Wet Spaghetti Tarot

Have you ever tried to pick up wet noodles with your bare hands? Even if you’re hungry, love pasta and are presented with a plate of the finest Trenette col pesto, your meal will be less than satisfying if you are lacking a fork.

You may believe you’re all ready for your next tarot reading, but if you’re missing your tarot fork, you’re going to be disappointed.

Wet Spaghetti Readings

On January 2nd, Roxi Sim of the Pearls of Wisdom deck and I were guests on Tarot Today Radio.¹  The program was lively enough and had plenty of callers.  Yet some of the readings just fizzled.  Why?  I had given Wet Spaghetti Tarot.

What is Wet Spaghetti Tarot?

Wet Spaghetti Tarot looks meaty but goes nowhere.

Wet Spaghetti Tarot looks meaty but goes nowhere.  It’s the reading that’s forgotten even when it’s happening. The reader is pedaling the bike furiously without moving a wheel.

Just as a perfect storm requires just the right weather conditions, a Wet Spaghetti Tarot reading needs these factors:

• The Wet Spaghetti Tarot conducive setting
• An uncertain client
• An over-accommodating reader

Add even one of these ingredients to your next reading, and you may find yourself with Wet Spaghetti Tarot.  Add two or three and you’ll be lucky if you come away with anything more exciting than yesterday’s horoscope.

Don’t despair.  A few moments of attention at the start of your reading will go a long way towards ensuring a wholly satisfying experience.  Let’s look at each of these factors in turn.

The Wet Spaghetti setting

Parties and radio call-in shows can be great for tarot reading.  As a person seeking a reading, you have the opportunity to observe and get a feel for a tarot reader’s style. The reader gets a chance to meet many potential new clients. Yet what happens when:

• People start drinking and become a little too relaxed?
• The audience is more interested in being entertained than getting guidance and information from the cards?
• The environment becomes too much of a distraction?

The uncertain client

While it’s not always clear what a person is thinking, you can tell quite a lot by their behavior. An uncertain client may do anything to avoid asking a clear and specific question, including:

• Repeating the same question as the previous client
• Asking about something she doesn’t care about
• Changing the question in the middle of the reading

Some people have never had a positive or even any experience with a tarot reader.  They may not have any idea of what kinds of questions to bring to tarot. With a little guidance from a gentle reader, true questions will emerge and a good tarot reading can proceed.

Fear

It is up to the reader to identify and address the fear before the reading begins.

An uncertain querent may be fearful. They don’t want a reading, are being pushed into it, believe tarot is evil, have been told awful things by another reader, or just believe that their world is about to come to an end.

Someone who is deadly afraid that the tarot reader will confirm their nightmares is not likely to reveal what she most wants to know.  It is up to the reader to identify and address the fear before the reading begins.  If the reader is not willing or able to do this than she should not do that reading for that client at that time.

Indifference

An uncertain client may just not care.  This is the guy who is dragged to the tarot table by the girl he just met.  It’s the person who wants the reading because it comes with her ticket to the event.  It’s the person who wants someone to talk to, but could care less about the content of what the reader says.

For a tarot reader, working with an uncertain querent is a bit like grasping air. The client needs to want the reading at least as much as the reader wants to give it.  If this is not the case, then there is no reason for the reading to be done.

An over-accommodating reader

Tarot readers are generally a caring, compassionate lot.  The downside of wanting to help is a tendency to go too far.   A reader who believes they must provide a reading no matter what is like a plate just waiting for Wet Spaghetti to be dropped on top.

What a reader has to say is not always what the client thinks they want to hear.

It’s not only beginning readers who believe that they have to satisfy every client every time. Therapists, doctors and other healers all have to learn to temper their need to be liked and do good with the conscientious practice of their skill.  What a reader or healer has to say is not always what the client thinks they want to hear.

This is not an excuse for irresponsibility. It does not give the reader carte blanche to say anything to any client. It does give the reader both the right and the responsibility to press the client if needed to ensure a competent reading. In every case, if a question is asked, and the reader does not understand it,  she must get clear before the reading is done.  Anything other than this is a mark of a careless reading.

A reader does not have to answer every question put to her. In fact, there are many questions that should never be answered. Here’s one.  Will my ex-boyfriend die a terrible death? Questions like this are a good subject for another article.  At least in this case you know the querent cares about the answer.

Why say no to Wet Spaghetti Tarot?

Dan Pelletier of the Tarot Garden often asks readers why they read. If you’re a reader, it’s worth thinking about. If tarot’s a game, then you may be perfectly happy with Wet Spaghetti Tarot. Even a poor reading is often better than bad TV.

If you believe that reading tarot is a sacred act that can connect the querent with the divine, then you will likely take every reading seriously, for you realize that we tread on sacred ground.

Summary for readers

When you’re the reader, you set the tone. It’s always up to you to deliver a clear, quality reading. Do you smell Wet Spaghetti Tarot on the stove? Act fast and you can still redeem the reading.

• Do you understand what’s being asked? If not, get clear. With you as a confused reader, how good do you think the outcome will be?
• Is the querent changing the question? Pin them down or don’t do the reading!
• Are there multiple questions in the question? Romance and Career will almost certainly lead to Wet Spaghetti Tarot. Answer one question per reading.
• Is the querent engaged? If you’re not sure, ask. If you read for someone who doesn’t care, you’re asking for trouble. Trust me, it will not be a pleasant experience.

Summary for clients

When you’re the client, spend a moment beforehand understanding what you’d like to get out of the reading. Would you like a general overview? That’s fine.  Are you most interested in your love life? Better. Are you very interested to know what you can do when you go to your second interview on Thursday? Best. Ask that.

Some readers like to change questions around.  This often results in a better reading. But if you don’t like their question, speak up!  The more engaged you are with the reading, the  better the information you will receive.

Next steps for Alec

I’ll be back on Tarot Today Radio on January 29th.  Listen in to see how well I do in my effort to eliminate those dread Wet Spaghetti Readings.

1. If you missed the show, you can still listen here, on iTunes or on the Tarot Today show page. [↩]

Google+, tweet or like:

We all need someone we can trust.

Tagged as: reading, Tarot Today Radio, Wet Spaghetti Readings, Wet Spaghetti Tarot