I’ve been drawing oracle cards on special occasions for years, especially when I've faced confusion, conflicting choices, or indecisiveness. It never occurred to me to use the cards for daily guidance until I recently took a fabulous e-course with Susannah Conway by that exact name.
For three weeks straight during the course, and continuing afterward, I consulted the cards daily. The accuracy, insight, and coherence of my daily draws astounded me. This course has been life-altering in the best possible way. I loved the sense of fun, exploration, and discovery in the course and among the community too.
Here are some of the benefits I personally receive from consulting either oracle and/or tarot cards on a daily basis, usually in the morning.
- My actions are better informed and therefore more effective.
- With more perspective, I’m less likely to get sucked into emotional drama and more likely to respond with clarity and compassion.
- I more clearly see the life lessons gifted to me each day.
- I observe recurring patterns in my life, and thus can take steps to heal and resolve them.
- The cards help me make decisions, when I feel uncertain. I usually know the right direction at some level, but the cards give me the extra clarity, confidence, and gentle push.
Like Susannah, I see the cards as mirrors into the unconscious mind and perhaps beyond the unconscious mind. They reflect that which already resides within you, but may not be apparent to your conscious mind. These reflective tools can help you uncover and gradually free blockages that stand in the way of expressing your full potential.
I believe the cards hold magic too! I don’t know the why or the how of the magic. I just feel it. For example, there’s no logical explanation as to why, despite vigorous shuffling, the same or similar cards appear over a period of time. Or the way new cards begin to show themselves after a shift.
How I Use Oracle and Tarot Cards
I consider myself a novice when it comes to using oracle and tarot cards. So I use them in a simple way. Every morning, as suggested on the course, I hold the cards in my hands and ask: “What do I need to know today?” Then I draw three tarot cards from the Wild Unknown deck, at the moment.
Occasionally, I pull an oracle card to supplement the reading. I may keep that oracle card in sight as a helpful reminder or as a way to deepen the reflection for several days in a row.
At the new moon, I ask for guidance for my Wild Arisings peeps and pull a single oracle card for us.
I don’t do complex readings like the Celtic Cross, which usually uses 10 cards, but I have opted for occasional readings on special challenges that involve 4-5 card layouts suggested in the course. Overall, I like to keep it simple.
Caution: Watch Out for Oracle and Tarot Obsession!
I've fallen in love with oracle and tarot cards, there's no doubt. But I'm also aware that I need to watch my mind with each reading and not let it take me to the wrong places.
First off, you can become obsessed with a spread or a particular card, especially if you don’t immediately understand how it fits into your life, or it appears to be a “dark” card bearing what might seem like a negative connotation.
As such, if the meaning isn't clear immediately, I find it’s important to learn to let go and give the reading the time it needs to reveal itself. Just because I call it “daily” guidance, doesn’t mean the cards obey and operate on my declared timeframe.
Sometimes, my initial impression turns out to be wrong and the cards eventually show me something different. Sometimes, the meaning becomes clear later in a dream, during meditation, or at another time when the analytical mind has taken a break.
I also have taken time to learn about the "dark" cards so receiving one doesn't send me into a downhill slide. They usually have an important message and aren't really so scary after all.
Lesson: Take the cards seriously, but not so seriously that you become tied up in knots. Always remember they're a tool and you're the one in charge of your mind and your life.
Secondly, some people love the cards so much, they can’t resist buying new decks. They don’t want to buy new decks, but they can’t help themselves and then reproach themselves afterward. Of course, some individuals are collectors and enjoy new decks with delight rather than regret. Just something to keep in mind if you're generally tempted to buy more than you truly want.
Lesson: Here's another opportunity to learn about yourself and overcome consumerist tendencies that lead to unhappiness.
I’m pleased with the 4 decks I own. I don’t intend to purchase another, at least for a long while, but I understand the temptation. There are indeed so many beauties out there!
My Oracle and Tarot Decks
Here are the four decks I own and what I love about each one of them. {Note, some of the title links - in red - are affiliate links.}
The Visions Oracle
This deck contains 46 visionary paintings on cards that you’ll never see anywhere else in the world. I was gifted with this deck years ago and enjoyed using it as my primary oracle for many moons.
The creator, who lives in Hawaii, focuses on themes and images of water, fire, nature and feminine wisdom, in particular. An evocative title and the intended meaning of the card are written on the reverse side of the images. The cards come in a nice purple pouch.
I receive the best guidance from this deck when I pull three cards for the day rather than a single card.
Mana Cards, The Power of Hawaiian Wisdom
“Mana” means life force energy like “chi” or “prana.” The more mana, the better.
I’ve used this deck occasionally during the past years, when it happened to cross my path. Then, I received it as a wished-for gift last year. I find these 44 cards especially deep and profound, so steeped in the mystery and magic of Hawaiian Wisdom. The intricacy of each image enhances its meaning too.
The Mana cards provide a balance of male, female, and nature. A detailed guidebook comes along with the cards. Each card explanation covers both the concept in Hawaiian culture as well as an interpretation. I use this deck each month when I ask for guidance for the Wild Arisings circle. I also use it for daily guidance at times. In that context, I receive the most when I pull three cards.
The Wild Unknown Tarot
I felt afraid of tarot, but in the middle of Susannah’s course, I decided to dive in anyway. The large number of cards (77) and potential complexity put me off at first. I’m so glad I broke through those concepts because the tarot now represents my core set of cards.
Tarot cards differ from oracle cards. They have a particular structure with major and minor arcana cards, but each deck expresses itself uniquely through strikingly different imagery.
It might be best to start off with a traditional deck like the Rider-Waite to get familiar with the images and ideas. But I immediately fell in love with the Wild Unknown tarot deck (see the spread at the top of this article). I know it's not for everyone.
Some people find the Wild Unknown tarot deck too dark. Even though black and white forms the basis for many of the images, I don’t find it dark or foreboding at all. There’s something magical and mystical about this deck that I can’t express in words. It always speaks the truth to me with such clarity. I also love that the images are based in nature.
This deck comes with a tiny guide of keywords. You can buy a separate guidebook if you wish. I haven’t yet because the cards themselves are a bit pricey. Instead, I enjoy reading Carrie Mallon’s interpretations along with my own intuitive take.
The Mother Mary Oracle
The beautiful images in this deck offer comfort, love, and incredible insight. The guidebook especially brings forth deep, profound, and meaningful messages from Mother Mary.
I pull just one card at a time and only when I feel prompted to do so. I might keep that card on my shrine for several days in a row or even a week. You can easily work with the meaning of each card for that long or even longer.
The guidebook, which contains a message and detailed interpretation for each card also includes an affirmation to help you integrate its message into your being.
How Do Oracle or Tarot cards Activate Your Intuition?
It depends on you. You could read the interpretations alone.
However, if you wish to stimulate your intuition, instead start by looking at each card first. Try to get a feel for what it might mean to you. You can look at the image as a whole and then explore each archetype or symbol within the image.
The images speak to a place deep within. Let your inner wisdom guide you into the nuances of meaning meant especially for you. The myths and archetypes embodied in the cards are limitless and universal. They click into your own unconscious mind to bring you insight, guidance, and direction.
Then you can supplement your intuition by reading the interpretation as well. Sometimes, that feeds my intuition further.
The images on some cards - like the 3 of Wands in the Wild Unknown tarot deck - stick with me very strongly, intermingling with the hidden areas of my mind over the day or several days. I feel the cards work on my mind in unknown, but deep and positive ways.
There’s so much more that could be said about oracle and tarot cards. I hope this will give you a positive taste if you’re new to the idea. The daily guidance I receive from the cards makes a significant difference in my life. Using the cards has also awakened a sweet joy and a deeper appreciation of the rich possibilities present in one’s inner world.
What's your feeling about oracle and tarot cards? Have you used them before? Have you found them helpful? I would love to hear.
Thank you for reading! I'm so pleased you are here. Until next time, may you be well, happy, and safe. With love, Sandra
P. S. In case you're wondering, Wild Arisings is my monthly soul-stirring note. When you subscribe, you also receive a free copy of my 50-page e-book, 21 Simple Stress Tips. I would love to have you join us! Just click here.