When a readers rituals scare the client...

Rev_Vesta

hi....

This thread really made me think........

A reader, know matter what tools they use, should be able to give you exactly what they say they can deliver.....

Before a client sits down for a reading, or when they book, I explain exactly how I read...

I work with Native American Tarot, Sacred Path Cards and Crystal Ally cards...... The readings usually bring up core issues, challanges, obstacles from the past, the present and maybe solutions for the future pathway of the journey.......I do not speak while I type up the readings.... Once typed up the Crystal Ally Card which shows The Element, the Crystal the Chakra and the affirmation needed to move forward on journey....I then print and we then can discuss the reading and if needing a clarifier choose an oracle deck for further clarification.....(Basic summary..)
Now the client can decide yes they want a reading or no they will try elsewhere....
I always say when choosing the selected cards there are no rules....... I like that the client shuffles and randomly chooses the cards....
3 different decks confirms client's pathway.....

works for me.........

vesta
 

214red

yes Rev_Vesta that makes sense, because if i knew how she read i wouldnt have booked her.
 

RiverSpirit

Having been subjected to definitional "I can't really get what these cards are saying, but here's what they mean" readings - I feel your PAIN! LOL

As a professional reader myself, I do have a ritual before each reading, which serves to get me really grounded and opened up to the messages that come through for the client. The mechanics(ritual) are important to me and I think many of the best professional readers use similar techniques... At least the ones who taught me the Tarot. Mine ritual is fairly simple, extremely focused and effective, for me. And I would advise any professional reader to have some rituals for cleansing and focus for the purpose of the reading. That said, I rarely perform this in front of the client (unless I'm called to do so, usually when the client needs to "open up a bit"). It's not a long drawn out thing (a few minutes) and is, for better words, a mini meditation to prepare me to stand between the worlds.

So for me, it's really an exercise I do for myself to provide clarity and therefore value to the client. My repeat clientele is comfortable with my style, so we just head right to the reading without much ado... i see if there is a specific area to address, shuffle with intent and allow the client to cut the cards "where ever and how ever it calls to them"..

As for newbie clients I do always explain to them before the reading that I read the cards as I see them - that I am an intuitive - While I am very famillar with them, I do not give card or position definitions during a reading ( I offer classes for that, and being an encyclopedia of the numerous definitions for each card is a waste of reading time, as answering these questions can break the flow of information coming through or get you sidetracked into topic of lesser importance).

I also advise my newbies of my guides presence in the reading and that there may be times when a dead person may pop in with a relevant message they need to give to them. (It's odd, but there seems to be increase of these mediumship situations the last month, and I have found that they often add another dimension/voice and richness to the reading for the querent)

I only share this because the best readers I have personally encountered seem to do similar things, so that is what I look for when I'm paying for a reading.


Just my two cents

River
 

Calliope

214red said:
So now I have a couple of questions that I would like to open up for discussion:

A) Has anyone else found other readers rituals slightly scary when having them read for you?
B) Would knowing someone's reading style help you select a reader?
C) How do you register your dissatisfaction, or do you not bother?

Honestly, I have only had a couple of people read tarot for me, and one person read my natal chart. I tend to be extremely picky of who reads for me, so I always try and find a picture of the person and read any reviews regarding them. I guess I've been pretty lucky so far.

The people that I have gone to have been a fountain of information--as in, once they start, they don't stop and even tend to go over the allotted time. The last one I went to had a ritual prior to the tarot reading (she smudged herself and me and we meditated for a couple of minutes--and that didn't even count against my time for the reading), but this didn't make me feel uncomfortable in the slightest.

But yes, knowing someone's style of reading would help me select a reader. I like to the know what I'm getting myself into, pretty much. :) And if I were dissatisfied...knowing me, I probably wouldn't say anything. I'd just take my lumps and never go to them, and possibly steer other people clear of the reader if I felt strongly enough about it.
 

214red

Thanks RiverSpirit & Calliope for your posts, very interesting to read.

if i am reading psychically i have a bit of a ritual which i do before the person arrives, but other then that i dont have one for normal tarot readings. I do make the client aware of how i read and that they get the messages given not always what they want to hear

Nik
 

SunChariot

214red said:
I had a paid reading at the weekend, I didn’t particularly like it (but that’s another story).

A few things stuck out when she was reading for me, and they made me feel uncomfortable:
1) The same spread over and over, which consisted of about 16 cards each time she re-spread the cards.I understand people have spreads they like, but it felt a bit excessive to redo the redo the same spread over and over to clarify the first spread, a few cards maybe but not the full 16 again. Each spread it felt like she only picked 2 or 3 things up from the cards themselves, even with soo many cards spread out.

2) The slightly OCD way she kept stopping the reading to reshuffle and had to always have the cards the right way up, which felt like it wasted valuable reading time.

3) For each spread she pulled fanned out the cards on the table and asked me to select with my left hand a number of cards. I am naturally right handed so occasionally I would start to use my right had to select cards, she then we shout 'I said right' in a tone that made me think that it would ruin her whole deck if I used the wrong hand.

Now I am all for respecting other peoples way to read, however the whole ritual side of it took the enjoyment out of the reading, I felt one false move and she would have declared I had ruined her reading or the deck. I felt uncomfortable during the 30 mins and found myself, waiting for the time to finish.
Now the issues I had with the reading could have been because I didn’t think the reading was that good, I am sure if the reading was good I would not have had any gripes about how she read.


So now I have a couple of questions that I would like to open up for discussion:

A) Has anyone else found other readers rituals slightly scary when having them read for you?
B) Would knowing someone's reading style help you select a reader?
C) How do you register your dissatisfaction, or do you not bother?


Nik

PS I didn’t try and backseat read, I tried to not focus on the cards and what I saw and let her come up with information.
PSS if this is in the incorrect forum please move it mods, and sorry!

I've never had an in person reading. But what struck me about your post, was that the reader was way too stressed and unsure of herself, and that part of her job is to make the querent feel comfortable so she was failing in that.

Also, she clearly did not believe that everythign happens for a reason. And that you too are being guided just as she was. For me, if I were to read in person, which I am not about to. If I had a ritual where I asked the person to do somethign wtih their left hand and they used the right hand instead, I would take it in stride and think they must have been guided to do that and so it must be for the best this time.

And to me, the tone of voice was uncalled for. I don't see it as justified to ever use an unpleasant or intimidating tone of voice for the cleint. They are paying you, so you're working for them. That's how I see it,

Babs
 

Rev_Vesta

I never mentioned my ritual because I do the Ritual before the client arrives..... usually 45 mins before I will sit quietly do a quick 10-15 min meditation, then a Soul Energy Clearing and a 12 min Reiki Session for self... that gets my Vibrations at it's highest, makes sure i am only working with Higher Self and my ego is less than 5%, I have one Soul within myself.....adn I am ready to connect.......for the Client's highest good......

If at an expo or fair I do the Ritual after a Yoga session in the morning before i leave for the day... and then will visualize cards being cleaned between each reading session... ready for new querant.... I think because i type each reading I do allow myself a minute to connect........

Vesta
 

Debra

From what you describe, she wasn't relating to you at all. You were irrelevant to her (except for the payment part LOL).

I've had a reading like that. It's very disappointing.

All of the "strange" stuff she did--the large number of cards, the left hand, etc.--might well have served you fine if she'd explained why she was doing it this way, or why the left hand seems better to her, etc. Instead, it sounds like she made you feel like an intruder to your own reading. A reading is for the client, not for the reader. I'm sorry you had this experience, but I'm glad you're sharing it with us.