Saying what you see

[Grizabella]

I can't find who said it now, but the reason we describe each card in the Reading Exchange forum is because that's a learning forum and since not everyone has the same deck, describing everything we see in the cards helps those who are following along to understand why we may have interpreted as we did. People who do have the same deck can get it out and see for themselves but those without it appreciate the description.

I think that's kind of misleading to those learning from us, though, because then they think that's what they're supposed to do in a reading for someone that they're doing professionally by email or phone or live chat. Our sitters don't want that, though, they just want to know what the cards say.

Some books on how to read Tarot recommend starting a live reading by describing what's depicted on the cards but if I were a sitter, I'd feel like the reader was wasting my time (which I'm paying for, mind you) describing something I could see for myself because it was right in front of me. I might even feel a little bit insulted, like the reader thought I was too stupid to see what was on the cards.

 

[harmony1985]

Although i need to practise tarot and have close friends who would be willing to let me read for them i dont do it because in the past when i've tried to explain the cards its sounded like i didnt have confidence in what the cards were saying.
I knew in my head exactly what they were telling me, but i couldnt get it across to them so it ended up sounding like i didnt know what i was talking about, stuttering and saying "um, erm, um..." looking for the right words and failing!

I lost confidence after that, I ended up thinking that i just wasnt good enough to read for others if i couldnt even explain a 3 card spread.

I felt like i was making the sceptics even more sceptical (unfortunately for me i am surrounded by sceptical friends! who although they would allow me to read for them i dont want to, i dont feel confident enough yet! And when i read for one of my friends before who is super-sceptical she barely even paid attention to me and carried on brushing her hair or tidying her room and looking the other way and yawning!! So that didnt help!)

So nowadays i read for my family by email, i take part in the exchange forum now and again and ive written down a couple of readings for my friends.....writing flows a bit better than speech but there is no way to get across the whole picture that i can see in my head instantly....not for me yet!
And anyway, a picture speaks a thousand words so it must be very difficult to adequately describe all the feelings and thoughts that flash through your mind instantly just from a picture....its near impossible.
My grandad says some things are above and beyond the grips of language and i agree with him.

 

[SunChariot]

This came up in another thread but I think it's an interesting topic so I thought I'd post a thread about it here.

When I first started reading the cards and had gotten comfortable with it in my head, I then found that when I tried putting words to them for a reading, I just couldn't seem to find the words. For me, finding words to put to anything else was never hard. I'm sure people have wished it were.

I've seen others say that they've had the same problem so I'm wondering if it's just a normal part of learning to read for others. It's occurred to me that maybe it's a problem with learning to let the messages from the Universe flow as opposed to voicing our own "stuff".

What do others think?

I probably did have times in the beginning when the words were not coming or flowing, but it's hard to say as I don't read for others in person. So it was easy enough for me if I felt blocked to stop and take a break and come back when I felt more refreshed, even a day or two later. I never thought much about it, it was just part of the reading process for me and I accepted it that sometimes you're tired and the words don't flow so it's better to put it aside and come back to it later.

Even now, a reading usually involves more than one "sitting" fo me . I'll do as much as I feel like, go have an extended break, repeat as needed....etc until it's done.

Doing an in person reading must be a whole different thing I am sure though.

The messages do flow for me now though, very often almost faster than I can type them. I tend to feel like I am just sitting here taking dictation.

What you said (your last sentence) makes a lot of sense Grizabella, because now reading is a question of becoming quiet inside and hearing what the universe is telling me and typing out the words. At the beginning I am sure I was more embrioled in comparing techniques and all that I had read was running through me head ( and I am sure I was hearing the voices of that and thinking too much about them), so likely things did not flow as naturally.

I've found the more I read that, for me anyway, thinking is the enemy. If I start to think, I have to get up walk away and come back when I am more relaxed. I can't be thinking of anything at all as I read. I need to instead be quiet inside and listening. Listening, not thinking. I do not think out the answers or reason them out. I am sent them from somewhere outside myself, and I just have to let msyelf be quiet enough inside and to listen for them.

Babs