I've seen the odd tarot reader and had my palm read in various countries and explained to me in many strains of broken English. Did I believe a word? To be honest, I didn't understand much, but I loved watching the presentation. ~ Simon Baker
OK so Simon loved watching the presentation, is this why people have readings, is it why they go to a Tarot practitioner, is it a bit of fun, a bit of entertainment?
I look at images of Tarot readers and Tarot Masters on line, no doubt the know their stuff, but there are a good number of them who seem to live in a romanticised notion of Tarot reading, they dress up, act out a role, even perform in theatrical sets they call palours, lounges or studies.
Have they got it right, are they pandering to the public's perception of Tarot readers as fortune tellers; do the public take the readings seriously ( no doubt the amount some of them are charged they do), however others like Simon walk away having enjoyed the experience but either don't understand what they've been told or can't remember the information having been distracted by the 'performance'; is this providing a dis-service to Tarot readers as a whole and to their client's; have these Tarot readers missed the opportunity to allow the querent to pick up that actually there was some very accurate and insightive information being given?
I am all for creating the right atmosphere, dimmed lights, candles, incense, music, a comfortable and relaxed setting to place the reader and the querent in the right frame of mind, in the zone and a theatrical setting and dressing up is great for a fund raiser or where the reader is invited to carry out readings at a fun event. During a recent visit to Brighton I saw street Tarot readers, dressed up, which added to the general flavour of the area.
The majority of Tarot readers are there to provide their clients with the serious counselling they seek from the Tarot without the need to indulge in some romanticised Gypsy fortuneteller or Occult Master fantasy life style.
So whose right, just because I don't want to dress up and play the part in a theatre doesn't mean others can't, they do. The world is full of individuals, some are more eccentric than others, they add colour to the human race, my concern reading Simon's statement was that he could of missed out on something that could have had a perfound effect on his life, just because he didn't understand what he was being told.
