What do you do before or at the beginning of a reading?

I'm just curious about how people start a reading.

For me, I just try to find a nice quiet, clean area to do a reading for a friend. I would spread the cloth, and do the usually routine.

Here is the main thing I am curious, do you ask the person, you are doing a reading for, to say your question out loud or just keep it quiet or just ask for the subject of the question?

For me, I just ask for the subject of the question, and shocklingly the reading is still very accurate.

So I gues the main question is: WHAT DO YOU DO BEFORE, BEGINNING, DURING, AND END OF THE READING?

I hope that make sense, if not, I'm sorry! ^^

Yellow Munky

I personally, like to know as much about the question as the person is willing to tell me. Honestly, it seems to work either way for me.

I've done readings for people who tell me NOTHING about what they want to know, and it's worked. Those people tend to take the most energy from me.

Others I've had a long conversations with about their concerns and between us we refine what the actual question is and away we go- those people tend to leave me with as much to think about as I have left them. Good stuff of course. But I seem to end up with more energy.

I can do a reading anytime, anywhere. No conditions. The trappings seem to be just that, trappings, for me. I don't have a huge amount of rituals, bar that i ask people to cut with their left hand (or right if they are left handed).

Of course...it will vary depending on the situation...but here's my usual rundown.

First thing I do is take out the cards and hold them/shuffle them while I try to figure out the person in front of me.
Are they just curious? Do they have a burning question? Are they going to tell me what it is...or make me guess? Are they old pros at this, or is this theier first time having a reading?

The question I invariably end up asking is...

Have you ever had a reading before?

And this gives me straight away, an idea behind the motivation.

Sometimes, at this point...I will let them hold the deck for a moment. Sometimes not.
If I have a spread cloth with me, I will use it...otherwise I just find a nice clean space.

I then ask them if they have a burning question that needs answering, or would they like a general spread to see what is going on.

I like to do general spreads...because sometimes, what the querant needs to know..and what they want to know are not necessarily the same thing!

I do my general...and during it I keep asking...Does that resonate? Does this sound like what is going on with you?

If they had a question. besides this..or if it needed to come out, they will ask it during the reading...but more often than not, all they wanted to know is answered in my general spread.

If there is still something they have a burning desire to know about...it usually comes out, at the end of the reading...and it usually is about some future thing like...will I have any kids? or will I ever get married? Which is something I can speculate on (based on what I now know about them from the reading) but which is usually too far away to really answer.

And then I thank them for letting me in to their lives, and I give them some token to take with them...a crystal, or a talisman, or something little to keep, and to signal that the reading is over, and no more questions!

hope that helps!

Plop myself down on the bed. Think of the question which needs to be asked. Shuffle and as I cut the deck I say either in my head or aloud "Give me guidence from above to below, through these hands through these cards".

Chronata said:

I like to do general spreads...because sometimes, what the querant needs to know..and what they want to know are not necessarily the same thing!

Click to expand...

I agree. This is why often times I try to think in more general terms (such as a topic, theme, etc) rather than narrowing it down to a particular, specific question. It depends on the situation though. Over all, I do find that it works better for me to look at the whole spread as a picture and to not get too caught up in what each position is supposed to mean. To look outside of the box, to give the cards a chance to "breathe" and let the cards speak to me in their own way.

No matter what though, the beginning of a reading, for me, is about being open and ready, to just let go and let the cards do their thing.

It's kind of like that scene in "The Matrix:"

Neo: Morpheus, the Oracle.... she told me--
Morpheus: She told you exactly what you needed to hear. That's all. Sooner or later, Neo, you're going to realize just as I did the difference between knowing the path and walking the path.

Well I only read for others over the Internet, in fact I am about to open a web site and go professional doing that. So the question of the querent saying the question out loud does not apply as they are not there.

That being said what I do do: I do my readings (Tarot/Oracle/Runes) at my Tarot table. I light a scented candle and stare into its flame to meditate and calm myself. Just before I start, I ask for help. I stop and really feel in my heart the desire to help the person the reading is for. Then I tend to say something (usually just in my head) like "So and so needs help with this issue and I would like to help him/her. Please send me the information that can best help him/her and the wisdom to understand it in the best way."

I repeat the question in my mind (and sometimes when I use a spread, the spread positions) in my head a few times as I shuffle.

After shuffling, I separate the deck into three piles with my right hand, then hold my left hand over each to see which pile feels like it is giving off more heat or energy. Once I have decided which that is, I recombine piles with the the chosen pile on top and pick the cards off the top. Needless to say, if I have chosen to use reversals in the reading, before I shuffle, I separate the deck into two, put one pile upside down over the other that is still right side up and then shuffle.

Once my cards are chosen, I just write down which cards have come up and where and which were reversed. Then I take a picture of each card with my digital camera and transfer the images to my computer. I like to include images of the cards with my reading as the querent is not there at the time, and I know if it were me I would be curious to see how the cards looked.


Then lately I just take the cards straight over to the computer to be worked on.

Bar

I only read for myself or in the reading circles on this site but all I do is make sure Im relaxed and have plenty of time for the reading.

I like to take a few deep breaths to help relax my mind, body and soul.

I also make sure before hand that I wont be interrupted.

I like to know nothing about a person before they come for a reading so I have no pre-conceived ideas about them or their past.

I simply like to meet them new and see where we go from the outset.

No background just go right in.

I also like them to simply answer with a Yes or No no other information and that can sidetrack you if you get into an energy cycle or train of thought.

At the end of every reading, I try and let it go as a moment in time but also look at how I can improve in the future.

On face to face readings I don't want any information except I ask if they have had readings before and that they can ask questions at any time and if I can answer I will. I ask my guides to come close.

On internet/Email readings I usually get comfy on my bed with my laptop and all my cards and light a scented candle. Then I layout the cards that they have chosen (I don't shuffle cards, they choose numbers which I relate to cards) I ask my guides to come close and off I go I just type away. The only information I need is if they are male or female and if they want me to concentrate on a certain area i.e. relationship.

I just try and get as comfy as possible, usually my dog comes and sits beside me she even sometimes picks out the odd card or two.