Tracy began her own Tarot journey while recovering from her first son's
birth on New Year's Eve, 1996. She tried to study on her own for nearly
a year, picking up what she could from books and websites, but she had a
lot of trouble piecing everything together. Through membership in
the American Tarot Association, she met the contacts and gained the
expertise needed to gain her certification as a Certified Tarot Master.
Tracy uses a variety of decks to gain a
fresh perspective on problems, or to point out ideas or issues she might
not have considered otherwise. She admits that she can't predict the
future, but does believe that working with the cards can help "move life
forward."
She's honored to serve as Manager
for both the Free Reading
Network and the Free Tarot
Network. If you have any ideas or suggestions to improve the
networks, please contact Tracy at
Admin@freereading.net.
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(Author's note: Rather than use more awkward pronouns, I've
alternated genders throughout. This article is intended to apply
equally to clients of both genders.)
When reading by email, how do you connect with a client you'll never
see or hear? Network requests include the client's first name and
gender, but how do you tell one Annie from the next? There's no body
language or verbal cues to indicate her state of mind. Her question
may be a few terse words, or ramble on and on without getting to the
point. With careful study (and a little practice) a simple request
can reveal more about her than is readily apparent.
One of the biggest clues to a client's personality is his birth date.
Is he older or younger than you? You might want to address an elder
differently than a peer, for instance, or use more slang in a reading
for a college-age person. Has he had a birthday recently, or is one
approaching soon? If so, he may be feeling introspective and taking
stock of his life. This is especially true around such milestones as
a 30th or 40th birthday - or a 21st. If you have knowledge of
astrology, what sign is he? Can numerology reveal any clues to his
personality?
Another bit of information that can reveal a surprising amount about
your client is her email address. Is your client from Australia
(ending in .au),
Spain
(.es) or South Africa (.za)? Each country has
its own specific two-letter code. (See
list here.)
Do they have an unusual handle or alias? "Drummer2" might play in a
band, while "Knitwit" makes sweaters in her spare time. Try visiting
the domain for her email address (kitty@xyz.com would be
http://www.xyz.com, for instance). She may have her own website, or
be using a work address that gives you information about her career.
If it turns out to be a local Internet provider, the website may tell
you what part of the country she calls home.
How your client expresses himself may provide clues as well. Does he
ask only a few brief words, or give you his life history? Is he
looking for advice or a prediction? Or does he seem to be pretty sure
of his answer and just want confirmation? If it's a relationship
question, has he been careful to use gender-neutral words like
"partner" or "lover" rather than "girlfriend"? If so, it's usually
best to keep your response gender-neutral as well. If the question is
awkwardly phrased, perhaps English is not your client's native
language (especially if the same is indicated by his email address).
In such cases, try to avoid slang or American colloquialisms he may
not understand.
What if you've gathered everything you can from the request but still
can't seem to connect? Next time I'll cover some tips for using your
cards to help you focus on your unseen client. |
