Oracle cards are becoming more and more popular; there are so many on the market these days that you are almost spoiled for choice (Angel cards, Butterfly cards, Colour cards, Moon cards, Earth cards, Chakra cards, Druid cards, Past Life cards and so many more….and then of course the many, many variations of Tarot cards!).

But where do you start, which ones should you buy and what’s the best way to use them?

Well, some cards are easier to ‘read’ than others.  Angel cards for example, come with their messages and meanings written on them, then you can refer to the guide-book that comes with most sets for further guidance. 

This is true for most oracle cards apart from Tarot; Tarot have numbers, Kings, Queens, Princes and Pages, and Suits etc; they are more like a deck of playing cards. 

There is a lot to learn before reading Tarot cards, most people don’t just lift a deck of Tarot cards and know how to read them. (For this reason, this post is mainly about oracle cards, excluding Tarot).

Angel cards are how I got started with oracle cards. You don’t have to be religious to work with Angel cards, I do not follow any organised religion; I am spiritual and I believe there is a higher power, but I don’t believe in a particular religion. 

I do believe however, that there are different realities, different realms, different frequencies of energy and it is within the higher realms that Angel energy exists.  We can connect to this energy through meditation and with Angel cards.

When I began using Angel cards (my first set was Doreen Virtue’s ‘Daily Guidance from your Angels’), I would simply do a shuffle and choose a card.  I’d read the writing on the card and the corresponding message written in the guidance book. 

This is a perfectly fine way to work with the cards, but after a while I found I was able to ‘read’ much more from the card by looking closely at the picture and ‘feeling’ what it had to say. 

I stopped looking up the guide-book, in fact I threw all the guide-books from all my oracle sets to the back of the drawer and haven’t consulted them since. 

Using your intuition to read oracle cards is a skill that develops over time.  

So here’s how I like do an oracle card reading….

1.  Set up a quiet area where I won’t be disturbed. 

For me, that’s my tiny spare room that I turned into a yoga/meditation room (check out ‘How to set up a yoga/meditation area or room‘ or ‘Create a Zen Den‘ for more on this). 

You don’t need a whole room or even a special area,  anywhere will do, as long as you won’t be disturbed.

2.  Light a candle and burn some incense, sage or Palo Santo.

You don’t have to, but I think it is a nice way to ‘set the scene’ so to speak, to hep you relax and get in touch with your intuition and your higher self.  

I usually use my Himalayan salt rock lamp with a t-light candle and burn some White Sage or Nag Champa incense. 

I let the smoke from the incense blow over the oracle deck to cleanse them (make sure you definitely do this if your cards are new!).  I always have a few crystals around me.  I usually go for the ones that are known for assisting us with meditation (Amethyst, Selenite, Clear Quartz etc) but often I just pick any that I am drawn to that day. 

3.  Sit comfortably and meditate for a few minutes to quiet the mind. 

I like to hold my Oracle cards while I do this and usually a crystal or two.  I focus on my breathing and allow my mind to settle. 

4.  Then gently shuffle the cards. 

If I am looking for an answer to a certain situation, I will bring it to my mind, otherwise I will simply think or say ‘what do I need to know today?’

5.  Pull one or three cards. 

If it’s just a quick ‘what do I need to know?’ then one card …or three cards if I need guidance about a specific situation.  How do I know when to stop shuffling?  There is no right or wrong time, just stop shuffling when you feel ready; it will always be the right card for you at the right time.

6.  Read the card/s.

If it’s a one card reading, simply read the meaning on the card, what is it telling you? 

Look at the picture, can you gain further insight from that?  What thoughts spring to mind, do you get e feeling, a voice in your mind, a smell,  a Deja-vu, a vision?   Give anything that pops into your mind your attention.  What is this card trying to tell you? 

If it is a three card spread, the cards will reveal information about past, the present and the future of the situation you are inquiring about; the first card tells you about the past, the second about the present and the third is about the future. 

Listen to your intuition, what are your first thoughts when you see the cards?  Consider each card individually, then decide what the overall message is.

7.  Journal

You don’t have to but sometimes it helps to journal which card/cards came up and any thoughts/feelings etc. 

Quite often when you pull a card it won’t seem relevant immediately but when you read back through your journal you will see it all makes sense at a later date. 

 8.  Say thank you to your angels and guides.

And that’s it.  It’s really that simple.

The more often you do it, the more easy it will be to connect to your intuition and inner wisdom.

So, where do you start, which oracle cards should you purchase?

Well, it’s a completely personal choice; there are so many and everyone connects to different sets more easily than others but I will share my favourites, these are the ones that I keep going back to…

Daily Guidance From Your Angels Oracle Cards

By Doreen Virtue

As I mentioned above, these were the first set of angel cards that I used.  I really connected with them and still use them almost every day (yes, even after the whole ‘Doreen Virtue fiasco’, but that’s another story entirely).  These, as the title suggests, are good for daily guidance; I usually pull a card in the morning while I’m eating my breakfast.  The cards are beautifully illustrated, the messages are comforting and uplifting and for me it is very easy to find relevance in their meanings.  My ‘go-to’ oracle cards.

Check them out here on Amazon

Keepers of the Light Oracle Cards

By Kyle Gray

Even though I am not religious, I found it very easy to connect with these cards.  They are beautifully illustrated, and have such a positive vibration to them. They utilise traditional spiritual teachings from ancient times to modern.  I love that these cards give a balanced approach to religious traditions, from Buddha to Jesus, from Egyptian to Celtic deities.  These spiritual masters go beyond both time and religion, Keepers of the Light are spiritual deities dedicated to peace and healing.  They remind me of our need for universal oneness.

I love that these cards are little different from other oracle cards, it’s always good to mix things up a little.

Check them out here on Amazon

These cards use key spirits in nature and their unique elemental power. They are visually stunning.  A must-have deck if you have a love and appreciation of nature.

These cards are suitable for someone starting out with oracle cards and equally suitable for someone advancing their practice.

I prefer these for one card readings; for me they aren’t great for doing a spread.  Perfect as a quick daily card pull for guidance for the day.

Check them out here on Amazon

Angel Therapy is a powerful healing and guidance process that works with your guardian angels and the archangels. These angel cards give you action steps to take that will initiate healing.

I always get very accurate readings with these cards, they give you messages about your life purpose, relationships and much more.

This easy-to-use deck is perfect for beginners as well as those experienced with divination cards.

Check them out here on Amazon

Check them out here on Amazon

Angel Answers Oracle Cards

By Doreen Virtue

The description for these cards says:  ‘Sometimes you need a simple and to-the-point answer to your questions, such as ‘Is it “Yes” or “No”?’ and ‘When will I get that job… meet my soul mate… move to a better location?’ and so on. Angel Answers Oracle Cards offer you trustworthy guidance when a short-but-sweet response is required.’

At first I wasn’t sure about these cards, I mean, oracle cards are designed to encourage us to connect to our own intuition, how do we do this if a card is telling us something directly?  However, there are actually only a few ‘yes’ ‘no’ cards in the deck, the others are ‘within 6 weeks’ or ‘most likely’ or ‘ask your angels’ etc.  So once I used them a few times, I found they were actually very good…and spookily accurate!   I’d definitely recommend these for times when you need  more specific guidance.

Check them out here on Amazon

The cards are very inspiring and provide beautiful affirmations about love, self-love, and believing in yourself.  I would definitely recommend them as they are great to go to if you are having a bad day.  They are like a big hug from your best friend.  

Check them out here on Amazon

These are last but definitely not least.  I only purchased these quite recently (I don’t know why, as I’m a great Rebecca Campbell fan) but they are becoming firm favourites!  They are so relevant for me on my current journey.

Are you ready to Work Your Light? By working with its five suits and connecting with your intuition, you will be able to start living a life in alignment with who you truly are.
– Confirmation cards give a quick hit of instant guidance.
– Inquiry cards help you tune in to the whispers of your soul.
– Action cards guide you on what action to take.
– Activation cards invoke healing within you.
– Transmission cards connect you with supportive energies.

Check them out here on Amazon

So there you have my favourite oracle cards .  There are SO many more decks out there, there is literally a deck for everyone.  Whichever ones you are drawn to the most are the right cards for you. 

Once you purchase them, carry them about with you, sleep with them under your pillow, flick through them, get to know each other.  You will be doing accurate readings in no time 😉

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