Thanks!
It was via liveperson.com's version of IM, which took a little bit of getting used to for me. I didn't expect all my text to stay in one section of the window and all the client's text to stay in a different section.
That's a good design feature, though, because I was typing a mile a minute and had the client interjected a question in the interim, it might have scrolled right off the screen without my noticing.
I did feel connected enough to do the reading, but it probably helps that I've done readings by email in the past. Plus, when my friends and I first started to work with Tarot, back when we were in High School, we practiced by doing readings on news stories, celebrities, and even fictional book characters.
I was pretty satisfied with how I handled the reading process, and I guess the client was OK with how I did. I got 3 out of 5 stars even though I didn't have the most, er, optimistic outlook to present regarding the relationship question I was asked. Too bad there weren't any happily-ever-after cards to interpret; maybe I'd have had a 4- or 5-star review.
Maybe I'll have better luck next time getting happy-happy-joy-joy cards in response to a question. Then again, the people who are already happy with how things are going in their lives are probably not the ones who are going to be asking relationship/money questions of Tarot readers. So my ability to present sobering information in an honest and tactful manner will probably get quite the workout with these online readings.
'
I'm profoundly grateful for my typing skills, BTW. Not that I was typo-free, but I do type fast (85 wpm) and I feel I was able to get a generous amount of info into those 11 minutes of the reading.
I'll use a smaller spread next time, though. I was caught off guard by the arrival of a reading request, and I fell back on one of my old standby spreads: 2 cards each for Past, Present. Future. Next time, I'll just do a 3-card P/P/F to start with. That will be easier on my brain cells and typing fingers, and probably will be easier for the client to digest the amount of info coming their way.