The Art of Getting a Good Reading

There is an art to getting a good psychic reading. Whether you're reading for yourself or someone else, you can help make the reading more relevant and valuable by being a little prepared and having a "dear question" or purpose for the reading. The tools you or the reader choose will, to some extent, define or limit the answers you can expect– the Runes, Tarot and I Ching will probably all give the same general answer to the same question. However, the amount of intimacy, direction and depth you can obtain from any of these sources will depend not only on the reader's ability with that particular medium, but also the medium itself. For example, unless you are a student of the I Ching and able to read into the depths of each of the hexagrams and the lines that comprise them, you will find the medium limited– information concise and dear, but not voluminous. Reading the Tarot for the same question, especially a complex issue, can provide a great deal of data in comparison to the I Ching. Even the novice Tarot reader can quickly begin to see times, people and events influencing the situation from a small layout.

So, the first lesson in getting a good reading is to get familiar with the different tools and understand how they are used. Even if you never intend to read Tarot for someone else. If you find others' Tarot readings have produced good guidance for you, it's worth you taking some time to learn a little about it so you can relate better to what your reader is telling you. (Check our book shelves for lots of good books on the Tarot, and avoid doing a reading when you're down– unless that's what you want the reading to be focused on.)

Mary-Anne, our astrologer, also recommends that we avoid reading during a void of course moon, since results can be erratic during these times. While a reading in the midst of a crisis can be useful in helping you figure out how to deal with it, it's definitely not the best time for a life reading, since anything that shows up at the moment will be influenced by the crisis. It's best to wait until the dust has settled before you take a long range view of your life. Birthdays and the beginning of a new year, whether it's January 1st, a new school year, or business year are all good times to choose a reading. We have many clients who see us once a year around their birthday for a look at the upcoming year. Your decision is your own when to have a reading.

When we're asked for lucky numbers, the most fortunate days for marriages, births, business ventures and so on we use Numerology and Astrology. Through Numerology and Astrology we can give some pleasing and helpful answers, and some of our clients have won money from numbers we have provided. However, if we were able to make such predictions accurately every day, I can assure you, we wouldn't be working so hard! Psychics can provide good insight and information, guidance, and second opinions; but, they can not run your life and even the most serious professionals certainly don't want to. Use a reading as an additional source of information. Then, take your power and use your own instincts and intuition to know how best and when to apply what you learned from the reading.

Some Dos and Don'ts for getting a good reading, from yourself or someone else....

Do: Create a "Sacred Space", a quiet place for your reading. Burn some candles to keep the energy moving. Carry some crystals that you can set on the table during the reading; make sure the air is fresh and there are no distractions. Try to get away from your normal working environment into a place that's neutral. Leave the children with a sitter if you can– their energy is strong and erratic and can easily distract a reader.

Do: Prepare yourself and have a purpose for the reading. Every psychic cringes when s/he asks a client what he or she want to know about and the answer is 'the future'– the future is a very broad subject. Such an answer makes it hard for your reader to define the scope of the reading and focus on what's important to you now. So, for your next reading prepare a list of questions; then, prepare yourself before you begin. Take a few deep breaths, ground yourself, and try to generate some loving peaceful energy around you. Clear your mind of the cares and worries of the day. Then, clear your heart and will of your projections and expectations. Prose "wants and wishes" that are so important to you can bounce back in a reading as fad, when it's only you wishing so hard. Choose the time carefully.

Don't: Expect a serious reading unless you're taking it seriously. If you've been taking alcohol or drugs, it can be very difficult for even the best readers to wade though the fog to find the clear answers you're wanting. If you've just eaten a big meal, had a fight with your partner, or you're not feeling well, these also can impact the quality of the reading and the tone. So, even if you're doing the reading "just for fun", take it a little seriously. Calm and clear yourself, even for a few minutes, before you sit down for the reading.

Don't expect the psychic to have eyes in the back of his or her head. The "Stump the Psychic" game that so many skeptics encourage as a first step in getting a good reading is a waste of your valuable time and money, and will often put even the best psychics off. Then, they are unable to 'perform' at all for you! I definitely encourage folks to be skeptical. Especially when someone is offering spells or to remove curses, but it's truly a waste of time to hide your wedding rings, change your name or withhold information about your circumstances. If you are clear and direct with the reader about what's going on in your life and what you need to know right now, you'll have a much better chance of getting an accurate reading that provides you with some good guidance and direction.

How do you tell if you've had a good reading?

Most readers can tell when the energy is running within seconds of starting a reading, but there are three simple ways you can know when a reading is right:

1. The reading feels complete– ‘completion’ means you have insight on what's going on around you, as well as information about what you can do about it. You have had clear answers to all of your questions, and you have no more questions. No matter what a client has paid for, we do not end a reading until it comes to it's natural conclusion, until it ‘feels complete’. Both you and the reader will know when that moment has come; so, hang in there asking questions until you feel complete with the reading.

2. You resonate with the reading– this means that the reader has accurately described you and the circumstances of your life and the events s/he predicts are possible in your life, given where you are now. On the order hand, we've predicted events such as marriages, births, changes of staff, winnings and losses that our clients didn't believe possible, but occurred any way. Readers can be very good at seeing those unexpected, unplanned, seemingly impossible events that delight, surprise and sometimes take us aback. But even then, I would distrust someone telling me I was about to win a million dollars if the rest of my reading didn't generally fit my life. However, if the rest of the reading resonates, I'll be out buying the ticket in a flash!

3. You feel good when the reading has been completed– You should feel good when the reading has been completed; you should feel good about the reading. Even if the reader has told you something you didn't want to hear. 'He's not coming back dear...' is one of our most difficult and least well received messages. If you reader is delivering bad news, she should also be delivering you some information about how to cope, what the purpose of this event is, how you can avoid or minimize it, and what the positive effects of this event will be in the long run. Otherwise, take the information with a grain of salt, refuse to be wed by it and don't go back to that reader again. Every good psychic is also a healer and a reading is intended to be a HEALING experience. So, if you don't come away feeling good, then it probably wasn't a good reading.

Remember, a good reading is complete, feels right, and makes you feel good!