Oh, I feel you on the overwhelm, totally. I circled this stuff for months before starting, like I wanted to want it more than actually dive in lol.
A practitioner reading vs. doing it yourself is a different beast, but both work as long as you’ve been doing this long enough to know where the pitfalls are (and there’s a good thread on that here)
Also, a really good way to start would be a past life spread. There’s a lot of overlap there since you’re still probably interacting with the Akashic here, but your spread is a bit more focused. In general, the more focused your spread, the easier you’ll find it (especially for a beginner).
With a pro, they handle the past-life replay for you, sparing the emotional hit. Past stuff can get intense or painful, and they keep it objective. DIY is possible and builds a deeper connection. The biggest hurdle is doubt: “Am I making this up?” It fades with practice, but stay relaxed, trying too hard kills the flow.
Personally, I would do this myself. I am usually a fan of swapping readings with other Tarot readers, but for the Akashic… there’s something so personal about it and it can influence so much of your life I just don’t think I could trust anyone else to do it for me.
The akashic Tarot deck by Sharon Anne Klingler and Sandra Anne Taylor. 62 cards for records access, suits like Scrolls (Scribe archetype), Roses, Keys, Forces. Great if you’re card-comfy.
Astral visits happen, but meditation’s more stable, you tune into the frequency, not travel. Akasha means “ether/sky” in Sanskrit. It’s a non-physical plane.