Feature Article - Preparing For Your Next Reading

Recently I spoke with a friend who was about to have a tarot reading. Being inexperienced he didn’t realise that he was able to ask specific questions during the reading. He was surprised to learn that it was possible to approach the reading as you might approach a consultant; with goals, questions and specific issues to be addressed. Too often first time clients arrive unprepared for a reading. They haven’t prepared any questions and haven’t given much thought to what they want from life in the future. Being well prepared can make the difference between an average reading and a powerful experience. You don’t need to do anything drastic, like fast for three days prior to your session or meditate deeply on yourself and your life, but identifying what you want from the reading is essential if you hope to make it worthwhile.

If you impulsively decide to have a short reading at a market, you probably jump in and hope for the best. You might kick yourself afterwards for a question you neglected to ask the reader, but generally market readings are short, simple and inexpensive. Chances are you’ll have forgotten much of the reading a week later anyway, without a tape or notes as a record.

I’ve listed below a guide to making the most of your next reading, weather it be a telephone reading or an astrology chart. Applying these simple tips will help you to get more from the reading experience.

Helpful tips

Tips for making the most of your Tarot / Clairvoyant reading.

• Don’t consume alcohol 8 hours before a reading. Alcohol uncenters you and your reading won’t be as clear as it might be if you consume alcohol beforehand.
• Think about what you want from the session.
• Prepare some questions (up to five or six questions) beforehand, to avoid kicking yourself afterwards for a question you forgot to ask.
• Try not to do all the talking. Let the reader say what needs to be said.
• Resist the temptation to say nothing or to be secretive. If you want to know more about a particular area of your life, don’t be afraid to ask.
• Ask your most important questions early on in the session. If you leave important questions until later, you may run out of time to ask them. Experienced readers are usually busy and often cannot extend the reading time to allow for extra questions.
• Although you might seek a reading for one specific issue, prepare some general questions also. In six months when you review the tape of the session your urgent issue may not be so important to you but the general questions may give you valuable longer term information.
• Listen to the tape of your reading within seven days.
• Listen to the tape of your reading again within six months.

Tips for making the most of your Palmistry reading.

• Don’t consume alcohol 8 hours before a reading. Alcohol uncenters you and your reading won’t be as clear as it might be if you consume alcohol beforehand.
• Think about what you want from the session.
• Expect a life reading or a long term reading.
• Remove fingernail polish if you wear it. Important health information can be gleaned from the colour, shape, texture and the condition of the fingernails.
• If you wear rings which are difficult to remove, consider removing them at home before visiting the palmist.
• If something which is said to you doesn’t make sense, ask the reader to clarify what he or she has said.
• Listen to the tape of your reading within seven days.
• Feedback from clients suggests that complete understanding of a palm reading is reached after you’ve heard your tape six times, once each year for six years.

Tips for making the most of your Astrology Chart.

• Don’t consume alcohol 8 hours before a reading. Alcohol uncenters you and your reading won’t be as clear as it might be if you consume alcohol.
• Think about what you want from the session.
• Ensure that you have supplied the astrologer with an accurate
  • date of birth
  • time of birth (accurate within 20 minutes)
  • location of birth (A large town or nearby city may be required if you were born in a village or in the countryside.)
• Ask the astrologer to clarify anything you don’t understand. Have them explain it to you in layperson’s terms.
• If you request a relationship (or synastry) chart, ensure birth details are correct for both partners.
• You can expect a tape of the session and one or two astrology chart wheels, usually printed on A4 paper. Keep these printouts in a safe place as they can be used to make up a Transits chart.
• Transits charts offer predictions for the year ahead.
• Listen to the tape of the session within seven days.
• Listen to the tape again within twelve months.

Tips for making the most of a telephone reading

• Paul’s telephone readings take 30 minutes and they are not recorded.
• Don’t consume alcohol 8 hours before a reading. Alcohol uncenters you and your reading won’t be as clear as it might be if you consume alcohol.
• Think about what you want from the session.
• Prepare four questions for the session. Add one or two additional questions in case your initial questions are answered early in the call.
• Switch off ‘call-waiting’ so that you won’t be disturbed by others phoning during your reading.
• Make the call where you won’t be disturbed by others or by loud noises.
• Keep 2 pens and a pad handy to take notes during the reading.
• Add to your notes soon after the reading has concluded, while details are still fresh in your mind.
• Put the date on your notes and place them somewhere safe.
• Review your notes within seven days.
• Review your notes again within six months.

Tips for making the most of a private lesson

• Paul’s private lessons take an hour and are not recorded.
• Think about what you want from the lesson.
• Prepare some questions or list the areas you want to cover in your lesson.
• If it is the first of several private lessons, discuss the areas you want to cover throughout the course of lessons.
• The lesson fee is reduced if more than one person attends, so consider bringing a friend or organising a small group to learn together. The group can become a support group as well as a study group, to help you to strengthen your skills.
• Bring a pen, pad and relevant tools such as tarot cards, a measuring rule for palm readings or birth details for astrology charts.
• If you are attending a group lesson, discuss your areas of interest with fellow students to map out the lesson plan. You may decide to arrange a double lesson (two hours) to cover all the areas of interest.
• Add to your notes soon after the lesson has concluded, while details are still fresh in your mind.
• Give practice readings as soon as possible to develop and strengthen the techniques you have learned in your private lesson.

© Copyright 2003 Paul Fenton-Smith

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