Forget about any preconceived notions or beliefs about fortunetelling, such as crystal balls, headscarves, supernatural abilities, and head-scarves.

It’s less about a mystical experience of impending doom, but more as a thoughtful method of connecting with your higher self. (Fancy, right?)

We asked two tarot reader to help us understand how this type divination works.

Each reader is unique. Find the one that you feel most comfortable with.

Every tarot reader will practice differently. You might be asked to shuffle the cards or have a conversation before reading. Others might want you to sit silently.

A Texas tarot reader, Ashley Collom (27) says that there is no single way to read the tarot. “Take someone’s advice.” The reader has a strategy.

Tarot is all about trusting your reader and you. The key to success is finding someone with the same energy and purpose.

Marguerite Gioia Insolia (35), a Los Angeles-based reader, says, “With any type divination, it is really important to vibe avec or to like or find similarities with this person.” It’s all about the person’s intent and yours in your reading. This can have a significant impact on the information you receive. The cards are not going to be different. It is about the translation.

Ask a question.

Collom says that yes-no questions can sometimes “stump” the reading. Instead, she recommends asking a more open-ended question. This will allow you to have a deeper and more nuanced conversation with your reader.

She says that this usually means that your question begins with a “what” or a “how”. For example, someone might ask, “Am I going to marry so-andso?” This opens up the possibility of a more nuanced conversation.

However, if you are desperate to find out something, be aware that this type of question may not lead to an easy answer.

Insolia says that tarot is very detailed and contains all aspects of life, so you can ask any question. It is possible that your answer will not be as simple as choosing this.

Are you unhappy with what you hear? It is possible to make it better.

If your reading doesn’t have good news, don’t feel afraid. Insolia states, “Tarot has no power over you.”

She adds that the reading is a time stamp of what’s happening energetically around you, your circumstances, and what you’re asking. People might think they don’t have any control over the events in their lives, but this is not true. You have the power to alter how things will happen.

Time-related questions can be difficult to answer.

Many of us want to know what will happen shortly. But sometimes, the most urgent question is when. However, tarot readers may not be able to provide these answers.

Collom states that time is complicated because it is a social construct. There are many ways to give or tell people about time. (And) certain suits correlate with certain times. But I hesitate to give time frames to people because they are so fleeting.

She adds that giving someone a timeframe makes them feel empowered, but it is rare. It makes them feel anxious or claustrophobic about a future time frame.

Be open.

Perhaps you are a bit cautious as you build trust with your reader. (Understandable.) You might think that you must be secretive to “prove yourself” to your reader. You should know that sharing with your reader is a way to increase the amount of information they share with you.

Insolia states, “You don’t have to be a cutoff from giving detail.” So if you ask me, “What’s the current state of my relationship?” I can answer, “It started out good, but now there is a lot more confusion.” These are the possibilities for future. But, if you answer, “Well, he had an affairs,” I can dig deeper into the details.

Collom concurs: “There is an element of people feeling that they need to be mystic about the process. If we could just get to the nitty gritty faster — ‘This I want, this is why it is important, and this is how I feel’ — we would be able to dig deeper into it faster. Clear takeaways are much more efficient than communicating what you want from the reading.

The death and devil cards do not usually indicate bad luck.

Your reader pulled out some cards that looked scary. Don’t panic. They’re not what you think.

Insolia states that the death card could be about physical death. However, this is extremely rare. It’s about transformation. Let’s suppose you ask about your relationship and get the death card. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the relationship is over. It is that there’s transformation taking place and there will be renewal on the opposite side.

The devil card?

She explains that it’s all about temptations – any area in your life where you feel the need to change. It’s more about reminding you to be authentic and truer to yourself.

Tarot can often confirm what you already know.

Sometimes, people need to seek out guidance from others in order to confirm what their gut tells them. Insolia also suggests that Tarot readings may be helpful.

“Many of us already know the answers for a lot of our questions. Tarot can give you the affirmation to trust yourself and build your confidence. Sometimes that’s all you need.