(Updated March 24, 2025)
A simple step-by-step guide of what you might experience when you get a tarot reading from a reader for the first time.
Are you thinking about getting a tarot reading? This guide outlines how it works, so you can know exactly what you’re getting into when you (the querent/seeker) have a tarot reading with someone like me (the reader/practitioner). Whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, it’s helpful to understand what tarot readings are, what you’re in for, and how to get the most out of them.
>See More Articles About Getting A Tarot Reading
My name is Yonita, I’m a professional practitioner and I’ve been working with tarot for about a decade. Hi! 🙂
Firstly, there are all different kind of tarot readings that professional tarot readers offer. There are the classic in-person readings, and there are over-the-phone-readings, pre-recorded readings, general and collective readings, and so on.
>What Kind Of Tarot Reading Should You Get?
For the purpose of this article, I’m going to break down what you can generally expect when you, as a querent, receive a personal, one-on-one reading from someone else (i.e. an actual person with experience reading tarot cards for other people, such as a professional tarot reader, NOT an automatically generated free online reading, and not a general collective reading like what you might watch on YouTube or other social media).
Side note: many tarot readers offer personal, one-on-one readings in person, usually in some kind of designated place of business like an esoteric shop, markets and events, or perhaps they travel or have a ‘home office’. Others, like myself, prefer to conduct one-on-one readings over the phone, on video calls, or pre-record one-on-one readings as written, video or audio files and send those privately to their clients.
This means that everything here applies to in-person readings, over-the-phone and video call readings, and personal recorded readings.
Jump around this article
Let’s walk through a tarot reading step-by-step.
Generally speaking, tarot readings are very simple to understand, and are summed up by three basic steps: 1. Ask questions; 2. Get cards; 3. Receive answers from the cards.
Unsurprisingly, there’s often a bit more to it than that. So let’s break it down further.
1. Ask questions (maybe).
The great thing about tarot is that you can really ask about anything you’d like, but there are some good practices and a few things to keep in mind if you want to get the most out of your experience.
If you don’t have questions…
What happens if you stumble across a tarot reader offering readings at a market or festival, and your interest is piqued and you decided to give it a go on a whim? In fact, you don’t always need something to ask about when you’re getting a tarot reading. The truth is, some of the most fascinating, insightful and profound readings that I’ve observed have been open-ended ones in which the vibe was ‘let’s see whatever the cards have to say’, or ‘tell me whatever I need to know’. I love these types of readings, because while you don’t really know what direction things will go in, with a reputable reader you often end up hearing exactly what you need to, without realising how much you needed to hear it.
>Shop Open Ended Tarot Readings
If you have questions…
Chances are, if you’re actively trying to decide whether you should get a tarot reading, you might already have things that you want to ask a tarot reader about. Perhaps your questions are specific, like ‘I’m having issues with xyz at work and I want to know what to do about it’, or ‘Should I finally take the leap and do abc?’. Or maybe your queries are a bit more broad, like ‘How can I turn around and improve this aspect of my life’, or ‘What does my love life have in store for me in the near future?’
>What Questions Can You Ask In A Tarot Reading
Let’s assume that you do have things you want to ask about. Sometimes, you’ll come across a reader who requests that you provide them with your questions or areas of concern before the actual reading. This could be due to how that particular reader works with their cards.
In my case, if my client does have queries, I like to meditate on them before a reading. Sometimes I will pick or create a spread for that client’s specific reading, based on their queries. I also keep their queries written out next to me so that when the reading begins I can dive straight into it, stay on track, and have more time to go through the reading with my client.
So, for some professional readers, this might be an important part of their process, or it can be a personal preference, but this is not always the case.
If your tarot reader doesn’t ask for your queries beforehand, the first time you’ll talk about them is when the actual reading starts. This is usually the case in-person or over-the-phone. You will likely discuss your queries with your reader, and possibly provide them with relevant context, during the first few minutes of the session and maybe a couple more times throughout it. They will conduct the reading in between.
Some things to keep in mind.
Professional readers generally have a time limit on how long a tarot reading session is, and the most common length I’ve come across is around an hour. They may limit the number of queries you can ask about in that time to stay within those constraints. If you’re unsure whether a tarot reader has a limit, you can ask them.
It’s also common during in tarot readings to ask for more clarity on things that are being discussed. This is usually welcome, and serves to help make sure you understand whatever insights the reading is giving you. It is not the same as asking new questions.
Remember, if there’s anything at all that you’re unsure about, you are always welcome to ask your reader about it. Professional practitioners who are compassionate and good at their job, want to help you. They want you to feel comfortable and confident and get the most out of your tarot reading experience!
2. Get the cards.
There are so many different ways tarot readers get cards from their decks and, once again, it comes down to a reader’s process and personal preferences. The best professional readers practise for a long time and know themselves, their cards, and their practice very well. How they work with tarot is unique to them.
Tarot readers pretty much always begin with shuffling their cards.
During in-person readings, some tarot readers will have you interact with the cards. They may ask you to shuffle them, to hold the deck, blow on the deck, or pick cards out of the deck. It could be that your reader prefers to incorporate your energy into the reading in these ways, for various reason. Some readers operate on the basis that the outcomes and insights from a reading are influenced by the clients energy during these physical interactions. Or it could simply be a fun way to include you in the process.
Interacting with the cards as a client is not always necessary or part of the process, however, and sometimes it’s just not possible, as is the case with all other kinds of on-one-one readings (phone, video and recorded).
Your tarot reader may choose to work with the cards themselves. They may have a special bond with their decks, and therefore not let anyone else’s energy influence that connection. They may simply prefer to be the only person that handles their cards. Ultimately, your reader will know best what works for them and it’s best to respect their choice. Your level of interaction with their cards is not an indicator of how good/bad or accurate/inaccurate a reading will be.
3. Receive answers.
This is where the ‘magick’ happens. Readers typically have their own methods of reading and interpreting tarot cards. Some are logical and analytical, some are intuitive, and some are a blend of all. Some readers might also be psychics or mediums, and some might connect with Spirit guides and ancestors and Angels, and so on. Many readers have multiple areas of knowledge and expertise, like astrology and numerology, and they may incorporate this wisdom in your reading.
Readers may take you through the cards and questions one by one, explaining each meaning as they go, or they may interpret the entire spread of cards as a whole. Some may be straightforward and direct about their interpretation, and some might like to dive into the details and deeper meanings of each card with you. Every reader’s style of interpreting and reading is unique to them, honed by their experience and shaped by their specific skills.
If your reading is in-person or over-the-phone, this is when you get to discuss the interpretation with your reader. They may ask you for confirmations of things they see, or for more context. You may decide to ask for clarity on certain things, or offer more context without prompting.
Some readers will let your record this part of your reading if you want, if it’s not already a recorded reading.
What happens next?
The reading is done, you’ve heard all the things. What now? Hopefully you come away from the reading with more insight and clarity, and with a better idea of your life, your next steps, or whatever it is that you discussed during your reading.
It’s ultimately up to you what you do next, but if you feel overwhelmed or you’re wanting to know how to make the most of everything you learned from your reading after the fact, then I have a guide to help you with just that.
>What To Do After A Tarot Reading
Featured image & cover illustration credit: yonitasingh.com