Running before you can crawl...

thank you for sharing that, Manda

That is why I mentioned that as a newbie, I can only speak for myself and what I would feel doing a reading before I'm ready. Tarot is so personal and only each of us knows what path it may take for us or where it may lead and, especially, when we are ready to take on new steps, like reading for others. When all is said and done, isn't tarot about how WE feel anyway? I read so many threads and posts about what this or that means and while I have so many questions (and everyone has been so great and supportive in their answers), I know it will ultimately come down to what I think something means.

I do enjoy reading EVERY perspective in this thread because everyone has their opinion and I take it all in.

We all have different journeys and it's about the ride more than the destination, may you all be blessed in yours,

GD

Correction!!!

I didn't mean when I started this THREAD, I mean when I started my post in the thread! SORRRRY!

GD

greatdane said:

I didn't mean when I started this THREAD, I mean when I started my post in the thread! SORRRRY!

GD

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Psst. greatdane.....

You can EDIT your posts, you know

I think perhaps the toughest thing about reading - and it is still tough, for me anyway, and I am NOT what I would call experienced - is to get the question right. And that is something a sitter has to do, for pity's sake. Poor sitters ! But here, we learners have to do that as well as try to read. It's a tough old world.

TBH, I didn't really see the original posting or some subsequent postings knocking the issue of reading whilst in the early stages of learning. I think it more raised the thought of what sort of readings may be appropriate in line with their level of knowledge and experience with tarot.

I do agree the postings have at times been a little... tense, and would love to see some harmony restored. We do have differing opinions on the matter and it is right all sides can be represented here with respect being shown from all involved, even if the posted opinion may differ from your own.

This IS a learning environment but I do believe (and this might have me shot down in flames I know) :

Giving a reading comes with some responsibility. It is not something to be done half hearted or played at if that makes sense.
Guidance and support for someone new on the path also comes with some responsibility. If we all stepped into the Hierophant, High Priestess and a few other cards we would get it right I know, but sometimes we don't stop to think "how is what I am saying going to help them grow and develop on their tarot journey".

We all have a great basis to work from, and as a community this forum is awesome. Let's not lose sight of that. I am sorry if this post does offend or cause some gnashing of teeth. I am not one to go down that road as most of you know. I guess I wanted to explain myself a little more, but it is not easy to do so with the confines of a typed posting. Hopefully most of you will understand a little of where I am coming from.

In the meantime, I fully support the development of 'newbies' as we were all there once, and in my mind I will always be a 'newbie' as long as there is something still out there for me to learn

Davina

Amanda_04 said:

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

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Actually, I feel I do have to respond, because if I was one of the "newbies" who are being hung out here, in what I feel is an unkind way at best, I would be much cheered by knowing that not everyone who comes to this forum agrees.

There is nothing wrong with open, friendly discussion, and responding, even when we do not agree, or "like" it, is how dialogue stays open.

Manda said:

Actually, I feel I do have to respond, because if I was one of the "newbies" who are being hung out here, in what I feel is an unkind way at best, I would be much cheered by knowing that not everyone who comes to this forum agrees.

There is nothing wrong with open, friendly discussion, and responding, even when we do not agree, or "like" it, is how dialogue stays open.

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Right on - and I hope you don't feel I am hanging you out; I feel like a newbie most of the time..... and I seem to have been here since time immemorial... then again - while I do have a memory - I do know it doesn't work

Oh, goodness, Davina and gregory, you guys rock! No harm, no foul.

I am not trying to come off as pushy loudmouth know-it-all either, because I don't. I am just presenting another side.

I agree with your post virtually word for word, Davina. And gregory, here's to being "newbies" for life, if not actual beginners.

I am always, every single day, amazed by tarot, and that is what keeps me coming back for more. I learn something new every day, and I am constantly grateful for that.

A couple of thoughts. I think that people who have contrary views to those being expressed in a thread both can and should respond. Group-think often gets a bit toxic.

Also, I agree that the tone of thread has several times struck me as less than kind. Experienced readers forget what it feels like to be new, excited, hopeful, daunted and ready to charge ahead. Having come into personal contact with several new readers recently I was struck with the eagerness and thrill they felt and they really do rush in where angels fear to tread. Well, fine, as far as I am concerned.

Alta

Manda said:

Actually, I feel I do have to respond, because if I was one of the "newbies" who are being hung out here, in what I feel is an unkind way at best, I would be much cheered by knowing that not everyone who comes to this forum agrees.

There is nothing wrong with open, friendly discussion, and responding, even when we do not agree, or "like" it, is how dialogue stays open.

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Well, when some others don't see things as you or I do, peacefully and open-minded, it's probably best they keep their mouth shut. I defended the hell out of a girl who was new here (and to the cards, if I remember right) and she asked about a celebrity's death.. because really she just had a curiosity about death... personally, I thought the post was in bad taste considering the timing, but I gave her an objective response to help facilitate her learning and to help with her question (as did others). There was another here however, who decided to rip the poor girl apart, not only in her thread, but started a new one just to complain about how "bad" the girl was for asking such a thing. And, she felt so awful because of that one person, she erased her thread, apologized a million times over, and that person was still going on about how awful she was... I haven't seen her around here since... and that is the kind of thing that upsets me. One self-righteous idiot around here ran off a newbie trying to learn.

It's fine you know, if you want to give a newbie some tips- but they are going to do what they are going to do, and you just have to let them and be quiet, or help them in a more productive fashion than just telling them they are wrong for doing it the way they are, because really, you don't know what the right way is for them. I just mentioned in another post that we need to be more aware of how we are reacting to people rather than being concerned with how they act. That notion (of how to properly react) goes right along with this.

I don't want people to conform to my views, and I don't want others to try to convince me that I should conform to theirs- but if they present their point in a way that will prompt me to think for myself in a new way, I will respect them a hell of a lot more for it. And I think that's how the newbies should be handled with their silly questions.

ah, I see that you meant something somewhat different than it first appeared. You meant concerning posting in Your Readings threads to criticize the thread starter. With that, I fully agree.