There are many types, methods and systems of psychic or extra-sensory readings employed by those who claim to have psychic abilities. A professional psychic may have one or more specialized areas of expertise such as psychometry, distant readings, Tarot reading, astrology or horoscope readings, numerology, palm reading, past-life readings, aura readings or any number of other methods.

Most psychic readings do not usually use any tools and can include face-to-face readings such as in-person readings at home, psychic party readings for a group, and the less detailed and shorter psychic fair readings. Distant readings include internet readings, phone readings and mail readings. In some rare cases, a method of psychic sensing known as remote viewing is used.

Distant readings

Distant readings are conducted many times without the reader ever meeting or speaking to the client. The client asks questions pertaining to his or her life and a psychic uses intuitive senses to determine a probable outcome or solution to those questions. At times this practice is similar to methods used for remote viewing and healing. This method dispenses with the possibility of the reader picking up on visual or verbal cues evident in face to face or telephone readings.

Psychometry readings

Psychometry is a form of postcognition which enables the psychic reader to receive information about people, events or objects associated with events that have already occurred, or are occurring in the present, by being in close contact with the area or object where the event took or is taking place. Commercial psychometry readers often ask the subject for their favorite and most meaningful objects, such as wedding rings, glasses, car keys, etc., for the reading. The belief is that objects which are in close proximity to a person for extended periods of time hold some of that person's energy; energy which can be detected. This method is often used to try and locate missing persons.

Aura reading

Aura psychic reading involves the observation and interpretation of auras around physical human bodies. The “aura” is a set of cascading colored outlines emanating from the surface of the body which differ from one person to another in terms of size, shape, intensity, and color. Aura readers claim to have the ability to see or sense this aura, observe each characteristic and interpret their meaning to the individual.

Tarot reading

Tarot reading does not need psychic abilities. A deck of 78 cards known as the Tarot is used to predict and interpret relationships, love, careers, etc. The tarot is also used for spiritual, esoteric, psychological, occult and divinatory purposes. Tarot reading tends to have a great deal of variation, since each card in the Tarot, as well as the order in which they appear, and their position within the 'spread' when dealt, have different specific meanings. The meaning of each tarot card is also open to the interpretation of the Tarot reader, and the same set of cards may have two different meanings to two different readers.