Extreme Tarot Readings and Some of The Art Behind It
Sometimes I had the opportunity to do what I call "
extreme readings".
That are readings on fly, very short, for a lot of people at minimum time.
I say, something like one or two minutes maximum.
I will talk here using the Tarot as a good example. But in practice sometimes I used other oracles, like stones,
peanut shells, broken sticks, metallic clips, nails, etc. Well, I developed an ability to read almost anything as an oracle. Someday I will write about how each work really different,
So I will try to give some information more related to the aspects of doing a good decent reading, whatever the oracle you choose.
To make extreme readings will push your limits to show you really know what are you doing.
For example, you are in a bar, a party, in a park or barbeque with friends, or during a Sabbath, you have your deck and you start doing readings for people and sudden, they become a lot.
Sometimes that can really became a fury, and many people want listen you.
Trust me. If you never exposed yourself to the public, be prepared for an avalanche of emotional requests, business opinions and with luck, some really very interesting ones. Some of the best people I knew, the ones who really make this a better world, and some of the best students I had I found this way.
And a lot of interference. I wish you already have learned how to work and know to enter in a calm state, focused and not allowing any intrude energy to disturb you. In public places is funny how many
spirits you will find trying to make a mess too (read the final comment please). Plus some drunk people. A good time to remember about protection circles and all that stuff. But in such places, your personal protection area must be done silently. Remember this never but
never can be a circus show.
If you know how to do, you will be able to go unnoticed. This is a good point for you.
In practice, is easy to find people doing minor readings, like 5-10 minutes at many places, like fairs, public events. Many are good readers and many are just learning. In the 90s for a time I used to seat under a big tree in a park and do 5 minutes readings for the people. Was very interesting to know more about people and to do some money.
Lots of tarot (or any Oracle) readers may do short readings sometimes taking 5 to 10 minutes.
Many times I did "extreme readings" (1-2 minutes) even for free, and many do this way. Most of times just happens. Ok. Just remember to cleanup yourself after that. This is a reason to bill something. Even a such short work can bring you some very unpleasant attached energies. As shit may happens during a reading, see my final commentary at end of this text.
Note: I'm commenting about situations for doing extreme readings and how work with that. This is not a service I do as the reader will got tired after a session of extreme reading the same as doing complete readings for all that people. It's a matter of results, not time.
The most important to understand is:
this is not a competition, it's not a car race,
nor a circus show.
Some people who make public mystic fairs are always after someone to do a show for nothing. This is not the case.
The goal is to do a good reading as you will be improving your skills and yourself to be more able to talk less but with a complete overview.
If you need five minutes it's Ok. May be with time you will need just some seconds, for a direct and clear phrase to answer the client.
Many of us will have such experiences and that are good for training if you are starting.
But some people will expect a lot from you if you are experienced. I say, really a lot. Yes, there are the true interested, but also you will meet opportunists who will give you a lot of headache. So, it's an opportunity to learn to protect yourself.
But what is a short extreme reading as I will comment?
A short reading can be just a phrase, a specific comment, related with the person need. But this have to be complete in my point of view.
And this is my purpose here, to comment some aspects about a doing complete Tarot reading in a minute or two.
See, for "complete reading" in no ways you will talk about the entire life of your client, but the reply must be the needed to the question.
You are ready for a short extreme reading when you can see at once, just a second, all you need, even to talk for a long time with just
one card. But I will keep in the 1-2 minutes limit, Ok?
But what you can see in a "one card reading"?
The reply is simple: You can see
all you need related to the question, the why and how, if something is hidden, the for what and even possible incomes.
This start just working with the most basic meaning, the "title" for each card. This is all you need, a simple, basic idea.Then the elements, the numbers, symbols. All that with time become part of your intuition too. And more, the personal wisdom you develop.
And as your skills increase, your capabilities to understand situations, people, companies, this become a phrase, a complete idea you can understand and express.
I always use the "one card reading" in my formal readings too, not just for short readings.
I always ask "whats happening?"
In a short reading, I just get the general idea and talk about that.
But in a formal reading this means I have more time to comment on detail.
So I first use just one card to see what is happening and that is the general line I follow and everything I do later will be related with that card.
As for years I do most readings to distant foreign people, by e-mail, I have more time to write. This is the same for a live reading (when I do). So with time I will talk about the whole scene I see.The result can be some pages plus any other information I see is needed to add. For example, may be what I'm talking about is related to some area so I will add information related to that. Some people don't know how care of himselves and need guidance, and this is what I do more, look who you are and what you need to know to follow on your path. But see, for an extreme reading, I have to get the main aspects and go direct to that and trust me, it's possible to add even guidance on that. This is not a matter of cut words, but learn to be direct.
Some readings may need some extra information, and this is Ok. The "one card" gave the needed information, but the client may have some adventure ahead, a business need, a life change they are on fear to do. For such cases, I like to put three more cards if I really want to go on some detail already present at the initial card. Usually some variation of the standard "Situation-What to do-Results". Remember this have variations, like "Past-Present-Future", or "Background-Whats happening-what look for".
Each case is different and you must learn to explore such possibilities as needed. Remember, what is the main information from the "one card" to keep on track. That will guide you about how to explore more or not.
Following. I commented you will be receiving a lot of information.
How are your connection with the world of symbols you get?
This apply to any Tarot reading. And for any other Oracle in my opinion.
Each card have a major meaning, and have a lot of symbols drawn on it.
But the real reading comes when you go ahead, use the card as a door to the another realm, the sources of the information you are looking for.
Remember first what is the card title and the ideas related.
Now look about the
sources of information:
You will have
two kind of information sources coming from the Tarot:
1) The first is what you will see about your client, the person for who you are doing the reading.You will enter at his/her personal realm.
2) The second information is what the Tarot will show you.
Both are present at the card you get. And this can also give you an image at your mind, even a complete movie in a second.
So remember, the Tarot is a connection to his/her private life and will add information/symbols related to what you see.
Please, remember,
be respectful. You are entering in the most sacred place: a personal life, so keep your prejudices and personal ideas and interests out!
You must understand, in a reading is the Tarot who will reply. You must process the information, and only when you are able to, comment more about with your study and personal life experience.
But not to judge your client because your personal choices.
What I want to make clear is some of your personal ideas can't interfere with the reading. Your personal preferences, like sports, sex, politics, kind of food, money, prejudices, etc. such conceptions about life style most of times are not the question.This is what charlatans and oportunists do most of times, just try to use the information to cheat or manipulate the client.
Warning: To keep your life apart in no ways means lack of ethics!
Please understand: to help who really want help/evolution is not the same as reply to anyone.
So, you does not have to help criminals or to harm others. I knew many who do this deeply in practice. To help someone to commit a crime make you a criminal too. Dot.
You are free to not reply on such questions. Just say bye.
So lets your reading flow.
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Mystic River
Photo by Bill - United States |
How to interpret the "one card" or short spread you are doing?
The Tarot most of times will be very explicit just at the first card. As I told, is a wide image of what is happening.
So we have the card title and a image or just the idea related like in the Minor Arcana.
So that "one card" give you an image. Wish you developed your intuition, your senses are Ok and you are not affected by the environment. This is important when working for really beautiful clients or some famous people, they can be very boring or attractive. LOL...
Developing reading skills will make it s always clear to understand? No. It will not.
Even I recognize one and other time that "one card with the whole image" appears really strange, I say, really have no sense at first look. Yes, sometimes I look that card and I say to myself: "What?" This will happens with you, be sure.
So be humble and use a simple method, that is very useful also to learn more the Tarot. As you feel by experience, ask for one or two cards at once to explain the first one. Easy and simple, just talk to the Tarot "Please, explain the card I received".
When such strange conditions happens, the additional card may show additional hidden aspects you and sometimes the client are unaware or try to hidden. Or will show the question is really different and offer a complete different point of view. There are many possibilities. And yes, some clients will lie to you and you need to be able to go through it.
When doing short readings, people may or not have specific questions. Many just want a "message for this time".
And even when they have specific questions, remember most of them are not really able to express what they want or the question is really wide.
Anyways, you must be able to get the whole scene and interpret it at once.
And here again the idea of a door to the other realm, and there is your client world, with everything you can see (or even think was possible) and all the symbols the card is presenting for you.
Now you have what the client asked (or not), how his/her the private life is about that and the Tarot symbols about the situation.
An important note: Be aware, as you develop your skills and your personal wisdom, one and other time the Tarot may give a short and direct reply to
you. Yes, sometimes the reply have nothing with the client, but is a message to your personal point of view, or an advice about something you have to know or change. The deeper you goo, this will happens too. So be prepared for a card with a message like "Use your experience to comment about N" or even "Hey stupid, not this way!". LOL...
So you have all it, let's talk.
First, be respectful. This is a major rule for both sides.
You will have a client who is ready to listen. Others not so ready due personal concerns, family traditions, etc. They need learning.
And some really don't want to listen, whatever you say. The same for opportunists wanting a lot from you. They will suck you the most they can. Do not waste your time with none of these. Really.
It is always important to
say the truth. But be calm about this.
For some people, the truth can be a punch in the stomach so try to look around how you can be gentle and at the same time, explain the needed points.
In this part, not always the Tarot will show you the client is "sensible". You must learn more about people too.
Anyways, as you make your muscles stronger, you will be Ok when one and other talk bad about you because you "did a bad reading and that was not what they wanted".
When you are true, it allows people to see you without masks. Are you perfect, without problems like some do for self promotion? Be sure I'm not and I had really a lot of deep good and bad experiences few people had.
So be clear, who deserve what you do will get it.
You can always talk about the truth, just observe how you do it.
Many Tarot teachers talk about to develop your intuition. Practices like meditation will help a lot. Yes, this is very good and needed.
But you also need to go through the world of the symbols to be able to get the understanding of the scene related with that. Less is more, so work to develop this,
Some magickal areas and religions where they use some kind of oracle call this capability as something like "to receive a ray of light". Uhm, a nice image to describe it.
At the initial years, is common to the reader try to analyze all the symbols in each card. And there are a lot to learn and study. And this can do a lot of mess due too much information.
The Tarot symbols are important to to study, but see all this information as part of a cake you will cook. The result is the cake and you will just taste it without think about all many ingredients and how it was done.
Get this? With time and experience you will start to get the final taste, the meaningful result of the reading.
For example, you can look a picture of people and say at once if it is funny, if they are happy or not and how nice the place is. You does not need to fix your attention to each point of the image. You must learn to see the whole scene.
At the reading you have the client and a scene you received. What comes to your mind first of all?
This first imagery uses to be what is really happening, what you need to know.
For sure, as an instant movie, you can talk a lot about or just take the principal.
But how to get there?
Study, knowing well the basics and the main general aspects for each arcana.
There are many spreads that help you to learn the main: how to ask and how to get the information.
Ready layout spreads helps a lot on this, just because you divide the question in parts that make easier to interpret.
Remember, always you use some kind of spread, say to the Tarot do the reply using such layout.
Then ask about the whole question like "whats happening to X?"
Remember to disconnected from your personal opinions and follow with the reading.
Additional final comments:
Even in a short extreme reading you may get any of the possible interferences or strange events.
As I told, Tarot is like a door to other realms.
And what can happens when you open such door? Intruders!
Yes, even in a simple one card reading you can receive undesired interference, like opportunist spirits.
And more of that, when you open the door for the other person realm, may be he/she is being attacked someway. This mean, such spirits/forces my use the connection you did and come after you.
So remember, at the start is good to enter a relaxed state, do a prayer you choose specifically for such a moment and ask for protection.
At end, give thanks and release any spirits/forces you may had evoked and close your deck.
If needed, after all, do a banishment to assure nothing else is left around.
Extreme readings can be
tiresome because of the required concentration. Whatever you choose to do, the best after a session of reading, is to do something to relax, walk, have a time playing music, etc.
Study, practice. Wish you have fun!
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