Today's entry is going to be all about.....*drum roll*......reading cards! WOOOOOO! Personally, I have three decks that I generally use for doing card readings: a traditional tarot deck, an oracle deck and an ascension deck. The tarot deck is for readings about your every day life. The oracle deck covers the every day stuff while also giving insight into the energetic and spiritual side. The ascension deck is for one thing and one thing only: your spiritual ascension. Some readers offer various types of readings using a single deck and then there are those like me that use a variety of decks and can use most of them for different types of readings, like a general reading where the universe just gives you a heads up on the most important things in your path. There are various layouts that readers use and the kind of reading usually dictates what layout is used. My most common layout is the Celtic Cross, a ten card spread. However, I almost always pull waaaaaaaay more than ten cards and my decks divide the cards into two separate readings that tie together. The left half is stuff for now and to just let the client know that I'm not full of shit and the right half is giving a few different scenarios - kind of like those books we read as kids where you picked where the story went at the end of the chapters.
One of the most common questions I get from people in regards to reading cards is "How does it work?" They usually imagine that the cards somehow speak to me and give me information. Other people are a little creeped out by how on point the information can be, which is usually just to let them know that they need to pay attention and listen. I have given a variety of answers over the years, but the best analogy I've come up with is that the cards act as a filter. For me, when I do a reading for someone I get to tap into their energy or aura or chi and then I get flooded with information about them. Honestly, it's quite a lot to take in and as a reader we have to discern what information is most pertinent and then figure out what part of that is the portion they need to know in order to guide them just enough so that they're still in control and have the knowledge to make the right decisions. You see, a reader can give you all the advice in the world and tell you the most likely outcome, but that is based upon the assumption that you stay the course you're on. Sure, there will be moments of importance in which you'll need to make a decision that can change everything, but we give you the most likely outcome based upon your history of decisions and actions. And that's the caveat with readings, if a reader gives you too much information, then they end up changing the course of your journey and whatever advice they gave you past that point is useless. But how do we know what to tell you? Well, that's where the cards acting as a filter comes into play. The cards highlight areas of your life, people in your life and other aspects and let us know those areas are where we need to get the information to share. In all honesty, it can be quite exhausting mentally and emotionally. I've been brought to tears during a reading because I felt the emotional turmoil that the client was going through and had to tell them that there was still more coming because their spouse only had a few weeks left to live. But that bit of information was vital to their path because they needed to know right then so they could start preparing for it mentally. They were relieved to know how much longer they had with their spouse because then they could get things in order and also prepare for life afterwards.
Reading cards isn't easy. There are a lot of readers that get things wrong all the time and that is usually due to their arrogance coupled with the fact that they're tapping into the wrong source of information. While many of us make it look easy and fun, you should know that it is a divination tool that should not be taken lightly. The information we share with the client can literally save their life. Years ago a client asked about their health and my cards told me they needed to get their thyroid checked. A couple days later they went to the doctor, asked to have it checked and the doctor discovered some abnormalities even though the client was not showing any symptoms. Because they caught it so early, it was easily fixed and a major health crisis was avoided. Other clients just needed that little bit of a push and support to make a choice that would change their lives for the better; so it isn't all doom and gloom! In fact, many of my clients are just seeking outside confirmation for things they already know or feel like they know.
If reading cards is something you're in learning, then I suggest doing a search online for tarot decks or Le Normand decks or oracle decks, whatever kind you're interested in, then just browse them and see what one(s) you're strongly drawn to. Order that deck and start reading about what the cards usually represent. Once you're fairly familiar with the cards, then offer free readings in a live feed or to people you know. But they can't be close relatives or close friends because you are just starting out and breaking through that kind of connection takes some practice. Just continue to develop your connection to your cards and your personal style of reading and when you feel confident in your abilities, start doing donation based readings. Eventually you will get to the point that you feel you can charge a flat fee and there ya go!
If you have any questions, feel free to message us directly through our Facebook page at The Rook & Raven.
Blessings,
The Rook & Raven
