5 Essential Tips for Anyone Going to Their First Tarot Reading, According to Tarot Experts

What comes to mind when you think of tarot cards? If you've never had experience with tarot before, you probably picture a fortuneteller at a carnival or some prophecy-seeing mystic in a Halloween movie. But tarot is so much different than most of what we've seen in the movies or what we might expect. So, if you're thinking about going to a reader, we've got five tips for your first tarot reading, according to tarot experts.

"Tarot is a set of special cards that can be used to access intuitive information," Madame Pamita, a tarot reader and best-selling author, shares with Parade. "In a tarot session, a question is asked and the tarot reader deals the cards at random. The reader then interprets the images, symbols and other details of the cards to provide helpful spiritual guidance."

A tarot reading can be used as a meditation device or an intuitive way to interpret different situations going on in your life. It can help you understand why something is happening or what you're feeling. Tarot can give insight, which is why it can be so appealing to people.

If you're one of those people and are interested in getting a tarot reading done, but don't know what to expect, we have five essential tips for your first tarot card reading, with help from three experts.

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Why Do People Get Tarot Readings?

All three of our tarot experts have told Parade that there are tons of reasons why people get tarot readings done or subscribe to the practice of tarot. Madame Pamita, author of Magical Tarot and other books, shares that someone might just want “clarity on a confusing issue” or they might want validation that they’re making the right choices or going down the right path.

Theresa Reed—an author and tarot expert also known as The Tarot Lady who has over 40 years of experience in reading tarot and astrology charts—explains that some people do use it because they have questions about their future, which is a practice called divination. But again, a really common way to use tarot is to get a better understanding of certain aspects of your life.

“People usually get readings because they are having trouble navigating situations or even just life without insight or guidance from someone or something else,” Cassandra Snow, tarot expert and writer, shares with Parade. “This is so normal and we live in a society that tells us to figure things out ourselves. Spiritually, that’s not always what we need. When it is, the cards will tell you that! Sometimes we really are missing pieces of information or ways of thinking about things that can make everything [freshly] click.”

To choose a good tarot reader, make sure you read testimonials online or get a good recommendation from a trusted friend. Reed, whose book The Cards You’re Dealt: How to Deal When Life Gets Real - A Tarot Guidebook is coming out in October, has shared tips on what to look for to spot a tarot scammer with Parade previously. Essentially you just want to look for money-grabbing or inauthentic behavior.

“A good reader provides an outside perspective on a topic and when we are unsure, it can be tremendously helpful to get honest and objective advice from someone who is not directly involved in the situation,” Madame Pamita says. “Even as a reader, I like to go to other trusted readers to get a sense of clarity when I am in the middle of a situation. Seeing the situation from another viewpoint always seems to help me come up with action plans and solutions.” A fantastic reader will give you guidance, not just explanations, she says.

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5 Tips for Your First Tarot Card Reading, According to Tarot Experts

Now that you know why someone might seek out a tarot reading or what tarot can provide in terms of advice, you might be more interested in getting a reading done. But if you've never gotten a tarot reading before, it might be intimidating, as most unknown things are.

There are definitely certain things you should know or do before your first tarot card reading so that you get the most out of it (and so that you don’t annoy the reader). For instance, a spontaneous or highly skeptical reading is not really a great environment for the best experience. Here are the rest of the tips!

1. Come when you’re calm

“I recommend coming when you’re not frantic,” Reed shares. “If you’re bent out of shape, you’re far more likely to hear what you want to hear rather than what the reader is trying to tell you. Don’t arrive impaired for the same reason. You need to be clear-headed.”

Madame Pamita gave similar advice, noting that even though it might feel necessary to get clarity on a new or evolving emotional situation, you should wait.

“Fifteen minutes after you get a break-up text may not be the ideal time to do a reading on your love life,” Madame Pamita shares. “Wait until you are calm and at least a little centered so that you are able to receive the information the reader will share with you. “

2. Be specific

You also want to be specific about why you’re going into a reading. Reed explains that this “ensures you’re walking away with useful information” instead of not telling the reader what you want insight on.

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3. Know what you want to get out of the reading

This is very much in the same vein of “be specific,” but knowing the problem or issue you want answered before going into your reading is important.

“Wanting a general reading or for the reader to guide it is totally fine, but you should still know what you want,” Snow, who wrote Queering the Tarot, suggests. “When you think of getting a reading, are you wanting to see into the future? Are you struggling [to make] decisions or [understand] a situation? There are no wrong answers but it’s important to get your own goals stated, at least to yourself, out of it.”

Pamita says that she sees tarot readings as Google Maps or Waze. “They can tell you the fastest route to your success, but you are the one who has to drive the car,” she says.

4. Be open-minded

Of course, when you’re asking another person for answers or help with something, you’re not always going to hear back things that you like. That’s why it’s important to be open-minded and know that you might not get the answers you were expecting or want.

“The best headspace to be in for your first reading is an open-minded one, where you’ll be open to anything the reader has to say even if it’s not the outcome you’d ideally have,” Snow says. “It’s really hard to do readings for people who insist that a certain desire or impulse is the only way forward for them and have the cards not support that at all.”

5. Find a reader you connect with

Just like you read Google or Yelp reviews about a potential doctor or salon you want to go to, you want to make sure that you choose a tarot reader who is reputable and who you align with. This, unfortunately, might not be discernible until after your first reading, but Madame Pamita shares that if your reader says something that makes you feel off or uncomfortable, find another one. “Get a second opinion on that topic from another reader,” she suggests.

She also notes to be weary of free readings or inexperienced readers who might just fake advice or answers to make money. She recommends using readers who offer in-person or virtual video options because if they don’t offer it they might not be the real deal.

There you have it! Whether you found a reader on TikTok or Instagram, or you have a trustworthy recommendation for a local tarot reader, you now know how to prepare for your first reading. Having a clear, open mind and specific intentions is the best way to be.

Next up, what exactly is tarot? Read on about the history, the cards and more.

Sources

• Madame Pamita (she/her) is a Ukrainian-American witch, teacher, best-selling and award-winning author, candle maker, spellcaster, and tarot reader. She is also the proprietress of the online spiritual apothecary, the Parlour of Wonders (on her website) and lives in Santa Monica, California.

• Cassandra Snow (they/them) is a writer and tarot expert who’s written three books: Queering the Tarot, Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft From the Margins, and Lessons From the Empress co-written with Siri Vincent Plouff.

• Theresa Reed (she/her) is a tarot expert and author who has been reading tarot and astrology charts for over 40 years. She’s written several books about tarot, and her newest book drops on October 2nd: The Cards You’re Dealt: How to Deal When Life Gets Real - A Tarot Guidebook.