How long did it take before you felt confident?

[lark]

When did you feel ready to start reading professionally? When or what was it that suddenl clicked and you realised that you were good at reading the cards? What were your first experiences like? Did you click much later, way after you had started reading professionally? Do you think that reading professionally aided your study and knowledge of the cards?LB

I've been reading for 13 almost 14 years now.
The first ten I sat behind the rocking chair next to the heater and read, and played with the cards, and read, and drank coffee, and played some more, and read, and ate cookies.
I read for movie stars on TV. The nation. The dog. What to make for dinner.
For everything and anything.
My first experience face to face was for my sister who was going through a divorce.
I was so nervous I almost fainted! The room went dark and my hearing went.
I came back in focus and everything just started to flow.
I knew I was good at it because everything I told her was later confirmed even the things she said could never ever happen.
So I started thinking maybe I would make a good reader.
Lost my job shortly after that and hooked up with a psychic fair a few months after that.
So it went quick once I had spoke my intention to the universe.
(So watch out little B'!)

I think that reading professionally has been a huge bonus in learning.
It throws you in with the sharks and it's sink or swim.
You need a lot of other skills to be a good reader
"People skills" some call them.
And you find out fast if you have those skills or even if you want them.
I've know some readers who just find that reading for the public is just not their cup of tea.
They feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of it.

What clicked later for me after I had been reading professionally for awhile was realizing that the cards were showing me their own symbols so we were forming a kind of secret language together.
And that all those book meaning although good to get me started had evolved into something else.
That's when I calmed down.
Now when I lay out a spread I lean forward in almost an anticipation of surprise at what the cards will say to me.
In a way it feels like the pressure is off, no more trying to fit that book meaning into that reading when it doesn't seem to fit.

Good luck if you go for it.
It's quite a life!
I'll be working 3 days a week soon and it sure is never dull.

 

[Little Baron]

Lark, that was a beautiful and very useful response. Thank you.

A lot of what you have said, really makes sense to me. I think I need to sit back and let them talk. At the moment, I am styfling a lot of the messages because I am trying to fit them into little boxes as I try to make sense of readings - they are not breathing.

I think that this thread is teaching me a lot; also, that I need to develop a way of reading that is purely mine.

LB

 

[Emeraldgirl]

I started learing when I was 11. I am now 24 and still learning I have only just come out of the broom closet so to speak and have started letting people know I am a reader. I had years of reading for myself and that's about it. I read for friends now and people who I work with and for family. I have only just started getting offers to do paid readings and parties. i am taking it slowly and building up my face to face reading skills. The rest I hope wil fall into place. I am ready but it took me a long time to feel so. When you feel it's the right time it will be.

 

[tarobones]

ask Tarot

Little Buddha, why not ask the Tarot for some insight on how to jump start reading for your self? Ask the Tarot what are the obstacles, issues, and the way forward? Create a little spread and ask for Tarot's wisdom? could prove interesting! BB, Michael...........PS I've got 3 years in and some days feel very strong and confident and other days far less so............I guess it's just part of being human.

 

[OakDragon]

I say occasionally that I've been reading tarot on and off for close to 20 years. (Mostly for myself, by the way. My first reading for a non-family-member was for someone on AT over the internet.) While that is true, it's very misleading. The key there is "on and off". When I first started, I would study it intensely for a week or two, get frustrated at my lack of progress, and then put it aside for several months. This went on literally for about 15 years. One day about three years ago I decided that I loved tarot and I was just going to keep practicing until I "got" it. Within a few months, everything finally did "click" for the first time and it became easy.

The point I'm trying to make here is that I think my biggest mistake in beginning to learn tarot was not sticking with it. I believe my "aha moment" would have come much sooner if I had been more persistent early on.

 

[Umbrae]

After about a dozen years of reading for others (face to face) I started to feel comfortable…

That does not mean I stopped experiencing “The Blank Spot”, it still happens…and I’m still not so comfortable that I’m comfortable…

I think it’s supposed to be that way.

 

[Sulis]

I rarely do face to face readings, because my family isn't interested and I am too chicken to tell my friends. The thought is daunting.

You sound just like me Marion

I'm just starting to do more face to face readings - I've had to force myself into it because I think it will improve my reading skills no end but it's very nerve wracking. The one's I've done so far have gone well though.
I think the most important thing when reading face to face (for me anyway) is to remember to relax and to keep things as a 2 way conversation.

I think I put more pressure on myself than any querant ever puts on me.

This is one of the reasons that I very rarely offer readings here on ATF (I do quite a lot of readings on another site) - as a moderator, I feel that people expect me to deliver something wonderful yet the truth of the matter is, I'm as much of a learner as anyone else here.
Pressure is something I put on myself but it affects my readings.
If I can just relax and go with it then my readings are great, if I'm worried then they're not.

Love

Sulis xx

 

[Apollonia]

I gained the confidence I needed by volunteering for the Free Tarot Network, providing free one-card readings via Internet. You can't believe how it boosts your confidence to have someone from the other side of the planet tell you that you were spot on with the reading, even though all you had to go on was their name, date of birth, and question/comments. And when the feedback wasn't so positive, I learned that I could survive having someone tell me I was wrong. Plus, since all I had to go on for each reading was a single card, I learned to really wring all the meaning I could out of each symbol, which I feel really improved my multiple card readings, and my personal relationship with each card. Offering more complex readings here at Aeclectic also helped, and the positive feedback I got here was what finally convinced me to go out into the wide world. Reading for strangers face to face was a piece of cake compared with people I didn't get to see or ask clarifying questions of, so I knew I could do it after doing the online readings.

I would say that as long as you don't need to consult the book for meanings while doing a reading, and if you are getting good feedback from the readings you do, you are ready. Also, here where I am, you don't get a table at a shop without doing a reading for the owner(s), and when they give you the thumbs up, you know you're good to go!

 

[contrascarpe]

I certainly feel more confident with on-line readings, although there is that anxiety that I have after the reading is done and sent that I was way off mark ..... if you start down the wrong path, who knows where you will end up? I always expect to do a reading here and have the person tell me that I should give it up (has only happened once that I know of, and I am still convinced I told the person information they didn't want to hear).

For face-to-face readings, I have been reading professionally for over a year now and I have to admit that when I first sit down my confidence is lacking. Once I start, it leaves fairly soon. That is why I like the days when I get wall-to-wall bookings. I get in a flow and my confidence grows as the day goes on ..... only to disappear again the next time I set up shop

Dan

 

[Chronata]

I started reading when I was 13. It took me about 6 months before I was reading "professionally" (mostly for friends, family, kids at school and teachers)
I would trade readings for lunch, and favors and other stuff.

Soon, I was requested to read for events, and by 16 I had quite a little client base.

The thing is...I never worried about accuracy, or confidence issues at 13...I just happily threw myself into to see what would happen with the fearlessness and recklessness of youth!

It wasn't until "maturity" later...that I started worrying about accuracy and such...over annalysing every move and detail about my reading quality...and I had already been doing it for more than 6 years at that point!

But like lark said...I too had developed my own secret language of symbols and such...and the cards were like an old friend, offering me help, and like a good friend,they didn't let me down, as long as I relaxed, and just flowed with it.

In my experience, even when I thought I did the worst reading ever...the querant still got some usefull or helpful info from it!

For a long time, I asked that they pay me after the reading...and only if they thought I gave them something helpfull...or at least entertaining.

In 20 something years I have never NOT gotten paid after a reading, so I guess I must be doing something right!

my advice would be to think back to being a kid (or a teen) and how limitless...even magical...the world looked then...and move forward with that reckless confidence, that you can do anything!