Many things in life can be enhanced with a little planning, and getting a Tarot reading is no different. In fact, it may be even more important to make some simple preparations for a proper one-on-one reading. Whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, over Zoom or in person, there are a few steps you can take to get cartomancy-ready.
As human beings, we carry around with us a host of expectations, judgments, and other imaginings – often to our own detriment. When working with the Tarot, it’s important to let go of outcomes before they could show up in the cards. This attitude can create space for what the cards actually have to tell you. Arrive with an open, contemplative mind, possibly facilitated by a short, quiet solitude or meditation.
Consider your question, your intention, and what you want to get from the reading. As I like to remind querents, what you put into the reading, you will surely reap. Do you already know the answer to your question? (That’s ok.)
Many readers (like myself) have a couple of guidelines or requests, such as: If you have composed more than one question, we may, together, decide to condense these into one or two questions for clarity. Additionally, third-party inquiries (as in, asking about someone else’s feelings or motivations) are usually discouraged, as these questions often detract from the focus on yourself – which is a key component to your reading.
Practice excellent care for yourself in the days approaching the reading (and always!). Be sure to get enough sleep the night before, eat nutritiously, and practice grounding with meditative practice as discussed above. This can also take the form of creative movement, like dance, yoga, hiking, Qigong, or anything else you could possibly imagine.
In Tarot, there are many times when cards appear to stir the pot, bringing up intensities we may not always want to look at. We certainly want to be ready to handle this. Hopefully, you have chosen a skilled reader who can hold a safe space for you, but it’s helpful to be fully rooted yourself. Remember – a good Tarot reader will have your best interest in mind.
Feel free to bring a notebook to keep track of things, and your phone camera, as many readers will allow photos of their card pulls. This can be especially helpful to go back and look up the meanings of the cards and see how they speak to you after the reading is over. And while a lidded beverage is cool, eating would likely be frowned upon during a reading.
Above all, try to have fun with it! The Tarot is an amazing tool to help us learn and grow along our path. You can approach it however it feels best, and know that magic and transformation is possible with every card. I love to quote the great Theresa Reed, who says, “The cards tell a story, but you write the ending.”