As a beginner, when is it appropriate to attempt doing a reading for others?

You don’t have to wait until you think you are the greatest Tarot reader on earth before you can give interpretations for others. Of course, it’s a good idea to get used to your deck and to gain some confidence by doing readings for yourself first, but don’t put off any opportunities to lay out the cards for others if you get the chance.

People love having Tarot readings, and if you mention to a friend that you are learning about the cards, you’re sure to get asked to do a reading for them. Don’t let that opportunity get away — give it a go. They’ll understand if you mumble your way through some standard interpretations as the cards first land in the spread, but you might be surprised at some of the intuitive insights that also come your way.

The best way to learn the meanings of the cards is to do some readings for others.
It challenges your memory and forces you to come up with interpretations in the context of a particular query.

If you are a bit nervous about the process, feel free to ask the querent (the person for whom you are doing the reading) for their opinion on what a card looks like to them, and you can work your way through the interpretation together. Sometimes those who are unfamiliar with Tarot can provide accurate and interesting interpretations you may not have considered.

Give it a go, I’m sure you’ll do better than you imagine!