Gonzo Tarot – Clear and Present Strangers

Wanna become a tarot gunslinger?  Ready to get quicker on the draw, more efficient and more badass?  Gonzo Tarot is a series of quirky and unorthodox Tarotcises designed to get you thinking on your feet, overcoming your fears and gaining mad tarot skillz so that you can read under any circumstances.  Join me and get your tarot on!

When you first start reading tarot, most likely you are reading for yourself or people you know.  That’s a perfect way to get comfortable but in order to grow as a reader, you’re going to need to get a bit UNcomfortable.

Reading for complete strangers will get your heart pumping and your tarot skills jumping to the next level.  And for those who intend to go pro, you’re mostly going to be reading for people you don’t know anyways so you might as well get cool with that as soon as you are down with the tarot.

My recommendations for finding some fresh tarot practice bodies: 

1. Have your friends or loved ones bring some of their buddies around for a reading.  If they’ve already been bragging about your abilities, it may not take much to wrangle up a few willing participants.
2. Offer to read at a party.  There are sure to be a few attendees that may be curious enough to give it a shot.
3. Read at a local coffee or book shop.  Be sure to ask the owner if this is okay.  Then set your cards out and get to work.
4. If you want to be super brave and learn how to be really fast (plus work on your boundaries), read at a bar.  I’m serious about this one.   You’ll always be able to find an enthusiastic person in a tavern or night club (although they may be doing it on “liquid courage”).  This is not for the faint of heart because often liquor leads to big emotions or jerk syndrome but again, if you want to accelerate your tarot talents, this is the way to go.  

If you are new to tarot, be sure to let your querent know.  They tend to be much kinder to beginners.

You may come across some skeptics or people who want to intimidate you.  While this may scare the tarot pants off of you, don’t let this dissuade you.  It’s good for you (kind of like when Mom told you that cod liver oil was good for you!).  Remember, if you want to get proficient at tarot, you’re eventually going to need to learn to deal with these sorts.  Ground yourself and do your best.  

The more you practice reading for different faces in different places, the easier it gets.  Soon, you’ll be like a tarot machine – able to throw down with the best of them.  

And always remember, a stranger is just a tarot lover you haven’t met yet.  

Blessings!

Theresa

© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady 2013

I’d love to hear about your experiences – both good and not so good – of reading for people you don’t know.  Share those tales in the comment section below: