"You Read Tarot? OOoo DO ME, DO ME!!"

calligirl

I like Magenta's answer a lot. Have your business card at the ready and slap it on their open palm with the comment "I charge (blank) per hour. Call me next week and I'll work you in." They can think you're kidding "Aw, come on. Just tell me..." but scrugg with a smile and say, "Sorry, I don't do business after hours."

Don't make excuses to be polite because the really persistent (and drunk) ones won't give up. If you say the music's too loud or you need a quiet place, the next thing you know they're dragging you off to the loo or in some areas around here I can think of, the back of somebody's pickup truck!

Now, if the ego's puffing up and you can't resist, then you gotta be ready for a long night of carnival giggles and 'that's crap, she's no good' scenerios. Business cards cost less in the long run.
 

Baroli

Oooo Do me do me!!

That phrase usually has a different connotation when used <blush>. ;)Anyway, Doctors and lawyers have the same prob. as Helvetica mentioned. Everybody wants free advise, and free diagnosis. Dropping a business card would be fine, but I have found that whipping out your Blackberry or organizer for appointments usually scare most of what I call the "lookie-lou's", those who just want a reading for fun and think you are the circus side show. The serious will walk away and then come back and talk to you when their friends aren't within earshot and make the appointment. It is done nicely and discreetly. If you don't want this person at your home, you can choose the park, or some other public meeting place of "your" choosing.

Just my thoughts.
Baroli :)

PS The keyphrase is here to be in control of the situation so you don't end up in some truck somewhere or in a bathroom, or whatever. Gee, I am so trusting aren't I LOL.
 

WaterSong

Baroli...yes...that was my point.

We need to be able to set boundaries and doing readings in a bar is not what I would call an appropriate setting...or at a party, unless you have been hired to do so.
I think it's important to present the Tarot as a tool for insight and spiritual growth that needs to be taken a little more seriously.
Then...why we complain about people having all these strange opinions and views about it?
We also have a responsability in not presenting it as a "circus", yes.

Having people giving us access into their lives deserves some respect and sometimes, when they don't know enough about how this works, they don't have a clue.
It's up to the one that has a little more awarness to set the tone.

Just my opinion :)

Love and Light
 

Deana

I would definitely not do it. You have a right to be paid for your time and skills and you need to tell people that they can make an appointment.

Start asking the friends who put you on the spot for inappropriate things to make your point. "Oh, you're a manicurist? Here, let's sit down and you can do my nails for free!" "Hey, aren't you a chef? I'm not sure I like all that hoity-toity food; cook me an eight course meal and I'll tell you if you're any good." "Wow, a professional organizer! I have this problem with my paperwork...bills are always getting misplaced, my closet is overflowing with junk. Tell me some of you trade secrets over a beer. Do you happen to have any of those plastic storage thingies in your van."
 

Alissa

I'm really enjoying the many responses! :) I should be clear about a few things though: one, I don't really have a problem at all, and others shouldn't think I started this thread for advice, or that they need to help me out with this. It's just a philosophical inquiry. I don't have any problems. :) Just curious how others feel in the same situation.

Also, it took a couple responses to make me realize that as much as I adamantly insist I will not read under such circumstances, I also recognize those moments in life that I know in my heart, this person needs a card. They need to open a dialogue with their guides, right now. And that's the reason I carry a deck with me. I know sometimes I have to be ready when I least expect it. Somehow in my brain, that's different. Probably because 99% of the time, *I* would offer to read in such a situation before another asked (or demanded).

Oh, I should add... no biz cards here. I learned a long time ago with my henna practice that I didn't want Tarot to be a business, even I was a professional (if that makes sense). I don't network, I don't advertise, and I'm not currently looking to build or add clientele like a pro who wanted to drum up business. So I have no reason to be nice, if that makes sense. I don't CARE if you call me for a reading, I'm still not reading in this bar however.

I'm beginning to think I've become a real Tarot snob. }) Maybe because learning to say "No," was a life lesson for me. So I'm proud and a bit haughty I reckon.

As for the "Do me, Do me..." you need to get to know me better, Baroli52 }) that was my purposeful double entendre intended to get you to read this thread.... })

I'm like that.

And diane, your story made me so sad. It reminded me of when I was pregnant, and saw another hugely pregnant woman at a restaurant. I was feeling my sorority feelings of kinship to my fellow woman. I smiled in line and asked her how much longer she had to go.

She glared at me, snarled, "3 weeks," and turned away. It was the one and only time I tried to talk to another pregnant woman about being pregnant, and the snub cut me, so I didn't bother trying again. Sad. I just wanted someone to talk to, like you said, diane.
 

lark

Hi Alissa! :)
I give them my card...sometimes if they persist I do a little psychometry on them..... hold their hand or a ring or something and then write one or two words on the back of my business card.
Then I tell them if you want to go deeper into "THAT' give me a call for an appointment.
Either it peaks their interest and I get a paid reading out of it later...or it scares the gibblets out of them and I never hear from them again.
Either way it works for me.

Just noticed we posted at the same time.
I don't read around drinking so that is my excuse if I don't want to hand out cards.
I'm a snob in that even though I read for others as a living I have enough respect for myself to be chosey about who I give my card to and read for.
I wasn't always like this...I've learned to say no, and the money is never worth the hour with a difficult client who is not in the right state for a reading anyway.
 

WaterSong

Alissa,

the advice I gave you was geared to the setting you presented.
Reading in a Bar for me still is not a very inspiring setting...also a person should be sober enough to be able to get the message you are relying or to formulate a coherent question...

You seemd to be asking an opinion about how to handle that specific situation and being assertive and clear about what you want is the best thing you can do.

Now, there are so many other situations that can be presented...this topic can become very vast.

I beleive it all comes down to the way a person presents herself and her approach to tarot: you can use business cards, you can chose not to ever have them....does not make any difference.In the long run what stays and matters are the results.

I don't see reading the tarot as "drumming up a business"...I have done for free all of my life, just a clarification :)
But I do present it for what I beleive it is: its a very powerful tool for self discovery and spiritual communication and not a toy used in a teenager party type of situation.

Certain things deserve some respect, specially the ones that deal with people
interior lives.At least I try to honor others with that..because that's the way I would like to be treated myself :)

The Tarot it's just a tool: you can use it any way you want.It's up to you and it's up to you the way you chose to present it.

cheers
 

Elven

Just Say 'NO' To Drunks

Now where have I heard that before? :p

Sorry, my silly post for the evening!

BLessings
Elven x
 

WaterSong

LOL Elven :)

Some faery humor there...haha

(((Elven)))

xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxo
 

Baroli

Elven said:
Just Say 'NO' To Drunks

Now where have I heard that before? :p

Sorry, my silly post for the evening!

BLessings
Elven x


ROFL~~Elven you are too much. :laugh:

Peace

Baroli