How to keep readings light (at a party)

I wouldn't remove any cards but to keep it light, you have to control the message or question asked like many people are saying here. I would theme it with the party and this is easy at say Christmas or the beginning of the year. for example, you could ask for Halloween / Samhain "treat" message for each person or a "something nice present" at Christmas, something positive coming your way in the New Year. I guess if you are reading at a birthday or wedding party for someone, you could do a "a gift for you to take away from the party" for sitters. Word it for a small positive bit of advice or a message and it will keep the readings light.

ETA: thinking of the fun non-professional campfire party theme, what about "what is the spark I can take away from here?"

Lili Fleur De Lune said:

Hi,

Yesterday I did a spread for a collegue. The question was "Will I meet love this year?".

3 of swords was among the cards *gulp*

I knew I was capable to handle the situation IF we were alone. But we had 2 watchers who didn't mind their own business.

I am so angry at me, I lost control of the situation. One of those even took my deck and try to improvise another spread.

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It can get out of hand quickly that's for sure...I can't believe they took your deck like that...OMG!

Zevern said:

I don't know a way to keep it light while being truthful, honestly. If cards come up that suggest the person needs to address certain issues in life, then what are you to do? In a three card spread, what would you say if the devil, the tower, and death are pulled?

"Oh, I see there is a painful situation where you felt trapped, and it's now coming to an end and you're on to new beginnings!"

Sure, it could be interpreted that way, I suppose, but that's not what those cards are usually saying when read together. I guess it's fine for parties and such, but if that wombo combo came up, I'd likely take that person aside later and offer to give them a full reading in private if they wanted. I would also inform them that the interpretation I gave in front of their friends was just to keep the mood light.

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right, this is the situation I got into...seems like controlling the questions is easier than controlling the answers

danieljuk said:

I wouldn't remove any cards but to keep it light, you have to control the message or question asked like many people are saying here. I would theme it with the party and this is easy at say Christmas or the beginning of the year. for example, you could ask for Halloween / Samhain "treat" message for each person or a "something nice present" at Christmas, something positive coming your way in the New Year. I guess if you are reading at a birthday or wedding party for someone, you could do a "a gift for you to take away from the party" for sitters. Word it for a small positive bit of advice or a message and it will keep the readings light.

ETA: thinking of the fun non-professional campfire party theme, what about "what is the spark I can take away from here?"

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I've been leaning heavily on past life spreads, since they don't happen in the future, there is less to worry about (and you can improvise a lot with humor) but now that I've given several of my friends this type of reading they will probably LOVE something different like the holiday themes you mentioned...I don't know why i didn't think of that! You are too clever

Amsonia said:

If you were giving readings at a party for entertainment (not professionally, just around the campfire at home while having a few drinks), how do you keep things light? Do you have a specific spread or general rules?

I'm not fond of having people tear up or get super serious when we are all trying to have a good time....

Any advice?

I want to enjoy doing card readings for friends and bring out my cards more, but things get too serious too fast...

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Just me maybe, but I find it hard to think of Tarot as entertainment or as something "light". To me it is very deep and spiritual and well very very deep. LOL

That said, I know that's just my opinions and nothing more.

But IF I wanted a reading to be light, I would just ask the cards for that. It is my job to read what comes up, but if I wanted only light answers I would just ask the cards for that.

As I am asking the question I would say inside: This is what I want to know.....(question) but please keep it light for now and it's a party setting.

Then the answers should come up in that form. If you don't ask for that, I feel like it's your job as a reader to tell all that comes up as it shows up. If something serious comes up, there it is and you need to say it. We are not supposed to omit parts of the message that shows up. What shows up is what the querent needs to here. But if you ask for the message to take a certain form I think that could work.

It's still possible though that if there were REALLY something one of the querents really needed to know of a more serious nature, it might show up anyway though. If someone needs to know something badly, the cards tend to tell them.

Babs

Hello,

A lot has been said already, but I will add my two cents if it is not too late !

Reading for friends, is something I do and enjoy a lot. I think tarot is a great way to spark conversations, to made friends, and it can lead to very deep conversations even in a "light" surroundings. But, it is different if its made in a small company, with only two or three close friends who know each other very well, or in a large party.

My advice would be :

- Do not accept relationship readings if the other member (or members !) of the couple/ partnership is/are present at the party, or is/are well known by the other guests. Even if the readings are not public, and happen one-on-one in a corner of the room.
(I like reading for friends, and the same thigs goes all the time, even outside of a party : make sure that they are not going to share information about other people you know, that will make you uncomfortable. Better to tell in advance where the limits are)

- Explain in advance what kind of reading you can offer, depending on your personal preferences. For me, for example, that is : I do not make predictive readings, I do not make readings that are centered on a third person...

- When people are not familiar with tarot, they can get freaked out by the scary cards ; suitable decks have been mentioned by other members in the thread for that. A few other suggestions,
depending on the type of company : I like the Distant Past tarot (has been initially made for the artist's child, and Death, Hanged, Devil are renamed) ; the Halloween deck (the cartoonish style takes of the edge of the scary cards) ; or, a deck I personnaly like very much as a second degree choice for a "rock'n roll" style company : the Dark Carnival tarot (all the cards represent exaggeretedly "scary" characters anyway, so the traditionaly scary cards are no worse than the others)

- it's is difficult to keep readings uniformely light. Some readers will have important questions and will take the reading very seriously, even if they pretend to not care one way or the other in front of the company. It's important to remember that and to honor that it is important to them, to respect that aspect even if the reading does not go into deep details.

- if you feel that amongst the company, some people will react badly, either lecture you because they think tarot is evil, or make fun of you because they think it is a bunch of woowoo crap, then I would cancel the readings. You do not want to be the target of offensive characters. You can always offer whoever IS interested, to read for them in a more appropriate and private setting.

I hope it will be fun for you and everybody else involved ! I hope you will tell us how it went ? The experience will give you a bunch of other advice to share !

What an interesting thread. I've been thinking, when my skills are brushed up again, of trying reading for others in a medieval faire context. So this is really helpful.

Apollonia said:

When I read for children, I like to say, "Let's ask the cards, what are you strengths, your gifts, and your blessings, and what good surprises are in store for you?" I think something along that line would work for keeping it light.

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what a lovely question!

danieljuk said:

ETA: thinking of the fun non-professional campfire party theme, what about "what is the spark I can take away from here?"

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love this one too.

For anyone looking for witty ways of expressing card meanings, I'd recommend the Housewives - it's got a very domestic bent, but *so* clever (and astute) that it might be a great way to generate ideas - you do need the LWB to experience the full joy of its humour.