LLumiqery

Start with a deck you can actually describe

A borrowed deck on a kitchen table, three cards face up, fifteen minutes of staring at the Eight of Wands with nothing to say about it. That reading went nowhere for two reasons: the question was vague, and the pictures were unfamiliar. Both are fixable in an afternoon.

The cards, one at a time

One card at a time, with what it tends to cover upright and what shifts when it lands reversed.

Each reading lists how many cards it uses and how long it takes to sit with. Each spread lists what every position is for.

On practice

Written pieces about the practice itself: notes, decks, pace, and reading for other people.

Readings

Readings you can work through from start to finish, with the number of cards and how long to sit with each one.

How to lay a spread

Named layouts with every position explained, from a single daily card to the ten-card Celtic cross.

Questions

Can I read for myself?Yes, and most people mainly do. The difficulty is not that self-reading is forbidden, it is that you know what you want the cards to say, so you will quietly favour the reading that agrees with you. Two habits help: write the question down before you shuffle so you cannot revise it afterwards, and write your interpretation before you look anything up.
How long does it take to learn the cards?Recognising all 78 without looking anything up takes a few months of pulling one or two cards most days. Reading a spread as a connected whole takes longer, because that skill is about how cards sit next to each other rather than what any one of them covers. You can do useful three-card readings in your first week with notes open beside you.
Does it matter which deck I use?It matters for learning, less for reading. A deck with illustrated minor cards gives you a scene to describe on all 78 cards, which is a real advantage early on. Once you know the suits and numbers, a Marseille or Thoth deck becomes workable, and some readers prefer the sparser imagery because it leaves more room.
Do I need my own deck to start?No. Borrowing one for a few readings is a reasonable way to find out whether you like the practice before spending anything, and there is no rule about a deck needing to be a gift. If you do borrow, note which deck it was so you are not confused later when a card you remember looks different.
What should I do when a spread makes no sense to me?Leave it laid out, write down what each card shows without interpreting it, and come back in a day. Describing the image plainly, a figure walking away, five cups, two still upright, is often enough to break the stall. If it still says nothing, the question was probably too broad.