How do non-readers experience readings?

[BrightEye]

How do non-readers experience readings?

That's what I've been wondering ever since I did a reading for someone who - as far as I know - had never had a Tarot reading done for him before and was until that point not interested either. (I'll find out when I ask him in due course, but that won't be for a while.)

I'm not thinking of non-readers who have readings done regularly but those who would never consider it but then end up with one anyway. I never had a reading done myself before I was reader so have no idea. Anyone?

 

[Bluebonnet]

I have had several readings, but still remember my first. It was in New Orleans a few years ago. At that time I thought it was entertaining, but didn't take it too seriously. He spent all 5 minutes on the reading and asked for $25. He said the current guy I was dating was "the one" and we would marry and have 2 kids. We broke up on that trip.

B

 

[BrightEye]

I have had several readings, but still remember my first. It was in New Orleans a few years ago. At that time I thought it was entertaining, but didn't take it too seriously. He spent all 5 minutes on the reading and asked for $25. He said the current guy I was dating was "the one" and we would marry and have 2 kids. We broke up on that trip.

B

That'S interesting. If you didn't take the readings seriously, what compelled you to become a reader in the end?

 

[SunChariot]

I personally never read for someone who does not believe in Tarot or who is not willing to at least suspend their disbelief enough to take it seriously. To me I find it a waste of time. As people can only believe what they are willing to believe. If you believe that Tarot does not or cannot work, then you will look for proof that it doesn't work, and if you look hard enough you can find something that will convince you of anything.

The media portrays Tarot on a rather negative light traditionally. There is no one really I think who has never actually heard of Tarot. So those who no nothing about it really is probably have heard some unduly negative things about it, and misleading ones.

Reactions can range from fear (or even terror), through distrust of the reader ...

If you are talking about someone with no prior experience of Tarot suddenly receiving a reading they did not ask for, that imho is morally wrong. The person might feel angry that someone looked into their private affairs without persmisson for one thing, and it is not right to confront someone with info they may not be emotionally ready to handle. If they did not request the reading, you don;t know if they are emotionally ready to receive what comes. And even them sometimes what comes is a surprise fo the querent.

The idea, in and of itself, that Tarot works can really be scary to a lot of people. It challenges their view of reality. And when what you have believed all your life to be the true nature of the universe suddenly turns out to be untrue that can be really scary. Thus the expressiion that a reading was "scary accurate".

Tarot challenges our views on reality. It tells us in most cases that reality is other than we were brought up to believe it is. The future is changeable and it can be predicted to start with, to mention 2. And that there is a force that sends us answers to questions when we ask to name another. Someone has to be ready to take these things into consideration that they may be real before it's right to read for them. You can't just confront someone with something they may not be ready for emotionally, like changing their world view.

Babs

 

[SunChariot]

I have had several readings, but still remember my first. It was in New Orleans a few years ago. At that time I thought it was entertaining, but didn't take it too seriously. He spent all 5 minutes on the reading and asked for $25. He said the current guy I was dating was "the one" and we would marry and have 2 kids. We broke up on that trip.

B

Well not all readers are good readers and some are actively dishonest and make up things and take money. Tarot does work of course, but some readers are not too talented and some are outright scam artists.

There is also the (very real) phenomenon that just knowing your future can change it. IE you might have been heading towards that marriage at the time the reading was done. But then once you had the reading, you may have discussed it with him (the supposed "one") and that very discussion (that you woudl not have had had you not had the reading) could have been enough to change the future.

Babs

 

[BrightEye]

If you are talking about someone with no prior experience of Tarot suddenly receiving a reading they did not ask for, that imho is morally wrong.

Just for clarification: I did NOT do the reading without his knowledge!

 

[Inthetree]

I can't really answer your origional question from personal experience, as I never had a tarot reading done for me before I started reading myself. But I wanted to address something SunChariot said. I don't know anyone offline that takes tarot, or any form of divination, seriously; but I read for them fairly often. It's more of an entertainment or a fun thing for them, and I don't mind reading for them in that way. In fact, I don't read predictively on serious topics for myself, either (some things I just don't want to know, and I realize that now). But anyway, I think entertainment is a valid reason for wanting a reading, and if that's what someone wants I use a light-hearted deck and a non-serious manner. One kind of reading I won't do is if someone unfamiliar with tarot wants to 'test' my abilities. That's a hassle I'm not willing to deal with.

 

[Glitterbird]

How do non-readers experience readings?

Next time you are at a fair you should have one done just for the experience.

The first reading I had I was fairly skeptical and didn't give any feedback to my reader. (Shame on me)
She was late and looked hungover and spent about 15 min on the reading, I left feeling like she was way off base.
She turned out to be very accurate, her timing was just off a couple of months.
I went in wanting to believe and learn something. I left with the thought "I could do better than that" which made me go buy my own deck. You could say she made a reader out of me.

 

[starrystarrynight]

I had a friend a few years ago who was a non-reader, but who got readings done whenever the psychic fair was in town. She truly believed in the readings, which, from what she told me, were very accurate. However, she also often heard what she wanted to hear--not necessarily what was said to her. (ex. once she was told that she would not hear from her estranged son for at least the next 8 months, which was the scope of that reader's spread...but she heard her reader to say that she would hear from him in 8 months time. She didn't hear from him--the reader was correct--for many more than 8 months. So, she thought the reader was wrong; instead, she had heard what she wanted to hear and not was actually said.)

Which is pretty normal for clients, I think. They often only hear what they want or need to hear at the time of the reading.

 

[Le Fanu]

I personally never read for someone who does not believe in Tarot or who is not willing to at least suspend their disbelief enough to take it seriously. To me I find it a waste of time. As people can only believe what they are willing to believe. If you believe that Tarot does not or cannot work, then you will look for proof that it doesn't work, and if you look hard enough you can find something that will convince you of anything.

I think the question was about people who are not actual readers themselves, not that they are disbelievers.

I have had tarot readings, but always from the position of someone who also reads so I'm constantly peering at the cards with my own take, thinking "how on earth did they get that from those cards?"..

This is a very interesting question..

The only thing I do feel sure of is that non-readers aren't paying attention to which deck we're using, cardstock, whether the backs are off-set or how nice the bag is. I think people just want answers and I think the number of querents who feel they can lean over and add their own spin to a reading are in a minority. I think it is in the reader they trust and it is to the reader they go to for answers.

I think that receiving a tarot reading is a major moment in someone's life (unless they're addicts and do it every week). I think they remember it forever.

As readers, I think we should all have a few readings, good & bad, so we can see how others do it and what we can learn and the things that grate and things that we shouldn't do...