A question for coffee house readers

[minotaur]

I have a question for those of you who do/have done readings in coffee houses.

I will be approaching some locally to do readings for donations. My question has to do with what deck to use.

I have a Universal Waite but would like to use the Baroque Bohemian Cat Tarot. My concern is people in a coffee house might not take the reading as seriously as if it came from a Rider-Waite or Marseilles tarot.

One very successful local psychic insists it is Rider-Waite in the real world...that's what people want.

I want to use the Kitty deck because I think that people will feel better after a reading just from the images...but will they take me seriously?

So coffee shop readers...what have been your experiences?

 

[Onyx]

I have no experience but I wanted to say that this is a very interesting question and one I wonder about everytime I plan to do a face to face reading. I can really work myself up into a frenzy over the issue. I work personally with many decks that I don't think are necessarily right for public readings.

Likewise, I had heard that it is pretty much Rider-Waite-Smith or bust for the public. Very interested to see what insight others will provide.

Onyx.

 

[Siri]

Read with whatever you feel most comfortable with. The more comfortable and confident you are, the better people will be able to connect with you and the cards.

That said, I wouldn't use a really obscure deck. That could be a little off-putting. But as long as something is a fairly clear deck, I don't think the style matters all that much. As long as YOU are comfortable with it.

My two cents worth ^_^

~Siri, who has done a few coffee house readings with her Universal Fantasy deck

 

[Debra]

I tried the Gummi Bears tarot at a charity function and it was a bust--even though they weren't paying, they wanted a "real" deck. I switched to another deck pronto.

 

[Dragon Rider]

From my own experience reading semi-pro in public settings...

People look for the RWS because that's the most common deck around; even non-Tarot folks recognize it, and many of them think that's the *one & only* deck around.

Also, those whom I've read for seem to relate to RWS more easily because people are depicted, rather than animal characters or pip designs only.

I noticed also that men (straight, I presume) like my dragon decks more than women. However, when I used the Mermaids deck with men, they were easily *distracted* by the copious amounts of female nudity. One guy even said he wished I could tell him if he'd meet a sexy woman like the mermaids in the cards! (Not to sound "sexist" or anything, just a personal experience.)

 

[nisaba]

I have a Universal Waite but would like to use the Baroque Bohemian Cat Tarot. My concern is people in a coffee house might not take the reading as seriously as if it came from a Rider-Waite or Marseilles tarot.

One very successful local psychic insists it is Rider-Waite in the real world...that's what people want.

That's what *s/he* feels *his/her* clients want, or else it's the only option s/he's given her clients because it suits his/her own preferences.

I want to use the Kitty deck because I think that people will feel better after a reading just from the images...but will they take me seriously?

So coffee shop readers...what have been your experiences?

Absolutely.

Since about 1992 or 1993, when I have been reading in coffee shops, new age shops or florists, I always have set my table up with a few decks - anywhered between four and eight - with the same Major Arcana card showing in each deck, asking the client based on that image to choose the deck that appeals to them the most. I usually have a RW deck on the table, and when I do, I have some stripe of Visconti as well. Other decks that are or have been regulars include (but are not limited to) the Granny Jones, the Scapini Mediaeval, the Herbal, the Hudes, the Botticelli, the Jonathan Dee, the Rumi, the Vetrate, the Lukumi, the Whimsical, the Spiral and at different times, a number of others.

The RW is characterised by being the deck that's probably chosen the least often. When it is asked for, I'm always surprised. More than half the time when I ask why they choose it, they say because they think it's traditional. When the relative ages of it and the Visconti are given to them, they all either choose the Visconti, or suddenly feel freed to choose whichever deck *really* appealed to them. Only one single time has a person chosen it for its look and appeal, for itself.

The number of times I get repeat clients, or people coming in who have had me recommended to them, is a fair indication that I'm generally taken seriously.

 

[Grizabella]

I wouldn't use a cute-sy deck because people who are paying for a reading want a "real" reading. You wouldn't necessarily need to use a Rider Waite, but you should at least use one that's similar. Not one with comic book looking art work or aliens or anything off the beaten Tarot path. If you absolutely want to take something that's a little different, at least take the Rider Waite and be prepared to use it if the customer wants it. Even if they don't ask for it, just seeing it there may give them more trust in your reading ability whether you actually use it or not.

 

[nisaba]

I wouldn't use a cute-sy deck because people who are paying for a reading want a "real" reading.

Erm, I've had the Whimsical out on many occasions, and people choose it (even one buff heterosexual man's-man), despite the pastel colours and the nursery-rhyme illustrations.

Never underestimate (or overestimate) the Paying Public.

 

[Umbrae]

...sometimes ya just don't wanna look like you're with it.

Yeah they love the serious deck, the Lo Scarabeo Ancient Italian (Della Rocca/Soprafino) LOOKs serious. They eat it up.

They do like the Gilded, but it sorta kinda still passes.

Slide the other way to the Vargo Gothic and it's too far, too campy.

Cat's is cool though. May wanna try it. At least try it. Different decks appeal to different crowds. Try the Victoria Regina...but yeah no cats...

But check it out - Le Tarot du Chat is a serious deck. Nobody would ever question it.

But what carries it - and what will carry a BBCats in any audience, is the reader. Does the reader engage? Does the reader make the deck a part of the reading or does the reader just blah blah blah blah dah de dah dah dit dit doo be doo be do means this that and.

Did an ultra serious evenining one time with the International Icon Tarot. Near the end of the night I needed a break and pulled out a 1JJ. Sat with it for one reading and back in the bag it went. It weren't what was flowin'. I was wired into the sparse visual philip glass kinda RWS.

Nah. RWS is recognisable, but so is something that makes folks ask, "Wow that's cool, is that Tarot? I've never seen anything so beautiful? Do you read?..."

Runnin' outside strange is kinda cool, and sells itself, like a lonely trumpet doin' a jazz riff on a hot July night. I know you dig....

 

[nisaba]

I was wired into the sparse visual philip glass kinda RWS.

Which brings up0 an obvious question: I wonder what deck Phillip Glass himself uses? I saw a recently-made docco on him a fortnight ago, and he struck me as a Tarot kind of guy (you know - highly intelligent ...)

I occasionally use one of his more stoner-type musical tracks as an informal timing device on readings I don't want to go over with.

Nah. RWS is recognisable, but so is something that makes folks ask, "Wow that's cool, is that Tarot? I've never seen anything so beautiful? Do you read?..."

You're obviously thinking the Lebanese deck, aren't you. Takes people's breath away every time. Shame about the Courts and Minors ...