What to Expect During a Tarot Reading with Me

If you don’t know me yet, or we’ve never met before — hi, my name is Bayley.

I first started messing around with tarot cards when I was about eight years old. My mother had an old deck she’d show me every now and then, until eventually I started borrowing it more and more… until finally I got my own.

I grew up in a tiny Catholic community in the middle of nowhere, Ontario, Canada. The first time my mom read my cards, she told me not to tell anyone in case people thought we were witches.

Sorry, Mom.

Every reader approaches tarot differently, so I thought I’d share a little about my process and what a reading with me actually feels like.

When I read in my home, I’ll usually light incense, a candle, or both. Readings have evolved over the years — from bedroom floors and bathroom counters at house parties to beautifully arranged tables, soft lighting, and carefully chosen card mats.

If I’m reading for myself, the process looks very different than when I read for someone else. Reading for myself is usually simple: knocking on the deck and asking the Universe and my guides, “What do I need to know?” Then shuffling until the answer finds its way to the surface.

Reading for others tends to be more intentional.

Typically, I’ll have the client shuffle the deck themselves. Some readers think that’s a little unusual, but I like people to shuffle their own energy into the cards.

Even though I own many decks, I still do most of my readings with my very first one: the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

That deck has travelled everywhere with me. It’s lived in purses, backpacks, glove compartments, and beside countless cups of coffee and late-night conversations. She’s seen some things.

At one point, a drink exploded in my bag and soaked every single card. I sat there with a hair dryer, carefully drying all seventy-eight of them one by one. Some of the backs are peeling now. Some are bent. Some are ripped slightly at the edges.

I know this deck like an old friend.

That’s another reason I like clients to shuffle — they don’t know the cards the way I do.

Once we’re satisfied with the shuffle, I’ll have you split the deck into three piles and place them back together however feels right to you. From there, you’ll choose the cards for your reading from anywhere in the deck.

Then the real magic begins.

Together, we break down the symbolism, patterns, and messages within the cards. Tarot readings often tell a story — about where you’ve been, where you are, and where your energy may be leading you.

But one of the most important things I believe about tarot is this:

The cards are guidance, not a prison sentence.

We always have choices.We always have free will.Sometimes the cards simply help us see ourselves more clearly.

And sometimes, being truly seen changes everything.