Frequently asked questions for the modern day tarot reader
The art of tarot reading, and cartomancy, has come a long way.
When I got my first deck of tarot cards a decade and a half ago, it seemed like there wasn't that much to it. There weren't even that many tarot decks around. I was the only tarot reader I knew. I had no one to teach me. I learned it completely on my own, then practiced by doing readings for friends, for people interested, for fun at parties and social gatherings.
Virtual/online tarot readings weren't even a thing back then. So different from today.
I've certainly had my fair share of questions for why I do things the way I do when it comes to tarot reading. And since I'm planning on expanding my divination practice and making it more available, I have decided to compile a list of FAQs, that will hopefully, answer at least some of your questions for how I work as a tarot reader.
Why no "yes/no" questions?
Because from my studies and my experiences, there are no "yes/no" cards. Tarot decks tell stories. Each card is a piece of the puzzle that fits into the story. Each card is a strand that weaves into an intricate web. Each deck has its own voice that's unique to its theme and storyline. Each card is multifaceted, multidimensional, and multilayered. In my opinion, there is no card in a tarot deck that's black and/or white. No matter how I interpret each and every card of the 78, upright or reversed, within or without the deck, there's just no assigning a yes/no value to any of them. Depending on the context, any card can be a positive or a negative message, or both, or neither. Tarot cards are not flash cards. Despite the general universal meanings that can be attached to each card, no two readers will interpret a card exactly the same.
Do you do readings about relationships?
It very much depends. I flat out will not do any reading that could potentially probe into someone else's life or free will without their explicit consent. Neither you, the querent, nor I, the diviner, have another person's permission to intrude upon their privacy in a tarot reading. I'm not ethically comfortable with anything along the lines of "whom will I marry", "how can I make this person do this thing for me", "how does this person feel about me", or "what can I do to get my future husband/wife to marry me". I'm also not going to reach out to a person for you. I'm neither a matchmaker nor your personal wingman. That's not my job.
Do you do readings on deities?
Also very much depends. I don't do "phone calls with deities" readings, period. It's just not my place. I'm not an oracle. I've not been chosen by the gods to speak to the people on their behalf. Presuming that I can speak for the gods, or that I can get a god to speak to another mortal through me, would be hubris. Not to mention, it's downright disrespectful to presume that gods should sit around with nothing better to do than to be at our beck and call, whenever and wherever we will. Gods are not here for us to conjure, summon, or channel to do our biddings. I'm also not going to contact a god for you, or introduce you to a god. That's something that you need to do yourself, and not anyone else's responsibility. I don't do "which deity is reaching out to me" readings either. I'm not going to say others shouldn't, but I personally think everyone receives and interprets signs and energies from divine beings differently. What I sense from a deity might drastically defer from what another senses. And how I read a deity's message might drastically defer from how someone else does. I might be sensing an energy that I attribute to one deity, another sensing the same energy might attribute it to a different deity. Our biases are going to creep in, no matter how objective we try to be.
Why do you need any personal information?
If you want an in depth reading, especially one that you're paying for, I'm going to want to be as thorough and accurate as I possibly can be. That's just who and how I am as a diviner. It used to not be a problem. People would come to me physically for readings, and their physical proximity was sufficient. When I'm doing a reading for someone face to face, their presence in my space alone is enough for me to tune into their energy and connect the reading to them. Nowadays, with distance and especially COVID being an issue, bringing my practice online has been an adjustment period. Keep in mind, I don't know anything about you. I'm not able to feel your physical presence through a computer screen. With nothing more than a social media account to go on, you're an anonymity. You're unreachable. You're an unknown. I'm going to need something (a name, a place, a photograph...) to connect to you, to tune into your energy. If you're paying for a service, then I want you to get as much out of it as I'm able to offer. It's why anything deeper than a casual/informal 1 to 3 card draw that I can do anytime anywhere is strictly through email only, so I can keep personal information secure and confidential. You want to pay a bunch of money to someone on the internet for a superficial/cold reading with just a Tumblr username? That's up to you. There's a lot of "those" out there, that's for sure.
Why no death related questions?
Because who am I to think that I have the ability or the right to meddle with the natural order and cycle of life and death? I'm not a god, a fate, or a prophet. Once again, hubris.
That's all for now, folks. If you have specific questions regarding my divination practice in general or my tarot reading practice in particular, you are always welcome to ask me personally.
