Over on Threads, someone I don’t know asked the question “what is your reading style?” I gave a two-line response, but the more I think about it, the more I feel the need answer that question in greater depth.
Most times when people ask how to read Tarot, what they’re really asking is how to read the cards: what do the various cards mean in the context of the question asked, and in relation to the other cards in the spread. But interpreting the cards is only half the process. The other half is communicating that interpretation to the client in a way that they will understand and accept.
As the Threads question implies, there are many ways to do this. This is my way.
Begin with a question
“Just give me a general reading.”
Questions like this are one of the main reasons I don’t do many public readings. I typically hear it from people who aren’t sure what they think about Tarot, but everybody else is getting a reading so they want one as well. Or I hear it from people who are uncomfortable asking a sensitive question, so they ask something vague and hope the reader will give them the information they need without them having to ask.
Divination, like all forms of magic, works best when it’s tightly focused on a specific goal. Focused questions lead to focused answers – vague questions lead to vague answers.
There are some readers who can do a good job with vague questions. If you’re paying me I’ll do my best, but I can give you a better reading if you narrow your question down a little. Or a lot.
Even when you’re looking for wisdom and guidance and not a specific answer, the more focused your question, the better the reading is going to be.
Begin with a good question.
Read the cards
Once you have a question, decide on the deck and the layout you want to use. Not every question requires a 10-card spread – most don’t. Shuffle, cut, and deal.
I like to call out the cards as I place them. If something strikes me as especially important I’ll speak to it, but in general I want to see the whole spread before I start the interpretation.
Once all the cards are down, it’s time to read them. On the question of consensus meanings vs. intuitive readings, I’m firmly in the “both” category.
What are the cards saying? What’s the big picture – is there a story here? What details seem important? What actions seem called for, or advised against? What potential hazards show up?
I want to make sure I’ve seen the whole reading before I start talking.
Say what you see
Now comes the hard part. If a picture says a thousand words, how do I turn 3,000 or 5,000 or 10,000 words into something a client can understand?
Most times I have an answer in my head. But sometimes it’s not in my head – it’s in my gut. I have a feeling about what the reading means, but I don’t have words for it. Communicating vague feelings rarely answers the question. I have to turn those feelings into words. The good news is that I have plenty of experience with that – turning thoughts and feelings into words is what writers do. The bad news is that it’s still hard, even when you’ve been doing it a long time.
First – and this was the core of my answer on Threads – my job is to tell people what I see. People engage diviners to tell them what they can’t see, or what they won’t see.
Sometimes I see a direct answer to a direct question. Other times I see a picture of an outcome: “if you keep doing what you’re doing, this is where you’re going to end up.” And sometimes I see forces and factors – things that influence the situation and push it toward a particular outcome, or range of outcomes.
Speak calmly and emphasize agency
People consult Tarot readers because they’re anxious. My job as a reader is to be a calming presence. Whether I’m reading in person, live online, or via e-mail, I try to say what I see in a matter of fact fashion. And I do my best to reinforce the fact that the cards show what will be, not what must be.
“Here’s what I see. Now, how can you best respond?”
People still have agency and they are still responsible for their own lives. If you don’t like what the cards say will happen, do something to create a different outcome.
Sometimes that means I have to change hats from “diviner” to “spiritual counselor.” When I do, I have an obligation to clearly state “this is John’s opinion, not what the cards say.”
In either role, I can’t tell people what they “should” do. They have to live with the consequences of their actions, not me. I can only tell them where I believe those actions will take them, based on what the cards say and based on my own observations and experiences throughout life.
Regardless of the answer, I have to communicate it in a way that the client will hear and understand. If I scare them or annoy them, they’re not going to get the message and I will have failed as a diviner. I have to choose my words carefully and specifically for the person I’m talking to.
I never argue with clients. If they don’t like what I say, my response is “this is what I see.” If they push an interpretation that doesn’t fit, my response is “I don’t see that.” Some people don’t want the truth, they want a signier sign. I can’t give that to them.
Confidence and ethics
Whether you’re sticking strictly with consensus meanings or if you’re reading intuitively, reading Tarot is an act of interpretation. You can never be completely sure you have it completely right. And sometimes there are too many unknown factors involved – you can’t see the future clearly simply because the future is unclear.
While I want to project confidence in my readings, sometimes honestly compels me to say “I think this is what this says, but it could also mean this other thing too.” I don’t stop being an engineer when I’m reading Tarot, and while I can’t calculate a precise confidence level, sometimes I need to say “I’m 80% sure this is right, but there’s a 20% chance it’s this other thing instead.”
And that brings me to the two things I simply will not say. Dolores Nabors – my Tarot teacher, without whom I would not have the skills I have today – used to say “never predict a death.” To that I add “never tell someone their spouse is having an affair.” No matter how strongly the cards are telling you this, there’s always a chance you’re wrong. The consequences of you being wrong about either of those questions can be severe, and you won’t suffer them – your client will.
I’ll be honest – I tried to divine about a death one time. I was very wrong. At least I had sense enough to keep that divination to myself.
Life is far more random and uncertain than we like to admit. I try to be honest about that uncertainty in my divination.
When your client is yourself
Maybe there’s some metaphysical reason why some people can’t read for themselves, but if so I don’t know what it is. When people tell me they can’t read for themselves I assume it’s either 1) they can’t be objective with themselves, 2) their reading skills aren’t strong enough to get the level of answers they expect, or 3) they’re afraid to deal with what they see. If you fall into 1 or 3 you may need therapy, or at least a good consistent meditation practice. If you fall into 2 you just need more practice.
My biggest challenge in reading for myself is when I get an answer in the gut instead of in the head. I feel the answer, but if I don’t stop and articulate it I often miss important details. I have to remind myself to put the answer into words, and then either speak or write those words. Then I can review the words, and my gut will either tell me “yes, that’s it” or “no, there’s more.”
Reading for myself has the advantage of being a great way to calibrate my readings. Particularly if I write them down, I can see exactly how accurate they are – I’m not dependent on a client getting back with me a week or a month or a year later and letting me how things went. Sometimes I look back on a reading and it becomes obvious “oh, that’s what that meant.” Then I can file that away and remember it the next time I get that card or cards in that particular combination.
My reading style
This is how I interact with clients. I do my best to be a calm presence with people who are experiencing anxiety. I tell them what I see, and I’m honest about what I don’t see or can’t see. I remind them that they have agency – if they don’t like what the reading says, they can do something to create a different outcome.
And I maintain this style no matter who I’m reading for, even – especially – if I’m reading for myself.
I stopped doing readings and other one-on-one spiritual counseling early this year. There’s simply been too much going on for me to take on this work and do it properly. I have been doing a lot of reading for myself, so I’m staying in practice.
I expect to re-open for consultations early next year. When I do, I’ll announce it first in the Under the Ancient Oaks Newsletter. If you don’t already get it, sign up for it here.
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