What (in your opinion) are the most important considerations when reading tarot for other people? I wanna actually start reading for others who are not physically present at my location. How do you manage to "connect" to those whom you are not familiar with and who are not present?

In my opinion shall you use the following thumb rule.

A reading is seen as a path, which in the end the seeker can fulfill.

We must therefore be very careful to predict thing that might cause harm to the seeker, which was not intended in the reading itself.

What spring to mind is to predict health problems, Unfaithfulness from partner and so on.

The last one plant a small seed in the brain of the seeker, and even if one can laugh it away and say ...no not him/her...the brain have it stored...and bring it forward when it think it is right...and "might" destroy a relationship.

Always have in mind that our thoughts is very different....we know when we write what our meaning is....but when the seeker read ...he/she read it out from their own thoughts, and try to fit it into their lives.

So the more specific you are in your prediction, the harder it will be to give a good reading (even if you should have right in your prediction), the more "general" you are, but in a way that the seeker can find he/she belong, the more awe you get from them.

The more you can get a reading to flow like a story, the better....to just give "clue words" is many times more confusing for the seeker, and they might feel rip off

Good luck, I am sure you will do fine

I actually find it easier to connect remotely than face to face. perhaps Im distracted face to face.

To start I take myself down a few notches, relax and focus of them. that my clients have come to be I take it as permission, other readers I know ask their clients to relax, direct the bathing of white light over them and tell their guardians that they are asking for communication through them. For me it was a conscious choice for the client to choose me and I dont start reading until the clients says they are ready, I take that as permission.

Il then draw one card to see if it relates to the client. I work with angel, or spirit guidance so I ask that they show me the client, the card I draw should then relate very much to that client. If not I dont continue reading.. If it doesnt relate IMO I have not got a clear connection and from experience its not going to happen so I explain to them that I am faulty. I need to be careful then so that the client understands that their guardians are with them, Im just not getting it. My greatest fear is that my poor client would be feeling alone because I missed the connection.

Its important not to ask questions apart from what helps you get the connection between the client. asking to many questions takes them "wow" moments away, and I like them.. Also keep in mind that message may not make sense to you, its the client that it has to make sense to.. whats going on is none of my business.
If the reading is truly sounding messy Ill stop and ask if there is any sense to what they have so far.. There are times we get side tracked, be honest with the client when that happens.

having the client tell you what they want to focus a reading on is also important unless you have all day, and typical they have a question they want answered. fail to answer that question and get a bad review.

be honest with the client up front. explain to them your service and what you can and cant do. I dont usually predict eg.. I am diligent in explaining this to a new client..( some still dont get it, and will push for predictions ).. sometimes I get predictions sometimes I dont. I tell clients "I can be wrong" often when I am trying to find a prediction for them.
%100 right is a tall order, if you claim that be that.

One of the worst things you can do to a client is give them false hope, the next worst thing you can do is leave them with no hope at all.

Very typical scenario:
Client comes after a breakup with their boyfriend, wants to know if they'll get back together.
me: Im sorry I cannot answer that question, ( explain my way of working again, because they dont read profiles) I can offer you a reading to help you deal with this difficult time.. or something or rather..I dont have a copy and paste line )
*click*.. but if they stay.. yea..
If I do feel the reading is offering a clue that the chances of a reunion are not likely, I will tell them this is what it is feeling like to be BUT.. the end of a relationship is the closing of one door so that you will walk through the new open door.. There is a positive to a relationship ending and I take the time explaining new beginnings and the importance to moving on.

I will not leave a reading on a negative.. not ever ever. I dont care if I have to use an hour of unpaid time Its my mission to empower them. If I cant do that I failed by accepting a client that was beyond my ability. this is my responsibility to my client.

 You should never read on health issue, and never read for someone that is suicidal or clinical depressed, gauge a clients state of mind.. if it is unstable, you should not read for them.
Have a handy list of professional help lines they should call.. in particular suicide prevention.

I say this for your protection as much as the clients. An unstable or suicidal client is like an energy vampire, You'll end up an emotional wreck.

I hope this has helped some..
Im sure tarot readers will come along and be more specific to your preference and style.

I think Renjer has already been put off in doing readings for others.

There is connection and there is connection in my opinoin. In this forum before I do tarot readings, I first try and connect with the seeker remotely with their energies - some call that psychic energy - call it what you like. I get images in my mind - albeit symbolic at times. Sometimes I dont get anything, but that does not stop me from shuffling the cards and putting them in a spread. Sometimes the cards dont make sense in connection to the question asked. I ask again for clarification and do another shuffle and pick the cards. Or, sometimes I go for a different spread.

If Renjer has not got any psychic abilities..... yet, I might add, then the tarot cards dont usually tell a lie, unless we ask the questoin wrongly.  I think, for starters and in order to encourage Renjer to do remote readings, it is first best for her to start interpreting the cards with regard to the question asked. Then, gradually, she can explore the 'connection' aspect in a reading. Some people are born to read and interpret the cards fantasatically; some do it both psychically and along with the cards; some use the cards as a guideline and connect with their guides or whoever..

I dont think Renjer is going to charge for her readings and she can do them in this very forum with simple spreads..... start by picking three cards, or even one card. Do a past, present and future spreads....
No matter how often we say there is no predicting element to the tarot, I beg to differ. Once we do spreads which contain a Future card, or an Outcome card.... that invariably becomes a predictive element. If it is a negative card or - for want of a better word - bad prediction, then you can always pick one or three advice cards and there will always be a positive message for the seeker.

I agree with both Rhutobello and Stromgirl about the ethical aspect of giving a reading... health, pregnancy and so on... and so forth.

My penny's worth...

Hi all

Actually I'm a male. Sorry for disappointing

 

Yes, though only very rarely can I manage to interpret them confidently. See my thread on "My First Distance Reading", that was a challenging Celtic Cross spread but the message came through. Probably it might be because I was already advising my friend to do something about this in the first place.



I started with the Runes and the past, present, future spread as well, however, over time, I realised that not all questions need this kind of an answer. With tarot, I stopped using any spread positions; relying instead on card interaction. I don't know if I'm doing this right, but whenever reversed cards appear I am a bit "lost". Yet to me, if I don't use reversed cards then the reading doesn't feel complete...



I agree, ethics is an important thing. This also brings to mind memories of a friend who went to see a tarot reader some years ago. The reader predicted that she was going to get pregnant, and she ran away, afraid and scared. Of course, we knew that the reader was wrong because my friend is still a student in university.

Yet if we foresee bad consequences, shouldn't we inform the client in the first place so that they can avoid making bad decisions?



Haha most of the time I struggle to find the correct words to use. I can manage to find (oft times contradictory) meanings on websites and books but cannot manage to connect the cards together coherently.

So, who wants me to try reading for them? Oh, and when starting a reading for a new person, do you need to collect birth dates, pictures, etc?