One of the questions I am frequently asked is what are oracle cards? Great question! If you find yourself also asking this question, then that could be a sign that your True Self and spiritual support system are calling and wanting to connect with you! In this blog, I discuss what oracle cards are, how you use them, and how you can incorporate their magic into your everyday life!
What are Oracle Cards?
Origin of the Word Oracle. To help you understand oracle cards, it’s helpful to understand the origin and history of the word “oracle.” According to Wikipedia, the word “oracle” comes from the Latin verb “orare” which means “to speak.” An oracle is “a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.” Divination means “the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.” Therefore, an oracle is essentially someone or something who predicts the future.
You may have heard of the Oracle of Delphi in Greek mythology, who was a high priestess of the Temple of Apollo known to speak prophesies or predictions. Today, you can use divination tools, such as Oracle cards, to gain answers to questions about your life – past, present, or future.
Divination Tools. There are many divination tools you can use besides oracle cards, such as Tarot cards, runes, pendulums, palm reading, astrology, numerology, crystals, etc. However, oracle cards are one of the most commonly used and easiest tools to work with. If you’ve ever been to a psychic, they most likely used one or a combination of these tools to help access the information you seek. When helping my clients access their Inner Light, spirit guides, and angels, I always have them start with oracle cards. They are magical, fun, beautiful, and easy to use!
How Do Oracle Cards Work?
Oracle cards or any other divination tool works with your own energy and spiritual support system to help communicate with you. They help you tap into the knowledge that is already within you by bringing it into your awareness. The messages in the cards help to give you a new perspective on a situation and to see the higher purpose, which can bring clarity, comfort, and healing.
If you are new to connecting with your True Self, spirit guides, or angels, it can take time and practice learning how they communicate with you. You may hear messages, feel bodily sensations, sense things, etc. But if you are having a hard time receiving answers to the questions you seek, then try working with oracle cards. The more you work with them, the more in-tune you will become with your own intuition!
For example, I had a client who was having a hard time figuring out the next steps in her career. At the end of each session, we would pull a card. In the beginning, I would tell her what messages were coming to me. By the end of the program, she was able to tune in to her own intuition and understand the message her soul was trying to communicate to her. She learned how to trust the messages coming to her and didn’t have to rely on me anymore!
How Do You Use Oracle Cards?
Purchase a Deck. First, you need to purchase a deck that you feel drawn to. You can find them on Amazon or any metaphysical store in your area. There are thousands of decks out there and they each have a different theme. For example, there are angel cards, animal spirit cards, crystal cards, essential oil cards, etc. I love oracle cards and like to have a collection to choose from each day. But just start with one that resonates with you.
Ground & Clear Yourself & Space. Before working with any divination tool, it’s always a good practice to first ground yourself. Some people like the ritual aspect and like to sit in their favorite room or spot, light a candle, burn some incense, or diffuse essential oils, and play some inspirational or meditation-type music. You may also want to sage your room before and after your session to clear any stagnant or negative energies.
Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and imagine you are pulling up Earth’s grounding energy from her core into your body. Then imagine your light from Source coming down into your Crown Chakra and filling your entire body. Imagine this light spilling out into your aura/energetic field, surrounding you with a bubble of white, Divine, protective light. You can connect with your spirit guides and angels at this time as well and ask for their guidance, love, and protection.
Clear Your Deck. Next, you will want to energetically clear your cards. From the production to the distribution to the actual store, many people’s energy will have touched the deck by the time it gets to you in your home. You will want to cleanse your deck by asking your guides, God, the Divine, or whichever higher power you believe in to clear them of any previous or negative energies. I like to visualize the cards going through a “card wash” as I’m asking them to be cleaned. You can also knock on the cards with your knuckles 3 times with the intention that you are clearing out all previous energies. Additionally, you may wish to cleanse your deck with sage smoke. If you let others use your cards, you will want to clear them afterward each time. If you are the only one using them, you can clear them every couple of weeks or whenever you feel called to do so.
Connect With Your Cards. After cleansing your cards, you want to form a connection with them. Many decks will have a sample prayer you can say or meditation you can do. You can research different intentions as well. But a simple way is to hold your deck against your heart, and say “God, I ask that all the answers that come from this deck, come from my True Self only, and serve my greatest and highest good.” I say this simple statement every time before I work with my cards and you will want to do the same with whatever intention you come up with.
You may want to lay them all out to get a feel for the cards, what they look like, what feelings you get when you look at them, which ones stand out the most, etc. You can look at one card each day and really study it if you want. The more you work with your cards, the more your energy will be with them, and the stronger the connection will be.
Ask Your Question. Once you have connected with your cards, think of a question you want to ask. You can ask anything, such as, “What do I need to know today?” or “Is it optimal to take this job offer?” or “What is preventing me from living the life I love?” They can be as specific or as general as you like. It is usually recommended to avoid questions that start with ‘should’ or ‘would’. Instead, start with “is it optimal to…” or “what is the most optimal…” If you ask a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, you can interpret the answer by the tone of the card.
Do the Truffle Shuffle! After you have come up with your question, start shuffling your cards! There’s no right or wrong way to shuffle them. Just mix them up really well. As you are shuffling, repeat your question in your head or out loud several times.
Pick your card/s! There are several ways to pick your card/s. You can shuffle, cut the deck, and then pick the card on top. You can shuffle, lay all the cards out, and pick the card that draws you in the most. You can let the card just fall out as you’re shuffling. This is actually my favorite way. I set that intention as I’m shuffling and asking my question. I say just let it fall out! This is what’s called a “jumper.” That way there’s no stress or letting your ego get in the way of picking a card. I also use a pendulum to make sure that is the right card. (Stay tuned for a future blog on pendulum and dowsing!)
Interpret Your Card/s. Once you pick your card, then look at it. See what thoughts or feelings pop up immediately. What do the symbols, colors, pictures, etc. represent to you? I like to see what my intuition says first, and then I read the meaning in the booklet provided in the deck. Think about what your True Self and guides are trying to communicate to you with this card. What thoughts and feelings pop up after reading the booklet? The more you use the cards, the more the meaning will become apparent to you. I like to read the booklet, but the card is going to mean something specific to you too. The card is just a guide to help you decipher what your intuition is trying to tell you.
Caring for Your Cards. You can keep your cards in the box they came in or buy a special bag. I keep my Tarot cards in a velvet bag with a quartz crystal and some sage to keep them energetically cleansed.
How Many Cards Do You Pull?
You can just pull one card, three cards, or do a whole spread. A spread contains several cards laid out that tell a story and give a big picture. I like to pull one card each day and ask, “What do I need to know today?” You could start simple by using a 3-card, Past/Present/Future spread. If you are seeking a deeper answer, a multi-card spread might be what you’re looking for.
For example, my birthday was yesterday so I did a 12-card birthday spread that gives a complete picture of my past year and what I can look forward to in the year ahead. Each card asks a different question, such as “What are my goals for the next 12 months?” and “What’s the biggest lesson I will learn over the next year?” After looking at each card’s individual messages, I was then able to understand the big picture of what I needed to know about my upcoming year. There are tons of spreads out there you can research. Your deck’s booklet will also likely have different spreads you can do with that specific deck. Just have fun with it and explore!
Have No Fear, Your Guides Are Here!
Many people fear oracle or Tarot cards. Not all cards give great news. But the way I tell my clients to think about them is they are a way for your soul to communicate to you what your present energy is and the direction you’re headed in so that you can course-correct to avoid potential pitfalls if necessary. Some of the messages may sound scary, but they’re actually giving you a heads-up that if you continue down this same path, then you could experience bumps in the road.
Keeping You on the Right Path. But the good news is, you have the power to change your thoughts, actions, and beliefs to avoid this potential obstacle! Your soul and guides want you to follow the right path aligned with your life purpose and oracle cards are a way for them to communicate to you. They are like your life path’s navigation system talking to you. They either let you know hey, good job! You’re on the right path! Keep on this road for the next 100 miles. Or, heads-up! You’re about to hit some major traffic from construction. Take a left on this road to avoid the delay.
Knowledge is Power! The readings you get from oracle cards are based on your current energy. We have free will; thus, we can easily change the outcome. This is by no means set in stone! So, if you get a warning message and it freaks you out, just tell your ego, thank you but these cards are trying to help me avoid getting into a hairy situation. You can say, thank you for letting me know what I don’t want to happen! Then you can pull another card and ask what you need to do to avoid this situation from happening! Personally, I would rather know ahead of time so I can prevent a potentially difficult situation. Knowledge is power!
Seeking the Truth. All the answers we seek are right within us. But our ego, fears, judgments, anxiety, worries, external influences, etc. all get in the way of hearing and seeing these answers clearly. This is when oracle cards can help because they give the answers you seek from your TRUE self - your soul - and not your ego. We usually know what the answer is deep down, but sometimes we don’t want to know or hide from the truth or fear the truth. I always say, the cards never lie! They are going to give you the truth that you need to hear. Oftentimes, the answer is not what you expect either. You may think they are going to give you one answer, but many times that’s your ego speaking and not your True Self.
Tap into the Magic & Wonder of Your Own Self
If you are just starting out on your spiritual journey and are wanting to connect with your higher self and spiritual support system, then give oracle cards a try! And remember, keep it light and simple and have fun! Oracle cards tap into the magic and wonder of your own spirit and the spiritual realm beyond. They are truly fascinating, and I am still amazed and excited to this day at the ah-has I experience working with oracle cards. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing my client’s face light up as they discover new truths about themselves and their path.
Comment below on your experience with oracle cards!
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