2.12.2010

I finally figured out how to verbalize it!

Hooray! I finally found the words to express the nameless feeling I get when I talk to a caller who sounds like they intend to use a card reading as the basis for a relationship decision.

There were some cards that outlined some problems that existed in said relationship. What I told the caller before I reviewed them was, "I don't want you to make final decisions based on cards. I want you to use the cards to open a dialogue with [your significant other], and based on THAT, make your decision."

I wish I'd had time to say the same thing to another caller with whom I just spoke. This person had less than 3 pre-purchased minutes remaining when the call came through. The question was an odd one: "Which of three men is most likely to marry me?" I pulled cards for each man, and barely got into discussing the first card when time ran out.

I hate when that happens, especially when I can see some difficulties exist. When cards like that come up, I use it as an opportunity to tell the caller to talk to the person they're in the relationship with about the situation. I didn't even come close to having the opportunity to do that this time around.

Oh, well. Maybe the Universe wanted her not to make her decision based solely on a card reading, so she made the call when she was about to run out of prepaid minutes. I hope she'll make her decision based on the relative merits of her three suitors. Cards provide insight, but that doesn't mean that we should use them in place of common sense and conventional wisdom. They're supposed to augment those assets, not supplant them.

2.04.2010

My gosh, it's been a slow night!

Wow, it's been a slow night. I think I'll log on for some extra time at the end of tonight's session. The later it gets, the fewer other readers are online and the greater the odds are that I'll get a call.

In the meantime, I have a few observations. Tonight was the first time that I had a request for a general reading for this year. It took me until halfway into my fourth week as a reader before I got a call from someone who didn't have a more specific question on their mind.

I also have had ONE call that went against the pattern I've seen, of people asking only about troubled relationships. The people whose relationships are in difficulty are still the majority, by far. But it was nice to get a question about a healthy, thriving relationship. I hope I get a bunch more of those. :-)

2.03.2010

The Universe Straightened It Out

Every time I get a call from the reading service I work for, there's an automated voice that tells me how long the call lasted. I wish I'd jotted down the times during the first three weeks I worked, but I'm making up for it now. Starting this past Monday, I have begun recording call lengths.

Thanks to this, I have noticed a definite difference in how long my calls are compared to how long I wait for the next incoming call. Short calls translate into a longer wait until the next call comes in. Longer calls mean I'll get my next call sooner. I'm not sure what the algorithm is, but evidently it skews calls in favor of the people who generate more income for the service. That's understandable to me, as the service is in the business of earning money.

Fortunately, I seem to have gotten myself into enough of a rhythm that I'm giving longer and more in-depth readings to callers, *without* feeling like I'm gabbing just to use up time, and my calls seem to last long enough that it's earning me more calls. My callers get a solid reading and I get more callers = win/win.

HOWEVER, last night I had a bit of a monkey wrench thrown into my flow of calls. Someone called with a wonky cell phone connection.

"I'd like to [garbled] a reading on [garbled] with my boyfriend."

"I beg your pardon?"

[static] :click:

The call lasted only 27 seconds. And I waited an eon between that and my next call.

Fortunately, the Universe apparently agreed with me that my stats shouldn't get trounced by the Technology Gremlins. I got a call right before my login time was over, and it was someone who had multiple questions she wanted readings for. So if the glitched call skewed my stats downward, this last, long call probably brought them back up to where they belong. Thanks, Universe! :-)

2.02.2010

Today's Daily Draw

Ace of Swords, Four of Cups, Wheel of Fortune

Today's question was, "What do I need to know most, right now?" Swords correspond to thought, a topic also reflected by the contemplation in the 4 of Cups.

In this case, the combined pictures are telling me that if I think things out carefully before taking action, it will point me toward the top of the Wheel in the Wheel of Fortune, and to all the benefits that come with the upright Wheel of Fortune card.

It's also my reminder to use ALL of my mental abilities in conjunction with my analysis of the cards, both for myself and for the callers I speak to. If I use only some of my skill, I do a disservice to the callers and to myself. I need to think and analyze the cards in front of me before speaking, even though the temptation is to start speaking as soon as possible, because I know that time is money and I want the callers to get their money's worth.

I'm still acclimating to this new reading job, as it's only my fourth week. But even so, I can feel more aspects of "how to do the job well" falling into place as I gain more experience. Honing my analytical skills is something I've made a conscious effort to do, and according to this reading, it's something I need to continue doing.

Note to Self: Remind Sitters to be PROACTIVE

One of my callers tonight was hoping to hear back from a person whom she'd had a pleasant, though somewhat long-distance, relationship with in the last several months. Offline concerns, justifiable ones, had diverted his attention and she hadn't heard from him in a while. On reviewing the cards, one of my bits of feedback to her was that she might consider sending a light-hearted "Hi, how are you?" note to test the waters and re-initiate contact.

That was when she mentioned that she'd spoken to some other readers, all of whom told her that she would hear from him by Valentine's Day. Tonight's reading was the first one that offered a suggestion that would help MAKE that happen. I explained that I approach Tarot not as a predictor of things that we have no control over, the way the weather report tells us about things that will happen which we have no way of influencing. (Though even then, we do have control over how we respond to those things, such as carrying an umbrella when the forecast calls for rain.) Rather, Tarot tells us what direction we're facing, like a compass. Then, it's up to us to decide whether we want to move in that direction or go a different way.

But there are moments in calls that help ME learn just as much as anything that helps the callers. In this case, I had a "Note to Self" moment: instead of just saying that something looks likely to happen, always provide steps the person can take to help bring their goal about.

The way things stand now, if she re-initiates contact, she immediately skews the odds heavily in favor of hearing back from him, and at that point, ALL the readers' predictions become true. :-)

This lesson served me well in the very next call, where I got a question from someone who wanted to know where her beau stood on commitment. Cards that came up indicated some hesitation on his part, but I didn't want to just let the cards speak for him and have the caller leave it at that. I also reminded the caller that it would be beneficial to open a dialogue with him on the matter, and let him speak for himself. That is the best way for her to be fair both to him and to herself.