A querent sits down at the table. The cards you lay out are as follows: The Magician, Ace of Wands, Ten of Swords reversed. You finish the reading and then a new person sits down.
You get the exact same cards.
Do you deliver the same reading as you did for the previous person? Probably not. Because people are different and their questions, concerns, and general vibe are unique. But there’s another factor to consider: you’re not going to speak the same tarot lingo every time for every person.
While you may have a general “style” (mine is straightforward with plenty of slang) you’ll need to use a different tarot voice in certain scenarios. For example, your reading voice for a middle-aged female executive would be different than for a teenage boy. In the first case, you probably could lay it on the line without a problem. But a young person would require a sensitive approach because they are impressionable.
The same thing applies to moods. A hard-boiled older male may want you to “tell it like it is” but if your client is weeping as soon as they sit down, you’ll need to give them space to let those feelings out – and you’ll probably want to be gentle with your delivery. This doesn’t mean holding back information – it just means delivering the truth with greater sensitivity.
The key here is to pay attention. That means: you want to keep in mind your querent’s age, state of mind, and situation when you read for them.
Here’s a good Tarocise to practice working with different tarot “voices”:
The cards pulled are The Three of Swords, The Star, and The Five of Wands.
The question is about a romantic situation with a rival. How might you deliver this information to:
A distraught young woman.
An elderly lady who seems to be a bit hesitant.
A middle-aged guy who doesn’t want to reveal a thing so he sits mum.
A 13-year-old boy.
A woman of about 50 who seems to be amused by her situation.
A creepy person who makes you feel uncomfortable.
A fellow tarot reader who intimidates you.
An ex.
A woman who annoys you because she’s been asking the same question again and again and again.
A person who doesn’t speak the same language and needs you to go slow.
An older male who seems to be quite invested in getting the outcome he wants.
A teenage girl who doesn’t want her parents to know she’s getting a reading.
A skeptic who wants you to “wow” them.
A woman with an oxygen tank who tells you that she only has a few months to live.
A friend who wants you to tell them what to do (and you know both of the other parties involved).
Practice reading those cards for each of those profiles. Are your words and delivery the same for each? Probably not. A good tarot reader doesn’t just read the cards – they stop to consider how the information needs to be delivered.
Most tarot teachers don’t stop to think about this. You may how to read the cards but knowing how to read for the general public requires some practice with various scenarios. This simple Tarotcise is a fantastic way to think about how you transmit your message.
Keep working with this Tarotcise! A good practice, especially if are a newbie, is to lay out a reading every day and then go through the list of characters above (or create new profiles) and deliver different readings for each one. Do this often and your ability to articulate your message in a way that is best for the querent will improve.
Blessings,
Theresa
© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady 2018
image from stock photography
I’m Theresa Reed (aka, The Tarot Lady). I’ve been a full-time tarot reader for 30+ years — which, in my industry, makes me pretty badass.
I’m definitely not your average Tarot expert — I drop the F-bomb, I quote rappers, and I’m obsessed with pop culture + reality TV. Folks come to me for straight-talk + tough-love — without the woo-woo fluff. 
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