Let's first avoid the problem of watered-down answers. You know, those kinds of readings where you see someone, they say a bunch of things that sort of resonate, and despite haven talked a lot, you only have one or two takeaways.
As legendary tarot reader Ruth Ann Amberstone says, "A skilled reader should listen carefully to the querent's questions, clarify the questions to find out what you really want to know, and make sure those questions are answered to the best of their ability. This process should include an ongoing dialogue to make sure the querent is getting what they need from the session and to address any additional questions as they come up."
Different tarot readers have different styles, but it's typically more productive for the querent to tell the tarot reader their question, and as much background information as possible so that the tarot reader knows what to look for, what might be relevant. It saves everyone the time of a reader saying "well if you're wondering about love generally, _, or career..."
Discussing the question also allows the tarot reader to help clarify the question together. Perhaps together you can make it less vague, and therefore give a less ambiguous answer. (Of course, be sensitive to your querent, don't make them uncomfortable.)
Things to ask to clarify the question:
If you really don't know what to ask, you can always rely on "What does ____ need to know right now?" Or I like to generally ask "What does the universe want to tell ____ right now?" You can always pick categories like one card for love, one for career, home, friends, etc, and if anything interesting emerges, draw more cards to elaborate on one of those. (Personally, if there's time, I think it would be great to do a spread on all 12 of the astrological houses.) More on tarot spreads here.
Sometimes the querent just doesn't want to say their question and hopes it comes up without them saying it. This should be revealed in their energy and body language. If this is the case, read the cards with as much compassion as possible.
Make sure you are asking exactly what you want. There's an example where an activist was in the midst of a racial discrimination case, and the question was: "Will my efforts to fight for what I believe is right be decided in my favor?" The cards said yes (Judgement, Justice, 7 of Wands, 9 of Cups), but he lost the case. It's because tarot took the long view, and overall, his efforts will continue and he will ultimately succeed.
âYou may have seen the Tarot presented as a means of telling the future â even changing it â but the cards are actually most useful for reflection and empowered decision-making. From this vantage, Tarot can only aid on your journey to fulfillment.â
There is a very valid question here: Why do most readings focus so much on what you already know instead of things that only a psychic can know, like the future? It can feel like therapy.
Amberstone believes that the cards themselves do not have powers, the reader does. The purpose of the cards is twofold: The first is to provide a focus for any intuitive or natural psychic abilities you have. The second is to give you a vocabulary of interpretations and symbols for expressing your impressions.
Not all tarot readers are alike. Each has a different talent. Make sure that you talk to your tarot reader before the session to see what their approach is. Make sure you're seeing a psychic for future-related inquiries. Tarot really shines with guidance and self-discovery.
There are four main parts of a reading:
If they (or you lol) lose interest mid-reading, Amberstone will re-engage by showing them a card and asking them to interpret it, see what comes to mind. That's a similar strategy for if you draw a blank: ask the querent. If worst comes to worst and neither of you have anything to say (which is rare), you can always say "We'll come back to this one later."
Court cards: The sixteen "people" cards divided into four suits. Commonly, they're the Page, Knight, Queen, and King. They generally refer to the self or others, or their roles, masks, and subpersonalities, or as a mode of acting. They may infrequently refer to situations encountered.
Elements: Fire, water, air, and earth. The Western occult metaphysical essential building blocks of the universe. The typical elemental correspondences are: Wands-Fire (desire, energy, inspiration, self-growth, impulse), Cups-Water (emotion, relationship, imagination, reflection), Swords-Air (thought, conflict, discrimination, problem-solving), and Pentacles-Earth (physical manifestation, security, worth, result).
Major Arcana: The twenty-two suitless cards from 0 to 21 (The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, etc). They depict allegorical scenes. They usually refer to principles, lessons, and major life events.
Minor Arcana: The fifty-six cards with suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) numbered Ace through Ten (Pip cards), with four Court cards (see above). They tpically refer to events, situations, or people encountered. Minor, daily life problems.
Pip Cards: The forty Minor Arcana non-Court cards (Ace through Ten).
Trumps/Triumphs: Another term for the Major Arcana, stemming from Northern Italy, where the cards were called I Trionfi. It relates to their role in card games, where they could triumph over all the other cards. It may refer to Petrarch's poem Trionfi.