es mi primer día!
so tonight was my very first job as a hired tarot reader at a party. it went GREAT!!!! I was nervous beforehand, but not once I was sitting at the table. I know I can read! (although of course I'm always trying to get better.)
it was a halloween party so most of the folks I read for were in costume. I got quite a few first-timers too - I always love introducing people to the tarot. did a lot of general readings and quite a few where I was told basically nothing until the last few moments - in which case I'd do a quick follow-up on some of the cards in the new context. as always seems to happen, the readings were relevant and clear whether they'd said anything to me beforehand or not. funny how that works!
several times people just wanted to hear what the cards seemed to say, and then told me exactly how it fit their lives. it was pretty similar to other times I've done a party or read for people at an event but the demographic was really different. mostly I've done countercultural events (burner or whatever alt scene) so even though I didn't know people, we had more in common.
(however, I do have to mention that on a deep level there are far more similarities than differences among people.)
I wound up doing several "couple" readings where they wanted to be in the room together and listen to one another's readings. I know this sort of thing is fraught with peril, but after I mentioned that it might not be the best idea - because you never know what will come up - I permitted it so long as it was ok with the person I was actually reading for.
these all actually went really well, and in many cases parallel stories were told - much to the delight of the sitters! again and again the same or similar cards were pulled, or she was the Empress and he was the Emperor... stuff like that. reading for the happy loving couples *rocked* and they all went away delighted! (it also seemed to me that being able to see some of the same cards and themes come up, as well as the same spread done twice, was an aid to understanding - you know, that repetition thing.)
of course there were the inevitable skeptics - in this case, a couple (or at least, there with each other). they, too, wanted to be in the room together. these were my last readings of the night and I'd just overheard a few bits and pieces of them across the hall, grilling my colleague. I wasn't thrilled when they popped into my room - but I was forewarned.
my, but they were combative! they both attempted to needle me, especially the woman, who went first. when I responded to her demand that I tell her future by saying that was up to her, she actually asked me *why*. well, because *you* are the one to decide what you are going to do. there are any number of choices you could make right now that would affect what happens next - it's all up to you. this did not make her happy, but she knew I was right. ;-)
before we even started, she peppered me with questions, and often didn't even wait for me to finish answering one before interrupting with the next one! (fine with me, it saved time.) at one point, she suddenly noticed the tattoos on my arm and, grabbing me without asking, insisted on knowing "what it meant" about one in particular. I talked about binary, ones and zeros and computers. her date joined in and he and I chatted a bit about binary. I particularly enjoyed mentioning that, unlike nearly everything else in life, binary was *certain* - it was either ON or it was OFF. heh.
she then (still very accusatorily and oppositionally) asked why do I get tattooed, "why?" "well," I said, "it's beautiful..." ("and permanent" interjected her date) and I said "yes, I can never lose it and it can never be taken from me," and added, "and it all has a lot of deep personal significance to me." I smiled.
"but," she said, "and when you get older?" (smirking!)
"well, I'm 43 now..." and I looked across the little table into her eyes, hard as they were with stress and frustration.
End of Discussion.
after a pause I said, "ok, so let's read the cards." we did the reading, and it said a great deal of what the other reader had told her, including some of the same cards coming up. then I read for him, and he was a lamb.
after that I was *beat* and actually glad our time was up. I think I did 16 or 18 readings over about three hours, mostly five minutes but, when it was early on, there was no one waiting and I had an interested sitter, some tens. no one even attempted to give me the teensiest bit of hassle except for those two... and even they admitted that their readings were accurate at the end - and thanked me.
a VERY auspicious beginning!
(BTW I did a couple of readings on this event, and being a paid reader in general and I have to say that no matter the question and no matter the deck, they were all Spot On. when I thought I was done - before the last two couples' readings - I shuffled as I'd been doing between each reading and just opened the deck: the Star. I already knew I was on the right path, but Oh My Yes!!!)
it was a halloween party so most of the folks I read for were in costume. I got quite a few first-timers too - I always love introducing people to the tarot. did a lot of general readings and quite a few where I was told basically nothing until the last few moments - in which case I'd do a quick follow-up on some of the cards in the new context. as always seems to happen, the readings were relevant and clear whether they'd said anything to me beforehand or not. funny how that works!
several times people just wanted to hear what the cards seemed to say, and then told me exactly how it fit their lives. it was pretty similar to other times I've done a party or read for people at an event but the demographic was really different. mostly I've done countercultural events (burner or whatever alt scene) so even though I didn't know people, we had more in common.
(however, I do have to mention that on a deep level there are far more similarities than differences among people.)
I wound up doing several "couple" readings where they wanted to be in the room together and listen to one another's readings. I know this sort of thing is fraught with peril, but after I mentioned that it might not be the best idea - because you never know what will come up - I permitted it so long as it was ok with the person I was actually reading for.
these all actually went really well, and in many cases parallel stories were told - much to the delight of the sitters! again and again the same or similar cards were pulled, or she was the Empress and he was the Emperor... stuff like that. reading for the happy loving couples *rocked* and they all went away delighted! (it also seemed to me that being able to see some of the same cards and themes come up, as well as the same spread done twice, was an aid to understanding - you know, that repetition thing.)
of course there were the inevitable skeptics - in this case, a couple (or at least, there with each other). they, too, wanted to be in the room together. these were my last readings of the night and I'd just overheard a few bits and pieces of them across the hall, grilling my colleague. I wasn't thrilled when they popped into my room - but I was forewarned.
my, but they were combative! they both attempted to needle me, especially the woman, who went first. when I responded to her demand that I tell her future by saying that was up to her, she actually asked me *why*. well, because *you* are the one to decide what you are going to do. there are any number of choices you could make right now that would affect what happens next - it's all up to you. this did not make her happy, but she knew I was right. ;-)
before we even started, she peppered me with questions, and often didn't even wait for me to finish answering one before interrupting with the next one! (fine with me, it saved time.) at one point, she suddenly noticed the tattoos on my arm and, grabbing me without asking, insisted on knowing "what it meant" about one in particular. I talked about binary, ones and zeros and computers. her date joined in and he and I chatted a bit about binary. I particularly enjoyed mentioning that, unlike nearly everything else in life, binary was *certain* - it was either ON or it was OFF. heh.
she then (still very accusatorily and oppositionally) asked why do I get tattooed, "why?" "well," I said, "it's beautiful..." ("and permanent" interjected her date) and I said "yes, I can never lose it and it can never be taken from me," and added, "and it all has a lot of deep personal significance to me." I smiled.
"but," she said, "and when you get older?" (smirking!)
"well, I'm 43 now..." and I looked across the little table into her eyes, hard as they were with stress and frustration.
End of Discussion.
after a pause I said, "ok, so let's read the cards." we did the reading, and it said a great deal of what the other reader had told her, including some of the same cards coming up. then I read for him, and he was a lamb.
after that I was *beat* and actually glad our time was up. I think I did 16 or 18 readings over about three hours, mostly five minutes but, when it was early on, there was no one waiting and I had an interested sitter, some tens. no one even attempted to give me the teensiest bit of hassle except for those two... and even they admitted that their readings were accurate at the end - and thanked me.
a VERY auspicious beginning!
(BTW I did a couple of readings on this event, and being a paid reader in general and I have to say that no matter the question and no matter the deck, they were all Spot On. when I thought I was done - before the last two couples' readings - I shuffled as I'd been doing between each reading and just opened the deck: the Star. I already knew I was on the right path, but Oh My Yes!!!)