What to Expect in a Tarot Reading (From Someone Who's Done Thousands)

If your only reference point for tarot is a movie scene with a mysterious woman in a dark room whispering about "a dark stranger," let me set the record straight.

A good tarot reading is more like a really productive therapy session than a séance. No incense is required (though I'm not against it). No one is summoning anything. And if a tarot reader tells you you're cursed and need to pay them to remove it — run. That's a scam, not a reading.

Before Your Tarot Reading

Come with an open mind and, ideally, a question or area of focus. You don't have to share it with your reader, but having one helps you get more out of the experience. Good questions sound like:

• What do I need to know about this situation?

• What am I not seeing about my relationship/career/next step?

• What should I focus on for the next few months?

Avoid questions that start with "when" or "will" — tarot is better at illuminating what's happening beneath the surface than pinning dates on a calendar.

During Your Tarot Reading

Your reader will shuffle the cards (or have you shuffle them), lay them out in a spread, and interpret what comes up. A skilled reader connects the cards to your actual life — not generic platitudes that could apply to anyone.

A few things that might surprise you:

• It can get emotional. The cards have a way of cutting through the noise and landing on exactly what you've been avoiding. Tears are normal and nothing to be embarrassed about.

• "Scary" cards aren't scary. The Death card doesn't mean someone is dying. The Tower doesn't mean your life is falling apart. These cards signal transformation and necessary endings — which is usually good news, even when it doesn't feel like it.

• You might not get the answer you wanted. That's often the point.

What to Do After a Tarot Reading

Give yourself time to sit with what came up. Don't make major decisions immediately — let it percolate. Journal about it. Talk to someone you trust. The insights from a reading tend to unfold over days and weeks, not in the moment.

How to Find a Good Tarot Reader

Look for someone with experience, clear ethics, and a style that resonates with you. Word of mouth is still the best referral. And if a reader's website is mostly fear-based language about "urgent warnings" and "cosmic emergencies" — keep scrolling.

All of my tarot readings are done on Zoom so it can be recorded, because it’s too much information to write down or remember. We address every area of your life and there’s always time at the end for questions (what you want to know about in your tarot reading is usually addressed in the main spread, which is why questions are left until the end, but there’s always time at the end to pull more cards). Learn more about a reading with me here.