by Madhavi Ghare | Spreads, Tarot, Tarot Card Decks, Readings, Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Journaling |
When you are studying the Tarot on your own, it makes sense to keep a Tarot journal.
Simply, get a two-ring binder file and a bunch of punched papers (journal papers) from any stationery shop. You can go wild and get separators.
Then maintain a record of the readings that you did, the spreads that you did and the intuitions that you got along with the date you did the reading.
You can check back in a couple of months and see your accuracy.
You can also do this process with each card. As a learning process, make a page for each card. Write down words or phrases that come into your mind when you see that card. Do this with the upright and reversed positions as well – for all the 78 cards. As and when a meaning is enhanced or added, just add it to your list on the page for that card.
I follow the same method for my journal. I found that having and maintaining a journal is the best practice one can have as a beginner and as a student of Tarot and even as a professional Tarot reader.
Some people also suggest maintaining records of readings you did for other people and then double checking them. But I find that to be quite a tedious process as I can’t do that while I am reading for someone else. Also this way I don’t maintain their privacy. So I don’t maintain records of other people’s readings.
But ifyou are not doing professional readings and if you are reading for friends and family members, ask them for permission and if they say OK then make a record of those readings as well. This way, you can know where you were right and where you went wrong. You can see which card prompted you for both predictions / guidances etc and based on that your readings will become enhanced.
by Madhavi Ghare | Readings, Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Tarot, Interesting
Here is a question that a fellow Tarot student asked me on Orkut. I think this deserves a post on its own. There are other common questions that people have asked me as well, which I have added today to the QnA Page. Do have a look.
A reader and his cards have a strong connection with each other. As the reader’s understanding and approach towards the cards grows, so the connection between them is enhanced. I follow a simple procedure. I hold the deck in my hands and ask the cards to show me or tell me ….(insert your question here)….and then I fan them out. Then I proceed with the reading.
by Madhavi Ghare | Readings, Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Tarot |
When we do a reading, most clients want to know ‘when’ so-and-so event is going to happen. For example, clients want to know when they will get married, or when they will get that promotion.
It makes sense at this point to help the clients frame their question. My honest opinion in this aspect is that Tarot does not tell you when – it can guide you as to how. The ‘when’ aspect can be highlighted only if you give the cards the guiding framework of a timeline. Instead of asking when, I help the clients re-phrase the question and ask if something is going to happen within the next six months. I also tell the clients that if they want to know the ‘when’ factor, they can go to a proper astrologer. Still, from what little I know of astrology, they too cannot be accurate about the ‘when’ bit. They can tell you when a favorable time will present itself so that you can take the necessary action to make it happen.
No matter where one goes for guidance, nothing can manifest without any action. Tarot can guide you about the action bit.
So we come back to the question – ‘How far into the future can the Tarot cards see?’
The reason is fairly straightforward. Tarot is more ‘in the present’. When we do readings, we are tapping into the energies of the present – they give us the threads of the past events shaping this present, and then lead us into the future. This future depends a lot on the present. Events going on in the present will, naturally, cause the future events to shape up. This is why Tarot cannot give any accurate long-term predictions.
The Tarot card predictions, as such, can be relevant to the next couple of months, and maximum to the next six months. If we do ask the cards to provide us with a more long-term guidance, they can do that. But they will only give the highlights of the story. They cannot give the detailed version of the story. If a client is happy with that, then OK. But otherwise, a more detailed and accurate guidance / prediction can be obtained only in the short term.
by Madhavi Ghare | Interesting, Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Tarot, Tarot Card Decks |
This is an interesting incident I would like to relate.
Back in early 2006, I used to have this camera bag turned into a bag for keeping my deck. And one day, a lady came in for a reading. I took my cards out, and began.
Throughout the reading, I kept feeling as if something was missing. I kept on telling her stuff to do with the Ace of Cups and the lesson in that card. And the whole time I kept feeling that the card will show up in the reading. It never did.
I have had such experiences often where I feel that the next card is going to be so-and-so card, and it turns out that way. But not this time!
Guess why?
When the lady left, I opened the bag to put my cards back into it, and noticed that there was one card left inside the bag – the Ace of Cups.
Interesting, huh?
The cards really are one family, and they work their magic when they are all together – mixed up or not – they are speaking to you together.
After that experience, I always double-check if I have all the cards with me before I begin my reading.
Have you ever had such an experience? Post your comments and share!
by Madhavi Ghare | Readings, Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Tarot, Interesting |
Got questions about readings, clients and what have you? Post them here. I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.
by Madhavi Ghare | Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Tarot, Interesting |
Is there a ‘Code of Ethics’ for professional Tarot card readers?
The answer is: Yes, there is.
You can visit the Tarot Certification Board’s website and check out their Client’s Bill of Rights page, and, you can also visit the American Tarot Association‘s website and visit their Code of Ethics page.
Based on these, you, as a Tarot Card Reader, can also create your own Code of Ethics and have your clients go through it before they have a reading with you.
This is a very good way to convey your ethics to your clients in a nice and positive manner.
