At some point in your Tarot reading career your mind will go blank; you won’t remember any of the techniques you’ve learned; you won’t remember any of the divinatory meanings you spent so long learning and remembering; you will start to panic and you won’t know what to do or even what to say. This post is designed to provide you with all the information you will need to help recover the reading.
I’ve been in these types of situations so often I’ve lost count. To help you when this kind of thing happens, and it is a question of when it happens, not if, I’ve listed ten excellent techniques that I’ve found to be of great help. These techniques will help you recover the Tarot reading and get things back on track. The best advice I can give you when your mind goes blank is to remain relaxed, it’s the key to a successful reading so remember, with every tip that I mention, try to remain calm when you implement them with your client. All of these techniques are designed to be used in conjunction with each other. With some clients you may only need to use one or two of them, yet for others, you may need to use all of them. In any case, these techniques compliment each other very well.
The only way that a Tarot reading can be successfully recovered, in my experience, is if the client participates in the reading. This means that the following techniques are all designed to involve them in the reading which will, when they participate, help refocus your mind and recover the reading.
Finally, when your mind goes blank in a Tarot reading, you need to act quickly. All of these techniques are designed to be flexible enough for you to customise for your particular circumstances as well as to be fast enough for you to implement in quick succession.
1. Don’t panic
I know this sounds obvious but I can’t stress this enough. By staying calm and relaxed you have a better chance of recovering the reading. When your mind goes blank, you will know doubt be feeling any number of different emotions, including stress, anxiety and panic. Any tensions or stress that you experience during this time will undoubtedly be transferred onto the client. When this happens things can quickly spiral out of control.
How to remain calm
The best way to stay calm is to minimise the effect of the surface mind. The surface mind, left unchecked, will escalate and heighten any anxiety that you are feeling. There are several techniques that you can use in order to silence the surface mind, such as deep breathing, counting to ten and so on. However, I have found that the best technique to use is to simple start talking. When we talk, a momentum starts to build and ultimately it is this momentum that will silence the surface mind.
All the techniques that I mention from now on involve talking, visual demonstrations and clear instructions for the client to follow. To begin talking when your mind has gone blank is very difficult to do, but it’s the one thing that I have found helps to reduce the strain you will be under, and through the use of the other techniques, will help to involve the client and get the reading flowing again.
2. Take risks
This is the most important of all the tips – take risks! The bolder and the riskier you become, the better your chances of recovery. Remember, if the mind has already gone blank, and the reading is only moments away from failure, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain so take risks!
The ability to take start talking is an example of taking risks. However, taking risks is what will help you implement the other techniques that I have suggested below. Although this may be the furthest thought from your mind, it’s exactly these types of situations where risk taking and being bold with your predictions can make the difference between a successful reading and a failed one.
3. Involve the client
Involving the client in a Tarot reading is an excellent way of getting them to participate in the reading and getting things back on track. This can be achieved in a variety of different ways; here is one of the methods I use.
The standard method: pick a random card
This is the standard version of the technique I use when doing a face-to-face Tarot reading.
When your mind goes blank, select a random card from the spread and tell the client, “there’s a lot of interesting stuff that’s come up in this reading, but this card in particular is grabbing my attention. What does this image say to you?”
This is usually a very effective method for involving the client and is something you could try straight away. However, if you are willing to spend some time learning additional information which could help you get the most out of this technique, and your Tarot readings in general, then the information presented in tip 4 will help.
4. The client’s learning style
A learning style is the manner in which a person learns information. The two learning styles that I will be covering in this post are the visual and auditory learner. Being able to determine which learning style your client has will greatly increase your ability to communicate effectively, as well as opening up opportunities to customise techniques based on their learning style. This is as much art as it is science and it does take some practice to get the most out of this method.
The way I determine which learning style my client has is through a combination of ‘intuition’ and paying attention to the client’s use of language. Although this technique takes a bit of practice, and is something you will have to experiment with in order to feel comfortable with, it is well worth the time and effort you put in.
The visual learner
This type of person will usually learn through watching demonstrations and visual displays of information. In a Tarot reading, if you are dealing with a visual learner, it is always a good idea to use a visual demonstration. For example, the “pick a card” technique could be presented by you in such a way as to help them understand what you would like them to do. A good way to adapt the technique is to show them the card, explain some of the interesting features of the card, as you see it relating to the client, then ask them what they see.
It’s always good practice to involve the client because, as a standard rule, clients will be guarded, and naturally so when you consider the personal nature of the information about to be discussed. By paying attention to their learning style, a Tarot reader can use this information to break down those barriers and involve the client in the reading. This also has the added, but more abstract benefit of inviting them to take control and responsibility for their lives.
One way to detect if they are a visual learner is by paying attention to the words they use. For example, they might say something like this, “that’s very interesting, can you show me that again”, or, “I see what you are saying…” and so on. By paying attention to these clues you will be able to determine if they are visual learners and adjust your demonstration of a technique accordingly.
The Auditory learner
With auditory learners you need to put everything into words. Be precise with your language, auditory learners will try to do what you say; exactly what you say. For this reason, when using any technique with this type of client, explain fully, in words, exactly what you mean or want them to do. For instance, rather than saying, “what do you think of this card?” Say “take this card, hold it in your hand, look at the images, the colours, the name of the card, the direction the people in the card are facing and tell me what all these different aspects of the Tarot card mean to you?” In other words avoid saying things that assume the client can see what you’re talking about.
One good way to determine if a client is an audio learner is by paying attention to what they say to you. For instance, they will often repeat what you’ve said right back to you. It helps them process the information. Auditory people may also ask, “Could you explain that again?” In contrast, visual learners will ask you to do it again, or show it again, but auditory learners will want to hear it.
Another good method, which I cover later in this post, is to ask an auditory learner questions. This type of learner loves answering and asking questions so, if your mind has gone blank, asking an auditory learner a question is an excellent method of getting the reading on track.
Music for the auditory learner
The use of music is a great aid during a Tarot reading, but it specifically works well for auditory learners. It helps them focus, recall information and, if they become a ‘repeat client’, helps them settle into the reading that much quicker. By playing the same music for them again, you are helping to recreate the ‘feelings and experiences’ as well as the receptive and participatory state of mind the client experienced the last time they were there.
I usually avoid standard ‘new age’ music in preference for something that verges on the distracting. I know this sounds counter intuitive, but by using music that is ‘noticeable’ it helps the auditory client relax, focus, and participate in the reading; which is the very atmosphere we are trying to create, or recreate.
The volume of the music is something else you will need to experiment with, but I tend to have it so it’s a little above audible.
Although it’s down to personal preference which musical choice you make, I would suggest considering the ways music can be used in both ritual or shamanic practices and then base your decisions from there.
Overall
The more creative you can be with the client, the more likely the client is to become involved in the reading, which will inevitably help you to recover your focus and continue the reading; the more creative you are the more effective you can make the recovery strategy.
5. Be literal
As I’ve already mentioned with tip 2, taking risks is absolutely essential for getting a Tarot reading back on track. One of the best ‘risks’ to take is to interpret the Tarot cards literally. In more concrete terms, say exactly what you see and say it with absolute confidence. You will be surprised at just how accurate your interpretation and predictions will be. This technique is one of the best ways that I know to recover a reading and is also one of the easiest to implement.
An Example of a two card Tarot reading
- The client has a crush on their Employer.
- The client wishes they had become an Engineer.
- The client remembers and yearns after a lost love and plans on taking control of that situation.
There are plenty of ways to interpret the cards literally. The key to using this technique is to take a risk and be as literal as possible with what you see in the cards. Start talking!
6. Get psychological
This technique should be used in conjunction with the other techniques. Remember, the only way to recover a Tarot reading is if the client participates fully in the reading. Their participation is vital to help you refocus your mind on the cards. This technique is designed to encourage the client to ask questions, explain a little bit about their life which will hopefully ‘open up the cards’.
I use the distribution of the Elements to bring a psychological dimension into the reading, but there are other techniques available that you may feel more comfortable using. Simply select one that you know works well for bringing in a psychological dimension to the cards.
This technique achieves two things. Firstly, it lets the client know that the cards are accurately representing their emotional state and secondly, the client assumes that you must know everything else that is occurring if you already know how they feel. Done well, this technique reassures the client that the reading is going well and gives them enough confidence to start asking questions, explaining why they feel the way they do and possibly justifying their actions.
Examples using the Elements
If there is a small amount of the Element Water present in the reading, then perhaps the client is not getting a lot of emotional support in their life. There may be some additional information that comes to light. For instance, their relationships are under enormous strain; they have feelings of loneliness; they are suffering from a block of some kind (writers or artists seem to fall into this category quite well) and so on. By discussing the client’s emotions, you stand a good chance of them discussing them with you, which naturally leads on to the discussion of other relevant areas of their life, and ultimately the reading has been recovered.
7. Get spiritual
This is similar to tip number six. Again, with this technique, you must be prepared to take a risk and say exactly what you see in the cards. The benefit of discussing a more spiritual dimension with the client is, if done correctly, to get them to participate and help recover the reading. This technique takes many different forms and there are loads of variations to it but essentially, use the cards available to you in the spread that has been dealt to help you see a Spiritual dimension within their life; this is opening the possibility of discussing their spiritual interests and, as is usually the case, they will ask for some tips or advice on how to proceed with their spiritual pursuits; when they do, you are off to a good start.
This technique, when done correctly, often leads the client quite naturally onto discuss more practical or immediate concerns, at which point the reading has been recovered and you are now back in the ‘zone’.
Examples of getting spiritual
Imagine the spread of cards that you have used incorporates some of the cards listed below. These are some of the things I might say to a client:
- The High Priestess: “Psychic ability”
- The Star: “Prophetic dreams”
- Moon: “Seeing Spirits”
- Seven of Cups: “Meditation”
- Page of Wands: “Learning astral projection”
- Page of Cups: “Spontaneous astral projection”
I have presented a deliberately short list because I don’t want my attributions to interfere with your intuition or understanding of the spiritual nature of all 78 Tarot cards.
Be cautious with your use of this technique. There are certain vulnerable people who ask for Tarot readings, and it’s very easy to knowingly or unknowingly create psychological damage through the misuse of this technique. Use it only on people you are sure would enjoy and participate in that kind of discussion. The other techniques that I describe in this post are very suited to the majority of people, but this particular technique can easily be abused so I urge caution.
8. Be bold and ask questions
This is an excellent technique to use but it all depends on the client you are reading for. I mentioned earlier that auditory learners respond well to questions, however, the really important observation to make is that visual learners do not; and visual learners make up about 60% of the population as opposed to the 30% of audio learners and 10% of kinaesthetic learners. Therefore I urge some momentary thought as to how you are going to ask your client questions.
There are two types of question I will use. The first type is directed solely for the auditory learner. I’m usually very confident that they will respond well to this; and I have found that they will usually see it as a good sign that you welcome or encourage them to ask their own questions. For an auditory learner, this will end up making an excellent reading. However, for the visual learner, I use something a bit more subtle.
Direct questions for the auditory learner
- Example: Are you self employed?
- Example: Are you married?
- Example: Are you in debt?
- Example: Are you moving home?
- Example: Are you going on holiday
Be bold and ask direct questions. You will be surprised at how effective this can be in the recovery of a Tarot reading. As I said earlier, the way to maximise the success of your recovery is to be bold and take risks.
Subtle questions for the visual learner
- Example: You are self-employed but worried about the future prospect of your business, aren’t you?
- Example: Your partner is distant at the moment, isn’t he/she?
- Example: You’re wanting to decorate the house, aren’t you?
- Example: Your partner handles problems within the relationship by drinking, doesn’t he/she?
- Example: Your being bullied at work, aren’t you?
- Example: Your working environment is ruthless and it’s hard to trust people, isn’t it?
Although these styles of questions do not demand the client respond in any other way than a simple yes or no, it still helps you recover the reading. Firstly, it tells you to determine whether or not you are accurate in your interpretation and secondly, combined with the other techniques listed in this post, will eventually result in the client participating in the reading.
9. Tell them the truth
Although some people might see this as an ethical imperative, I like to see this as a way of recovering a reading. Simply tell them that there is so much going on in the cards that it’s hard for you to fully connect with what’s happening in the client’s life but from what you can gather…[begin one of the techniques]
Hopefully your honesty will help the client connect with you, participate in the reading and trust the process.
10. Be the showman
This technique involves you becoming a showman. I include this technique for completeness and it does almost certainly, unless done well, fall into the charlatan category. I will admit to using this technique on more than one occasion, but the older I get the less use I have for it. This technique is only to be used as a last resort, it can fail if you don’t apply it properly and can lead to some unexpected responses from the client that are not always favourable.
However, in the small number of cases that this technique can work, it can work very well.
How to use it
When your mind goes blank, become very animated. Perform long, life affirming, ‘positive’ speeches and words of encouragement. This technique is similar to the techniques used by a ‘life-coach’. The only difference is that you need to become much more animated than they do. Allow yourself to become passionate about what you are saying; allow yourself to become 100% involved with what you are saying; and the client will become so absorbed in the showman element of your performance, that you open the possibility of recovery. At this point, use a dramatic silence and apply some of the other techniques mentioned in this post to encourage the client to participate, ask questions and become involved in the reading.
An example of the showman
Below is a very short clip of the movie, Elmer Gantry, starring Burt Lancaster. This clip is an exaggerated form of the showman at work, and should give you some idea of how to apply this technique within a reading. As I mentioned before, I have included this for completeness only. This technique works by creating a ‘transforming’ dynamic between you and the client.
Conclusion
When your mind goes blank during a Tarot reading it can be a very uncomfortable feeling. The ten tips that I described above are excellent techniques that can be relied upon in a moment of crisis. Each one of these techniques is designed to reduce your anxiety, regain your focus, involve the client, reduce the natural barriers they had at the start of the reading and ultimately have them walk away feeling like they had a good experience.
I’m sure I’ve missed out plenty of techniques that can be used to recover a Tarot reading. I have listed the techniques that I personally use or have used to good effect. I would love to hear some of the methods that you use. What methods work? What methods just plain don’t work? If there is anything you agreed with or disagreed with, let me know, I’d love to hear your feedback.
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18 comments… Let's discuss
Hi Doug,
Thanks for sharing such useful information. I too have gone blank before now and resorted to the ‘pick a card’ method, but I’ll be trying out some of the others next time it happens, as no doubt it will
I particularly like Tip 4 – the learning style – made a lot of sense when you explained it; and Tip 8 – shows there’s a right way to ask a question!
It’s a cool post, insightful and honest yet again
Blessings,
Catherine
Hi Catherine,
I’m glad you liked the post
.
How did you find the ‘pick a card’ technique when you used it?
Hi Doug,
It usually works well, the client feels special that you’ve asked them, and it also ties in with Tip 7 – Get Spiritual (nice touch btw
), makes them feel important and part of the reading. Depending on the deck you’re using, client’s quite often like to look to the images to ‘see’ if they recognise anyone in the reading themselves. As you said, the more interactive the reading, the more satisfied the client feels about their reading. I’ve also used that technique for myself during phone readings, it’s been a big help then too.
Blessings,
Catherine
Hi Catherine,
I have had similar experiences of using technique #3 when doing readings for my clients. It’s interesting how this technique seems to resonate so well with people. As you mentioned in your comment, it does seem to improve their experiences of the reading – I do feel that participation creates the right atmosphere for a successful Tarot reading.
Once again, thank you for sharing your experiences
This is a highly useful post – we have all gone blank on occasion and it can certainly lead to a panic! I also use technique #3 – picking a random card and involving the client. It ALWAYS does the trick and then my brain just seems to “kick in”. I really love this blog – the information is relevant to all readers – aspiring or seasoned.
Thank you for your kind words Theresa
,
Technique #3 is usually my first port of call as well
. Thank you for sharing your experiences on this topic.
I love this post. Thanks.
I often will hit a card and not know what to do with it. I used to get really stuck in trying to figure it out. Since I don’t flip all the cards at the start I just say I’ll come back to it and wait for something else to give me the key. Usually something else will pop up and I’ll be able to put it all together.
Thanks again
Andrew
Thanks for dropping by Andrew
I’m glad you liked the post. Although I don’t read the cards in the same way, I could see how that style of reading, of turning over one card at a time, would impose a certain pace on the initial phase of the reading. As you mentioned, this allows for ‘something to pop up’ so that you can pull it all together. This in itself is an excellent way of recovering a reading.
Thank you for sharing
Great article, Doug.
I have a couple of visual hooks within a card upon which I can hang a couple of traditional divinatory meanings. Most of the time I don’t require to refer to them during a reading, but if I dry up, it always gives me two little hand-holds into the card.
And usually that’s enough to get things moving again.
If it’s still not enough and I’m floundering with a particular card, I usually ask the client what the various symbols within the card mean to them – that ALWAYS gets things going again.
Ali x
Hi Alison, thank you for sharing your experiences
The use of a visual hook is an excellent method – a nice fall back to help you get “two hand-holds into the card.”
Involving the client in the manner you describe is a method I also use. I think the reason it’s so successful is because it breaks down any ‘tense’ barriers, or, alternatively, the client starts to enjoy the reading that much more. I have often though of it as being similar to reality TV – the audience at home loves to be involved in the ‘final outcome’ of the contestants fate. In this way, I think the more the client is involved in the reading, the more they get out of it.
Great article, Doug – thanks for sharing! How would you go about recovering a telephone reading, where it’s more difficult to involve the client? I don’t do phone readings much any more, but I found that I would start describing what I saw in the card if I got stuck and that usually helped get the reading flowing again… Oh, and asking questions, of course… Any other tips?
Hi Lisa, I’m glad you liked the post
Ah telephone readings – that’s how I cut my cloth so to speak
Telephone readings are the hardest types of reading to do; much harder than face-to-face! The best way to recover a phone reading is through a combination of being literal, psychological and spiritual (although I’m usually cautious about using this method depending on the client).
For instance, imagine the client is a man who wants a general reading; you deal out the cards and your mind goes blank!
I would start talking, saying everything that came to mind – usually by looking at the Elemental distribution within the spread as a starting point. An excess of Fire (Wands) might indicate things feeling a little out of control for the client; perhaps there is no Element Earth – a sure sign that things won’t be staying the same (it can feel very unsettling).
At this point some cards might jump out at me; for example, the Queen of Wands next to the 3 of Cups. These two cards might give me an impression or an image of him being married; of his wife suffering from depression (usually manic with this type of combo) – acting towards him without commitment – perhaps she doesn’t live with him any more and she goes out most nights (nightclubs, drinking, meeting new people and so on). Perhaps she says one thing and does another (a good place to discuss how difficult this might be – getting psychological).
At this point I would be using subtle questions, getting psychological and talking non-stop. Recovering a phone reading is very difficult, and it does involve reassuring them that you are capable of predicting the future. By describing events in the present, quickly talking about how they feel, spiritual influences and so on, you are removing any doubt they may have had about you. I’ll use subtle questions mixed in with taking risks and being completely predictive in my style. If they are still on the phone at this point the reading will usually last for 20mins plus.
Essentially, a telephone reading demands you recover a reading from the moment you answer the phone. That is why it’s so difficult. In total, the above techniques that I use last no longer than 5 minutes. During that 5 minutes, I will do all the talking.
If you do all the talking for the first 5 minutes they should start to gain confidence in your predictions and, hopefully, next time your working, they’ll phone you back.
Thanks, Doug. Very good advice on phone readings. I can tell you know what you’re talking about there… I have no intention of going back to doing phone readings… I still do them for friends and family sometimes, but that is very different to having someone at the other end of the line who is paying by the minute. I get exhausted just thinking of doing the psychic phone line thingy again, so that’s not for me!
Well done you though! 
Hi Lisa, I’m glad you liked my response.
Phone readings are the hardest, it can almost become a lose-lose situation. If the call goes well, and your speaking to the client for longer than 30minutes, exhaustion can easily overcome you. Likewise, if the client hangs up within 5mintues, and this happens several times, again, you can easily become exhausted. I’ve found, over the long run, that this can have an impact on the Tarot readers mood (an observation made based on myself and other readers).
Agreed! Giving readings for friends and family is much more enjoyable
Face-to-face readings are much easier and they are definitely my preference
.
FANTASTIC! I printed this and read it on the subway today as I promised…(also read the post about significator or not…)
LOVE this post. It includes stuff I do and additional WONDERFUL additions to my work. I thank you for that! I am so excited! I particularly love the sensitivity to auditory vs. visual learning, and the piece about the elements.
A couple things I do:
I usually read on a cloth with “fun stuff” on it…couple crystals, and a stone, tiny bowl of water, but also other fun, random stuff… (marbles? feather?…gumball machine toy?)…so during a stuck moment, I often move stuff around the table…perhaps position a pyramid crystal over a card..perhaps roll a couple marbles around…perhaps pick up a toy..look at it…”listen”to what it wants to tell me… Usually these yield really vibrant insights.
Another thing that works really well is I allow my eyes to zoom in on one (perhaps rarely looked-at) piece of a card..a symbol, a swath of color…anything…and then i free-associate from there. Again–often yields wonderful and surprising insight!….
Thank you so much for this post. I may share a couple additional ideas again…
Hi Mizzlee, I’m really glad you liked the post
I think your techniques sound awesome. Anything that brings a ‘fun’ and creative approach to a Tarot reading, such as the use of crystals, feathers and marbles; can really heighten the intuitive process. For me, the intuitive process is very much linked to the imagination and any technique that can help to bring the imagination to the foreground is a great thing. Also, I think that by creating a fun and imaginatively rich environment, we can really help to relax the client. In fact, the more enjoyable the experience, the more ‘connected’ the client is likely to feel.
I really like all forms of ‘free-association’. This is a technique that I use as well, and I find that it can really uncover some interesting stuff; not traditionally associate with the cards.
I look forward to your future comments and reading more of your techniques and ideas
Great!
I believe that Tarot reading is a process of communication with the clients. I feel weak at the beginning when I talk too much. Only the clients go with me make me feel powerful and then the strength of the cards grow up. Reader is a guider but not a practicer. So I think we should learn some skills to make the clients speak and communicate. That’s my opinion. Thanks!
Hi Rose,
Thanks for dropping by
I totally agree! When the client starts to respond and engage in the Tarot reading things tend to flow so much better. Sometimes, I find that encouraging the client to communicate the most challenging aspect of a Tarot reading.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post
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