The Reading—It Ain’t Just about Feelin’ Good

I’m currently tutoring in the TABI (Tarot Association of the British Isles) basic course on Tarot. What amazes me most at this point is to note the desire of students to “uplift” the querent by sugar-coating the reading, sometimes to the point of abandoning the message in the imagery of the card and/or the traditional meanings associated with it.

I know, you want to make the client feel good when they walk away. But think about it: what did they come to you for? You’re a tarot reader. What did they come to you for? A peek into the potential future, more than likely. Wanting to create more awareness of what’s really going on so they can respond in the best way possible or brace for the inevitable.

I believe in a combination of prediction and empowerment with this tarot business. We have some control in how we respond to our circumstances, and yes, to some degree, we create those circumstances. But it’s not all in our conscious power to control at any given moment. Remember I said “conscious.” There are other folks with their own desires and agendas that interact with ours, so we respond to circumstances. And the Tarot can give insight in general terms into what we may be facing ahead and what might be hidden beneath.

So, after learning the hard way myself that we don’t have direct control over everything, and that the Tarot and our insight as readers can give warnings as well as advice and reassurance or inspiration to querents, I call ’em like I see ’em, even if the message is not so fluffy or positive. Because good advice is good, even if it’s not good news.

Let me know what you think and how you choose to read the cards. 🙂

CW Whispers of the Week

Nice short summary of the symbolism of numbers from Bonnie Cehovet at her Perspectives on Tarot.

As a very diplomatic way of calling ’em like you see ’em but also using the Tarot for inner healing under challenging circumstances, here’s James Wells’s Palliative Tarot approach.