Completely freeze

[Nnaiad]

I feel very uncomfortable with reading the tarot for people so much so that I freeze, I mean, I literally freeze. I know the meanings and could say them, but something inside of my freezes up. Especially if they seem sceptical. I can talk in front of people just fine until it comes to this.

 

I can't reven ead the cards for people because of this. I can do it if I'write the reading, but I know most people want their cards read by chat or zoom now.Has this ever happened to you? What did you do?
 

[Jasmine]

I did readings for family and friends in the beginning.   It was a great way to practice.  Also keeping readings simple helped - usually just one card, or maybe three.  When feeling stuck for something to say I would look carefully at the images on the cards and just talk about what I see, noticing where my attention goes.  With practice and feedback confidence usually grows. 

[FindYourSovereignty]

Hello @Nnaiad,

I recorded myself doing pretend readings. I’d flip 3 cards and read them while recording on Zoom. I’d do several readings in each recording and then I would critique my reading. Not the reading itself, but my approach, my voice, my focus, my movements, etc. I also had a friend that wanted to learn tarot and instead of studying books and such, she sat across from me and would flip three cards and read what she saw in the images, how she felt they came together, etc. I would make suggestions and she would keep going until we went through all 78 cards. I also participate in a weekly group where all we do is read with/for each other. All of this helped tremendously in me getting comfortable to read live. 
 

Like most everything, it is all about the practice. 😊

[Nnaiad]

Thanks FYS,

 

One of my big problems is that I have no-one to practice with. If I had someone to practice with, I would probably be over this. And they would have to be someone who thinks like me or I guess is the same level as me. Because I'm not a beginner as far as what I undersand about the tarot. I've thought about starting a meetup group or something but I'm afraid that I won't click with the people who show up. Tarot readers are not all the same. But maybe I should try. I'm not so anti-social that I can't deal with people who are not the same as me, it's just that I don't want the "You are going to meet a man with blue eyes and dark hair stuff." But who knows. Maybe it would be fun.

 

[DanielJUK]

When I look at readings being sold @Nnaiad, there always seems to be written ones avaliable? Whilst phone / video chat and YouTube readings are sold, I always see written options on Etsy and other sites.

 

I prefer to buy written ones because then I have an easy record to read them again. I personally wouldn't do audio or video readings for strangers ever but the pandemic cured my shyness on Zoom with people I know. I did get more confident on it.

 

I think there are two choices here, you practice like @FindYourSovereignty suggested and get confidence. Video readings are always a bit awkward and if you are doing it live, the sitter will most probably be nervous as well! Readings in person or video make us all anxious! Maybe write out some bullet notes in case you freeze, have a back up! Offer prerecorded videos, I have bought readings like that, then you can edit 😉

 

The other choice is to only offer written, chat, messenger readings. There is a market there, people still pay for words. Find different places that offer them 😀

[FindYourSovereignty]

I agree with @DanielJUK. Written readings are a valuable offering and there is certainly a market for them. Just as much as you freeze in a live reading, not everyone wants to sit with a reader. They are just as uncomfortable. There are billions of people in the world and if you offer written readings, there are plenty who will want them. Is there a reason you feel people want them in person? Or a reason you feel inclined to work on not freezing? I personally recorded myself because I don’t want to do written readings. 😊 I want to engage with the sitter and feel their energy. I want to ask questions and follow their lead. That is my style and I wanted to perfect it. Maybe yours is written and that is beautiful.

 

Regarding getting a group together, I did take a class and got to know these people ahead of time. We don’t ask those types of questions. We do lots of learning and practice activities. I have many suggestions for you if you do decide to go in that direction.

[dippingin]

I am aware of a reader who does all their readings by text.  By asking questions and replying as she goes along, there is a sense of conversation  without the need for talking. I don't think it's tarot reading though 

[DanielJUK]

Hi @Nnaiad I discussed it with the other forum staff and if you want to practice, you could make an exchange to get feedback on it here. The idea of readings and exchanges in this forum is to practice and improve, so it doesn't matter if it goes totally wrong or you freeze up, it's about getting experience and feedback in a safe place of like minded people! The sitters are not paying customers but test subjects 🙂 . The exchange area is not public, members have to be signed in and have 5 posts to see it. We allow people to record video readings, instead of a text reading.

 

If you want to practice video reading, this is how it would need to work within our rules...

 

- It would need to be a thread in the tarot exchange area and it needs to be done on the forum, we don't allow reading exchanges to go private or off-site, because we supervise when exchanges go wrong or someone doesn't give feedback for their reading.

- You would need to make pre-recorded youtube videos of the reading, there is no way we can think of to do a "live exchange". You can post them on YT unlisted and then link them in reply to someone asking for a reading. The forum makes youtube videos into pretty preview boxes.

- The sitter to the reading would have to give you feedback as we ask in the rules in text in reply. You can ask them how they found your talking or doing the reading or anything specific you want feedback on as well as the reading

- You can decide your own terms of the exchange, member must have this many posts or you are offering 1 video reading or 5 or you can keep offering them until you want to end it. It's on your terms of exchanging, within our site rules.

 

Just wanted to suggest it as one option for you for practice, if it helps 🙂

 

 

 

 

[Nnaiad]

Sorry it took me so long to get back. I've had some things going on for the past couple of days. I think I will stick with the written for right now. I don't think I'm ready to do youtube yet. But maybe soon. Thank you for all the trouble that you went through for me. 🙂

[DanielJUK]

It's no problem, a lot of reading is getting your confidence and trust 🙂. It's a journey, rather than needing to be an instant perfect reading professional 😀. The video practice option is always available here if you want to use it.

 

We have monthly exchange circles with text readings if you ever want to try them. It's readings in text and they launch at the start of each month and you get a week to sign up. You exchange and give feedback with a random forum member you are paired with. All the details about it are in the link below, in my sig ⬇️. The first post tells you about them and you can see what is going on each month.

 

I think I have learnt more from exchanging monthly over many years with many different people, than any other way 

[Arianalit]

Hi! I had the same(I do audio readings). The more I tried to be accurate the more I got lost and frozen. Till I decided to let it go. I just ignored the fact that the person for who I do the reading may or may not like my way of reading cards. I just started speaking. I wouldn’t ask any additional questions. I was just saying what I was feeling. And surprisingly people would say that it was true and accurate.
So maybe it could be a clue for you as well - audio format and let it go.