Reading Tarot at the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire 2008
Tarot-To-Go made our annual trek to Golden Gate Park for the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire, which was fun, if somewhat soggy! Setting up Friday was more of a challenge than usual – one the pavilion frames decided it was no longer going to lock into place, so with the help of some wooden dowels, a wrought iron shepherd’s hook, and duct tape, we addressed that issue and moved on with our usual set up.
Saturday morning was not promising – cold, foggy, and damp. The weather didn’t really improve during the day, and we all took turns standing in line for hot chocolate from the crepe booth to help keep ourselves warm. We did 28 readings – not bad for a cold day (people don’t want to sit still and contemplate their lives when they’re cold – warm weather is definitely better for us!).
Since we had many wonderful readers (Rose Red, Artemis, Patricia, Michael, and Leila Jo), I worked the front desk with Andrew, who did his fabulous one card readings for many of the passers-by (many of whom decided to have full readings after!). I did read for one client, who was the rudest person I’ve ever read for. He told me he was a skeptic when he sat down, and wanted me to prove to him that “Tarot works”. I told him I wasn’t going to prove anything, that he would either find the reading of value, or he wouldn’t, and that was solely his determination. At one point, I actually stopped the reading because he was interrupting me every time I spoke, and I gave him a choice – either let me finish my sentences, or finish the reading right there. He then managed to contain himself enough to let me finish my sentences – and the reading – and he acknowledged that, while he still didn’t “believe” in Tarot, I had given him the best, most real reading he’d ever had.
Sunday was a better day, in terms of weather and clients. While it wasn’t much warmer, and the day started even soggier than Saturday, the sun came out for a bit in the morning, and that cheered everyone and created a good atmosphere for reading. Unfortunately, the cold weather the day before took its toll on everyone, and three of the six readers scheduled called in sick, and Patricia ended up having to leave midday because she wasn’t feeling well. Andrew bravely held down the front desk alone so I could read and cover for some of the missing readers. By mid-afternoon, we were so busy that we ran out of time slots and had to turn away people because we couldn’t schedule any more appointments for the afternoon, and Andrew somehow managed to do readings *and* handle the front desk at the same time!
I read for a woman who had never had a reading, and wanted me to tell her what would happen with her family. After going through the usual explanation that Tarot reading isn’t about predicting the future, we sorted out her concerns and looked at what she needed to do in order to take care of herself when dealing with her family. For a reading that was all about family and emotions, it had no Cups cards – mostly Pentacles and Majors – emphasizing that she was dealing with big picture / internal shifts which needed to manifest in her daily life in constructive ways. We talked about the changes she wanted to make, and ways she could create those changes in ways that were healthy for her.
The most interesting reading I did on Sunday was for a man who was in the early stages of starting his own business. He hadn’t intended to, it just sort of happened, and he was wondering what to do next. Lots of Swords cards turned up, indicating that, while starting with a stroke of luck and synchronistiic timing was not bad, he would need to apply clear, rational thought in order to develop the business in the direction he wanted to take it. We talked about options for business development (he has lots of skill in his chosen field, but no experience running a business) and that looking for general guidance, such as from the Small Business Administration, and specific guidance, such as a business mentor, would both be useful for him to explore.
The faire was supposed to close at 5:00 on Sunday, but the crowd was so good that the organizers kept it open until 5:45. That allowed us to read for a few more people, and then have a few minutes to regroup before changing out of costume and taking down the booth. We packed up in record time and headed home. Of course, with all that wet fabric (I am so looking forward to having a waterproofed canvas pavilion next year!), I’ve spent all of today laundering and drying what’s machine washable, and hang-drying that which is not – the house rather looks like a velvet-and-silk version of the set of “The Piano”!