When you’re just starting out, a tarot reading can seem very overwhelming. Sure, you may pick out the deck and read through the little pamphlet they stuff in there as well, but it all seems to barely scratch the surface. You may feel like you still have no idea how to give tarot reading a try.
Tarot is all about drawing from our subconscious, not about trying to tell the future. To that end, your main tools, more important than your cards, are your trust in yourself and the cosmos as well as your intuition.
With that in mind, a large part of Tarot reading is learning to listen to your intuition and find associations in the meanings of the card you pull. Sure, an understanding of the cards can help immensely in giving you more confidence and flow in your readings, but all these things are there to help you discern what your inner voice is trying to tell you.
So with a heart filled with excitement and trust, let’s jump right into the basics!
How to Pick a Deck to give tarot reading?
Picking a deck is an intensely personal matter. But here are some notable details you may want to pay attention to. Of course, pick and choose at your leisure.
If you’re still new to reading Tarots, then you may want to consider the Rider-Waite deck. The cards are relatively straightforward in their meaning and imagery, which should make your job a lot easier. It’s also quite popular, so interpretations and more helpful information is abundant and always close at hand for when you need it.
Otherwise, you may want to look at the different decks and see which ones. Maybe a specific deck looks pretty and draws you in with its artwork. Perhaps you jive with a more modern take on these classic cards. Of course, you might also find yourself allured by the classic traditional aesthetic.
Also, pick a deck that you are comfortable with. If you find that reading with a particular deck always leaves you struggling to find meaning, and floundering at every word, then maybe it just isn’t the right one for you. Beyond the physical attributes of the deck,
Essentially, all it boils down to is finding a deck that resonates with you. The imagery, the design, even the physical size and material of the cards; these are all things that exist to aid you to tap into your subconscious.
So if you find yourself drawn to a particular deck, then that might be your subconscious giving you a nudge already.
If you really feel stuck you cal also use regular playing cards for tarot reading.
How to Ask the Right Questions
When it comes to asking a question for Tarot Reading, you can’t go wrong with simple, straightforward, open-ended questions.
One thing you may want to avoid is closed yes or no questions. The cards work best when you give them some leeway to express their meanings. Remember that readings are supposed to illuminate paths you can take in life and are not supposed to lock you into certain possibilities. You can’t get that kind of expression if the only answers you allow your cards to pick are yes or no.
Instead of yes or no questions, you should ask questions that explore the possibilities that lie ahead for you.
A few examples would be:
Instead of “Will I get a raise?” ask, “Where is my career headed?”
Instead of “Does so-and-so love me?” ask, “What does so-and-so feel about me?”
Instead of “Should I go on vacation?” ask, “Where am I supposed to be to feel more at peace?”
How to Pick a Three Card Spread to give tarot reading?
When you do a reading, there are many different kinds of spreads to choose from, but one of the most popular spreads is the three-card spread.
While you are free to use whatever spread you like, a lot of people use the three-card spread for a good reason. It is a good balance between being comprehensive enough and not taking too long, which gives it a good amount of flexibility.
With that said, when it comes to picking a spread, you are always free to personalize your spread to the question you’re asking.
But if you feel like you aren’t confident enough, or if you just want a small reference for some versatile spreads, then here are some spread templates you may want to use:
- Something About You / Something About Someone Else / Your Relationship With Each Other
- Past / Present / Future
- The Issue / What Not To Do / What To Do
- What Brings You Closer / What Separates You / What You Should Pay Attention To
Now that you have picked a deck that is right for you and that you’ve selected a spread that works fine for your questions, it’s finally time to get on with the actual reading.
You may want to read through the whole process before you begin so that you have an idea of how the reading flows. Knowing what happens next can also help you be more confident with your reading. If you feel like you need them, keep your notes close at hand.
Now you have to shuffle the cards. You want to shuffle them well so that you reset the deck’s energies to give you more accurate results. Not properly shuffling your cards tampers with its ability to grant you insight because they are limited by physicalities, like the cards’ initial positions.
Furthermore, when you shuffle the cards, you impart your physical and spiritual energy onto them. It allows you to attune yourself to your tools and the cosmic energies around you.
In fact, if you are doing a reading for someone else, feel free to let them shuffle the cards too! Doing this allows them to impart their energy into your cards and gives your reading an excellent focal point.
Once you’ve shuffled as much as you like and you feel that you have adequately cleared your cards of old energy and infused them with new life, you can then move on to pulling.
When it comes to pulling, there are no fast and hard rules. All you want to do here is draw the cards according to how you feel deep down. There’s no need to think too hard about this, and letting go of your active logical control can allow your subconscious to manifest even more.
Now that you’ve laid the cards out, it’s finally time to read the meanings of the cards!
At this point, you want to have an idea of what the cards in your spread represent. Once you have that idea, take a short moment to reflect and allow yourself to connect the dots. How do these cards relate to their position in your spread? How do these cards relate to each other, and what are they trying to say as a whole?
Allow your experience and those of the person you’re reading for to seep into your thought. This way, you can reconcile the cosmic messages of the cards with the situation you are looking to gain insight into.
Once you’ve got it all sorted out, you can then impart your learnings to the person you’re reading for.
After the reading, there are some things you want to do to close things out on a positive note.
You should show gratitude to yourself for being the medium upon which all this was possible.
You should also show gratitude to the person you are reading for, as they’ve given you their full faith as well.
And last but not least, you should show gratitude to your tools for helping you see into the situation.
To this end, you want to treat your cards with respect at all times. In the same way, you want to protect and care for an expensive suit or a valuable heirloom, you want to carefully pack up your deck and keep it somewhere safe and clean for the next time.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Before you go, here are some miscellaneous tips and tricks you can employ if ever you feel like you’re having trouble.
If you don’t feel confident in your skills at reading, feel free to practice! Practice by yourself. Practice with a friend. Anything that helps you get looser and more comfortable with your cards and your readings can only help.
Also, if you want a more concise reading, nothing is stopping you from adapting the three-card spread into a two-card or even a one-card spread. Lowering the number of cards you pull dramatically simplifies the reading and shortens the amount of time you need to set aside, great for when you’re starting out or just want a quick read.
Feel free to use lesser cards. Sometimes you may not be too comfortable with using the whole deck, and that’s perfectly fine. If you just want to use the Major Arcana? Sure, why not! Of course, this leaves more gaps between interpretations, but remember that these are just tools for you to gain insight. Who knows, you may end up learning more by looking in these gaps.
