Never had a reading and wondering what to expect?

One of the most common questions (concerns, really) that I hear is from people who are looking for their first reading, but don't know what to expect.

The hardest part is putting into words. Most often the first question is "how accurate are you?" That's tough to answer when you believe in choices more than in predictions. It has cost me more readings than I can remember, but I always tell people right up front about my philosophy about advice and choices so they don't get all mad halfway through a reading because I can't predict exactly what their ex-lover is thinking or will do six months from now. But don't worry, I'm not going down that road again. The post about Alice, Twilight choices and more are still in the archives.

The truth is, there is no good representations about psychic readings out there in the general public. Seems like everyone expects the old tv commercials about the psychic friends network or miss cleo or something. Not all psychics work like that. We all have our own unique styles, our own specialties. Mine is email. I can do my best readings working from my computer keyboard. My teacher does voice recordings and written astrology reports.

Real-time contact IS nice, because it lets the person getting the reading ask questions, clarify things, give immediate feedback to help keep things on track...BUT the down side to that is the way it opens up the session to educated guessing, leading questions from the psychic, reading non-verbal cues and all sorts of things that can lead away from real intuitive work and make the reading more vulnerable to manipulation, be unintentional, or even intentional fraud.

So if you are wondering what to expect from your first ever reading, my best advice is to talk to the psychic, be it in person, on the phone or an e-mail exchange. You'll quickly get a sense of whether the psychic is a good personality match for you.

Most of us psychics want you to be comfortable...makes our job a lot easier, believe me. Nothing blurs intuition like fear and anger (it leads to the dark side, Luke ;)

There is a bit of buyer beware, certainly, but also there are many psychic readers who choose to do this kind of work out of a sincere desire to help people and to serve the good things they believe in. When you think of it that way, they are no different than any other clergy...with the same variety and human vulnerabilities. But I approach psychic work from this foundation. I'm not christian, but I do want to help and I do serve what I believe in. I follow the ethics of Reiki practice: honesty and respect...respect shown through privacy, and never doing readings on someone who does not give me permission to do so (that means I won't read about what other people think, feel, may possibly do, unless I have actual physical permission from them or a VERY very clear sense of permission on a spiritual/ethearic level.)

That's the philosophical part. On the physical level, my readings work this way:

We talk a little about what kind of reading you want...the number of cards, how long it will take, the cost...get all the business stuff done up front, clear as a bell and out of the way. The process is the same whether we use Tarot cards or playing cards (cartomancy)

Next we talk about your questions, concerns what you hope to learn from the reading. Then we set that aside to listen to what the reading has to say...

The cards are shuffled and put face up on the table. Even in e-mail readings, I shuffle the cards after reading your question, the shuffling ensures that you get a unique reading, just for you.

We go over the general patterns in the cards.

Then we go through each card, one by one, and how it relates to it's position in the spread..."past lessons", "advice" or what have you.

Finally we summarize the cards and move on to the 'cold reading' portion. In that part, I tell you any impressions that come through independent of the cards. That part might have to do with the question or the cards...or it may not. This gives the important ideas another chance to get through, no matter what our hopes and expectations are.

Then you ask questions in a reply e-mail, or, if we are working 'live', then you can ask questions at any point. I don't mind questions...it isn't a problem to get off on a tangent. I think those spontaneous tangents are most likely the whole point of the reading...if the direct route, logic, or looking at the problem directly was the best thing to do, we wouldn't need psychic readings, would we? The whole point of intuitive work is to look indirectly, to follow our, well, intuition.

And that's it! Easy. No drama. No dire predictions of doom. At most there is a heads up of a big choice, or a caution of things to take steps to avoid. Forewarned is forearmed, not a threat or a demand for you to get more readings.

In fact, it is totally up to you when and IF you ever get another reading, with me or anyone else.

Wishing you a day of comfort and confidence in those you work with...especially psychics.

Baihu

www.modern-oracle-tarot.com

How to have a Great First Psychic Reading

I felt the same way.

People feel a little nervous about their first psychic reading. There are many different reasons why. I think, in general, it is a fear of the unknown. Some worry they will get "bad news"...which is really impossible when you know about the role choice plays in everything, and that predictions are resonance and possibility at the very most, never a certainty. For me, and I suspect some others too, it was the ghost of extreme religious upbringing and all the misconceptions that subculture has about psychic work and intuition.

I've lost money doing it, but it is the right thing to do...

I always tell first time clients that seem nervous about getting a reading about how I work...not predictions, just advice, choice, empowerment. The ones who want that prediction...they want to know exactly how their career and wealth will be in the next 6 months, or they don't want to hear anything except that a lost love is coming back to them, or what have you. A lot of people want that kind of reading. I can't ethically or honestly do that, so either they order a reading and are unhappy with it, despite the sample readings and information pages on my website that they can read, despite all the blog posts here, in spite of my TELLING them what my readings are like...or they just disappear, more often than not.

It doesn't do much for my wealth or career, but I'd rather do an honest well-done reading deal with the anger and disappointment, even if it is their own d#%^ fault for ignoring what they were told.

Which leads us to HINT #1

Talk to the psychic before you schedule, and more important LISTEN to what they are telling you about the way they work. You have a right to ask questions first, and if you don't feel comfortable with what you learn, hear and feel, then don't schedule. Why waste your money, your time, or theirs?

HINT #2

Shop around. There is no shortage of psychics. Especially with the internet. You can connect with a psychic halfway around the world if you are just a little open to the idea of phone or e-mail readings. Some psychics are limited to the "in-person" sort of motif. In my experience, the really helpful messages, the real "spirit guided" stuff if you will, comes from outside of 3 dimensional space and time, so it doesn't matter where or when you get the reading...it is just as valid if you read it later, or are far away talking on the phone or video chat.

My theory is this...if they NEED to be with you to read for you, then there is a higher than average chance that they are not really working from intuition or psychic information. They could very well just be taking clues from your appearance, reactions, remarks and so on. If you get a reading by e-mail, or by recording, none of that is even possible, so you know the whole thing is totally intuitive and sincere.

HINT #3 Use your feelings as a guide. If you are worried about psychic work or tarot readings being 'demonic' or 'satanic' then a reader with a goth -occult sort of style probably isn't the right match for you. On the other hand, some people find a new age, angels, crystals and feathers kind of reading hard to take seriously, and they need something with a little more drama and a little more edge to it in order to hear the lesson that is needed. Some people aren't comfortable with either extreme...that is where I make my niche...not scary, not airy-fairy, just down to earth, no-nonsense readings. There are many styles and personalities...so keep looking until you find a good match for you.

If you feel comfortable with the psychic, you'll get a better reading and it will be a better experience - for both of you.

That is another reason I like e-mail readings...you are totally within your own comfort zone. You get the reading in your environment at a time you are ready for it...you are in control. You can re-read the information until you really 'get it' or can let go of it if is off target. You can keep it and go back to it again later. It's a good deal all around

Hint #4

Psychic readings aren't really so mysterious. The psychic should be willing to tell you up front what to expect...including prices and business practices. I wouldn't trust someone who wasn't transparent and up front about giving readings...so I don't work that way. My readings are totally a what-you-see-is-what-you-get operation.

Hint #5

Be willing to do your part. What you give comes back to you. If you are willing to play your part in the psychic experience, you'll get a higher quality reading in the end.

Psychics take time to learn their skill, learn to deal with people, and they devote the reading time just to YOU, so it is only fair to pay the agreed upon cost in the agreed upon way. If you don't you are stealing their time and skill, and that will become part of your energy and history, not theirs. It isn't a precise thing...sometimes what you NEED to hear will come through way more than what you WANT to hear, so help the process along by trying to make sense out of what IS said rather than trying to wring your hopes and expectations out of it. Sometime it takes a little time to connect the dots, and put 2 + 2 together, especially when you are dealing with symbols and abstract ideas like a psychic tarot reading. So why not save your reading to go through it a few times until things fall into place? If you are getting an in-person reading, make a recording or take notes. Same for phone and video chat readings. E-mail readings do that for you...all you have to do is save the e-mail or the attachment. Easy.

Eezy peezy...just get information, ask questions, take notes, shop around for a good match, and, as John Edward says, "leave your expectations at the door"...that's all it takes to find and ethical psychic and get a great first psychic tarot reading experience.

If you like what you read here, please tell your friends about me and/or follow me on twitter...@modernoracle

Baihu

www.modern-oracle-tarot.com