The first time I held a deck of oracle cards in my hands was in the 1990’s. I had agreed to participate in a university student’s thesis project. I saw a poster in a coffee shop and knew that I needed to sign up. On a prearranged day, a group of women gathered in a house on the Dalhousie University campus. We were strangers to each other and none of us were clear about what we had agreed to participate in; however, we were curious.

What I remember about that day was the uniqueness of the round tarot cards with their exquisite illustrations. I can still feel the energy I felt when holding them in my hands and how natural it felt to have them there. I knew intuitively how to choose the card that would give me the insights I needed. Once I had chosen the card, I was very clear about the guidance the card had for me. As the other woman shared their interpretation of their cards, insights into their cards were also flowing through me. I was in awe. This was a new experience. Where was this coming from?

Since that experience, many decks of cards have passed through my hands. I often have a deck of cards in my handbag. If I am meeting someone in person and they are open to using oracle cards, I suggest each of us draw a card with the intention that the cards drawn will hold the space for our conversation. I am always in awe of the deep, soul-nurturing, empowering conversations that unfold, and we always leave in a higher vibration than when we arrived.

Recently I had a friend over for dinner. Before we settled into conversation, we each drew a card. We have done this many times over the years we have known each other, but this time she watched me work with the cards. When I had a card in my hand, she asked me about my process. I had never been asked that before and hadn’t thought about it. It is an intuitive process, so I had to do it with awareness to answer her question.

I take the deck of cards in my hand. I tap them three times to clear the energy. I drop into my heart space and when my mind is still and I am attuned with the vibration of my heart, I set my intention. I feel into the vibration of that intention and embody it. I then shuffle the cards in my hand while holding the vibration of the intention. I then take one card at a time from the top of the deck until the card with the vibration that is in attunement with my intention is in my hand. I can feel the card before I get to it so I slow down to feel more deeply into each card. When I described it, I was in awe of the intuitive wisdom that flowed through me long ago and my trust in it.

When I work with oracle cards, the feel of them in my hands generates joy in my heart. It feels like they belong in my hands and I trust that I will receive the guidance that I need. Most of the time, I can relate to the message I am being given. However, there have been a few times I resist the card; I don’t relate to it or I don’t feel comfortable with it. I have learned if I just sit with the card, something surfaces from my unconscious that is ready to be seen. Occasionally there have been times when I didn’t understand the message when I drew the card but it was later revealed at the exact moment I needed it.

There are many ways to work with oracle cards. It is important to find the way that you feel connected to and comfortable working with the cards. I have done lots of experimenting with other ways, however, I have always returned to my intuitive process as that is when I feel the deepest connection to the cards. Like so many things I do intuitively in this lifetime, perhaps this too has been mastered in another time. Whatever it is, I know I am very grateful to have seen that poster and to have signed up for that experience all those years ago. Working with oracle cards has enabled me to have a hands-on practice to expand my intuition, deepen my experience with guidance and to trust it. Oracle cards support me to connect with the energy the deck represents. For example, Rebecca Campbell’s Rose Oracle cards, pictured below, create a space for me to connect with the Sacred Feminine~ The Magdalene.

The Power of the Oracle