When Readings go Bad - Spread

[Trogon]

There's been a couple of discussions lately about how this reading didn't go well, or these cards didn't seem right, or this client got upset. I've had this happen a few times, so back in 2004, after a particularly difficult reading (it was accurate, but the client reacted badly), I created a spread which would help me to understand more about that particular reading and what I should learn from it. So, here it is (after a very long wait), the "When a Reading/Consultation Goes Poorly" spread;

................................................1
........................................../..........\
....................................../..................\
..................................3.........................2
....................................\....................../
.......................................\................./
........................................5....____...4

As you can see, the cards are laid out in the shape of a 5-pointed star, pentagram or pentagon. The position meanings are;

1 - What I need to know about this situation.

2 - Positive aspects of the reading/consultation.

3 - Negative aspects of the reading/consultation.

4 - What did the Querent got out of it?

5 - What is the lesson for me?

#1 is kind of an overview of the situation in which the reading occurred. This might give another indication of what the querent's real situation was, or perhaps (if you're reading professionally) they were simply trying to get a free reading. If someone came to you as a complete skeptic and were "testing you" or doing this on a lark, that might show up here as well.

#2 gives you the things that went right. Maybe there was good communication between you & your client to begin with. Or maybe strong connections with spirit guides, etc. Maybe your reading was highly accurate.

#3 looks at what wasn't so right, for example, maybe your client wasn't asking about what was really on their mind, maybe they were angry to start with & just took it out on you. Maybe there were spirits on the querent's side that were blocking your reading.

#4 lets you know whether your querent gained something from the reading or not and if so, what? Maybe they did get an eye-opening experience. They might have gained a new perspective on their situation but it may take some time for their fears to calm down enough for them to realize it.

And #5 shows you what lessons you should take away from the experience. Maybe the querent WAS testing you & was fearful when you were too accurate - maybe you can gain some confidence if you're a newer reader. Maybe the client was just kind of ripping you off, claiming that nothing was right ... what lessons might you take away from that?

Anyway, I hope this is of some help to us when we have these difficult readings or deal with difficult customers.

 

[Yineth]

Ohohohohoho... Where have you been all my life? XD [I meant the spread!!]

I have a feeling I'll definitely find this spread handy when I re-attempt to read for others >.>

Thanks much, Trogon

[I was tempted to write Trogdor ]

 

[Barleywine]

This spread opens up all kinds of speculative considerations. The card-to-card flow you've given looks like the top half of a Tree of Life spread (Kether through Geburah). It might be interesting to play around with the position meanings in the same way that was done with this alternate ToL spread: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=33578&highlight=tree+life, using the sepherothic correspondences and planetary assignments. I might even add a sixth point in the Tiphareth position as a kind of "outcome" card, which would integrate and harmonize the input from everything above it, making the figure a hexagram rather than a pentagram. It could indicate the "next step" in resolving the issues that led to the "bad" reading (after "what should I learn from this" would come "what should I do to apply what I learned.")

Another thing that strikes me is that other point-to-point progressions beyond the "lightning bolt" might be possible. The Golden Dawn system gives instructions for drawing various elemental pentagrams employing a continuous line. Depending on the elemental nature of the original question, the card-to-card progression appropriate to the drawing of that element might be used, or the pentagram of spirit might be used to take the answer to a higher level. However, these pentagrams had a more exalted purpose than divination (invoking or banishing, depending on the starting point and direction of the flow), so I might hesitate to use them in this way. But it's interesting food for thought.