FAQ - Tarot reading rituals - info please!

I don't have any "set" rituals. I rely mainly on shuffling my cards and making sure I am comfortable when doing the reading. And honestly, it really is how I feel at that moment that will determine what I do. I can read at my dining room table with candles lit and the lights dimmed, or read on my sofa while watching TV.
If I am doing a reading for someone, and that individual is present, I will make it a little bit more formal that reading on the couch!
I have heard that the reader "should" be sitting in the Northern most point of the circle or table (so... the reader is facing South). I have never tried this, or even known anyone who has.

About rituals!!

Me, I usually start my readings with a little prayer to enlighten me. And i think this really work in my case. I also bought the five-element candles and I think it helps too. Then shuffle the cards till I feel they want me to stop.

You know, I've been wanting to get one candle for my tarot eadings to sort of focus on and let all my worries and such burn away with, but, I kept forgetting....thanks for reminding me, now I can go into my candles and determine which one I don't use yet.

I do my readings mostly on the internet in my aol chat room

I use 3 candles, insense and music..
I relax for awhile before I go into my chat room, then I sit and kinda see what I pick up on vibes then I'll start doing readings.. Sometimes I do 5 to 10 readings on Friday & Saturday evenings...My chat room is Tarot & Pyschicson aol

I treat it like any other endeavor that requires cognitive thought.

I clear my workspace, take a deep breath and I dive into it.

I simply take a couple of deep breaths, shuffle, and start right in . . . whether I'm reading for myself or for someone else.

I almost always light a white candle on my altar(picture of The Virgin Mary and child Jesus,statues of St.Thérèse of Lisieux,and angels).I also pray for help.I shuffle the deck until it splits "by itself",then deal from the top.Cards that fall out included in reading.

Most of the time I do like Annabelle, I take a deep breath and start the reading, whether for myself or for others. Most of my querents know me and I am prepared to give readings anywhere. So if I do a reading in a cafe, a park, at home with the querent I don't burn incense or candles of course. When somebody is new to tarot I invite them into my house and make a little preparation. Some vanilla incense, some small candles, something to drink, music (classic or oceansounds or whatever they like) if they prefer so, and off we go. I always start my day with some yoga exercises and that is how I feel prepared for the rest of the day, including doing tarot readings.

Blessings

Aerten said:

I clean my room and wash my hands and face before doing a reading. I hate reading in messy space, and the water sort of acts to refresh myself.

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Hurrah, someone else who washes their hands before a reading! I can't stand the thought of anything grubby touching my cards, so I make sure my hands are clean, as well as whatever surface I'm going to be reading on. It's not much of a ritual, but there you go.

confusing an old man here ...

I saw this thread and saw that I started it ... and had no recollection of doing so ... and saw the date said 2001 !!! Thought I had had an Alzheimer's moment ....