There are times when finding the right question is incredibly difficult. Someone might be confused or upset or just unhappy. Or perhaps none of those things but just plain curious about how the direction in which their life is going or taking them.

Like many other Tarot readers, I used to think that it would be hard to give an accurate reading without asking the right question. Then I started reading at fairs and festivals and I realised that doing an open-ended reading without a question was fine - more than fine, it was sometimes the right way for both the querent (or seeker) and for me.

Telling someone that they don’t have to ask a specific question but just to be open to the cards they choose, can be amazingly freeing. Often the cards will surprise them by their accuracy in pinpointing exactly where they are right now. Frequently a querent will tell me that they had not realised the importance of something or someone in their lives until they saw a particular card and we speak about it together.

An example. I was reading at a summer festival. I usually try to keep my reading light and avoid deep emotional exploration at festivals, for obvious reasons. I use Essence Cards and always give away a crystal or stone as a talisman or reminder of the querant’s Essence Card for inner strength and wisdom. On this occasion a young woman sat in front of me and we began the reading by working out her Essence Card from her birthday and me explaining that that we would do a 3 card reading with one advisory card “from the Universe”.

I thought the reading went well - she was very quiet throughout but seemed to be engaged, nodding and holding my gaze. When it came to the advisory card I pulled the 5 of Cups which pictures a cloaked figure staring down at 3 spilled cups whilst 2 full cups sit behind the person, out of sight. A river (the symbol of the unconscious and of spiritual growth) runs in front of the figure. I felt strongly that this was an important message. I explained that this could be the right time for her to let go of something that was continuing to cause her unhappiness and pain. Releasing those feelings (the spilled cups) to The Universe (the river) would enable her to turn round and pick up the full cups that awaited her. “Let go. Let God.” is a term so often heard in Tarot and other circles and with this card the message seemed to be clear.

The young woman’s response was immediate and emotional. Her story was one of childhood abuse and other later family problems. The cards had brought all those memories and feelings flooding back and she was clearly upset. We talked for a long time before I was able to let her go with recommendations that she seek professional support, counselling or therapy. She repeated over and over again how grateful she was for the reading and how accurate it was and how she had never spoken of these things before. I felt terrible that I had reduced her to tears. A festival is no place for this level of reading but it can happen and we have to ensure that no-one is left raw or in pain as a result. I caught up with her later in the day and we had a chat about where she could go from there but I took away two lessons from the experience.

Firstly, doing open readings with no question and no particular card placement can be very powerful. These days I do a lot of 6 card readings - 3 pairs with no particular representation - and I find they work very well at getting to the real issues facing the querent.

Secondly, be prepared to help your seeker or client or querent to deal with unexpected or previously hidden emotions. Particularly at fairs or festivals, we owe it to our querants not to open them up emotionally and then allow them to walk away. As every counsellor and therapist knows, reaching some kind of closure at the end of a session is really important, even if it means spending much more time than you might have originally intended or planned for.

I never share personal information. Some of the cases that I write about are an amalgam of two or more people that I have worked with and are an illustration of the way Practical Tarot works.