Focusing Energy For A Tarot Reading

I titled this article Focusing Energy For A Tarot Reading to give the seeker a pause for thought.  No matter whether we are discussing healing, reiki, clairvoyance, mediumship, or divination with tarot cards, rune stones, or tea leaves, it’s all about energy.  All psychic activity falls under the header of energy work.  Being that reading tarot is a form of energy work, it’s important that anyone approaching tarot understand what this means.  There are times when seekers engage a tarot reader with preconceived notions of what they should and should not do before and during a reading.  Well, there are only two “shoulds” when seeking a tarot reading.  The first and most important “should” is to simply relax.  The second “should” is to focus the question.  This is critical to the reading.

Now, this brings us to the preconceived notions.  Sometimes a seeker will “test” the reader by refusing to ask a question.  While it’s understandable to want to assure yourself that you get a good reader, testing the reader is a total waste of money and time, for both of you.  Here’s why.  Divination works best when the energy is focused down.  This is why a proper question is so critical to a reading. 

People assume that asking a defined question gives too much information to the reader.  The preconceived notion is that to ask a question will result in a magician’s reading rather than a true psychic reading.  It’s not about giving too much or too little information to the reader.  It’s all about the energy.  Way back in the dark ages when the computer industry was in its fledgling stage, one of the first things taught to computer language students was the old “Garbage In Garbage Out” scenario.  If you put garbage into computer language, you get garbage out.  A divinatory tool is exactly the same.  If you put muddy energy in, you will get muddy energy out.  So asking a defined question sharpens the energy and draws out a better response.  Ideally, a clear, defined answer is what you want, right?

Imagine energy in its natural state.  It’s everywhere, spread throughout the universe in all directions.  Now imagine that your body is a part of that energy, but the energy of your soul is focused down into a human form.  This focused energy animates your body and keeps it alive.  Now imagine part of that scattered energy in the universe being manipulated into a glowing ball above your head.  Imagine that this glowing ball is the dilemma you face.  Now as you pose a defined question, imagine that this glowing ball forms a funnel that directs the energy downward into a pinpoint in space-time. 

To further illustrate this point, let’s describe the difference between a lousy question to ask the tarot and a defined question.

A man seeks out a tarot reader.  The man has a question in mind, but he doesn’t want to “inadvertently” give the tarot reader too much information, because in order for this man to believe in psychic experience, someone has to prove it to him by telling him things that a stranger could never possibly know.  So, this man finds a tarot reader, sits down at the little table before him, and asks for a tarot reading.  The tarot reader asks if he has a particular question, to which the man replies no.  At this point, the tarot reader might suggest that a question is in order, that she does not do an open reading. The man fumbles, falters, stammers, stutters and finally says that he can’t think of a single question.  So, the tarot reader performs an open reading.  Some things are revealed in the reading, and this intrigues the man, so he decides to go ahead and pose a question.

“What about my relationship with my wife’s kids?”  This is an example of an unfocused question.  This is a muddy energy put in and it’s about to give muddy energy back.

The cards pulled are the Ace of Cups, Judgment, and the Six of Swords.  WOW!  If the reader only pulled the Ace of Cups, the reader would be inclined to say that the man has a wonderful relationship with his wife’s kids. Hmmm.  But add Judgment and the Six of Swords to that mix, and the meaning becomes unclear.  After all, the reader has no idea just how many kids are involved, what age they are, and why the man asked.  Since each card modifies the other, there are many ways to read this three-card spread.  A beginner might look at the cards and see that the man has a great relationship with his wife’s kids, that a new situation is emerging, and the family might move into a new house.  Even a professional reader might have trouble focusing in on the real, underlying issue that caused the man to pose the question in the first place.  Why go through the hassle of by-guess and by-gosh?  Asking a better question saves a whole lot of time.

Now let’s look at this a different way.  A focused question would be: “I’ve been concerned about my relationship with my stepson.  Is there any way I can improve that situation?”

Now you’ve focused the energy, and you can expect a clear answer.

Using the same cards, we can see that there are possibilities for the relationship to improve.  The man might be a tad too hard on the stepson, and may actually be a little judgmental of the stepson.  The cards drawn suggest that the man should move away from a position of judgment, to let go of his intellectualized evaluation of the son, and work toward having the family working in unison and improving communication.  To do so could resurrect a floundering situation and give it new life.

You can clearly see the difference that a focused question makes.  The focused question did not “give” the reader too much information about the man and his family.  Rather the focused question helped direct the reader to the best possible answer.

This is what tarot reading is all about: focusing energy into a clear result.

This explanation can be beneficial for both the beginning tarot reader seeking answers for themselves or an individual seeking a consultation with a professional tarot reader.

If you have no particular question in mind, an open reading can be useful.  In such cases, a spread that highlights the surrounding energy can certainly give the seeker some different perspectives and perhaps even some direction in life in general.  But when it comes to a dilemma, the focused question is the key to a resolution.  If a seeker is concerned about revealing too much, then simply confirm or deny with phrases like, “Yes, that makes sense to me” or “No, I can’t confirm that” or “Can you be a little more clear?”

So, let’s look again at the “should” and “should nots.”

Shoulds:

• 1) Relax
• 2) Ask a focused question

Should Nots:

• 1) Don’t test the reader. Psychic energy doesn’t work the way the mainstream population believes it does. Perceptions are subtle and very rarely detailed enough to start whipping out names, dates, and color of clothing worn on the tenth wedding anniversary.
• 2) Don’t ask a muddy, unfocused question and expect a clear answer.

When going into a professional tarot reading, remember that you paid for this service, and the energy that you carry into that room with you can also affect the outcome of the reading.  Your energy can affect the cards.  So, make sure that you are relaxed, open to connecting with your Higher Self, and open-minded about the reader.  Also, leave any preconceived notions at the door.  A tarot reader who is also intuitive will pick up on that energy, and this will make the tarot reader uncomfortable and can actually deplete the reader’s energy so that the reader has difficulty accessing Higher Knowledge.

If you’ve never had a tarot reading before, tell the tarot reader that you haven’t.  Also, if you are nervous about the reading, tell the reader.  Legitimate, responsible readers will make sure that you are comfortable before they begin the reading, and will oftentimes explain how tarot works so that you can understand and just relax and enjoy the process.

Also, make sure that you have a good rapport with the tarot reader, and check your own energy, or feelings about that person.  It’s important that you feel comfortable and confident. 

I keep a code of ethics posted in my reading room so that my clients know and understand that I have their best interests at heart and that I have a firm foundation of honest practice. 

Don’t be afraid to ask the reader questions, like: “How long have you been reading tarot?” and “Do you have a posted code of ethics?”  or “Do you belong to any tarot organizations?”

Tarot certification is no real indicator of how good someone is, so I don’t consider this to be a true measurement for the seeker.  However, I do highly recommend that you ask some questions so that you feel confident with your reader.  Also, it is wise to ask around and find out what other people have experienced with the same reader.  For the most part, the community will know which readers are legitimate, and asking around can help you avoid the pitfalls of a scam artist.  But be sure you ask someone who has had real experience with the reader in question and that the person is open to psychic experience. You don’t want a non-believer to cause you to miss out on an enlightening experience.

Sometimes a seeker will find that if they go into a reading with a combative, challenging, or disbelieving attitude, the legitimate, intuitive tarot reader may choose not to read for that person.  An intuitive will not want to muddy their energy by reading for someone who doesn’t believe or waste their time with someone who is only out to challenge them.  True psychics learn to protect their energy and their vibration.  So, keep this in mind as well.  Remember, garbage in garbage out.

Hopefully, this article has offered you some more useful tools and suggestions to help you understand the nature of energy, the Higher Self, and psychic experience.

Good luck in your endeavors, and, as always, enjoy the path.

Copyright 2009 Cassy’s Tarot