Exercise 1: What is your ritual for setting up to do a reading, if you have one at all. Why do you do what you do?
Exercise 2: Reversals: Select three cards you feel comfortable with as far as really knowing the definition. Try interpreting them in reversals following methods 2-6. Be sure to record your experience with each. Does one seem more natural? Does one way seem right? Do you even like using reversals?
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Read Time and the Tarot
Exercise 3: Give some thought to the different ways one can use the tarot to get a time estimate. Do you feel comfortable with any of these. How will you reference time in your readings?
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Practice, practice, practice
I suggest when you are starting that you keep your deck with you. The best way to get good at Tarot readings is to just to them. Constantly. For everyone. Sooner or later, you will find your groove. I used to do 5-carde spreads for myself during commercial breaks just to practice reading. Practice different spreads, including no spreads. Which work for you? Which do you feel comfortable doing? How do you like to do readings? Do you like to shuffle cards and pull from the top or do you like to spread them out and chose them at random? Don't be afraid to experiment. There is no right or wrong way to do a reading. Develop your own flair and make your mark.
If you find reading isn't getting easier over time, don't fret. Sometimes the answer is that you are not using the right deck. The more you learn about the cards, the pickier you will be when it comes to which cards you use. Also, some people find it very difficult to do readings for themselves or close friends because it is hard to be objective and not project your wants and desires onto the cards. And sometimes, maybe Tarot reading isn't your thing. There is nothing wrong with that either. We all have different talents. I can do some really great Tarot readings, but put Runes in front of me and I am lost.
Now I know you are all ready to jump right in but I am going ask you to bear with me just a little while longer as we ease into readings.
Exercise 3: Card a day/night:
Pull a card each day. Jot down the card's meaning. Then at the end of the day, pull out your journal again to see how this card manifested during your day. Note your thoughts.
If you are one of those people who read your horoscope in the morning and then become determined to have that manifest during the day, you should try the card a night option. At the end of the day, draw a card that would represent the lesson or situation you were to learn from today (make sure this is what you are thinking while shuffling). Write the definition of the card you pulled. What lesson do you think you were to have learned? How did that lesson manifest itself? How did you handle it?
Feel free to do both of these exercises if you wish. Many advanced Tarot readers continue to pull a card a day/night as a way to focus their energy for the day.
Exercise 4: Two-card draw: Energy spread.
This is also a great way to start the day. Again, be sure to jot down the definition of the card (even if it is only a key word or a phrase) and the end of the day results in your journal.
While shuffling the cards, ask the spirits what you will need to know about the energy of the day. Draw 2 cards.
Card 1 = The energy you will be dealing with
Card 2 = How you can make this energy work for you.
