Developing your own reading style in tarot can take some time and practice. As I say to all my tarot students, “Practice is just as essential as the theory and without practice your own unique style will not develop”. Regular practice of the tarot will enhance your tarot skills tenfold.
I encourage you to let the cards speak to you personally and honestly about your life, before you read the meanings the accompanying book. Let yourself be in conversation with your inner self and tell a story about what it might mean for you based on the image you see in the card. Apply it to your lived experiences and build rapport with your inner being, be honest with yourself. The answer is always correct.
Once you have had dialogue with your inner self, look for the meaning in the book and apply that to your current circumstances for an alternative perspective and add another layer of meaning. Apply the book interpretation to whatever is happening in your lived experience and again, have honest dialogue with your inner self. You can’t get it wrong; you are developing trust in yourself and your psychic abilities.
The more honest you are with yourself on how you’re feeling, thinking and what you’re perceiving, will develop your psychic abilities.
Here are 3 common and unique reading styles, which you may utilise all 3 in your reading style. Which one do you prefer?
1. The Analytic Style: Everything in the cards stands for something regarding the ‘personality’ of the querent. We read one card at a time and each card is analysed for its multiple levels of meaning. Personal associations are encouraged. The querent walks away with A LOT of information that requires further introspection and contemplation: they get to make meaning of the reading based on the analysis of the symbology contained in each of the cards.
2. The Therapeutic Style: Based on reflection and feeling, counselling style. The reader asks the querent to reflect on the cards, to speak about how it feels to gaze upon the images. The reader listens and mirrors the readings, reflecting their response back to them, summarising, paraphrasing, and honouring their interpretation. The reader may ask the querent about how the card impacts internally, “What is coming up for you, what do you see, think and feel?” Traditional meanings are discouraged and personal connection to the images are encouraged. This is the therapeutic container and the client can explore the cards at their own pace. It’s great for kids!
3. The Psychic Style: This is based on psychic intuition, tuning into the imagination (sight) and subtle sensory feelings. As the reader, you are encouraged to go with your feelings, gut instinct, hunches that are triggered by the cards. The content is channelled by an ‘inner guide’, a divined reading, where there is a great value of trust placed on the creative energy as impressions through the sensory channels of the body, heart, and soul of the reader. The talented intuitive reader will convey subtle insights about the querent without even looking at the cards at all! People will often refer to themselves as clairvoyants, psychics, etc. (rather than tarot readers), as they develop this reading style.
