What is your expertise?

[Chronata]

Everyone who reads tarot is an expert.

I can't remember who it was that said that (Mary Greer? Julie Cucia Watts? I would definitely give them credit, if I knew!)

But when I first heard that phrase, I didn't think much of it. Sure there are some things I know about the tarot...I mean, I have been reading for a long time, and I guess I could hold my own in a tarot discussion (as long as it didn't venture too deep into the subject of history! )

But then the other day, my name came up in another forum in the form of "ask Chronata, she is an expert on the Morgan Tarot"

And I went there to say...wait! That's not me !!..I'm not an expert at all! I just have 4 different editions, and I have been tracing the differences in each one, and been using the deck regularly since 1985...

"yes." was the reply "THAT makes you an expert!"


So Today, I got to thinking about what else I might be a tarot expert in (besides being an expert on the pitfalls of self publishing decks) and I guess there are quite a few things I am a little knowledgeable on.

And I bet you are too.

Even if you have only been reading a year...or with only one deck. I bet you have an expertise. Or even if you aren't a reader at all...but simply love to collect. You are an expert.

Are you an expert in reading intuitively?
Or in the history of the GD?

Or in knowing every edition of the Thoth? or in how numerology plays a part in a reading?

Or maybe you are an expert in MRP or LoS decks?

Or in using a particular spread to it's fullest potential?

Are you an expert in the Kabbalah, or the Marseilles, or reading with playing cards?

Whatever that is...Celebrate it. Cherish how far you have come, and how much you still want to learn...

Realize that you are an expert in some aspect ...even if it's simply being an expert on how to read the cards the way YOU read them.

You view the world in your own wonderfully unique way...and that is your expertise.

Please feel free to share yours here!

 

[Amanda]

I wish I knew what to say about myself here. If anyone knows what my expertise is, please let me know.

In all seriousness, I may think one thing about what my specialty is (I think I'm pretty good at feelings and being able to tell you what other people feel about you), but my specialty may actually be something that is entirely different and shines out more easily for others to see. *shrugs* So, I'm kind of like you Chronata, I'd probably need to be smacked in the face with it to realize it.

 

[FenestraThought]

Ha! after being here for even just a little while, I realize how MUCH I really don't know about the cards !

They talk of elemental combinations/harmonies/friction and I "Know" I don't know all the astrological colorations like some people !

Though I'm not bad with Numbers, but nearly as good as others I'm sure. . .

So yeah, the jury still out on me... But I'll keep working at it. . . After I'm done I "Would" like to be an expert on the "Dragon Tarot" but umm.... I have 77 more cards to go before I'm done deconstructing them lol :/

 

[Le Fanu]

Oh what a lovely *feel good* thread! Just what we need!

I have to say, I was agog once when searching for something on the internet and I came upon a blog which said "... as tarot guru le Fanu once said.. &c" and I simply fell off my chair.

Guru, expert, kinda similar .. but I deny the title. Obviously.

Yet I think there are some tarot things I do very well, like shop. This I have down to a very fine art. I show tremendous expertise in "adding" to cart. But let me think what else...

I think I'm quite good at geekily knowing different editions of decks and their differences (but rodney would beat me if we were in the same room. I just have to make sure we never are ). I also feel that if I were on Mastermind, my speciality would be "Mass Market Tarot Decks 1970-1989"

I'm good at reading cards as what I call a "snapshop" sequence (as Herzog & I did in the Eye Rhythms thread when we were studying Dodal, and I have carried on with this technique and use it with all decks now!), i.e a row of cards as a continuous narrative.

I think I'm good with querents. I think I am good at putting them at their ease and making them feel relaxed with humour, and allowing a reading to take place in a conversational way.

I think I'm getting better at hearing inutition.

Things I would have to stand in the corner for and wear a dunce's cap (I can feel another thread coming on...); astrology, elemental dignitaries, Thelemic thingies. But certainly if I did an exam in astrology I can put my hand on my heart and say I would get 1%; and that would be because I can draw the squiggly zodiac symbols.

 

[Little Hare]

What an awesome thread! Looking forward to seeing some more answers

 

[morticia monroe]

I'm an expert at knowing when I'm on my game, and when I'm not.

Sometimes I lay the cards out and that feeling comes over me. I look at the cards, their positions, their proximities to the others and I just seem to get the whole picture all at once,,, I know what to say, and the words flow effortlessly. I know what connections to make, and exactly what my querant needs to hear.


However

I can usually tell the first thirty seconds into a reading whether or not I'm going to have trouble. Although I read cards individually as well as in tandem with others, it just seems that, for me, I seem to either look at the spread and get a very large percentage of the whole picture right off the bat, or I don't get it at all, no matter how much I study the spread. In fact the more I look and study, the worse it gets.

So I guess that I'm an expert at knowing the reading style that works for me, and I find that the more I just let go and do things my own way, rather that trying to emulate the styles of others, the better I read, and the more confident, composed, and correct I am with my readings.

If I try to go to the reading, I sink pitifully. If I let the reading come to me, I float like a cork.

 

[kabang]

I love this question!

My area of expertise is telling stories with the cards. I don't do a lot of reading the cards in the traditional sense (i.e., "Does he love me?' etc.), but I do use the cards to help me in my creative writing. As an exercise, I draw three cards: a protagonist, an antagonist, and a conflict. I make up the frame of a story based on those three cards and draw more as needed.

It's a lot of fun, and I've gotten a lot of great story ideas out of it! It also helps me stretch my brain when I get in a creative rut.

 

[DownwardSpiral]

I wish I knew what to say about myself here. If anyone knows what my expertise is, please let me know.

In all seriousness, I may think one thing about what my specialty is (I think I'm pretty good at feelings and being able to tell you what other people feel about you), but my specialty may actually be something that is entirely different and shines out more easily for others to see. *shrugs* So, I'm kind of like you Chronata, I'd probably need to be smacked in the face with it to realize it.

I think your an EXPERT at helping others interpret their readings in the Your Readings : )

I think I'm an Expert at buying decks that look good on the outside of the box only to find they don't look as good on the inside.

 

[Amanda]

I think your an EXPERT at helping others interpret their readings in the Your Readings : )

Thank you for saying so. I guess I do spend quite a bit of time there, huh?

 

[DownwardSpiral]

Thank you for saying so. I guess I do spend quite a bit of time there, huh?

I always enjoy reading your interpretations of the cards! Sometimes I'll even read a thread just because I see that you've responded. I like the way you break the reading down and give your ideas about what each card says. And many times you give the reader other options to consider. As a beginner this really helps me to see the cards from different angles : )