People turn to the tarot for a variety of reasons, such as searching for guidance about a personal situation, to seek significance within their current circumstances or to find ways to set a positive course for their lives. With the accessibility of modern technology, many people, who are ready to open themselves to the power of the tarot from the comfort of their own homes, discover that the process of finding an online, personalized tarot reading to be confusing. With so many websites and readers to choose from, they might not know how to find the best reader for them. To avoid being taken by an unqualified individual claiming to be a legitimate reader, there are several considerations to keep in mind in finding a genuine reader and making the most of a reading.

Many qualified tarot readers have found that they can provide their gifts to more people through the ease of personal web pages or websites like eBay. Therefore, when looking for the best reader, it is important to use the tools provided by sites to check the feedback, backgrounds and affiliations of readers before asking for their help. A qualified reader should be knowledgeable about the meanings found in the tarot, and might be involved in local, national or international organizations, such as a tarot association, guild, board or a metaphysical group, to name only a few. Workshops, apprenticeships or classes can demonstrate a commitment to developing their gifts of interpretation. A true tarot card reader has spent time and energy learning ways to interpret the cards. In addition, tarot card readers should be open to feedback, have a place for leaving feedback online as well as share some information about their backgrounds. On a site like eBay, look for a positive overall rating. Because each client, or querent (the one asking the question) is different, individual comments might not be as useful as an overall rating for a reader. Careful attention should be paid to a reader’s listing. If the words seem gimmicky, make too many promises, offer medical or financial advice; this might not be a genuine reader. The querent’s intuition is important, too. If one gets a positive feeling or feels drawn to a potential reader, this might be a good sign.

Once a querent has found a genuine reader, a focused question will allow the reader to interpret the cards with a specific goal in mind. Questions like "What will happen to me in the future?" or "When will I feel better?" are too general for a clear reading. More concise questions like "Will I be more at peace in the coming year?" or "Am I holding myself back from finding love?" can better help the reader’s interpretation. It is always important to remember that the future is not fixed. It is dynamic. Depending on the steps we take, the paths we choose to follow and the decisions we make, our futures are always changing. A qualified reader, when knowing what to look for in the cards, can better provide the kind of guidance that a querent is seeking. Qualified readers can use their gifts of interpretation and the influence of the tarot to help empower others to set a path toward self-discovery and personal meaning.