How to Prepare Yourself to Read Tarot Cards
The Tarot is a deck of 78 picture cards that has been used for centuries to reveal the hidden truths. The Tarot can help you understand yourself better and teach you how to tap your inner resources more confidently. You do not have to have psychic powers to use the Tarot successfully. All you need is the willingness to honor and develop your natural intuition. The environment of a Tarot reading includes the physical setting and your internal state. There are five inner qualities that are beneficial. These are as follows :
Being Open
This actually means being receptive. It is an attitude of allowing - being willing to take in what is offered without denial or rejection. Be being open, you give yourself the chance to receive what you need to know.
Being Calm
It is hard to hear the whispers of your inner guide when you are in turmoil. Tarot messages often arrive as gentle hints and realizations that can be easily overwhelmed by a restless mind. When you are calm, you are like a peaceful sea in which every ripple of insight can be perceived.
Being Focused
Focus is very important for a Tarot reading. Whenever you feel a question strongly, you receive a direct and powerful message. When you are scattered and confused, the cards tend to be the same. Your most insightful readings will be those you do when the desire is very strong.
Being Alert
When you are alert, all your faculties are alive and awake. A cat is alert when it is watching a mouse or bug. Of course, you won’t be pouncing on your cards, but you will find them difficult to read if you are tired or bored.
Being Respectful
This means treating the cards as you would any valued tool. You acknowledge their role in helping you understand yourself better. You honor the choice you have made in deciding to learn the Tarot and handle the cards accordingly.
Even though these five qualities are important, they are not necessary. You can have a meaningful reading without them, but it may be more difficult. The best way to decide if the time is right for a reading is to look inside. If something feels wrong, postpone the effort, but if your inner sense says go ahead, then all is well.
Never finish the reading on a discouraging note. If the cards are bad, indicate how the person can overcome the problems by work, study, right application, better health care or by putting more love and compassion in the relationships. Reading the Tarot is a great responsibility. It gives you the opportunity to help others gain an insight into what may be holding them back from their fullest self expression. Giving a discouraging reading with no hope held out for the future is a cruel and pointless thing to do.