How-to Guides · 4 min · 2026-07-18
Once you've clarified your question and chosen a spread, you move into the essential steps: shuffling, cutting, drawing cards, and interpretation. Each phase carries its own weight and specific practice—all designed to help you connect directly with the energy of what you're asking.
Who does this: The person asking the question must cut the deck.
Why: Cutting reveals the mental state of the querent regarding their question. Only when the querent cuts does the reading truly reflect their innermost thoughts.
How to do it: After the deck has been gathered and turned vertical, the querent lifts away any packet (thick or thin, no rules) and sets it aside. The card at the bottom of the packet they just removed is the cut card.
Once the reader notes this card's information, the original deck is placed on top of the removed packet, then all are reassembled to continue.
Who does this: The querent draws the cards.
How to do it: Fan the deck face-down (like an open hand) and ask the querent to draw the required number of cards. Which hand they use—left or right—doesn't matter. Eyes open or closed makes no difference.
Why the querent must draw: You want the cards to reflect information that flows directly from their actual situation, not information filtered through a middleman. When the querent physically touches the deck, they form the most direct energetic connection to their question.
Two important notes:
1. Don't flip cards too early: Ideally, don't turn cards face-up immediately after drawing them. This can shift the querent's emotional state while they're still drawing additional cards.
2. If two cards come out together: Occasionally the querent will draw two cards at once. Ask which one came out first, which came out second—order matters.
Once all cards have been drawn, arrange them in sequence according to your chosen spread. Then turn them face-up from left to right (or following your spread's designated order) and begin to read.
Read deeper
Reference: zhihu.com — Tarot Reading Guide (Part 2)
Reading note: Check these meanings against the cards beside them before settling on one keyword.
Source: Zhihu
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