What did I learn from my first session as a phone reader?

Last night, I had my first session as a phone reader. I learned a few things that I expect will stand me in good stead.

1. My sessions are all slated to last two hours. That's PLENTY of time. I don't think I'll plan to schedule any sessions that last longer than that any time soon.

2. I was pleasantly surprised at how busy the phone was. I would venture to say that I was on the phone more than I was off it for those two hours. The workload was rather like that of doing a party face-to-face. Which brings me to the very important Point Number Three...

3. I need to treat this EXACTLY like an in-person Tarot Reading Party and have water on hand at all times. Boy, did I ever get dehydrated by the 90-minute mark of the two-hour session! That's one mistake I most assuredly won't be repeating. Tonight, I'm getting a water bottle set up that I can drink from between readings.

4. Not everyone needs the same thing from readings. I encountered at least two who seemed to need to vent more than they needed the actual reading. I managed to get a few words in edgewise and tell them about some cards I'd drawn for them, but it was a new experience for me to be talked over WHILE I was giving the reading.

5. Some people are easy to connect to. Some aren't. Period. I had one individual whose entire demeanor was closed-off from the word go, who ended the call before I had finished discussing the three cards I'd drawn. Well, that's up to them. I can't take it personally because I genuinely think the thing that was troubling this individual had zero to do with me and everything to do with the topic they wanted read. Too bad they missed out on that last card, though, as maybe it would have helped shed some additional light on the topic. On the other hand, they seemed so closed-off, I felt like I was talking to a tortoise that had pulled into its shell and shut all the openings... like I KNOW there was someone in there, but it was like talking to someone that you know is on the other side of a closed door. If someone's in that frame of mind, it's anyone's guess how receptive they would have been to what ANY of the cards had to say.

I think I will add to the pre-session prayer a request that the people whose calls I receive will be open to what the readings have to offer. I feel sad for anyone who's become so adept at keeping the world at bay that they might stave off positive things that could help them feel better about their situation or themselves.

And, of course, what does it say about ME that the person who I wrote (vented) most about here was the only one that I felt I couldn't reach? I'm not alone in this tendency to pull a 5 of Cups, and focus on the spilled ups in front of me, forgetting the perfectly upright, full cups standing behind me. That's a trait that I share with a lot of people. But it's important for me not to beat myself up over calls like that. They're bound to happen occasionally. But far more of the calls came from people who were interested in taking something good from the reading. THAT'S what I need to remember, far more than the fact that not everyone's easy to connect with.

On to Round Two tonight! Wish me well. :)