Does the client have to be infront fo you?

[Tarot Tina]

Hi, when I do a reading I ask my client to shuffle the cards, then I take them home to do the reading. I do this because of the time it takes to do a reading and I also write it down for the client. I find once people know you can do readings they are queing up for a go and it can take about an hour to do a reading depending what spread you use. By taking the cards home I then can do it in my own time, normally two to three days afterwards. The reading is still in the cards it just has not been read out. So does the client have to be infront of you ? All my readings have been spot on with me doing them how I do.

 

[Sienna]

In my experience the client does not have to be in front of you, you can shuffle whilst they are holding on the phone and get them to tell you when to stop. I have read face to face and over the phone and have not noticed a difference/loss in accuracy. If you think about it, when we use the tarot we connect with something which is not governed by the normal restrictions of time and space. However, if you firmly believe that the client has to be sat in front of you then I do not think it would work for you over the phone. Ditto for email readings.

 

[Grizabella]

The client doesn't have to be in front of you, but if I were to go to someone for a tarot reading, I'd want to have it done then, not two or three days later, when the reader got around to doing it.

 

[Tarot Tina]

It all comes down to time, I know another tarot reader that takes the cards home and then writes it down simply because of time and she told me that it can take up to three hours to do an indepth reading properly.

 

[Knight of Wands]

It all comes down to time, I know another tarot reader that takes the cards home and then writes it down simply because of time and she told me that it can take up to three hours to do an indepth reading properly.

That's what I do

 

[Little Baron]

I can see both points here.

I also do what you do, Tina, on occasion. I can sometimes get a little nervous when reading and draw a blank, which can lead to me rushing through and missing important aspects of the read, so sometimes, it is nice that I can take the reading away and mull over it with a coffee; sometimes, leave it for a bit, and return for fresh insights.

But with myself in mind, I also think it is good that I do not shy away from 'face to face' immediate reads because they exercise other parts of me, as a reader. Often [and on the most part], tarot reading is a dialogue - someone consults and someone translates. This is often best when there is communication, when questions are asked and answered. Things may be seen in conversation with your querant that may be missed when you ponder the reading alone. Working together, I feel, is part of the art. And personally, it is that I need to work on - practice is the only thing that will help me get rid of those nerves.

So, I think it is possible to work as you do. Infact, I know it is. But it may cut you off from other important [and enjoyable] aspects of card reading. On top of all that, as well as them getting an instant reading, you get instant feedback.

LB

 

[Umbrae]

No they don't have to be in front of you.

However if someone sits down for a reading - I do the reading then and there.

Spread size has no relation to reading length. I've had 3-card readings take hours and 14 card readings take 3 minutes.

Depends on the message.

Also, there's a sitter there. Remember the sitter? Reading ain't about me. Reading ain't a monologue, but a conversation.

...and it's all about the sitter.

 

[blackstormhawk]

Depends on the type of reading that you want to do ... you might try doing the readings "live" and taping them for your client, or encouraging them to take notes as you are reading for them.

If I am doing a 'remote' reading for someone, I usually take a digital photo of the layout and send that along with the write up.

 

[baba-prague]

I think it's fine to read remotely, but I do prefer to have the client in front of me. I think it's a matter of the ease of holding a conversation, it's just easier to talk them through the reading when they're present.

But I read for several people who do not have English as their first language, so perhaps that makes it particularly important to me that I have a chance to really check that they have understood - often that's a question of body language as much as anything, e.g. you can see when someone is puzzled by a term you've used, and so you can clarify it.

 

[Grizabella]

I've been thinking about this thread ever since I first posted and I felt compelled to come back and post again.

I've read online by email and in messengers and I've read in person. I've never read by phone. But truthfully and after lots of thought, I think readings really should be done in person. At least for me to feel like I've done it justice they should be. Everyone else can do as they like and if asked online, I'll still do readings, but my preference is to read in person.

The reason is this: People who come to a reader come partly because they feel alone with their questions and concerns and as though they're the only ones in the world with those problems. Alone like a lost ship in the fog. They come as much to feel close to another human being who seems to understand and can provide them with non-judgmental answers as for anything else. I don't want to shove them back out into the fog alone. I want to draw them close and help them find not only the answers to their questions, but a port in a storm so they don't feel like they're the only person on earth. Whether or not I get tired of the same old questions or approve of what they're asking about or think their questions are stupid doesn't really matter. It's providing them with human contact and a non-judmental attitude along with their reading that matters.