tips on reading presentation...

Hi,

i have been practicing on friends and on AT for while now, and now ventured out to reading for friends of friends. my reading style is random, i say or write whatever comes into my head,

I am looking to improve my presentation of my written readings and my verbal readings. I have read many books and do use some of the advice (i always finish on an upbeat card even if its an advice card), but since i have learnt a lot from you guys, wondered what other gems of information you had to pass on?

Does anyone have any tips on writing or verbally presenting readings?

Thanks
Nik

Sit down with a pen or pencil and some paper and write down how you think you normally do it, you probably have something of a pattermn but haven't noticed it. I suggest starting this way because reading works best within a comfort level.

Then, to improve:

You need to actually write this out, try your new method and be consistent. After a while keep modifying. Reading in public requires a little more method to be satisfactory to everyone.

What I do in public (my on-line technique is a variation on this):

I lay out the cards all of the cards in a spread.
(Note: spreads are helpful, the positional meanings frame the reading. Reading for yourself or online the free-form method is fine but when someone is there the extra distraction makes this framework helpful).

I lay them face up immediately and look for patterns. Just take a moment.

- lots of cards? - hum are there a lot of people involved? for example.
- more than one ace? think about potential, beginnings etc.
- repeated numbers or sequences of numbers, either running up or down.

Start talking toward the overall feel.

Then look for cards that clearly anchor the reading. Some cards will be essentially fluff to the reading. Majors, cards that are strikingly telling in their position.

This sets up a framework so both you and the person feel confident and let it flow from there.

Think of it as swimming pool.... you can splash around all you want but the sides of the pool hold everything together.

Alta

thanks, thats good advice. i tend to talk to myself all the time, when reading i tend to have these conversations about the cards, think people think i am just being random so i try and organise thoughts beforre they come out...with dire results.

i think the idea of having spreads handy to help the reading! will try your advice

Hi 214red,
I have a standard heading that I use for all my readings:
Date:
Time:
Deck:
Question:
Spread:
Number of Majors:
Number of Wands:
Number of Cups:
Number of Swords:
Number of Pentacles:
Patterns and Interesting Combinations:

For the last items I list interesting things like Queen of Cups and the King of Cups together, Page of Wands and the Page of Swords, 6 of any suit and the Lovers, or any other thing that I notice. I also pay attention to what direction the people on the cards are looking. Are all the people looking in the same direction or different directions? Filling out this type of 'form' information seems routine but it gets the engine started. After I get this info written down I start looking at each individual card. When I finish with each individual card I again look at the bigger picture and see if everything can be brought together. It seems to work for me.

You have some great suggestions already, but another would be to have a look through the All About Reading index.

My only other suggestions are to practice reading whenever you can, and about any subject. Read out loud too as that is more difficult than 'thinking' the reading.

Once you recognise instantly what the cards mean individually, try to see what groups of cards may mean. Look at the spread as a whole and get a snapshot in your mind of what it could mean.

Lay down three cards in a row and write down what they could mean.... then, change the order of those three cards. Does the meaning change?

Also, don't forget to leave pauses for the client to speak!

Great question! I'll be looking closely at the answers.

So far, I've usually laid out all the cards in a spread face up. Then often said something about what first came to my mind when I looked at the spread. I then go from card to card, usually starting with #1 of the spread through to #last. I also often jump from card to card if I see connections while I'm moving through the spread (especially jump back to cards I already said something about). When I'm through with all cards, I take a "step back" and look at the larger picture and mention anything that strikes me about the relationships between the cards. I try to end up with a short summary and suggestions about actions the sitter could take.

In reality, all of this bleeds into each other, I often jump here and there, depending on what the person I read for says and/or what I notice (what pops into my mind) as I go along. Often, I feel as if a spread starts making sense only after I've started to speak, I literally don't see many things when I'm just looking and not communicating. (In online readings like the exchanges here, it works the same way, only with writing. No matter how many notes I took when I laid out the spread, it all comes together only when I start writing it out, when it is addressed to the final recipient of the reading.)

I suspect that some more obvious structure might be more helpful to face-to-face sitters, but sometimes get carried away by all those connections and associations that keep coming at me. (In online readings this doesn't matter that much because I can edit things into a structure before I send anything.)

My main problem is determining what should be said and what is too much information and serves to distract and confuse instead of helping to clarify (this is not tarot-specific, though, I generally have a tendency to speak in a baroquely meandering style). How do you people know what to say and what to leave out? How do you know what's just your imagination going wild and what's actually "the message" coming through?

I have been experimenting a bit with turning the cards over one by one, to prevent the jumping around, but I often feel as if I lack the big picture at first then. That's why I like Alta's technique of purposely looking for patterns first and then digging deeper where it seems most interesting/valuable. I shall try that one out. Thanks for the suggestion.

Moonbow* said:

Lay down three cards in a row and write down what they could mean.... then, change the order of those three cards. Does the meaning change?

Click to expand...

Oh, yes, I do that, too. It's amazing what new aspects can come up that way.

Also, don't forget to leave pauses for the client to speak!

Click to expand...

Another very good reminder for me...

Embrace the written word....

Here's a few more ideas:

1) Read books, particularly fiction. Read a lot. Reading helps to widen your vocabulary and trains your brain to seek and (subsequently) create patterns.

2) As you select your reading material, include some fairy tales, fables, myths or parables. They are an excellent means of presenting the cards. If you have a handful of decent allegories with which to convey key concepts, you will find that your readings are more focused and clear.

3) Invest in a good thesaurus. After you know the cards, you'll need a resource for explaining their meanings a few dozen different ways. Just like reading a good book, a thesaurus will also help to expand your vocabulary.

4) Another way to expand your vocabulary is to learn at least one new word a day. I've heard that if you throw it in your conversations at least seven times that day, it's yours for good.

In "Professional Tarot" by ... who was that by again? ... ah, Christine Jette I think, she recommends that you tape record yourself giving a reading.

It's a good idea because then you can decide for yourself if your verbal presentation is "off" or awkward somehow.

Also, I try to find a popular movie, tv series, celebrity, fiction novel, song lyrics or political figure -anything pop culture- that I relate the reading to. Modern archetypes are easy for people to remember and grab on to, and they basically tell the story on their own.

"This reading is basically saying that you're following Chicken Licken around just like Henny Penny - quit buying into the drama and keep milling wheat like the little red hen - don't get distracted!"

Or whatever. People know exactly what you mean with something like that.

Plus, it gives me an excuse to watch lots and lots of movies and read books. I say I'm "doing research for work..." ha ha ha and no one can stop me!

Thanks for all the tips here, will print them out and try them all.

i did try the all about reading part of the forum, but still came away with a few questions.
I like the form as a standard format, might nick that off you raeanne!

Moonbow- let the client speak???? why would i do that?? only kidding! but i do tend to rabbit on not pausing for breath and often should have taken it slower and paused.

Logiatrix- i love books, i read everything and anything, luckily my vocabulary is good...but not my spelling!

I like the idea of moving cards round, i change the way i lay cards, shuffle etc because i hate routine...i even walk different ways home few ddays as i get bored!

I recently tried reading, then pulling advice cards from a different deck which is fun
thanks again for all the tips i will make a note and try them all.