Guest Author - Leslie Fulger
The biggest challenge that a reader faces is having the confidence to do readings for others. It is a little intimidating to do it for other people because we generally are afraid of not being able to fully express ourselves and give them an accurate and quality reading that they feel is worth the price they paid for the reading in most cases. I can speak from experience on this matter because it is very nerve wracking and anxiety building being afraid of being wrong or making a mistake. The fact is, there is no right or wrong answers and most of what prevents us from taking the step to doing live readings is a lack in our own abilities to accurately assess the cards and interpret them in a way that is meaningful and beneficial to the person receiving the reading.
If you're like me, you're very good at intuitively choosing the right cards but trying to articulate the meanings associated with the reading is another story. Personally, I do very well doing readings through yahoo, email or even on the phone but one-on-one readings my mind freezes up and I am dumbfounded! We all have obstacles to overcome along the way of studying the Tarot and enhancing our skills no matter how advanced we may become we will always be a student of the Tarot learning.
My best advice to you in overcoming this obstacle would be have faith in yourself to know and discern the right information for each individual; inherently we instinctively know the correct cards to pull or fall from the deck..spiritually we do this process through our energy and intuition. Although we may not realize it or trust that we know what we are doing, the fact is we are always doing what we are intended to be doing at the given time and if placed in a situation in which utilizing the Tarot or our intuition for another individual trust that the Universe will help assist us through the process even if we do not understand it at the given time the information will apply to that individual. Have faith and trust in yourself to discern the information as the Creator placed all the answers within and you can tap into that knowledge, as well as, your subconscious mind in which stores your Akashic Records and all that you have learned, known and experienced throughout your various lifetimes. The information is available for you to tap into, you just have to have faith and trust in the process. You would not be interested in reading the Tarot if it were not something in which you have known and practiced previously in a past life at some point and time. By expanding your awareness through utilizing the Tarot, you are tapping into that information you have known that is hidden deep within your DNA and subconscious mind.
You may find along your course of study that the associations, patterns and relevant information may begin to flow to you and things begin to dawn on you this will be part of the process of remembering your talents and abilities. Honestly, I've been dealing with the Tarot on and off since 1994 and to me traditional Tarot was difficult for me to grasp compared to the Sacred Path and Animal Medicine cards which were easy flowing for me and reflected much of my beliefs, perspective and understanding that I have come to know through my own personal research. The cards spoke to me and I vibrated so well with those but was reluctant to even attempt dealing with traditional Tarot. Lord knows, back then I never in a million years dreamed I'd be teaching people how to read the Tarot. Hell I didn't even see myself doing it prior to the opportunity landing in my lap but had to take a leap of faith and trust that the Universe knows what's best for me to be utilizing my skills at this time and for whatever reason felt that the Tarot was what I needed to be focusing upon.
So, I encourage you to not doubt your abilities or allow others to hinder you through doubt, harassment or disbelief either. Have faith and trust in yourself and know that we are never given more than we can truly handle. Try doing some fake readings for various individuals say, a woman who's struggling with her life uncertain of what choices to make in regards to her career and relationships, a man who's interested in changing jobs but isn't certain if it's the best decision for him to make, a person who has hit rock bottom and is confused and has no idea what opportunities are available because they are blinded by their emotions, etc. At the time of pulling the cards, stipulate the circumstance out loud if possible since you'll most likely be alone in your own personal space practicing; this will help in gaining a sense of focus and energy surrounding such an individual and then see what cards would be pulled accordingly. By practicing, especially out loud, you will enhance your skills and find it more easily to communicate and interpret the cards.
The next step you should try once you become comfortable doing readings for others instead of just your own personal guidance via the fake readings is ask close friends if they mind you practicing doing a reading on them. If you are uncomfortable doing it without the book, tell them you are still learning and need practice do they mind if you use the book for accuracy and 9 times out of 10 most people, especially friends, won't care and are all too happy to get a free reading to help you practice.
Once you get comfortable then you can start doing a little bit of word of mouth advertising and get a few paying clients. Baby steps, take your time and really visualize yourself being an accurate and intuitive Tarot reader and it will all fall into place! And don't forget, I'm here to help you every step of the way! Don't hesitate to ask for any further help you may need along the way!
To Your Divinatory Success!
Leslie Fulger
Tarot Site Editor
BellaOnline.com
