Phew, this thread has got me confused too....
Honestly, stick to reading the cards in the reading and when you have years of experience behind you and the card meanings are like a second language to you that you're fluent in, start adding things in like quint cards.. Those things are meant to help you to go deeper but they're for experienced readers who can read the cards without problems...
In my opinion new readers just get confused when they try to add all of these more advanced techniques into their readings.. There's enough to focus on without added extras..
Ask your question and lay out the cards; I'd suggest 3 cards.
If you really want some added guidance then give the positions in your spread meanings to really help you to focus on what each card is saying:
Past, Present, Future,
Situation, Challenge / Problem, Advice,
Challenge / Problem, Advice, Outcome...
Option 1, Something to consider, option 2
etc, etc, etc...
The variations you can come up with are endless and the fewer cards you use, the more you'll have to focus on each one and the deeper you'll go...
Write down your readings and go back to them often...
Have fun with it