What To Do
Before You Read

by Yvonne Rathbone
©1998

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It's a good idea to create a little space for yourself before you read.  This creates a magical atmosphere, the best kind for understanding the universe.  There are as many ways to do this as there are readers, so experiment with some of the ideas below to find the way that feels best to you.  Feel free to make up your own ritual.  The idea here is just to get grounded and calm your mind.

Grounding:

A good grounding will make you feel like you are standing on solid ground, that you have the whole Earth backing you up and that you are safe.

 

Grounding means that you connect your energy to the Earth.  This serves the same purpose as a grounding rod.  Energy you take in to read the cards gets moved through you and into the Earth.  Any energy you need gets pulled up through the cleansing Earth for you to use.

For the most common form of grounding, imagine a beam of your own energy extending from the base of your spine and going down deep into the Earth.  Breathe in and draw up energy from the Earth.  Breathe out and imagine energy going back into the Earth along this beam.

You may allow any negative energy to drain into the Earth.  None of your energy, or any energy you might need to pass through yourself is inherently bad.  It may be negative for you because of its particular manifestation and its relationship to you, but to the Earth it,s all just building blocks of energy that can be broken down and reused for all sorts of wonderful purposes.  So let it drain into the Earth where it can be composted and reused for good.

Centering:

A good centering will make you feel open and powerful, aware of yourself and your relationship to others.

It,s also important to center yourself.  Centering means that we position ourselves in the Universe.  It,s important to do this before any magical or ritual work because when we do this work, we work on other planes of reality besides the mundane one we are most familiar with.  When we center ourselves, we mark where we are so that we can always come back.

There are many ways people use to center themselves and it may take a little experimentation to find a method that really works for you.  One way is to draw up green energy from the Earth into your Heart Chakra.  Your Heart Chakra is located in the center of your chest next to your heart.  It is the energy center of your being and the place in your body through which you experience unconditional love and compassion.

Tarot Reading Ritual:

Once you have grounded and centered yourself, you can move into your tarot reading ritual.  This is a ritual that you yourself will develop over time as you gain more experience in reading.  Your ritual might begin and end with grounding and centering yourself.  Or it might involve prayers, lighted candles, purification baths and incense.  Regardless of what you find works for you, your tarot ritual will work to alert all parts of your being that you are now doing a tarot reading.  Your psychic centers will open up, your mind will focus on the task at hand, your subconscious and your conscious mind will work together.

Ideas For A Tarot Ritual
Rub your hands together and then hold them over the cards.  Imagine a field of energy building up between your hands and the cards.
Say a prayer asking for guidance from the Goddess, God, your higher self, an angel or whatever form of the divine that appeals to you.
Meditate.  Take a moment to listen to your breath.  You can also visualize yourself surrounded by golden light.  Or do something Zen and empty your mind of thought for a few moments.
Prepare your physical space by laying out a favorite cloth to read on, burn incense, or light a candle of a particular color that connects with what you want from the reading.

 

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