Starter Guide To Giving a Tarot Reading

Before offering tarot readings to the public, learn how to read tarot cards as a beginner. The best approach to reading tarot is to be open-minded and empowering.

There is no set rule regarding how many readings you should do for yourself before branching out to read for friends and family. Tarot readers develop at different speeds.

Get to know the cards and become comfortable with interpretations. Giving yourself a tarot reading is great practice. Keep a diary of your tarot experiences. Learn from mistakes and successes.

Before Reading for Others

Ensure you know how to do a tarot reading on yourself before giving someone else a tarot reading. You don’t have to be an expert, but reading for others brings added pressure.

Knowing how to do a love tarot reading for yourself is tricky. Set aside your biases and focus on the cards. Practice readings like this help you turn out fears and expectations.

Avoid stressing yourself out by rushing. Once you can interpret cards on sight without referring to a guidebook to remind you of the card’s meanings, you are closer to being ready to reading tarot for others.

Experiment with different tarot spreads and reading styles. Document your experiences and questions when you read for yourself.

Your practice helps you evolve your understanding of tarot and apply interpretations to different situations. Set rules and expectations for your readings before reading for others.

When wondering how to do a tarot reading for someone else, decide whether you will read reversed cards. Some tarot readers apply the same meanings regardless.

Ensure you are comfortable interpreting tarot court cards and applying the complex archetypal meanings of the major arcana cards in a reading.

Consider whether you will use a timer. If you don’t feel comfortable setting a timer, how will you protect yourself from becoming drained by a reading subject who asks multiple questions?

People are excited about tarot readings and may not realize when they are taking advantage of your generosity. It is best to have a way to indicate when your session is complete.

Consider what questions you are uncomfortable addressing and have a plan for setting limits. Think of ways to deliver messages a client may not want to hear while remaining positive and empowering.

Before reading for others, consider whether you will charge a fee. Some tarot readers are uncomfortable collecting a fee because they are new or don’t want to deal with money.

You may decide to do free tarot readings as barter. Some tarot readers ask for a donation or ask clients to pay their fee forward to a charity.

If you plan to eventually charge, but aren’t comfortable collecting money while still learning, make this clear. Explain to potential clients that you are offering free readings for a limited time but plan to charge in the future.

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Tarot Ethics

Familiarize yourself with tarot ethics when reading tarot for yourself and especially when reading for others. Most tarot readers want to serve others and help people solve problems.

Yet there are many ways a tarot reading can breach ethics, even accidentally. Avoid ethical dilemmas by taking the time to consider your mission and limitations. You may write a code of ethics.

Some examples of ethical considerations include using tarot readings to explore questions that disempower your client. A worried parent who wants to use their reading to pry into their teenager’s private life may put you in an ethically dubious position.

A jealous lover who wants to know what their ex is doing at the moment has no business spying on their ex with the use of tarot. Answering this question doesn’t serve your client and perpetuates an unhealthy obsession.

In these situations, it is best to use the tarot session to redirect the client’s focus toward issues about their choices and things they can control. Avoid using tarot readings to fuel people’s anxiety and obsessions over other people.

Another ethical dilemma deals with health readings or questions about death. There are some understandable reasons these questions arise.

A middle-aged man who is worried about his elderly mother’s health may want to know when to plan a cross-country trip to be at her deathbed.

A nervous client diagnosed with an illness may ask you for a second opinion. Yet these types of questions pose ethical and legal dilemmas.

Avoid addressing health questions. Remind your client you are not a medical professional. You can use tarot to explore energy and vitality, but it is unethical to use tarot to diagnose someone or weigh in on medical recommendations.

Likewise, no tarot reading is guaranteed. You are treading on thin ice if you try to project the time of death. Explore the best ways to address your client’s needs without crossing the line.

Give clients messages and advice in as empowering a style as you can. You may have disappointing news to deliver. Try to use the reading to solve problems.

Building Confidence

Reading tarot can be rewarding, yet giving tarot readings is a big responsibility. Work on your confidence. Reading for friends or the public opens the door for people who may not be receptive to your messages.

There are many ways to build your confidence. Make a regular practice of reading for yourself. Conducting daily, weekly, and monthly readings can build your skills.

Keep detailed records of your readings and outcomes in a diary. Be honest about the accuracy of your readings. This is the only way you will learn and grow.

Practice giving yourself tarot messages out loud. The more you articulate interpretations of the cards, the more comfortable you become with fast, accurate, and understandable interpretations.

Your next step before reading tarot for the public should be to read for trusted friends. Invite friends to give gentle, constructive feedback. Give yourself numerous practice sessions before reading for the public.

Ask people for feedback in writing. Use their encouragement to build up your confidence. All tarot readers deal with cranky clients and are not always completely accurate.

Maintain your confidence by focusing on the many accurate and empowering readings you’ve done. You will need these positive reminders when you have rough sessions, which will happen.

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Choosing a Deck

Old-school tarot card readers used to say the only way to acquire a tarot deck was to receive one as a gift. Some believe this advice is a holdover from when tarot decks were difficult to find.

In modern times there are many places you can find decks. You also have hundreds of tarot decks to choose from. You can set an intention of finding your ideal tarot deck.

You may see a tarot deck online that appeals to you. The biggest factor in choosing a deck is ensuring the images and style resonate with you.

Some tarot decks are large. Ensure you are comfortable handling a tarot deck. You can also swap physical decks completely for a tarot app or virtual deck.

Choosing a Spread

With a variety of tarot spreads, you may wonder if you are choosing the correct spread. Experiment with different types of spreads and learn which tarot layouts are best for you.

Some tarot readers prefer large spreads; others prefer short tarot layouts that answer your questions without complications. Practice simple three-card tarot spreads.

Explore the elaborate Celtic Cross. Create your unique tarot spreads and experiment with different styles. The most important aspect of a tarot spread is whether it addresses your questions.

As long as your spread covers the facets of a subject, it has served its purpose. You can use complicated spreads to impress others, but this can create distractions and undermine your reading.

No matter the subject of your tarot reading, anticipate your client’s questions. Most people seek a tarot reading because they want to know as much detail as possible about a topic.

As a beginning tarot reader, ask your client what question or subject they want their reading to address. Discourage them from giving you details and extraneous information that can trigger your biases.

Knowing the category or question on your client’s mind can help you design a spread to address their concerns. Each card in a reading can represent a different aspect of the subject.

Remember to include a card or section of the layout to address who, what, where, when, why, and how related to your clients’ topic of interest. You can learn from exploring the past and the future.

Tarot layouts that explore your client’s strengths and subconscious influences are helpful. A good tarot spread elicits information about conscious and subconscious information.

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Giving Bad News

People consulting tarot cards hope for the best and fear the worst. When you must give news that disappoints a client, be honest but strive for empowerment.

Focus on solutions and encourage your client to explore ways to avoid a pitfall. Some events are flexible, but other predictions are unavoidable.

A client may be on the brink of a breakup that will devastate her, but prove to be a blessing in disguise in the long term. Balance validating your client while also helping her gain perspective.

In other situations, a client may be on the brink of a breakup because she is ignoring a vital lesson. Learning why a relationship is failing can help your client strengthen her connection to her partner before it is too late.

Sometimes a disappointing tarot message addresses a necessary loss or change. Other times, a tarot reading serves as a wake-up call. Regardless, practice being patient, empathetic, and compassionate.

But don’t sugarcoat a reading. A tarot reading won’t be effective if you tiptoe around vital information to spare a client’s feelings. Be authentic but understanding.

Focus on what your client can do to improve their potential. If there is nothing they can do to change an outcome, use the tarot reading to help your client process their feelings and reactions to the new information.

Tarot Readings & Crises

Divorce, job loss, accidents, and other crises can come up in a tarot reading. A client may come to you because they are already experiencing a crisis.

Other times, a person comes to a reading with hopeful expectations only to learn about upcoming losses and challenges. Each person’s ability to process disappointment and trauma can differ.

You may be surprised when a client takes devastating news in stride. A different client may panic when given news that is disappointing but not critical.

Knowing how to validate your client’s feelings and help them maintain perspective is an essential skill for tarot readers. Although you aren’t a crisis counselor, having some referrals benefits your client and takes the pressure off you.

Collect reliable referrals for clients who may be in crisis. Lawyers, substance abuse counselors, domestic violence services, and even a suicide hotline number are valuable resources.

If you decide to read tarot for the public, you will inevitably have a client facing an overwhelming loss or trauma. It is not up to you to solve their dilemma, but you can share information to enhance your client’s sense of support and options.

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Building Your Skills

Tarot reading is an ongoing learning process. Continue building your skills. Consider certification as a tarot reader. Test yourself and document your tarot practice readings.

Experiment with new decks and new spreads. Consider developing your intuition or skills in other forms of divination. Spice up your tarot readings by learning new techniques.

You can evolve your reading skills by asking clients for feedback. The more you challenge yourself, the more you can grow as a tarot reader.

If you have experience giving a tarot reading online, try switching to in-person readings. Trust your intuition. Know when your energy is best and when not to give tarot readings because you are ill or tired.