Initial Preparation

Before beginning a Tarot reading, there should be some sort of initial preparation. Consulting the Tarot is a contemplative process at the very least, and some believe it is a psychic one. Time should certainly be taken to attain an appropriate frame of mind and to attune to the cards. Some form of simple ritualization may be used to help with this, and many readers stress the importance of some kind of prayer or protecting visualization before the commencement of a reading. Those inclined towards a psychic interpretation of the Tarot view this as a necessary precaution to protect against negative energies to which the reader may be prey, others simply see it as a means to attain the balanced psychological state needed to get the most from the cards.

Framing the Question

Before the reading proper can be performed, its nature must be determined. A reading may be completely general, directed towards a particular area of concern or performed to address a specific question. In the third case, the question must be formulated carefully. Like other methods of divination, such as the I Ching or Runes, the question posed must be simple and unambiguous, otherwise there is too much leeway when it comes to interpretation.

Selecting the Spread

The spread to use for the reading depends on the type of question being asked (if any) and the amount of detail required from the reading. For example, the Celtic Cross spread is often considered to be more suitable for answering particular questions than for general readings, and it provides a deeper level of interpretation than, say, the Simple spread or the Triskele spread. Of course, the more complex a spread is, the more difficult it is to master and the longer it takes to perform a reading with it.

As explained in the following article on interpretation, getting a sense of timing is notoriously difficult with most spreads. Where timing is an important factor, Calendar spreads may be employed, in which time scales are explicitly built into the structure of the spread, usually at the expense of detail and thoroughness.

Certain spreads are designed to deal with decision questions like "Shall I choose A or B?" For most spreads, though, such decision questions are best approached by performing two readings, "What if I choose A?" and "What if I choose B?" then comparing the results.

Choosing a Significator

Some spreads and readers employ a card chosen to represent the querent. This card is called the significator, and it is normally placed face-up in the middle of a spread with the other cards placed face-down around and on top of it. The card is not usually part of the reading, but it serves as a representation of the querent's position in the events and influences that the other cards detail. The significator may be chosen in a number of ways. Purely mechanical methods include selecting a court card based on the querent's astrological sun sign or their age, sex and appearance (such as hair and eye color). The intuitional approach allows the reader to choose any card based on what they know of or sense about the nature of the questioner or question. Sometimes, if a further reading is being performed to clarify a previous one, the 'Outcome' card of the earlier reading is used as the significator.

Selecting the Cards

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