HOW I READ

Over the years, Psychic-Magic (in its various incarnations) has asked subscribers and contributors to share their knowledge and experiences.  I thought it would be interesting to compile information on how people read tarot (or other tools).  Note that I’ve edited out repetition.

FROM SHARON:
[Our tarot] teacher used a hypothetical client and spread her deck in response to a question on career. We each shared our insight [and] she then asked three students to select the same cards in the spread from their own decks and put them in the same positions.
   We shared our insight on the three new spreads and … compared them to what we had shared on the first spread. Using four different decks for the same client and question gave us the opportunity to see how readers using decks different from our own may come up with a different perspective in a reading.
   We didn’t get a different interpretation; we got different viewpoints…

FROM BETTY:
Sometimes a reversed card means the exact opposite of its upright interpretation, sometimes it’s “more of the same”, and sometimes there is no difference at all. The teacher said that had confused her as well... She … asked her guides to give her an answer as to how to interpret reversals.
   The answer came in a dream, where her guides told her, “The cards weren’t painted upside down.” She said she felt comfortable about not reading reversals after that.

FROM MARIANNE:
Someone … asked me, “How do you work with a client who has never had a reading before? Are they more nervous than your other clients?”
   I try to make it as comfortable an experience as I can. Some clients come out of curiosity; others … because they’re trying to work through a challenging situation. In either case, they’re nervous because they don’t know what I’m going to tell them. I first explain that I am not going to tell them anything—their guides will speak through my tools (cards, runes, etc.) and use symbols to tell them what they need to know. I simply interpret the symbols, though the client can (and should) feel free to explain that a symbol means something else to them. We can then get into a deeper discussion on the symbol and what it might mean at this time with regard to this situation.
   I start every reading by asking if there are any particular areas in the client’s life where he or she needs help. If a particular symbol comes up that makes my client nervous, I stop to talk about it. For instance, the Death card can mean that the problem situation is dying, which is a time to rejoice. It can mean new beginnings, as in “The king is dead, long live the (new) king.” As the reading progresses, I feel the client relaxing and participating in the reading. I always end the reading with a hug, and make sure the client has my business card so he or she can call if there are any follow-up questions or any need for clarification.

FROM PENNY:
If you encounter a block when reading cards, it may be a message that you need to change decks. If you’ve been using the same deck for years and years, maybe you’re being told it’s time to use a new deck for freshness.

FROM JERRY:
I want to share how I change the tone of my readings. Along with my cards, I carry table coverings. I go to a local fabric shop several times a year and buy a yard or so of several fabrics. It’s basically enough to cover the table… I choose the fabrics based on the pattern. I have Samhain, Yule, spring, winter, summer, etc. My regulars comment on the different fabrics, and I’ve had a couple of clients gift me with fabrics left from craft projects.

FROM JIM:
I started combining an oracle deck with my tarot deck to do readings. It’s interesting to see how the decks complement one another and reinforce a message, and also how they give different perspectives.

FROM HARRY:
I was taught to read a three rune spread from right to left. The reasoning for this, I was told, is because things move from east to west (right to left). The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Civilization moved westward. The first rune (to the right) is the past, the center rune is the present, and the third (to the left) is the future. I’ve been asked why I don’t read left to right like “normal” people, but I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work for me.

FROM KAREN:
The majority of readers at the psychic fairs I work use cards. At one time, I wanted to do something different to give my clients variety.
   I embroidered designs on a cloth and collected a wonderful selection of semi-precious stones. I asked clients to pick out 13 stones while concentrating on their question or area of concern. I held the selected stones in my hands for a moment’s meditation, and then tossed them on the cloth. I read the stones through their color, size, distance from the center (the crux of the situation), etc.
   At one fair, other readers asked, “Why 13 stones? That sounds like bad luck. Why not nine for the planets or 12 for the signs of the zodiac?” I tried varying the number of stones, but only 13 seem to work for me.