My first deck of oracle cards was gifted to me. I very politely said, "thank you so much", and then had no idea what to do. I pulled them out every so often, flipped through the cards, but did not feel any pull towards them. I was FRUSTRATED. I wanted to feel a pull. I had become interested in the cards but I wasn't able to get myself to feel as inspired about them as a lot of my friends were.
What was I doing wrong???
One day, I sat down and looked up oracle cards on the ever-knowing Google. I ended up on a website, scrolling through all of the different decks. And then I FROZE. I couldn't stop looking at one specific deck. It literally felt like my eyes were magnets and I had no choice but to stare at this wonderous deck.
Ok... That's interesting.
To sum up: I purchased that deck. When it arrived, I was excited to use them every day. I felt a relationship with them and the information contained within. I would say that deck was the start of my understanding of oracle cards.
When it comes to oracle cards, there are a few things to know in choosing both a deck and a card. I don't know everything (don't tell my middle school students) but I would like to share what I know:
How to Choose a Deck
Based on my own experiences and what I have observed in others, this is very simple. It goes something like this:
You will know it when you see it.
I firmly believe that your soul points the way. There have been times when a card deck looked so beautiful and I really wanted to own them. But I just couldn't bring myself to purchase. I couldn't explain why but there was no pull. In this situation, my ego was attracted to them but not my soul.
Then, there have been times when inexplicably I am brought back again and again to a specific card deck. I can't explain why. There's no valid reasoning for it. This is my soul being attracted to a deck and nudging me to take that next step.
So, when you are looking at oracle decks, pay attention to what you are attracted to. For me, it feels like a magnet. For others, their palms might start tingling or they get very hot. Just pay attention. I assure you, you will know.
How to Choose a Card
There are many many ways to do this!
It is always suggested to shuffle or manipulate the cards in some way first. You are getting your energy on them, and vice versa. While you are shuffling, state the intention or issue on which you would like guidance. After you feel you have shuffled enough, you can try any of the following:
- Spread the cards across a flat surface. Run your palm slowly across them until you feel a change in sensation in your palm. That's your card!
- Decide beforehand if you will choose a specific card (the top card, the bottom card, the 7th from the top, etc.). As you are shuffling the cards and stating your intent, also state how you will pull the card. Example: "I would like guidance on my work situation. I will pull the 3rd card from the bottom."
- Shuffle until you feel it is finished and then cut the deck and choose the top card.
- Sidenote: Feel free to pull more than one card. You can combine messages from the cards to add more depth to the guidance you are receiving.
These are not rules you need to follow. These are simply different ways that I have come across. I know people who do each of the above. As you work with your cards, you will probably come up with your own personal card-pulling style.
Remember: You cannot do this wrong. There is no wrong card. State your intention and let the cards come to you.