holding back in thoth readings?

[inanna_tarot]

Hi folks
What I have always loved about the Thoth is that it does tell it like it is. Usually though when reading for others this has been fine, I just say what I see and leave it up to that person to decide what to do with that info.
However, a reading I did the other day came up with the 9 of Swords and I just had to hold back a little. Rather than explain what the cards were really saying, I had to be a little 'new agey' and speak of challenges and personal hurdles and lots of stress, rather than saying your making this a million times worse for yourself - rusty swords and poison eeeewww not want a person needs to see. And I had to admit I was putting my hand over the card a bit so they wouldnt see how gruesome the card was and how gruesome the interpretation was.
Have you ever felt the need to do that? Or do you just sit there and let everything flow, and let the clients see all the cards no matter how gruesome. I dont have a problem with those cards personally (I love all of my thoth!) but I felt this person was of a nervous disposition anyway and didnt want to upset them, though my thoth didnt liked to be censored.
Do you hold back in readings? Censor the thoth to make a reading suitable for everyone? Or do you like to go into the X rated part of the reading? hehe.

Thanks for your thoughts!
Sezo
x

 

[Dean]

U.k

Hi inanna-tarot,
yes i had to hide a few cards away with my hand from some people, who might of thought the card was unappropriate to view in the daytime? haha like the Devil which as caused some embarrassment.

I think the 9 of swords like you said have been abit hard to use in a reading because of the swords dripping with blood, and also the 5 of swords have been abit worrying to some people, because of the dark colours that can look abit depressive.

But i think thats what set's the Thoth apart from other decks because of its use with the negative dark coloured cards, that represents the not so positive cards in this deck.

 

[rainwolf]

If you worry about the interpretation, just turn it into a solution, or draw a card and place it over it and assign it as "how to fix or prevent". That way, you can tell the querent how bad the situation is, and what they can do about it directly because the card covers it.

Other than that, I too find some cards that come up that are a little too intense to say directly. It all depends on communication skills I guess.

 

[Grigori]

I don't think you need to edit out a card ever. If your trying to hide something, it will be obvious and the sitter will be much more worried by that than anything you can say. ("OMG, I went to see a tarot reader, and they were so scared by what they saw... They wouldn't tell me what it was.... OMG I think I'm gonna die! It must be bad! OMG! OMG! OMG")

I think its important to remember that each card describes a certain state, but not the severity of it. We tend to think of the 9 Swords as an awful card, and e.g. the 5 swords as not so bad. In fact they are neither better nor worse than each other, just different in quality. Even Sun may be very good, or a little bit good, or even a little bit bad, or very bad. The card doesn't tell you that, it just descibes the quality of the situation. The rest comes from the spread, the other cards and yourself.

If you do a reading for someone, and most of the cards look frightful to you, the sitter probably aready knows they are having a rough time right now, and no amount of sugar coating will help. And like RW said, if you get a reading that looks difficult for the sitter, make sure you help them to do something about it. That is the point after all

A little 9 of Swords story from me. I did a reading once based on Pollack's approach in Forest of Souls. I used the Thoth deck to ask about God's plan for my life. First card I drew was the 9 of Swords. Of course I was rather hoping for something else but it was also the start of a wonderful (if difficult) reading. Its also a reading I look back to often when I am having a hard time, and the advice I got still applies and helps me.

 

[Dean]

U.k

Well fortunately i haven't hid a card away for a while now it's usually for one of my mature regulars who comes for a reading, and she as in the past made a few comments on some of the Thoths more sinister looking cards, but i always have to say too her that she needs to look at the cards, in order to understand where i'm coming from?

 

[Elven]

Arent the Thoth wonderful cards - such supurb imagery.

Often during a reading I will put the card in front of the client and ask them to look at some aspect of the picture, to look at the image - tell me about the picture before them. Can they relate the what the card means to them - have they experienced this before? Some people are very aware of how the card may impact on them or how they react to situations similar. There can be a lot of dialogue between the reader and the client to get the message across. I also speak about other cards in the reading and how they interact with the 'shown' card.I find this brings alot of understanding - not only of the card - but of the situation.
If the card is in the past - it seems to be easier for the person to relate to the meaning. If a client is explaining the 9 of Swords in the past they can definately describe the situation and relate to the card in their own terms. I also feel, that the older, or more life travelled the client, the less explaining I have to do. (Not always - but the majority of the time)

The death card seems to be the one most people stare at when it comes up in their reading.

I think part of the skill of reading the cards is being as honest as the cards are, otherwise I find the reading stalls or starts to 'disconnect'. I often need the information shown in the card to proceed with other aspects of the reading.

Ive had some Tower readings!! and I appreciated the readers honesty - they could have glossed over it - but it would have been no help when the Tower struck. I was prepared as I could be.

Just a few thoughts ...
Blessings
Elven x

 

[Dean]

U.k

yeh the Death and the Tower are great looking cards in the Thoth dont you think, i usually compare these cards to some of my other decks and none of them have come close to what the Thoth as got to offer?

It's these cards that mostly scare people i think, because of the card titles that are expressive to some people?

 

[thinbuddha]

The card titles are intimidating- they just are. People sit down for a tarot reading and get the Death card and Sorrow card? yuck!

I am seriously considering cutting a deck..... I used to laugh at the deck cutters, but I might just become one of them someday.... or maybe I'll just get the thoth in some totally incompresensible (to me) language.....

I can't answer your questions. I only do readings for myself, but why would you want to hide things when what you are supposed to be doing is revealing things? Doesn't make sense to me.

-tb

 

[spiral]

I am seriously considering cutting a deck... or maybe I'll just get the thoth in some totally incompresensible (to me) language...

why would you want to hide things when what you are supposed to be doing is revealing things? Doesn't make sense to me.

Always nice when someone's internal dialogue spills over into the forum

 

[rainwolf]

Someday thinbudha...you will join the rest of us in cutting...ahem...purifying our decks.

All praise the sharp scissors and corner cutters.