On Delivering Bad News
by Melanie
Though good advice is appreciated by both genders, seeking folk wisdom from a divination specialist is still primarily a woman’s game (Oedipus might disagree). Men have a tendency toward skepticism. They sometimes like to play “Stump the Fortune Teller”, and frequently ask “How do I deliver the bad news?” Their main concern is that I act with integrity, and ask as if I skirt the truth. My answer to them is that I have a connection with every person who sits across the table from me. I will tell them their story as it appears before me.
Because a lot of men display this skepticism, it is unusual for them to seek me out, but that is exactly what has been happening more and more since the economy took it’s turn downward. I’m always struck by how ready these men are to hear good news. They hide their worries about supporting their family behind a stubbornly stoic smile. Their wives always know how concerned they are, but never let on. They are primarily concerned about how they can show their silent support without interfering with their husbands’ pride. I feel the weight of my work, as I know that I am very likely the only person with whom these men with drop their guard. Sometimes it’s just easier to talk with a stranger than a friend.
I recently did an event in a part of town that had been hit particularly hard by the economy. As I drove to the event, I noticed how many businesses had “For Lease” Signs displayed in front of their buildings. A man sat down across from me and I could see from his expression that he had something big on his mind. In these cases, I always reach for my runes. The runes work best for folk who like to take their readings like bad medicine… bitter at first, but with a strong aftertaste of hope.
For this man, the rune Dagaz was a clear signifier that he was reeling from a big change, and that the shock from it would be with him for some time. The hope in the reading came shining through in the form of the Gebo rune. It signified his wife and the fact that their give and take relationship is as effortless as breathing. I told him that he should cleave to his wife and the knowledge that he will always know what it feels like to share that deep partnership, and that he should take that knowledge into all of his business dealings. I cautioned him that the key to getting through this tough time was to hold on to that optimism.
When I am finished telling the rune’s personal story for a client I ask “Does that make sense?” Not everyone volunteers what their question or concern is so this is my way of making sure that the information they needed was delivered. In this case I didn’t have to ask. As he was absorbing the reading privately and tracing the X shape of the Gebo rune with his fingertip he quietly said “Yes, yes… I know how this feels.”
Delivering bad news can be easier than you think. Tarot, runes and palm readings reflect a person’s life, and lives are rarely all good or all bad. No matter what black clouds might be looming in the distance, there is always hope and I have found that the readings never give bad news without information on how to get past it. I feel grateful that part of my job is helping people face facts by using my instincts and good old common sense to work through their troubles by providing an outsider’s perception.
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Learning the Runes
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