At the beginning of each week. At the beginning of each month. At the start of a new year, whether that’s the calendar year or your birthday. When there’s a specific issue, problem, or question you need guidance on.

Take your time and make this step part of your process. It all adds to the experience of doing your tarot reading. Consider burning incense, lighting a special candle, including crystals, or putting out meaningful pictures or objects.

The entire experience of doing a reading is essential, from getting set up and declaring your intentions to pulling a card and reflecting on its meaning. If you make doing a reading part of your daily routine, this can be a great way to calm your mind before a busy day.

What do I need today? What kind of energy do I need to focus on? How can I create more harmony in my life or a specific relationship? What is going on with my love life? What unresolved feelings or habits do I need to address? Keep in mind that tarot readings aren’t about predicting the future, but instead, they offer guidance and challenge you to be more intuitive and reflective.

You don’t have to shuffle your cards the same way each time, though you might like having a set routine or rhythm you follow for your personal readings.

As with shuffling, how you pick a card is a personal preference. Let your intuition guide you.

If you don’t have a booklet that came with your cards, look up the meaning online. Just be careful not to get distracted by emails, messages, or other tasks. For example, if you pick the ace of wands card, you’ll read about the chance for a new opportunity or growth, or a promise of something new coming your way.

Try thinking about how you would explain the card if you were doing a reading for someone else. In some ways, you should treat yourself like a client. [11] X Research source Look at the images, symbols, and colors on the card and think about what stands out to you or draws your eye. For example, if you pulled the three of pentacles, you might notice people working together on the card. This might symbolize a need for more collaboration or teamwork in your creative endeavors or a need for a willingness to listen to others.

This can be as simple as jotting down a few sentences after each reading, or you could use your journal to do more internal searching and write out what you think and feel about the meaning of your card.

For example, if you’re faced with a job promotion that would mean relocating to a new place, your two choices are to take the job and move or not take the job and stay. Either option has positive and negative consequences, and your cards might illuminate either a need for stability and community or that it’s time to spread your wings and make a change.

The 3-card spread can also illuminate how you could tackle a particular conflict or obstacle, like a problem with a friend or a dilemma at work. The first card represents the situation you’re in, the second card highlights the problem, and the third card represents action—a way you can adjust your efforts or energy moving forward. [15] X Research source There are many different spreads to choose from, and you could even make one up yourself.

The first card represents the past—where you’re coming from or what you’ve accomplished or worked through. The second card shows your present situation. The third card represent the future or where you’re heading. The fourth card is advice about what you need, whether that’s something internal you need to focus on or something external you need to do. The fifth card is about the people you’ll need or come into contact with or general advice about how you need to interact with people. The sixth card represents obstacles you might face, whether those are external or internal. The seventh card is the outcome, what you can expect at the summation of the experience, event, or situation.

You could also do this on your birthday for the next year of your life. This is a spread you will want to take notes on to refer back to each month.