A tarot reading doesn't have to be an intense, life-changing event accompanied by crystals, incense and deities designed to attract spirits from beyond the veil. It is fine to ignore the woo woo and the crystal ball. And, guess what? You really don’t have to be psychic or an empath to be an amazing and insightful reader of the cards.
Like most long-time tarot readers, I have shared readings in all kinds of unlikely places: crowded coffee shops, on trains, during and after parties and once in a lay-by on a remote country lane. Not a bandanna or a whiff of incense in sight.
Yes, we can give great readings and guidance at parties and festivals, at roadside stands or on the beach. But for an in-depth reading I suspect it’s likely to be most rewarding when the surroundings are peaceful and evoke a feeling of going beyond everyday matters into the deeper reaches of the mind.
Peaceful doesn't have to mean clinical. I work with the tarot cards at a massive old pine table in our family dining/study/studio/library room where friends and family eat, play games, paint and do whatever stuff families usually do together. But it is also full of books and bowls of fossils, candles, plants (and usually a sleeping dog or two) and it can be a quiet, peaceful space from which to contemplate the garden or share tarot work.
Tilly likes to check the cards too.
I think it can be helpful to bring the four elements (evoking the four suits of the tarot) into the room by lighting a candle; burning incense; playing soft, relaxing music; filling a glass bowl with water; having everyday, natural objects nearby like flowers or stones. This is just a reminder that we are physical, spiritual, intellectual and creative beings, influenced by everything that surrounds us. Tarot cards are a way to balance our inner and external worlds. They work by reminding our conscious self that we can connect with our inner world, by being open and non-judgmental and mindful. A tarot reading promises to hold a safe space for the unconscious self to speak.
I always talk with my clients. I ask them why they have come for a reading, what they feel they want to explore - issues and obstacles, possible outcomes, hopes and fears.
Then it is time to relax and focus on what they need to know. I explain that the left hand is associated with the right, intuitive side of the brain and it can help to ‘own’ the cards by using the left hand to draw the cards for the spread. Reminding them about this helps us both to remember that we are accessing inner knowledge, thoughts, feelings – the cards are a pathway from the universe into the unconscious mind.
A tarot reading is one way to focus on really matters to you, at this moment. It is making space for you, away from all the distractions of your life, to think about who and where you are, who and where you want to be, and how to get there.