Keeping the Tarot Train on Track – Extended Sample
This Sample Sunday post is a continuation of my “Keeping the Tarot Train on Track” post. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do so that you can get the most out of today’s example.
In this post I will be conducting a sample reading from start to finish, highlighting potential “topic deviation” pitfalls and incorporating the tips that I outlined in the previous post on this subject. Let’s get started!
You have a client who approaches you for a reading. As is often the case, her concerns are a matter of the heart. She wants to find somebody who is right for her, she also wants to feel more cheerful and satisfied with her current circumstances, and she wants to know when things are going to get better and she will feel happy again.
PITFALL POTENTIAL #1: Don’t skip the brainstorming and jump into the reading. This is a LOT of ground to cover, and a single reading that addresses all of these points is likely to be one that can go astray or get muddled, especially since the client wants to find a partner but also wants to be happily independent in the meantime. The reading addresses seeking another person as well as seeking the self. Additionally, the general goal of feeling better is one of the most complex and multifaceted aspects of human existence. And this client would like you to pull a card and tell them when it’s going to happen. No pressure.
In the first tip from my previous post I talked about brainstorming. This is a case where brainstorming and dialogue can help you to dig into the core issues, organize them, and decide how to structure the reading. This will be especially important if you are a reader who prefers to adjust inquiries that ask “when” something will happen. “When” questions assume that something will definitely happen, and they can also encourage passivity in the client. If a client believes something will happen at X time, they may not feel like they need to do anything but wait. This string of inquiries could also be better suited to two, or even three separate shorter readings for added precision. Readings that address multiple concerns are prone to covering each topic more superficially, whereas a series of shorter readings at different times can allow for a deeper analysis. A brainstorming session before conducting the reading will help you to avoid a pitfall.
For the sake of brevity, let’s say that your discussion with the client reveals that she is a functional and well-adjusted person with a job that allows her to get by, a modest apartment, some hobbies, and average self-esteem. She seems to be feeling a bit bored and lethargic with her current circumstances. She would like to be less isolated and have someone to share her passions with. She also doesn’t want to mope and hinge her happiness on her “mission to find that person” in the meantime. Addressing the idea of being cheerful in her current circumstances will likely benefit her overall mood, which means that the second and third points that she discussed could potentially be paired in a reading. The fact that her unhappiness stems from boredom and routine rather than an unpleasant career or family dynamic also helps to make the inquiry more specific. As for finding the right person for her, that may be best addressed as a separate reading that provides some proactive tips. She is stuck in a rut, so breaking out of that rut in a way that effectively allows her to meet someone is likely to be useful. The discussion also reveals that common interests are of utmost importance to the client. This information makes it easier to tailor the relationship reading, and its analysis, to her personality.
Let’s take a look at the relationship spread that has been crafted based on the brainstorming/discussion pre-reading phase.
1. An action to take to meet somebody
2. Something that is hindering the process of finding a partner (this could be something that she is doing, not doing, or an environmental issue/circumstance)
3. Something that is beneficial to the process of finding a partner (this could be something that she is doing, not doing, or an environmental issue/circumstance)
POTENTIAL PITFALL #2: Notice how the last two spread positions could encompass a variety of different things? It is possible that it will be challenging to determine what type of hindrance/benefit the card is representing in these spread positions. However, this isn’t inevitable and splitting up these positions into additional, more precise ones is up to the reader. Just be aware that there is the potential for some ambiguity. It is worth noting that these positions are less troublesome than a position such as “hopes and fears,” which I used as an example in my previous post. Although the positions in this spread may be able to reference a variety of hindrance/benefit types, the card will represent some kind of hindrance in position 2, and some kind of beneficial aspect in position 3. This still keeps things pretty straightforward.
The reading:
1. 2 of Cups (Rx)
2. 9 of Swords
3. 4 of Swords
POTENTIAL PITFALL#3: The reversed 2 of Cups in the very first position is one that could get this reading off on the wrong foot. It might be tempting to interpret the card as an indicator that the client is not ready for a relationship. However, that’s not what the card is assigned to represent. It isn’t asking whether or not it is the right time or if the client is ready. It is asking for an action to take to bring a special person into the client’s life. Unless this is a massive flash of intuition that is a total game changer, don’t just say that the client “isn’t ready” and then start interpreting the rest of the cards within that context. That deviation leads you to completely abandon the whole topic of the reading – which is how to cultivate a healthy relationship. Instead, the reading becomes an analysis of that person’s shortcomings and how to remedy them so that they can start thinking about cultivating a relationship down the road once their affairs are in order.
What makes this tricky is that an action for seeking the right person will often prompt the client to work on themselves. However, that doesn’t mean a person isn’t “ready” for a relationship. No one is ever perfectly ready for anything, hence a Tarot reading to illuminate what the client can work on to better achieve their desired outcome is useful. It is quite likely that the cards will illuminate actions for the client to take to improve herself or her situation because that is what the spread position is supposed to represent. Additionally, because of the brainstorming session that you had, it was already determined that this client isn’t in a situation where a relationship would be inappropriate or catastrophic at this time. The brainstorming phase as well as the topic and spread position will help you to weigh this potential interpretation as an important intuitive insight, or a “convenient” interpretation of the card.
Let’s pause the reading for a moment to talk about intuition. If we are certain that the client is being honest about her circumstances, it is a bit less likely that this “you’re not ready for a relationship” interpretation is an intuitive one. Conversely, if something didn’t seem quite right with the client or it seemed like they withheld information, it is more likely that intuition could be prodding you (or perhaps just suspicion). This is why brainstorming and discussion can be such helpful tools! Of course, neither scenario is a foolproof way to judge an off-topic interpretation, but it is a good way to cross reference if you’re not sure. Often, when intuition strikes, you feel more confident about it than you do with interpretations that are convenient. Convenient interpretations typically feel more like canned or standard card interpretations that don’t quite fit the mold of the question, but they come close. It’s like that puzzle piece that looks like it will fit, but once you try to put it in place, you can see that the blobby bit sticking out of the side is the wrong shape.
With this in mind, let’s utilize a different interpretation for the first card. Perhaps the 2 of Cups reversed indicates that the client needs an attitude adjustment. She’s stuck in a rut and she may not expect anything to pan out when she meets someone. Perhaps she is distrustful, guarded, or a bit cynical – especially if she has had negative experiences. This wariness could push people away or cause her to retreat before she gives the person a fair chance. The card may be prompting her to be more open-minded about the interactions that she has. She can’t let past disappointments make her shy away from new possibilities.
Briefly, let’s evaluate the last two cards. The 9 of Swords as a hindrance is a helpful card from a reader’s standpoint because it helps to solidify the interpretation of the 2 of Cups. It goes hand in hand with the idea of being a bit overly cautious due to previous experiences. The client lets the negative memories bother her and take up space in her mind. This could potentially taint her impressions or keep her chained to the status quo. When you’re by yourself a lot, like the client said she is, it can be very easy to retreat into your own mind and dwell upon all manner of unpleasantries. The potentially ambiguous nature of this spread position didn’t become much of an issue because of its connection with another card in the reading. Let’s see if that holds true for the final card.
The 4 of Swords corroborates the client’s description of the rather solitary and low-key nature of her current circumstances. This card indicates that not rushing things, practicing self-care, and spending some time alone with her hobbies are things that the client should continue in this situation – even if those things don’t always boost her mood or eliminate her loneliness. She’s not jumping into anything or falling into the trap of feeling like she is “behind” other people or only has a short amount of time to get to a different phase in her life, and that’s saving her a lot of head and heartache.
In a way this reading shows two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, if she is too cautious and shy she will have difficulty cultivating a relationship, but on the other hand, being discerning and relishing her personal space is beneficial to her own wellbeing, and it will help her to feel fulfilled and satisfied instead of desperate. As is often the case with Tarot – balance is being emphasized. Don’t rush to meet someone and take your solitary life for granted, but don’t let wariness or introversion cause you to worry or sabotage a meeting before it gets off the ground.
What’s awesome about this reading is that the final card is a great lead in to a reading about how the client can increase her happiness in her current circumstances and improve her overall mood. She’s already doing better with her “alone time” than she may be giving herself credit for, and this is certainly an uplifting message to receive. A few tips on how to manage and cherish the time that she spends on her own might be all it takes to help her to perk up!
I hope this sample reading has been a helpful look at how to avoid shifting off topic when you perform a Tarot reading.
Happy Shuffling!
Decks used in this post:
Fenestra Tarot
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