When you give someone a reading, it is best done at a table in relaxed surroundings. It is also best done in private — you don’t want to be surrounded by inquisitive onlookers or spectators who think it’s all a huge joke. If one of you is uncomfortable, you’ll find it hard to relax and this could affect the success of the reading.
Sit opposite your questioner ‘(the person for whom you’re giving the reading), then ask them to shuffle the cards and to think about their question as they do so. When they’ve finished, ask them to cut the cards three times with their left hand, then to reassemble the pack in a different order — it doesn’t matter which, provided the cards are no longer in their original sequence. The cards should now be handed to you — they are ready to be used, and should be dealt off the top of the pack. Ask the questioner to give you a general idea of the question (they don’t have to supply details). Choose which tarot ‘spread’, or arrangement of the cards, you will use and then deal out the cards accordingly
An alternative way of asking your questioner to choose their cards is to get them to shuffle and cut them as usual, then to fan them out in as wide a semi-circle as you can manage. Now ask them to pick out the requisite number of cards for the spread you’ll be using. As they choose each card, ask them to place it face down on the table. It is essential to keep the cards in the order in which they were chosen, so once they’ve been handed to you, restack them with the first card at the top. You can now deal out the cards into the spread.
Incidentally, if any cards fall on the floor while they’re being shuffled, take note of them before returning them to the pack. Sometimes, a card will leap out at you and may well set the tone of the whole reading or carry an apposite message.
