feel confident (I'm guessing those people who are natural intuitives have read for themselves and know they're pretty spot on anyway), may never need to study. But then, they must feel ready and confident to read for others. For those who don't feel it intuitively yet (and to be honest I haven't really done much even trying to read for myself, I'm just reading right now, IF I wind up feeling very intuitive about it quickly, and MY OWN READINGS make sense to me, then I would venture out more quickly). I think some people must take to tarot easier and quicker than others, it isn't about the studying, it's about everyone's own gut feeling if they're ready.

GD

I agree, some definitely seem to take to it quicker and easier. Also, from what I've read here at AT, even those who do have an easier time of it spend years studying. The more you look, the more you see. All I know is, I'm enjoying myself. Some day, I'll be ready to take off. Just not yet.

AJ said:

there aren't any small topics, if it is something important enough to ask about.

Do you have a list of what you consider safe subjects?

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I'd like to know this too.

I agree with Alta and Milfoil that this is a place not only to teach, but to learn, and the best way to learn is by doing. If this isn't a safe place to learn, where is one?

ncefafn said:

I'd like to know this too.

I agree with Alta and Milfoil that this is a place not only to teach, but to learn, and the best way to learn is by doing. If this isn't a safe place to learn, where is one?

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I don't know about "safe" questions, but I do think that smaller questions have their place in the life of a tarot student. After all, aren't daily draws "just" about the hum-drum of our daily lives? They are easy to figure out, and provide a lot of insights. For example, you know that a daily draw will apply to the 24 hour period in question, and you can see how that card's qualities manifest quickly.

For other questions, which may seem silly at first, I believe the same principles apply. "Will I have fun at the party tonight?" may seem like a poor question, for example, but it will be answered shortly, and it will be easy to determine if your "reading" was accurate. Deep, meaningful questions about the nature of life are more difficult for the novice to interpret, or to find out if their interpretations were accurate.

So, I think that all questions have their place in tarot education, even if they do fall into the "what Not to do" section of your notebook.

~Kimberlee

Honestly, I am somewhat bothered by the tone of this thread. I don't think it is anyone's place to decide for someone else how their tarot journey will look. There seems to be almost an air of superiority (not pointing a single finger anywhere) that one has done tarot "right" (ie, study, and learning, and having spent years in pursuit of the knowledge before daring to read for another person) and does not appreciate someone else doing it "wrong" (ie, not their way), and I do not feel comfortable with it. I feel we should be welcoming and supportive of newcomers to tarot and our forums, whether or not we agree with their learning process.

I agree that often we see readers biting off more than they can chew, so to speak, and that a lot of people would absorb more if they slowed down, took a card or two at a time, and learned how to read the cards together, instead of just some keywords or canned meanings, but that is a process and takes time, and practice. And where else are they going to get practice? I would gladly let anyone read for me, of any experience level, but I would take anything ANY reader said and apply what I KNOW, and use what was useful, and discard the rest. Frankly, if a person doesn't have enough common sense to do that, the problem is not the reader, but the sitter, and it has nothing to do with tarot and everything to do with a flaw in the sitter. These are the same kind of people who believed the smarmy mortgage brokers who said, "Yes, you can afford over half your take home pay on this adjustable rate mortgage," never considering that if rates are at historic lows, there is only one way for them to adjust.

It is a learning forum. We come here to learn. It is not everyone's gift to teach, or even every teacher's gift to reach every student. If a person is frustrated by the Exchange or Your Readings forums, it is easy enough to avoid them. I know I do, because patience is not my strong point, and I do not have the talent of explaining things in a way that allows someone else to learn from me, generally.

Also, I am strongly of the opinion that there are no stupid questions. People feel they need to know some things, and I do not believe tarot offers knowledge if we should not have it. Love matters to people, what others think matter, and, to quote Annie Dillard, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." So, those nagging little questions DO matter. A person is not obligated to use tarot, or matchsticks, or runes, or any form of divination to find out how X feels about them, or what they should know about their job, but neither should anyone be looked down upon if they choose to use that aspect for those things. Forewarned is forearmed.

I have read tarot since I was 12 years old, and that has been 20 good years now, so I will not be labeled as a beginner. I often ask deep, soulful questions of tarot, things to do with the nature of the universe and of Him, and of who I really am. It works great in that capacity. However, today I asked where the h*ll my son was, and if today would be a good day to make bread, and what to get Brother for his birthday, and even if my honey loves me (which I know he does). That was what I needed today, and tarot came through for me.

I guess what I am saying is, let's be gentle with each other, because it's a rough world out there, and be uplifting when we can be, and if we are asked for our opinion, of course it's okay to give one. But judgment and criticism do not really help anyone learn, if it is given harshly, and does not really add anything positive to the energy of our home on the 'net.

...and if we don't like it, we don't have to respond to it.