Pet peeves

AmethystEyes

I am thinking she means ones that you need to try and figure out what is meant by them.
 

Sirena84

What's a coded reading? I know what ambiguous ones are, but not the coded ones.


hahah LOL.. that was just me emphasising that how ambiguous some readings are.. like you need to get the encrypting machine out and try to figure out what it is they are trying to say.. :D..
 

nisaba

You have any pet peeves about the way people read tarot? Not trying to bash anyone here just some things that you see people do that kinda make you roll your eyes.

A woman I used to swap readings with, used to wrap me up in a white scarf blessed by the Dalai Lama "for protection" when she read for me presumably because she was so afraid of Tarot, and used to lead (incompetently) a whole long meditation before the reading to put me in the presence of a godform she believes in and I don't, to further protect me during the reading from whatever dangers she perceived.

I loved the idea of swapping readings with her regularly. But it made me cringe so much that I don't even see her socially any more, I've just gently let the friendship die a natural death.
 

AmethystEyes

A woman I used to swap readings with, used to wrap me up in a white scarf blessed by the Dalai Lama "for protection" when she read for me presumably because she was so afraid of Tarot, and used to lead (incompetently) a whole long meditation before the reading to put me in the presence of a godform she believes in and I don't, to further protect me during the reading from whatever dangers she perceived.

I loved the idea of swapping readings with her regularly. But it made me cringe so much that I don't even see her socially any more, I've just gently let the friendship die a natural death.
:laugh: Why bother reading if you are so afraid of it?
You should have invented a crazy ritual for kicks, like, she needs to cleanse her hair with the urine of a pig that was blessed by an elderly sorceress from across the globe that is on her death bed and that can protect her. Then tell her to wait for the woman to astral travel to you two, the urine in the hair calls her.
 

Laura Borealis

When I first started I was told to cleanse my cards, so after every reading I would do a little thing. It got annoying and I got over it and everything is fine :laugh:

Im guilty of not allowing others to touch my cards, unless I am giving them a reading then I prefer it if they shuffle. However my reason isn't because it "upsets the balance of the energies" its more because if they "accidentally" spill a beverage or damage them, or lose them I will be extremely pissed off ;)

Neither of those is what I was talking about - cleansing is fine, asking people not to handle your cards is fine. It's the people that wig out. "OMG you touched my cards don't you know they are SACRED it's like someone wore your UNDERWEAR without asking OMG I'm going to have to cleanse them in salt and moonlight and Hibiclens™ now and it will take TWO WEEKS."

I'm exaggerating only slightly.

I mean, just say, "Hey, in the future I'd rather you didn't handle my cards," most people will be fine with it.
 

SarahJoy

My peeves:
1. clarifiers, as a general rule. Wanting to go more into depth on a specific topic is one thing. However, "I didn't understand the card so I drew another" -- instead, do some research, meditate, whatever: learn what the card means.
2. Asking the same damn question again and again, hoping for a different outcome.
3. Delusional interpretation requests. Example: "He left me. I did a four-card spread (no specific positions) with the RWS, and got Eight of Cups, Three of Swords, Ten of Swords, and Death. Do you think this might mean he'll come back to me?"
 

Sar

My pet peeve is lazy readers that never bothered to learn the traditional meanings of the cards, but solely rely on their so called intuition.
 

Grizabella

A woman I used to swap readings with, used to wrap me up in a white scarf blessed by the Dalai Lama "for protection" when she read for me presumably because she was so afraid of Tarot, and used to lead (incompetently) a whole long meditation before the reading to put me in the presence of a godform she believes in and I don't, to further protect me during the reading from whatever dangers she perceived.

I loved the idea of swapping readings with her regularly. But it made me cringe so much that I don't even see her socially any more, I've just gently let the friendship die a natural death.

I had such a nice chuckle imagining you docilely sitting through all that, nisaba. Like Amethyst Eyes, I wonder why she bothers to read if it's such a risky business. It's at least a novel twist to the "protection" routine. Normally it's the reader who wears a helmet and shin guards and throws salt over one shoulder and whatever else. Just kidding, for all those who do ground and protect yourselves. I'm just making this example of this because of the extremes she went to in order to protect nisaba, her sitter.

I respect those who do believe in grounding and protecting. In fact, I learned from something Hal Weeks said about that----I go barefoot most of the time because I trip less that way and he said going barefoot grounds a person. So I guess maybe I just stay grounded and protected. If I do wear shoes, they're open as much as possible, so my toes touch grass and stuff and I guess that's why I don't ground myself consciously.

My peeves:
1. clarifiers, as a general rule. Wanting to go more into depth on a specific topic is one thing. However, "I didn't understand the card so I drew another" -- instead, do some research, meditate, whatever: learn what the card means.
2. Asking the same damn question again and again, hoping for a different outcome.
3. Delusional interpretation requests. Example: "He left me. I did a four-card spread (no specific positions) with the RWS, and got Eight of Cups, Three of Swords, Ten of Swords, and Death. Do you think this might mean he'll come back to me?"

Well, just the sheer numbers of people who come to Using Tarot Cards saying they were puzzled by their "clarifiers" should give a clue as to how helpful they usually are. I can't buy the "mean the same thing only said different" because if I were Tarot, with only 78 "words" in my language, I know I wouldn't waste one saying "the same thing only different" about another card. And I'm 100% positive I wouldn't use two or more "clarifying" cards out of that number. I see them as added information.

Asking the same question doesn't bother me. I've done it, you've done it, we've all done it at one time or another if we get really honest. It just takes what it takes for a person to stagger out of yet another blind alley before they finally get the message to the extent that they finally believe it. And just saying I'm going to restrict them to only X numbers of readings in X length of time would be a cop-out for me.

I've had sitters who were obsessed by a relationship. To a seriously concerning degree in some cases. Those can be alarming at times. I have compassion for those people. I suggest counseling and sometimes they actually do go and it's their own idea. That's very encouraging.

My pet peeve is lazy readers that never bothered to learn the traditional meanings of the cards, but solely rely on their so called intuition.

I think if a person doesn't want to learn Tarot then probably oracles might do a better job for them, to be honest. Technically Tarot is a form of an oracle, but it's one that's got other characteristics to differentiate it from what we think of as a strict oracle. No matter whether a person chooses Tarot or another form of oracle, I think knowing the traditional meanings of the one you choose gives you a better basis for readings that are meaningful and truly bring the message the Anima Mundi (or whatever we choose to call it) has in mind for the sitter. Otherwise it's easy to get our own ideas and opinions mixed in and that's not fair to the sitter, even if it's oneself.

Neither of those is what I was talking about - cleansing is fine, asking people not to handle your cards is fine. It's the people that wig out. "OMG you touched my cards don't you know they are SACRED it's like someone wore your UNDERWEAR without asking OMG I'm going to have to cleanse them in salt and moonlight and Hibiclens™ now and it will take TWO WEEKS."

I'm exaggerating only slightly.

I mean, just say, "Hey, in the future I'd rather you didn't handle my cards," most people will be fine with it.

I got another needed chuckle from this one.

I think the bottom line "biggie" for me is the "don't touch my deck" and the readers who are so convinced there's a fleet of demonic beings just waiting to drain off their energy and shred their ---whatever. I love all my friends and acquaintances here. I really do. I just don't take this so seriously. I have a really strong connection to my Higher Power or I wouldn't be sober all this time, but this Entity that helps me stay sober is so much more powerful than any puny bad spirit that I just don't worry about it.

On the other hand, I take Tarot very seriously. It works, it brings me a lot of peace and enjoyment, and the longer I use it the more I trust the way it works.

It's not a pet peeve but I wish more people would get into giving face-to-face readings. I know it's scary as hell when you're new to the cards, but it's magical.
 

Mystica7

I dislike criticizing people, but I can't stand charlatans! They may not come up as your usual card reader, but they may be fortunetellers working with rather occult forces -such as the genie (a particular type of fey folk which may not always have people's best interests at heart albeit they are not the same as demons -which one can well choose to work with depending on her path).

Particular approach of these type of people are, the moment they see you and:

- Oh, there is a spell on you!
- You are possesed, you are binded!

and so on...

They will ask you for money to get rid of the spell (so called or real) and to free you.

They may well be spot on in their predictions (pertaining to future or the past), since their allies -the forces they work with- are usually good at this; but they can equally be very misleading.

In short I can't stand with liars and people who misuse others for their own end in search of money or power; and there are plenty of such people.

In the case of a spell or something, or advice pertaining to the future if it's really necessary, I believe one needs the help of honest and real witches/shamans, who can see the bigger picture and may come up with true insights + offer help, not some egotistical and off-balance individuals who can actually cause more harm.

(The reader cursing Padma is some good example portraying the type am trying to define.)

When you are not already vulnerable, you don't feel the need to ask for help. So whoever you seek advice from must not misuse or multiply that vulnerability. Instead he/she should be able to help you heal and move forward.
 

starlightexp

The other peeve isn't really a peeve, just something I find amusing. It relates only to people who use the Thoth deck. It seems to me that there are some people, not a lot just some, who use the Thoth to do readings but not to answer the question. This reader lays the cards out on the table, and then gets into talking about the decans, the astrological correspondences, the Kabbalah aspects, etc. They'll say that this card represents Venus in Pisces, and that other card is Saturn in Aquarius, and that this card represents Yesod and another relates to Hokhmah. And that's it. So hey, it's interesting hearing about all these correspondences and stuff, but can you or can you not tell me if I'm going to find a new boyfriend this year?

I have this same feeling. They are not sitting down for me to teach them about astrology or show of how much occult knowledge I know but rather to get their questions answered