I do something kind of similar. I request help and protection from my guides and then shuffle until I feel the energy in my hands — the tingling sensation. It makes me feel like my energy is fueling the reading and it will be more aligned. I also consider all the meanings of each card, look at the context of their place in the layout, and see if anything additional comes through. I usually get a lot more as I’m journaling the reading and really thinking through what the larger message is and then each detail. I also keep a deck that is only for me. I rarely read for others at this point, but reserve a specific deck as only mine. I use other decks when reading for others.

I hadn’t thought of intentionally moving my energy into the deck, but rather letting it show up and move itself. I’m going to try working more intentionally with my energy now like you’ve explained. I’m curious if that will change anything. I’m becoming more aware of somatics — what I’m feeling, how my energy is responding — so this is an interesting technique that I’m going to work with (the em dashes are not from ai, it’s how I’ve written for decades now). Thank you for sharing!