The Querants Question- Do you hear it before or after a reading?

I did a search and after five pages of posts (with many more to go) I had still not found this particular subject.

So my question to you all is do you have the Querant tell you the question they are asking before a reading, after a reading or not at all?

Reason for me asking is, while I was browsing the forum I had read a few threads where Querants refusing to give any information or their question was being discussed. I must say I was shocked that anyone would hear the question before hand! I was taught, as was my mother and her mother etc., that the Querant is to hold the question in their mind as we shuffled and they shuffled. Then I read the cards. Once in awhile, the original question baffles me but most of the time it's very apparent to me. I am teaching my son the same way that I was taught. However, hearing the question beforehand is such a novel idea! I rather like it, although I doubt I would use it.

So what way do you do it and what do you feel are your pro's and con's to your method?

Can't wait to see the answers!
Hooked

Hi Hooked,

I have the querant ask the question before hand. Sometimes it helps me decide which spread to use when I know the question ahead of time. I also ask them to concentrate on the questions as they shuffle and I concentrate on it as well. I did do one reading where I didn't know the question ahead of time, so I did a Celtic Spread for a general answer. (It's the spread I am most comfortable with at this point, being new at Tarot). Once the cards were laid out, I had an idea what the question was from the cards that were pulled.

Now I am curious to try more readings without knowing the question they are asking.

I ask the sitter if they have a question. If they do, I read knowing the question beforehand. If they don't, then I read without it. We've all had those, too, who have the attitude "you tell me" and who think we Tarot readers should already know their question without being told. I usually reply with humor that "I read cards, I don't read minds", but I do read without the question then.

For me, Tarot is a fluid thing. I don't have any set ways of working with it or any cast-in-concrete rules I follow. I'm not superstitious about its use, either. I'm forever amazed and in awe of it, though.

S'funny... I prefer NO question, especially when I'm "in the zone."

I do have people ask specific questions sometimes... most often Tarot users themselves (strange but true). Readers' questions are pretty much the only ones I find useful.

Increasingly I find I read best without any question at all, and often without input from the querent until the end. To be blunt, I'm not a fan of "psychologized" Tarot and though I know there's power in establishing a targeted question before reading, I feel like it verges on quickie pseudo-counseling more than divination. (e.g. the shrink cliché How does that make you feel?) This mirrors my beef about readers who make querents read for themselves. It smacks of Rorschasch psychologizing, NOT divination. I understand why it's affecting, but don't believe it's very effective. By the same token, hashing out the question can skew the reading towards wish fulfillment and placating a querent.

So... I don't mind questions when they're brought, but I prefer no question; I think it usually results in a better reading. Does that make sense?

Scion

Thanks everyone!

Scion it makes perfect sense to me!

I forgot to add my pro's and cons list.. hehe. I find that not knowing the question beforehand removes any bias or preconceived notion I could otherwise have. I have to rely on the cards and what I see in them. I get a clean reading so to speak. I find that I use my senses more this way. The con is definately when I can not figure out the question. Scratching my head in bafflement always frustrates me. However when this happens, after the reading I will ask them what their question was. It clicks into place then. I find the Querant usually understands the reading even when I don't.

Can't say about hearing the question beforehand as I haven't tried it before. It's on my to-do list.

I was taught very strict "rules" for use of the Tarot. I am only learning how to be fluid now...

Hooked

I absolutely do not want to know the question beforehand, but since I've started using cards (I am not a tarot reader, I use my own oracle deck) things have changed very slightly.

Since using cards I do ask whether it is personal, business or whether we are doing a general reading. I do find that the questioner can sometimes forget their original area of request as other aspects come up, and I have to remind them which aspect we are currently working on - before moving on to the next one. It saves time and confusion to do this.

I am very happy to hear the original question after the reading - they always want to say what it was. But it also seems to me that the question they come with is very often not the one they really help with.

The cards seem to go deeper once the original thought has been dealt with, and the questioners realise this too. I think people often find it hard to word the question they really want answered, hence best not to ask - and let the cards do their stuff! The cards will highlight any issues. Trust them whatever type you use.

However, I started out by reading people without cards or aids etc. I'm basically a healer who has been given some cards as something for people to 'latch on to' and relate to, so that they can see for themselves.

I cannot charge for healing (it's a gift and you don't sell those), but as certain people said they couldn't come anymore if I didn't charge - well - they can come for card readings and pay for those (apparently!). But they get the healing for nothing...

I give the sitter the option. I do ask for either a topic or a timeframe, for general readings, because I don't do 'entire life' readings. (I could ask the cards just to tell me what the sitter needs to know, but what the Universe thinks he/she needs to know, or what I think the sitter needs to know, may be different from what the sitter wants to know.)

If they ask a specific question, I always pull a card asking the Tarot what their REAL question is. Which I'm also happy to do before they ask the question, if they're uneasy about giving me one.

Other than a topic or question, I don't like any specific information. I do like names, for reading people, but I don't always request them. All depends. In person, I can do without a question pretty easily and have. I find with distance, it's helpful to have a question.

Well, since you asked....

I prefer to know as little as possible. I like to read the cards, not my own opinion cuz I can be very judgmental. Esp when girls are being dumb about guys.

I will focus on a certain subject, if a client wants me to. But I don't take questions. I prefer general readings

I find the cards tell what they want us to know, not always what we want to know.

And I agree with Scion's post.

If the querent has a particular topic they want me to read on, I prefer to hear the question beforehand (this was the way I was taught to read).

For me, hearing the question helps me choose the spread, as I would use a different spread for a "when will this happen" question than for a "why is this happening to me" question. And I personally like to help my querent rephrase "should I" questions. (Plus, I do not like to read on third party questions when the querent does not have a stake in the situation, or on the question, "When will I die?" and I know these do come up.)

Having the question affect how I interpret the cards does not happen for me, maybe because I read with the assistance of a spirit guide. In fact, I oftentimes relay interpretations or advice that are the exact opposite of what I would have told the querent if he or she had just asked me for my personal opinion.

I had been thinking about a post on questions but as this one is going i will park mine for a bit and see what happens. my response applies to readings where I am paying someone. I think its a bit odd the way readers are a) expected to proceed with no information or b) prefer to proceed with no information. You would not show up anywhere, your lawyer, lecturer, doctor, etc and sit there mute and make them guess. Can you imagine a doctor being forced to run through all the organs of the body, so is it your liver then? No? How about migraines? When you go and consult any other kind of professional for assistance, you provide relevant information so that they can provide back to you a specific and targetted answer. So, as someone on the other side of the table, I think its up to me have a good and reasonable question worked out before, and I'd be a little suspicious of a reader who didnt want to know why I was there.