Card readings according to cartomancy

In cartomancy, there are several ways to perform a card reading. With enough experience, every cartomancer knows how many cards suit them best, enhancing their visions during a divination. 

How do you perform a cartomancy reading?

Shuffle your card deck and place it face down on a table before you (preferably on a tablecloth). Cut it and form two piles. In cartomancy, tradition calls for a left-hand cut, because it is the hand of the heart.

The cut reading

Then take the two cards on top of every pile and place them face up before you. Look at their value. Form your own interpretation, take your time, and keep an open mind.
 
The 2 cards thus placed side by side complete one another. Each one is full of meaning, but their message results from their interaction. Always keep in mind your first idea when you read the meaning of the cards.

Where cartomancy is concerned, your first impression is often the right one! You can then take two additional cards, one from each pile. You will then have a total of 4 cards, or even 6 cards to interpret if you renew the process once more.
 
You should not draw more than 6 cards for this kind of card reading, because it aims to deliver a rather short message, straight to the point.

The fan-shaped reading

Shuffle your card deck then spread the cards in a semi-circle before you. Drawn the amount of cards you are interested in (usually 4, 6, 8, or 10). Place them before you, on a line or in a cross layout.

According to the principles of cartomancy and of this particular reading, you must make that decision even before you start drawing the cards. If your cards use a linear layout, they will all be equally important.

If they are in a cross layout, the top card is the most important one, and the bottom one is the least important.  Look at them closely and proceed with the interpretation of the cards.

The 3-card reading

This 3-card reading is simple but very useful if you are looking for some answer to a specific question, like a “yes or no” question or “what should I do in such a situation”.
 
Shuffle the cards and say your question out loud. Spread the cards before you face down in a semi-circle spread.
 
Draw one card, turn it face up and place it before you, on the left. This card represents the “PROS” for your question.
 
Draw a second card, and place it before you, on the right. This card represents the “CONS”. Finally, draw a third card and put it between the other two. It represents the answer to your question.

Take your time for the interpretation of that card, and keep the other 2 cards in mind, as they will give you important elements for your reflection.
 
In cartomancy, there are many other ways to perform a card reading, the ones detailed here stand among the most common ones. The important thing in a reading is not necessarily how complex it is, but indeed to know how to interpret the cards.