Oracle Reading Tips
With all of the guides on reading Tarot, I have yet to find one on reading Oracle cards. So here is a small guide on Oracle readings by someone who has been using oracle cards for almost a decade.
What is an Oracle deck? Oracle decks differ from Tarot in that there isn’t a set amount of cards, nor set meanings to these cards. Every single deck is completely different in its imagery and meanings.
The very first and best advice I can give you in learning how to read oracle cards is to Get a Deck. Because oracle cards aren’t like Tarot, there’s no universal meaning to the cards, no shortcut, no cheat sheets. It’s a more intuitive method of reading cards. You can make your own deck as well, but if you’re just starting out, you might have a hard time deciphering the meanings of each card and finding a good harmony.
Read the introduction. I cannot stress this enough. Once you have your deck, all, if not most, decks come with a small book that gives you the meaning of each card as well as an introduction to the deck, the author, different readings methods and spreads. While you don’t have to follow everything to the letter, this is a very important place to start!
You don’t need to memorize every card. And you don’t need to read the whole book. The book is there to help you, don’t feel pressured into learning everything by heart. Once you do enough readings with your deck, and get to know it better, you’ll get a sense of what each card means. But, until then, please use the book as much as possible, and learn at your own pace!
Cleanse your deck. Regardless of where you get your deck from (the internet, a book store, a family member, a gift, an occult shop, a thrift store, etc) objects used for divination retain a lot of energy from their previous owners. You can cleanse your deck in lots of different way! Leaving it in the moonlight overnight, putting it in a bowl of salt, putting a crystal on it, leaving it on your altar, etc. Find whichever method works best for you!
Not mandatory, but a good idea, do a deck interview. Let your deck tell you its strengths and weaknesses, and why it has chosen to enter your life. There are loads of different spreads you can use and search for here or on Pinterest.
There are no bad cards. Even cards with meanings of doom and destruction aren’t bad. Everything has to end someday to give place to something new. My favourite saying is one I saw on here a million years ago: “It’s okay to be a glowstick. Sometimes we need to break before we shine.”
Use your intuition. Because there is no set rulebook for Oracle readings, even if the booklet says something, the card and imagery may mean something completely different to you. That’s okay. You are allowed, and encouraged, to find your own meanings for your cards.
Nothing is set in stone. While divination is a great way to learn more about yourself and your path in this life, your actions have a huge impact on your future. Not every reading will be entirely accurate. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad reader, it just means the future is always changing.
Take the time to look at each card. Getting to know your deck includes taking the time to look at each card, admire the imagery, shuffle gently and let your energies get to know one another.
I hope this has been informational for those of you interested in Oracle cards! They are truly a wonderful divination method. Here is also my folder of spreads. Yes, even if a spread is labelled a Tarot spread you can use it for any cartomancy!
Happy reading!
