ashjey Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 Have you guys ever done a reading in a public space? (For example, a cafe, library, a table in the park, etc) Any place where there usually wouldn’t be anything like tarot or occult things? Was the energy different? Did you feel it affected your reading? Or do you bring your tarot out to the outside world at all? (Excluding tarot/occult shops) I feel like reading outside connects me to the elements more. But I’ve never even taken out my cards in public yet. What are you guys’ experiences? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaxen Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 I have done readings for myself in cafes but not with a tarot deck. I’ve used playing cards so it’s a subtle disguise and people I’m playing a game. It’s also because playing cards are easy to replace and I can’t be sure how clean the tables are. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheel of Fantastic Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 I regularly attend tarot meetups here in London so I've done readings in pubs and a yurt in someone's garden! The readings in pubs have certainly FELT different; we've had the use of private rooms but also the main room. I think you can still focus on the reading but doing readings in busy public places does have a different vibe. The readings for others in the yurt have been some of the most insightful ever - the yurt was set up for tarot reading as well as yoga lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric13 Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 This is a great question. I've been thinking about it a lot lately myself. At one time, about a hundred years ago in college, I did tarot readings all the time in public. The cafeteria, dorm halls, benches and didn't think twice about it. Now, I'm not so sure because of concerns for the privacy of the clients. And, unless you know the person you're going to read for and the sitch, they may question why you would want to meet in public, but that's another store. Obviously, psychic fairs are public. I would imagine however, a nice park could be a great place to meet depending on the circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashjey Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 This is very insightful! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggydoll Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 If I were to do a quick reading for myself then I could do it in public, but when I read for others I usually start with an intuitive session and I would not want people staring at me then. I do automatic writing while in an altered state of mind so I bet that I look pretty freaky/funny. Wouldn’t want anyone or anything to disturb me while I’m in the middle of that either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saturn Celeste Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 Have you guys ever done a reading in a public space? (For example, a cafe, library, a table in the park, etc) Any place where there usually wouldn’t be anything like tarot or occult things? Was the energy different? Did you feel it affected your reading? Or do you bring your tarot out to the outside world at all? (Excluding tarot/occult shops) I feel like reading outside connects me to the elements more. But I’ve never even taken out my cards in public yet. What are you guys’ experiences? I did a couple of times in a flea market. My son had a booth so I tried doing a dollar a card. I only had 2 takers and it was weird. The energy WAS very different. I eventually stopped going with him to do readings online. It is where I can be the most comfortable. Too much traffic and different people milling about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggydoll Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 Have you guys ever done a reading in a public space? (For example, a cafe, library, a table in the park, etc) Any place where there usually wouldn’t be anything like tarot or occult things? Was the energy different? Did you feel it affected your reading? Or do you bring your tarot out to the outside world at all? (Excluding tarot/occult shops) I feel like reading outside connects me to the elements more. But I’ve never even taken out my cards in public yet. What are you guys’ experiences? I did a couple of times in a flea market. My son had a booth so I tried doing a dollar a card. I only had 2 takers and it was weird. The energy WAS very different. I eventually stopped going with him to do readings online. It is where I can the most comfortable. Too much traffic and different people milling about. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re introverts, but I feel that my readings are at their best when the client isn’t present. I much prefer connecting at a distance as I can focus better then. Plus, I have found that there is much less undesired energy transfer happening that way (I’m referring to when the client affects me or the cards with their emotions/dreads/expectations) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregory Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 Have you guys ever done a reading in a public space? (For example, a cafe, library, a table in the park, etc) Any place where there usually wouldn’t be anything like tarot or occult things? Was the energy different? Did you feel it affected your reading? Or do you bring your tarot out to the outside world at all? (Excluding tarot/occult shops) I feel like reading outside connects me to the elements more. But I’ve never even taken out my cards in public yet. What are you guys’ experiences? I did a couple of times in a flea market. My son had a booth so I tried doing a dollar a card. I only had 2 takers and it was weird. The energy WAS very different. I eventually stopped going with him to do readings online. It is where I can the most comfortable. Too much traffic and different people milling about. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re introverts, but I feel that my readings are at their best when the client isn’t present. I much prefer connecting at a distance as I can focus better then. Plus, I have found that there is much less undesired energy transfer happening that way (I’m referring to when the client affects me or the cards with their emotions/dreads/expectations) I am SO with you there ! But I have read in a pub, and - as part of a collaborative three way thing ! - at a farmer's market. It wasn't that different, but the pub one - partly because of who I was with - wasn't - comfortable ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric13 Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I went to a psychic fair today and I haven't been to one of them for over a decade. They had four readers there all with clients. They were smartly spread out. But it made me realize that anyone could just walk over and stand over them and watch or listen and that isn't right really. I'm looking to get into some of these just to get my name out there. Something thats traditional for tarot reading. But it's much better to be 1/1, or even nine. Myself, I've never seen myself as an introvert, a loner, yeah, but I like being out there, although online readings in this day of age may be the best. But then again, I also like to see the results of a positive reading. So, as I was saying, a psychic fair, it's actually on the client. If they want to know if their husband is cheating, well, thats on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ-ish/Sharyn Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 HOLMES annual threads on reading at their fair are always interesting and enlightening, might look them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielJUK Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I remember back on AT there was some readers who were always going around cafes and areas and always had a deck in their bag or a few decks :) They enjoyed the spur of the moment of it. I think there are some things to think about doing it though.... - Is it safe for you to do it? In some areas or places that are conservative, whipping out your cards might not be appreciated and could get you in a lot of trouble. Gage the location and people around, ask the people working there. Reading in public in a social bar of a religious building is really different to say a vegan cafe in a vibrant young area of town. - Do you feel confident to do it? Like all the experiences here, you don't have to do it if you want to. If you are introverted or shy, do you want to do it? There is no pressure unless you want to give it a go. - You don't have to a professional reader, taking up a seat and giving readings. You might just meet a tarot friend for tea and exchange quietly between you both, with confidence in numbers that you are not on your own :) - join a local tarot group if you want to do some offline tarot! Most major towns have a tarot group that meet regularly. That is a much safer way to do it if you are worried and you will meet like minded people :heartz: I would feel much too shy to read in public personally and most of my readings are online. However I would meet a friend and exchange between ourselves. My readings work so much better online as I like to type them out and it's almost like automatic writing from me, it just flows out! I have yet to get it working so well without typing from me :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saturn Celeste Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I would feel much too shy to read in public personally and most of my readings are online. However I would meet a friend and exchange between ourselves. My readings work so much better online as I like to type them out and it's almost like automatic writing from me, it just flows out! I have yet to get it working so well without typing from me :) Yes!! I don't leave my house let alone go back into the pubic! And it is like automatic writing to me also. There are things that come to me as I write up the reading that are just spur of the moment, they pop in my head and if I feel they are relevant, I include it in my reading even if it seems a little out of place. I get a ton of feedback that points out those particular passages were so close to home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czenzi Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I’ve read in public twice. Once using Lenormand for a friend at an Outback Steakhouse. The waiter asked about it but I told him it was a card game and he didn’t care. The energy was different but the reading ended up being accurate. The other reading was for myself at a Starbucks using a mini tarot deck in the Houston Galleria. It was busy, but no one noticed at all. The reading was so so, but that’s because I don’t really read well for myself on some issues, not because of the setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czenzi Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 Have you guys ever done a reading in a public space? (For example, a cafe, library, a table in the park, etc) Any place where there usually wouldn’t be anything like tarot or occult things? Was the energy different? Did you feel it affected your reading? Or do you bring your tarot out to the outside world at all? (Excluding tarot/occult shops) I feel like reading outside connects me to the elements more. But I’ve never even taken out my cards in public yet. What are you guys’ experiences? I did a couple of times in a flea market. My son had a booth so I tried doing a dollar a card. I only had 2 takers and it was weird. The energy WAS very different. I eventually stopped going with him to do readings online. It is where I can the most comfortable. Too much traffic and different people milling about. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re introverts, but I feel that my readings are at their best when the client isn’t present. I much prefer connecting at a distance as I can focus better then. Plus, I have found that there is much less undesired energy transfer happening that way (I’m referring to when the client affects me or the cards with their emotions/dreads/expectations) I like reading for strangers online. I guess it’s because that’s how l learned primarily. I feel like there’s less second guessing of my intuition, if that makes sense. With a person there, I’m scared I’m picking up on their body language and also my own nervousness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric13 Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I've now gotten in the habit of always going out with cards now. You never know. And business cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregory Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I go out without one. So that people I don't want to read for can't ask me ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggydoll Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I go out without one. So that people I don't want to read for can't ask me ! It’s not like you have to tell them that you have a deck in your bag. Just saying ;) My ‘problem’ is that people in my real life knows that I can do readings without cards so there really is no stopping them from trying to consulting me on all sorts of things (sport bets :rolleyes:, job hunts, health etc). As you can imagine, I have to politely decline quite a bit ;D My 15 year old niece even asked me if I could help her find her missing earphones (which I luckily was able to do, but locating missing objects is not my expertise. It was one of my grandfathers special knack to find lost items so I believe some relatives just assume I inherited that ability). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregory Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 At least no-one assumes I can read sans deck :) But I'm not a paid reader; I don't read for friends or family (with one exception) - and it saves any awkwardness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggydoll Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 At least no-one assumes I can read sans deck :) But I'm not a paid reader; I don't read for friends or family (with one exception) - and it saves any awkwardness. I usually don’t read cards for relatives either. I actually think most of them struggle to understand tarot as a tool and they feel more comfortable with plain intuitive advice or insights. But a couple of my family members use other divination tools, such as a pendulum. And the older generation interpreted signs in nature or used a dowsing rod. Cartomancy wasn’t really a thing for them back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czenzi Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 At least no-one assumes I can read sans deck :) But I'm not a paid reader; I don't read for friends or family (with one exception) - and it saves any awkwardness. I usually don’t read cards for relatives either. I actually think most of them struggle to understand tarot as a tool and they feel more comfortable with plain intuitive advice or insights. But a couple of my family members use other divination tools, such as a pendulum. And the older generation interpreted signs in nature or used a dowsing rod. Cartomancy wasn’t really a thing for them back then. I think the closest anyone in my family ever came to divination was the Weather Channel and the Farmer’s Almanac! 🌽 🌾 🐄 Seems like you came by this all naturally. 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermitWriter Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Reading for myself in public never seems to work well. I've tried - at a museum, the library, etc. - but it always feels too staged. Reading for others has actually been a lot of fun, but I've also been able to gauge the temperature of the room, so to speak. Most of those experiences have been a writers conferences, so I'm with my kind of people to begin with. It's funny how suddenly something clicks and all the background noise just fades out. Maybe it comes from years of experience writing wherever I can. But yeah, I'm highly introverted, so those few seconds before I start shuffling are terrifying. After that, it just kind of flows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabelle Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 I have read for myself in "public spaces" such as cemeteries, but never with people around. I read for myself on a train once, too, but with all the noise and distractions, it was a pain in the neck. My reason for not often reading in public is primarily that I'm easily distracted, and divination is challenging when I'm trying hard not to listen to conversations going on around me. Also, I'm not usually seeking to have conversation with strangers, and reading cards would invite that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sar Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Yes I have. Can't remember any other patrons paid attention to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregory Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 SAR !!!! What a great photo of you... Back on topic. Another thing - if reading for OTHERS is - sometimes I like to mull over the cards for hours. Even days. In a pub this could take us past closing time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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