Joking while Taroting

[sleepingcat]

Bah- I got yelled at. I was reading for someone (aquantiance, I suppose) and I was doing as I usually do and randomly read one of the cards absurdly litterally to break up the tension.

Usually when people start getting that : \ look, or stare at the cards like they're going to bite them, spell out their doom, or float over their heads like a stigma, I say somthing redicious as my little way of reminding people- they're just cards and I'm no prophet, I'm sair, human and mundane.

They didnt find it paticularly amusing. Disrespecting the art, they said. They had me get on with it, but seemed peevish for a good while afterward.

I keep telling myself not to change my style- this is who I am and this is the way I am. I make it a point not to take anything seriously because *nothing* is that serious, there's always even the tiniest bit of clearance left for some laughter to wiggle in. It's important, laughter reminds us there's room to be human and live- that little gap is there so we arent crushed.

But gah- I feel badly. Maybe I was being insenstive- I can understand how this would be most serious to someone and I can see how joking can discredit an entire reading. But this is why I'm not a professional reader, I'm a friend who does free readings for people I know. If they've been around me more than a time or two they should know this is just my way.

And for refrence, the kinds of jokes I make are non-personal. Somthing along the lines of "The hanged man- All this is only going to make sense if you stand on your head" "What? o.0;" "....Seriously, you need to change your perspective and start giving up the mental dispositions you've assigned things.... etc"

 

[thorhammer]

I do that, too, even though I haven't read for all that many people face to face; the only thing that I would say is that you'd have to pick your
a) moments
b) CARDS
c) people

and once you've got that, don't stress! Just coz they don't have a sense of humour! They have to remember that they have free will and if your irreverence offends them they are more than welcome to not take a scrap of notice of the cards (I just challenge anyone not to, though!).

And who is this person to tell YOU that you're disrespecting the "art"? Bah, indeed! Personally, I would have been CRACKING UP inside at their pretentiousness! You read the way you read, they come to you and don't worry about it!

\m/ Kat

 

[mystic mal]

Oh how right you are to bring humour into it.As you say some folk think the cards are going to bite them and sit with baited breath waiting for their doom so humour is an icebreaker along with breaking the tension. No disrespect at all. When I was new to Tarot years ago I used to see the Heirophant as a psychiatrist (cant even spell it) and every time it came up I thought "MY there are some crazy people coming to see me"!!!! and all my friends used to roar with laughter if it came up.

 

[Alta]

sleepingcat, I do that too. And sometimes the tarot is breath-takingly literal anyway. Plus people do get too serious which leads to all those tarot myths (i.e. superstitions) around the deck and reading. Yes, make a joke, and tell them to relax a bit. The tarot river has to be floated on lightly, or you could drown in it.

 

[nicki]

great way to break the ice sleepingcat, people can get so uptight when a tarot deck is produced. A friend of a friend asked me for a reading and when I got to it and sat her down produced the deck, shuffled and her first card was death, she totally freaked and left me sitting there mouth agape as she literally ran from the room.

nicki

 

[le fey]

Disrespecting the Art...sounds like code for 'don't laugh at something that pokes at my sore spot' without wanting to take ownership of the pain. Depending on whether or not you want to pursue that in the reading, you can either note that this aspect of their situation seems to be particularly tender and go where that leads, or you can lightly note that your respect it enough not to give it undo reverence from afar and get on with the reading.

But either way, don't change your style! For any one complaint you get, a dozen people are helped by your ability to detraumatize the situation with a bit of levity.

 

[moderndayruth]

sleepingcat, i like your attitude and if i went to a pro i'd also like her not to bring too much tension into the reading. I think that we should be reminded, as often as possible, that many (if not the most) of our personal storms are merely, so to say, "storms in a cup of water"

 

[JonMAblaze]

"The hanged man- All this is only going to make sense if you stand on your head"

I'm going to use that one.

I'll be sure to credit you.

 

[Nevermore]

Don't feel bad. It's good to use humour to break the ice, and your joke, at least from my point of view wasn't thaaat offensive and it wasn't tasteless.
But if you still feel bad, remember you've learned something and maybe in the future you'll joke with certain people and not others.

 

[Baroli]

Well, I was going to put something innately clever, but my cat decided that I will not do another thing until I feed her. NOW, having done that, this situation reminds me of going to church. The old timers feel that God doesn't have a sense of humor, so therefore no laughing, no making jokes, no smiling. What do they know!! For Pete's sake his son went to a wedding and at the appropriate time, he made some more wine out of water. The guy knew what it took to have a good party and a good time.

My point?? Timing is everything. You read your sitter and you saw that they needed a moment to Relax, Breathe, whatever, so you made a joke and she/he said your are disrespecting the craft.

You're gonna get that from time to time. I get it ALL the time in church, being disrespectful that is. But you know what? God knows my heart, and I know mine. No disrespect at all.

You know yours as well. No disrespect. So do what you need to do, to have the sitter relax. If they can't, well, then they can't, but you have tried your best, so just continue on and read. Don't change your style. Just my opinion.

Unless you are quoting from a book,....but then that is another thread.
(come on laugh!!)

Baroli