(I do not always use rituals, but sometimes I feel I would benefit from a bit more presence, so i do something similar to the following. alot of times, i just wing it, especially if i am relaxed and lucid)
Four things things bind us all:
Unrestricted Breath as life. Ahhh
The shape we give it as our actions. Ooooo
The wisdom to keep our mouths shut. Mmmmm
Light by which to guide our vision.
Light a candle (raw beeswax for me, nonscented) and take in deep breath. hold it in comfortable and focus on the top of your head and the bottoms of your feet as your grasp your hands and and curl your toes. Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth...
and give a good Ahhhh---ooooooo-----mmmmmm. Let the mouth shape these and measure them evenly.
Lighting a candle is to the brain as psychologically activating as the dead space delta patterns you get after 2 hours of tv. Out of respect for myself and my actions as part of a gift passed through humanity, as I light the candle, I say "I light this candle for those who came before me, those who walk with me, and those who will follow." This is the continuity of my interaction with humanity.
Then I begin a light physical ritual, notes below.
The top of your head is your pituatary body, which regulates need for society, self-indentity, sexual expression, hunger and and sleep; as well as our sense of direction and proper interpretations of our senses as a whole. This is generally what guides us through life.
The bottom of your feet are generally the connecting point for your path in the world, unless you are incapable of walking. I also interlock fingers (palms ooutward with a gentle stretch - almost like you are trying to crack your knuckles, palms outward) to close the loop of my nervous system in my extremities, so to speak. You stimulate the entire passages of those nerves, which are wired through the whole body, and the spinal column connected to the cerebral cortex where the left and right "halves" of the brain share data.
The tongue is the location of more nerve endings than anywhere else common to the body of male and female. It is internal and as you stimulate the outside of the nerve endings and the internal ones (by this and other methods), you cause the brain to produce adrenochrome. My goal in all this is to activate the nervous system, stimulate the brain, make the body become aware of itself, and intake a good bit of oxygen. This produces a liminal state, where the brain is working in a highly lucid state, when done correctly. It is scientifically verifiable, and also practiced in sacred systems.
In this position I take several deep breaths, and *feel* the presence of mind.
The Ah, ooo, and mmm, serve to vibrate the larynx, the inside of the mouth, and the lips. making delivery of words easier, and relaxing the voice and mind for lucid speech. If one relaxes the mouth, it impacts even inner speech.
Then, out of respect for my ability and humility, I say, "May there be wisdom in in me, that I may have the Wisdom to see the Wisdom in these cards."
This is a simple affirmation that Wisdom is threefold, What I see, What others See, and what is being Shown. Then I pick the cards up and shuffle them.
It doesn't guarantee you get a good reading, but it does mean that the chances are higher, I will experience an oracular frame of mind. There are no overt religious elements to this at all, and most can be verified easily. The one assumption, as I was taught, is that Jupiter rules the liver. Jupiter is attributed the the Fortune Card, the Wheel of Tarot itself. The liver is one of the most vital organs in the body, and the one most commonly read sacrificial organs in ancient cultures for the portents and omens. This is because the liver was seen as the seat of life, while the heart was considered more like what people consider the "mind".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruspicy
In theory I employ, things are referred to as chakras. But here is the skinny - the liver is controlled by the Prostatic Ganglion (which is different in men and women, but does exist in both). This is how the Svaddisthana, the prostatic ganglion) is connected to the 3rd eye, Ajna Chakra - The Pineal Gland. This means the central core of the psyche and the sense of inclusion in the world, and the means of interacting with it are all in your awareness. This means that instinctually you are as much as getting answers, you are programming the body with directives... in theory, based on your psychic language and how it is attuned to Tarot.
Candle-light enables a frame of mind and gives a visual focus, as you hyper-oxygenate the blood with regular breathing. This relaxes the optic nerves and allows for the mind to take in large amounts of visual data without much strain. I employ breathing regulated by heartbeat and note changes to it, based on cards. I leave my left hand sitting with a pen and paper for notes, or involuntary kintetic reactions. I try to forget it is there.
It is a bit to set up at first, but it is useful to get my brain set up, body in focus, and to use Tarot as a tool for direction of health, relationships, intimacy, and prosperity. I do not take books into a reading. I treat the cards like they happened for a reason, and they will or won't reveal themselves to me. Alot of this i did as a kid alot, before I knw it *might* be useful according to biopsychology.
Now, if it could just cure my dyslexia! lol