When tarot readings don’t meet a querent’s expectations

One of the most challenging things a reader can do is read at a busy event. When you have a line-up of people waiting to a get a complimentary five-minute reading, it really puts the pressure on.

Event hosts usually hire tarot readers to add something extra to the evening: They want to treat their guests to something different, and they want to enhance the atmosphere.

But I find that event hosts often underestimate how popular readings are, especially when the host is covering the cost for the guests. A free reading? Yes, please!

If you haven’t read tarot at a big party – and I’m talking about events that are open to the public – you can expect to have more demand than you can realistically accommodate within an evening. People will sometimes spend their entire night waiting in line for a quick reading, forgoing any other enjoyments the event offers.

You can also expect the usual suspects of questions: People will often ask whether you see them finding love any time soon, or whether there will be a change in their career for the better.

But people will also bring questions you might not expect to cover in such a busy, public space. I’ve had querents sit down asking if I could channel a message from a recently deceased loved one. I’ve had people ask about bankruptcies and divorces. I’ve had people share deep, intimate details about their personal lives.

While people are queuing around your tarot table and you’re trying to move the line, you don’t want to rush anyone, either. Especially with questions like these.  

This is where I try to find a balance between offering support and setting expectations.

As readers, we have to (gently) remind people that a free, five-minute reading probably isn’t going to be enough to resolve their lives.

The same as I might tell a private client that a one-off reading isn’t going to be a cure-all anyway: It’s not just about the time involved in a reading, but the information that is provided, and the actions that the querent takes afterwards to implement any advice that’s been given.

Tarot requires reflection. I am a fast reader and I can pull out great strategies and suggestions from my cards. But I am also only a small part of my clients’ bigger life.

I often find myself encouraging people to seek out more support or a deeper reading outside of whatever they might find at a party. Because a quickie reading might not do justice to a deeper issue, and you won’t do yourself any favours by trying to rush toward a solution that might require months, if not years, of personal growth to overcome.

This has always been a message I’ve danced between in my work, no matter how long or short a session might be. As readers it can be tempting to over-deliver and over-compensate when someone needs it, but sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is remind them that their questions and concerns are priorities that deserve to take up more time and space than a short five-minute card pull.

Until next time,

Liz 

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I know that it’s not always easy to read cards for others – especially when you have clients throwing all kinds of questions at you. 

Questions that you might not want to answer. Or questions that you don’t feel are right for the type of work you want to do.

And I know what it’s like to walk away from a session and wonder:

“Did I really help that person?”

“Could I have taken that reading deeper?”

“Were my answers too vague?”

Especially when clients have a lot riding on your answers: They want to find love, success, and happiness and they want you to help them get there.

This month I’ve pulled my Work and Relationship Readings Masterclass out of the vault and I’ve added a new module: Navigating questions about pregnancy and parenthood.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can do so here.