Help! I don’t understand my tarot reading!

Ever get a tarot reading and don’t understand what the heck it means?

Feel like your reader is speaking some arcane mumbo-jumbo?

Worried that you’re a dummy for not understanding what a Hierophant is?

Even the best tarot communicators can sometimes sound like they are speaking a different language and this can leave the seeker scratching their heads.

I’m a Gemini, the communicator of the zodiac, and I pride myself in being able to articulate tarot in a down to earth way. But, on rare occasion, I come across a client who can’t make heads or tails out of their email reading. (I’m very concise and I write plainly so I am always puzzled by their bewilderment.)

There are a couple reasons why tarot communication snafus can happen:

the tarot reader is speaking like an esoteric academic – for the average person, that may be confusing and “over their heads” (or boring)
a language barrier
the questioner is learning impaired or has limited reading abilities
the questioner wants every single detail fleshed out right down to dates and times (aka they are trying to extend the reading and “get their money’s worth” – or they want more interaction with the reader)
the tarot cards can sometimes be poetic and figurative – and in those cases, anyone can get baffled (even the reader!)

Tips to get a reading you can understand:

Pick your reader carefully. Go to their website and see if you can relate to the way they “speak” through their writing. If you can’t grasp their jargon, move on to a reader whom you can understand.
If there is indeed a language barrier, you may want to bring along a translator – or better yet, find a reader that speaks your native tongue. It’s easy to do, thanks to the internet.
If this is an in-person session, ask the reader to slow down.
If you have reading comprehension problems, seek out a phone reading instead – you will have the ability to ask questions to clarify – plus most readers will record it for you.
Are you trying to “get your money’s worth” and looking to make your reader give, give, give? If that is your motive, you need to reevaluate yourself. That attitude will bleed through and is only going to piss your reader off.
Hear this: the tarot does NOT see all. Sometimes the cards are unclear – or figurative. In that case, all you can do is sit with the reading and see if it makes sense later.

If you are a reader, here is how to keep those confusions to a minimum:

Take care to be sensitive about how you are speaking and what words you are using. If you are a poor communicator, you may want to take some classes and brush up on your skills.
If you suspect the seeker is going to have a problem understanding you, speak and write as plainly as possible. That means being like a newspaper and putting out the info on a sixth grade reading level.
If there is a language barrier, refer the client to someone who speaks the same language. (I once had a foreign woman who could barely string together a sentence in English. This ended up being frustrating for both of us.)
For phone or in person readings, record the session. The reading may make more sense to the client upon later reflection.
For email readings, in some case you may want to offer one “clarifying question” after the reading is completed. But you’ll need to be very careful about this because there are people who will take advantage and try to turn it into an ongoing series of emails. (I do not offer this service. Reason why: I want to keep my email readings as inexpensive as possible. An endless round of “clarifying” readings ends up to a massive amount of extra work and time. Plus mondo aggravation for me.)

Know this: whether you are the reader or the seeker, there is always room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding. But if both parties speak with love and respect at the tarot table, those issues can be kept to a minimum.

“Connections are made with the heart, not the tongue.” ~ C. Joybell C.

“It’s important to make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.” – Barack Obama

Blessings!

Theresa

Books on communication:
The Usual Error: Why We Don’t Understand Each Other and 34 Ways to Make It Better by Pace and Kyeli Smith

The Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hahn

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg

What We Say Matters: Practicing Nonviolent Communication by Judith and Ike Lasater

image from stock photography