Doing Readings by heart...

[tmgrl2]

I did both right from the start...

I never read live and looked up anything...I just did it.

I also studied and read lots of books, and participated here in many threads discussing cards and readings.

For my online readings here, I would look things up during the reading, often for references other than Tarot, but also at various meanings.

Now...I read both online and live....no look-ups for either.

I started in February of 2004....

I would say...do it all...but when you read for someone, put away the books and use your intuition...trust yourself.

terri

 

[tarotbear]

There is nothing wrong with having a 'reference' shelf of books to 'refer' to when you get stuck. However, it is tacky to have them on your table when doing a reading for someone! Granted these are your friends and they know you are a beginner, but stopping every card to flip through five books --INSANE! If you have to read this way you are either not ready yet or have no faith in yourself.

There is nothing wrong in reading every Tarot book you can get your hands on - even mine - once. Reading more than one book exposes you to others' thoughts and ideas and that is a good thing. However, once you have read that book just add it to the shelf. You should also practice reading for yourself more and KEEPING A JOURNAL of your readings and refer to your journal, not to an author's book every time. You need to build your self confidence up. If you slip up once while doing a reading the world is not going to come to an end - a common belief of beginners. Learning the cards 'by heart' does not mean learning some author's words by rote -BORING!

Leave your books home, take a deck and go over a friend's house and DO A READING WITHOUT A BOOK! The experience will do wonders for you!

 

[YogaSpider]

Leaving the books during Readings!

Hello All,

Your input has really helped me and it is time to be more confident and leave the books whenever I do a reading from now on.

I start my day with pulling a Card of the Day and guess what came up?
Ace of Cups, well how appropriate and how stimulating!

It is time to trust on my own intuition, feeling and insights: time to be more confident in that perspective.

What most hit me was that in the books, it is always somebody elses interpretation. Now I have to trust on my own. I am comparing it when I draw peoples energies... Nobody, no books, nothing told me how to do that, I just did and trusted upon my feelings/intuition.

I love the tarot books, and I love reading them and have them for reference. And I will keep on buying more. But with Readings, from now on I will keep them on the shelfs!

Tarotbear: What Tarot book did you write?
All: thanks for your supporting and stimulating tips! It is so greatly appreciated.

YogaSpider

 

[Ace]

My question is, how long did it take you to leave the books and do it by heart/ from the top of your head / feelings?
(Gawd I am so impatient...)

My answer: way too long! I feel now the best way to do tarot is to sink or swim, in other words DON'T look at a book-right from the beginning. You are absolutely right: " it is always somebody elses interpretation." and not YOURS or the interp that works at that moment. That is what you need: that moment and the thoughts that come to you. Keep going, you are doing great YogaSpider.
Ace

 

[Scion]

Hey YogaSpider,

As with most leaps, the easiest way to do it is to just do it. You know more than you think you do, and you will keep learning. But reading Tarot while consulting books is a little like trying to have a conversation in Italian while referring to an English/Italian dictionary and a grammar guide and looking at a map of Italy. You can squeeze meaning out of it, but it will probably be garbled, halting, and frustrating for you in the extreme.

Tarotbear makes a good point: "by heart" doesn't mean regurgitating snippets of interpretation gleaned from books, but discerning the organic line of meaning in a spread so that it conveys a coherent message that only you are qualified/capable of identifying. Don't think of it as learning; think of it as remembering something you already know...

Scion

my 500th post!

 

[YogaSpider]

I did it..!

I finally did it...

I felt such FREEDOM and was amazed about how much images, messages, clear feelings came up! I have found that a well of knowledge is already resides within me ... Instead of seeking it from outward sources, I seek now within.

The jolt of energy is making me even more driven and I love it. I just love it!

Again, thanks for motivating me to let go of the books. And to urge me to do it NOW! Dombo is flying without the feather...

Scion: Happy 500th posting!

YogaSpider

 

[Abrac]

I'm with bladeraven.

For me too it was finding the right deck. My first deck was a RWS and that's still what I read with today.

I studied the RWS hard for several years after I got it, then quit for many years. I picked it up again one day and I could just read it. It just takes time and practice, that's really the only way, imo. You may have to use some books for awhile; that's just how it works. You'll know when you can let go of 'em.

The RWS is one of the most user-friendly though I have to admit. Let's face it, you see two people barefoot out in the snow and the meaning's pretty obvious. Or a fellow holding onto four coins like grim death and it's pretty easy to figure out what he's up to. I'm all for expanding horizons and learning new stuff, but when I'm doing a reading I just want an answer. I seem to get the clearest and most helpful answers from my tried and true friend.

fools_fool