Tarot for fortune telling

I started reading Lenormand for the express purpose of becoming a better tarot reader and it has helped. Though Mary didn't point to it, she has an excellent class on reading Lenirmand here: http://globalspiritualstudies.com/petit-lenormand/mary-k-greer/reading-the-petit-lenormand-cards/

One thing ii have learned from Lenormand is to see the cards in a more black and white manner (when trying to read predictively). The Devil shows up? Problem. In a more insight-based reading, I can see useful layers of the Devil card. Predictively: problem.

Moderator note

I've merged the 2 threads and removed any duplicate posts so the thread from the History forum is now part of this thread.

Sulis - moderator

All I've ever really done is predictive tarot for others. Perhaps a bit of insight/introspective stuff if I've used it for myself when problem solving. I don't believe you need to buy anymore books. Just change the questions and your own perspective.

I have not really though of this until you posted your question. I love tarot and have just begun to study it seriously. Of all of the readings I have done over at least a ten year spread, I can not think of one person that wanted 'counseling' lol. I have always thought of tarot cards readings as fortune telling.

Thanks to all for the info about the older books, I'm going to look for some.

Carla said:

............ I want to break out of the counselling modality entirely and learn to read tarot cards like an old-fashioned fortune teller.

Can you recommend sources of information for using the cards in this style?

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My recommendation would be to take the information (key words or key phrases) that you already know about the Tarot and tell a story with it. When facing the Major Arcana cards remember that each card is a stand alone but it has a "spirit" or "essence" meaning which can easily be applied to a simple line of 5 layout.

Trust your guts, that's the main thing. Some time ago I noticed that for some clients I can write a lot of text, in more counseling manner. But on the other hand, I write shorter messages, more concrete, with pretty direct answers. It took me a while to understand it's fortune telling. 'Cause of my situation, I don't like to make any kind of distinctions, I'd rather to see it as giving the message which is needed for a person. Some need counseling, and some to know the fortune.

I am happy to have stumbled upon this post because at work I found out my co-worker is into psychics / tarot cards. She said that people who are self-taught, or are not born clairvoyant they don't have the gift which means they are phony. What are your views on this.

Pineapple88 said:

I am happy to have stumbled upon this post because at work I found out my co-worker is into psychics / tarot cards. She said that people who are self-taught, or are not born clairvoyant they don't have the gift which means they are phony. What are your views on this.

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I think your co-worker is a phony.

Pineapple88 said:

I am happy to have stumbled upon this post because at work I found out my co-worker is into psychics / tarot cards. She said that people who are self-taught, or are not born clairvoyant they don't have the gift which means they are phony. What are your views on this.

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I think this would make for a good discussion in a thread of its own. I know a lot of folks here don't consider themselves to be psychic on any level, yet they are fantastic tarot readers.

My take on the"fortunetelling" question is that Tarot cards work in the realm of time, and no matter how psychological or therapeutic a slant you take on reading a spread, it might well at some point touch on the future. (Eg: "Your current pessimistic stance can only draw you into more unhappy situations, as shown by the Ten of Swords over here.") Many spreads are based on a "past, present, future" trajectory. Any time a Tarot reader refers to outcomes that might or will happen, he/she is stepping onto the territory of fortune-telling. Also, cards like the Wheel of Fortune indicate a shift in fortune as part of a natural and inevitable cycle of change.

Personally, I don't see much value in the cut-and-dried "at 8 am on the 5th May you will meet your soul mate on the morning train" type of reading, though of course that is what certain clients want. I'd rather help them understand their past and present situation so they may have more power to shape the future, rather than passively wait for events to unfold.

But that is me. I don't read Lenormand, but I can see it's value in satisfying clients who just to know want the details of specific future outcomes.