I was thinking about how I choose where to read tarot when just doing readings for myself. My favorite go-to places were established many, many years ago when I first started reading tarot. Then, I was mostly learning the cards and delving into their meanings and history. I was reading for myself, and for friends, curious others, and even my grandmother (who loved tarot!).

The mystery around tarot

Many sources emphasize a lot of mystery around the use of tarot. I mean, of course they do… That mystery that has surrounded tarot has been one of its biggest draws. It’s often what gets people interested, or gets them hooked. So, many sources insist that when you are using tarot, you must choose a special spot, light candles, put out offerings to spirit, say prayers, cast a circle, etc. Doing all of these things is fine, and I have done pretty much all of them at some point.

There is though, one thing I make sure of when choosing where I’m going to lay out cards and do a reading.

Get comfortable

Whether or not I decide to light candles, say any kind of words or prayer, or put down a beautiful cloth, I just innately choose somewhere that will be comfortable. I sometimes do my own readings sitting cross-legged on my bed. It is a very comfortable place! My bedroom is somewhat peaceful, being relatively free of clutter and decorated only with items that have strong personal meaning to my husband and me. I sometimes do light a candle, and I almost always begin readings with a meditative silence. The bedroom is also fine for impromptu readings and typically offers privacy. My current bedroom is very small, so if I want the privacy of the room, it has to be on the bed. There simply isn’t any additional floor space. However, the floor is really my favorite spot.

Sit on the floor!

When I first started reading tarot the floor was my favorite place, and it remains my favorite spot. I can sit comfortably, shuffle the cards at a natural height, and there’s enough room for laying out spreads. If I’m reading for another person and they are also happy to sit on the floor, they can sit across from me or beside me. It creates an automatic closeness, and just being on the floor seems to focus all attention on what we are doing.

When I first started reading tarot in high school, the floor was the obvious spot. It created a cozy intimacy between myself and friends. Sometimes a friend would bring more friends, and I’d have four or five people gathered around the cards. We might have to squish in, but we were all friends, after all. I preferred this casual, comfortable approach. And perhaps there is something of the ancient to this, sitting as if upon the earth, connected to a spiritual energy, unconstrained by sitting upright and stiffly.

… unless you have pets?

For a long time though, laying out cards on the floor wasn’t the best idea because I had quite a few pets. Cards may seem rather durable, until they find themselves beneath a Malamute’s paw, or become a temptation for a rabbit looking for something new to chew! When I had pets and I read on the floor, I would first arrange to keep the area pet-free. An intimate space with great atmosphere could still be created, using chairs or tables as barriers to curious wet noses.

Have you noticed I haven’t mentioned doing readings at a table? Yeah, that’s because I rarely do! I only do them on tables when I’m reading for others, and sitting on the floor (or on my bed) isn’t practical, convenient, or comfortable for them. Sometimes readings need to be less cozy as well, if they aren’t among close friends or family, but instead they are with other acquaintances. However, everything applies the same, if you have a favorite table you like to read at. Honestly, if I had a table that offered the same level of comfort and intimacy, I’d use it.

Spiritual respect

As casual or informal as I am, I do like to treat readings with a kind of spiritual respect. In addition to choosing the most comfortable place, or the quietest, I like to bring some ritual into my readings.

I have found that although I love and prefer real flame candles, I am happy enough using flameless candles if I have to, or if I feel it’s the best option. Sometimes I don’t have the time to set something up that is very involved, or I don’t want to worry about making sure candles are located safely or put out if it’s in the middle of a busy day. Flame easily offers us focus, as well as a sense of spirit, but the flameless candles can still provide this. We don’t need the actual warmth or authentic glow of a real flame, and we don’t need the melting of real wax, as nice as those things are. I am emphasizing this point because I rent my home, and I know that in many cases, rental leases prohibit the use of real flame candles. Also, real candles can aggravate allergies or asthma in many people, and of course, they can pose a fire hazard. You can still create the ambience you want using flameless candles.

Other elements

Another aspect of creating atmosphere when doing your own readings is putting out a cloth to lay cards on. I can see the appeal of this. The visual aesthetic of a cloth aligns with tarot, and of course, if you are going to read on the floor, it’s nice to know the cards aren’t going to get dirty. I personally have usually not enjoyed layout cloths. In my experience they tend to wrinkle or get bunched up, creating more fuss than I’d like. In my photo above, I have laid out a tarot spread in a small room of my house, that has a nice, flat, smooth rug. It’s super convenient and works really well for me.

Sometimes it’s nice to bring in some stones, special mementoes, or light some incense if that enhances your focus or intuition. These can add to ambience, or can influence a more magical mood.

The sacred

For many people, reading tarot feels sacred. Choosing where to read tarot can be an important part of strengthening your connection to what is sacred to you. Tarot cards themselves are mundane objects. They aren’t inherently sacred, or holy, or spiritual (and btw, they are also neither inherently good nor inherently bad). But we can use them to turn within, reflect deeply, feel connected to or guided by something greater than us. Ultimately, our practice can help us grow and become better people. Because of this, it’s great to create a setting that aligns with these more spiritual purposes.

I choose where to read tarot with a kind of holistic approach. Although I opt for comfort, I also create or ensure some atmosphere. I respect my own needs (physical and spiritual), and I respect the process. Where to read tarot then, is quite mundane, while also being a bit sacred.

How about you?

Where do you read tarot, especially those readings you do for yourself? I’d love to hear about less usual places for reading, like outside under a tree, sitting in the middle of a city park, at the beach! Let me know. We can all learn from each other and enrich our own practices 😊

Thanks for reading, and as always, I love to hear from visitors, so please feel free to get in touch.

The deck shown in the above photo is the second deck I ever owned. It is, of course, the Rider Waite, and I bought it at a little bookshop in New Haven, CT. It remains one of my favorites.

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~ Nellie