How do you deal with weird questions?

GotH

I really don't think anyone is upset. I think we just wanted to understand where you are coming from. I believe there was about 4 or more of us who asked why you thought those questions were weird and inappropriate and what you thought wasn't. Thanks for coming back with your explanation.

Personally, I would have used the word "challenging" in place of weird or inappropriate but that's just me..
 

Cenozoic

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences! I find them really interesting and full of important teachings to me, I certainly will follow your advice. :)

To whom is asking, there are questions I don't feel comfortable with and I find them WEIRD from MY point of view about life and spirituality. Also, I'm not so presumptuous to judge and say that angels don't exist or that's not possible to tell fortune with Tarot cards. I'm sorry if my words left someone upset, I really dindn't mean. And I also don't think that the "ok questions" are necessarily only about love and work.
In my opinion Tarot cards are a tool that help us understand better ourselves and our environment, and can help us uncover our ouwn subconscious desires, truth and inner workings of our mind. I believe that tarot can help us to shape the future we want.
That is why I said I find these situations oppressive. I'm a beginner with readings to the "public", and since I really love to help people I just want to do the right thing for both.

You might explain to us that tarot is about understanding ourselves better, yet you don't fully realize that you're not understanding them at all! You're saying that their questions are weird, inappropriate, oppressive, and I don't want to sound like a bad person, but it is judgmental.

Truth be told, if you want to help people, start listening to them. They wouldn't be sitting there in front of you, just to be told that their questions are too weird and not what you expected!
 

Owl Song

I think the OP came in and asked her question in an open-minded way. She wants to help, as she mentioned in her original query. It seems like people are getting bogged down with semantics and word choice, rather than appreciating the spirit of the initial post -- which was a request to find more ways to be helpful. I think we've all been there, frustrated or unsure, at one time or another -- when we've struggled with the questions we're asked as a reader. Maybe I'm wrong about this but I know I, personally, have had my moments.

I also think that branding someone judgmental or narrow based on such a brief interaction is rather unfair.
 

gregory

Yes, the OP wanted help - and more power to her. BUT - it is disrespectful to sitters to describe their - probably very important to THEM :) - questions as "weird". Saying they are questions you are not comfortable with is a whole different thing.
 

GotH

I think we've all been there, frustrated or unsure, at one time or another -- when we've struggled with the questions we're asked as a reader. Maybe I'm wrong about this but I know I, personally, have had my moments.
Of course, we all have but I think I was more embarrassed or apologetic if I couldn't answer someone's question vs saying their request was weird.
 

BrownBear

I think the OP came in and asked her question in an open-minded way. She wants to help, as she mentioned in her original query. It seems like people are getting bogged down with semantics and word choice, rather than appreciating the spirit of the initial post -- which was a request to find more ways to be helpful. I think we've all been there, frustrated or unsure, at one time or another -- when we've struggled with the questions we're asked as a reader. Maybe I'm wrong about this but I know I, personally, have had my moments.

I also think that branding someone judgmental or narrow based on such a brief interaction is rather unfair.
I completely agree with you. There are kind ways to suggest the poster look at this in a different light.

Also we need to make room for people who do not speak English as a first language. The word weird can mean anything from unusual to difficult. The word in itself is not insulting .
 

Owl Song

Yes, the OP wanted help - and more power to her. BUT - it is disrespectful to sitters to describe their - probably very important to THEM :) - questions as "weird". Saying they are questions you are not comfortable with is a whole different thing.

Gregory, I really do see where you are coming from but I also think that the OP addressed the questions that were asked of her after the fact. (She even apologized -- rather graciously, too.) I also truly do not believe her intent was disrespectful, even if her word choice may not have been "optimal." I think the point has been made and maybe people could just be kind and give her the benefit of the doubt without continuing to focus on her word choices. There's a difference between a moment of frustration and venting versus genuine malice -- and I do not see the latter here at all.
 

Nineveh

After reading through the recent posts here I would like to give more of my "two pennies". 'Weird' and 'oppressive' can be personal perceptions. The OP is entitled to those perceptions as the questions had obviously provoked emotions (within her) that she describes as oppressive and weird. I don't think she has been directly offensive unless she had directly verbalized those exact feelings to her client.

Additionally, I think the word "judgmental" is often over used as well as used out of context, not only here but in everday interactions and conversations.

~Best Wishes!
 

silverwinter

Thank you so much Starlily, BrownBear and Nineveh for your support, I really appreciate it! :)

In my everyday life I usually try to do more constructive things rather than writing threads with the purpose of insulting people. I was asking for help. I sincerely thank those who understood it.
And no, I have never verbalized these feelings/thoughts directly to the querents.
 

nisaba

And that's perfectly fine, but until you realise that no client's question is weird to them, you really won't be in a position to help them. Every client comes to a reader wanting help understanding their life. What's what we are for. I've been reading for the public since 1981, and I've never really had anyone ask a weird question. I've had questions asked about paedophiles and about contacting aliens, but those questions weren't weird, just more relevant to the client than to me.