Breaking in a new deck

In the past,  people have asked me to do skype readings for them,  and asked me to shuffle the cards,  while they look on,  a world away.  And all I got was mud.  I really need you to shuffle the cards,  that's where the magic lies for me.  So in order to do a reading with me,  you need to have access to a tarot deck.  You can use one you already own,  borrow one from a friend or buy one.  Often people get a new deck solely to have a reading with me.  

I ask that if you get a new deck,  break it out on the day you get it and start shuffling immediately.  It will feel strange. The cards are new and sticky and they are also weirdly large (nearly twice the size of a normal playing card) and it's not easy or smooth to move them around.  

That's why I ask that you shuffle them and rearrange them for about 5 - 10  minutes a day,  three to four days before our reading,  so you get the mechanical order out of the cards,  and get your own energy into them.  

Any way you want to shuffle is fine - some people crack them like card sharks,  some people smoosh them around,  some people are painstakingly thorough,  some people spill them out and pick them up again.  All of these are as good as each other. 

If you are borrowing a deck from a friend, just make sure you shuffle them frequently,  so that they become yours.  And then get your friend to reshuffle them when you return them. 

First reading

If this is your first reading with me - Welcome!  I'm currently in Sydney Australia.  Most of my clients are in New York City.  I now do most of my readings via Skype or FaceTime.  

For me,  the magic of the cards comes through the energy of you shuffling.  So in order to have a reading with me,  you need your own deck of tarot cards.  Any deck will do,  as long as it is a full 78 cards (some of the more decorative decks have fewer cards,  and that doesn't work for me.)  If you are buying a deck in order to have a reading with me,  I recommend you get the Rider Waite Radiant Deck 

My readings usually cost $120 for about an hour.  If you are getting a deck for a reading with me,  I'll buy it for you,  and the reading will only be $100 

Once you have the cards,  we set up an appointment.  Usually after 6 pm for you,  after 9 am the following day for me. (I find time differences weird!)  

You shuffle the cards we start the reading with the Celtic Cross.  I talk you through it,  but essentially you lay out the cards in this shape:

I start with what I call the cold reading,  knowing as little as possible about your current situation,  I go through what the cards tell me.  It usually takes about 5 - 10 minutes.  

Then you get to tell me if you what you thought of it - if you agree/disagree/have questions/have comments and the reading progresses...

I can usually answer about 3 questions during the reading as well. 

I encourage people to record the readings,  as we go through a lot of information, very quickly.  

If any of the cards are especially significant,  I will encourage you to look them up online but especially on my blog.  There is a wealth of information here and every card is gone through in detail. 

After the reading you pay me via paypal. 

I'm so grateful to my repeat clients who have bought their own decks and keep coming back to me for readings, so that even though I am far away,  we feel close. 

Regulars

I have a group of regulars,  people I've read for a few times, who come in once every six months or so to see what's going on.  Some of them have since moved from NYC and I read for them via Skype or Face Time.  Some come around their birthdays,  some as the seasons change. 

This week I had two regulars come to tell me how well their lives are going.  One got the new job we were expecting him to get,  and came to tell me that all his predicted outcomes are happening and how happy he was.  The other came to tell me how life has been since the arrival of her second child,  and how much easier it is this time around.  Neither had any serious questions,  they just wanted to touch base and keep me in the loop. 

I was very touched!

Which Tarot Deck do I use for your reading?

People often ask me which Tarot Decks I prefer.  I own several, but the one I use most consistently for readings is the Rider Waite Deck.  It’s the most popular one, the one that many books are based on – and many other tarot designs play off.  I replace my deck about once a year or sooner if I see they are getting frayed.   I actually use the Rider Waite Radiant, which is identical to the traditional Rider Waite deck but with prettier/brighter colors.

If you are very familiar with the Rider Waite, you might find the New Vision deck by Lo Scarabeo charming – it shows the expected Rider Waite drawings, but from behind, giving them a cheekier perspective.

I love that there are so many variations out there, so many different perspectives to see.  Above is the wonderful Housewives Tarot.  That devil card is perfect!

I have been doing more and more skype readings lately.  I still need you to shuffle the cards, so I encourage people to buy or borrow a deck, then they do the shuffling and lay out and I do the interpretation.  It doesn’t matter to me which deck people use but if you are new to tarot, then the Rider Waite is usually the best place to start.

Phone Readings

I frequently get people calling from all over the place, asking me if I can phone readings.  I’m really sorry, and I have tried in the past, but I don’t get anything from the cards if you haven’t shuffled them. 

I read the cards, and I need you to move them around, so that your energy infuses them. Otherwise, it’s all just mud for me.  I really trust the cards and if they and I ever disagree, I give their voice far more weight – I’m just a person, but the cards – I’ve seen them be accurate far too many times to doubt them!

So if you would like a reading with me, we have to meet face to face, so you can shuffle the cards.

One thing I have tried successfully for clients who have moved away is skype readings.  If they want to continue reading with me, I get them to buy their own deck, and then we do a skype reading, with me looking at the cards that they have dealt.  That can work very well too.