Basic Tarot Question ...

[zmag]

IMHO, there are basically 2 kinds of tarot readings.
One way is exactly what you are talking about, you put the cards down in whatever type of spread you like most, find the meaning of the card and combine it with the location in the spread (layout). So for example if you use a Celtic Cross and the bottom card in the cross represents grounding, or the persons stability at home, and the card that lands in that spot is the Devil you might say something like this
"It seems that you have personal issues that you may be burying and you may not even be aware they exist. The Devil indicates restrictions that are self imposed and issues that need to be brought to the surface before they can be resolved. Since the location of this card represents your grounding, it suggests that you need to work on this hidden issue to strengthen your personal foundation and once this is resolved you may find more success in all of your projects."

The second way to read tarot, or any other divination for that matter, is to use your intuition.
This way you are not really reading the cards but instead you are reading the querent with the help of the cards. So imagine that there are three people in a room. You, a person that would like you to do a reading for them, and someone that only speaks Korean (let's name him K). You and the querent don't speak Korean. For some unknown reason K has unlimited knowledge about your querents life, past, present and future. And to make it more exciting only you can see and hear K.
You need to communicate the messages that K has for the querent. So you can lay out your tarot cards K can point to whatever cards will help make his point.
If K wants to talk about the fact that your querent has 5 children he may point to any of the pip cards that are 5s at the same time he points to a card with children on the image.
If he wants to talk about a medical condition of the querent, he may point to a sword card that shows either an injury, bleeding person or a symbol for health.

Now there are ways to have way more symbols on the table then just the cards that you put down. As time goes by you and your personal "K" will develop symbols and signs that mean certain things to you. These can be developed through meditation, doing readings by yourself, doing readings for clients and friends or however you connect with your "K".
You might remember a reading you have done in the past where the Devil in the grounding position appeared the querent went into great detail about being put up for adoption. This story might stick with you and add meaning to the Devil other than whats in the book, the picture and even what other people say about the Devil card at meetings and online.
Maybe at a reading in the future the Devil card will come up and you will be compelled to talk about adoption.
Again, with time and I suppose your level of intuition, your communication with K will get easier and you will find that K is now able to tap into your memory bank and show you things that relate to the reading you are doing. K may be able to put a slight bit of pressure on your right knee if he is trying to tell you that the querent has right knee issues, K can even allow you to smell something like cigarettes or perfume if it is needed to get a message to the querent.

Obviously K is different for everyone and finding your K and communicating with K will likely take the rest of your life, but it will lead you to places you never imaged existed.

I apologize if i went off track but it is sometimes hard to describe intuition. Good luck with your readings, you are at a very fun time in the process.