Get in touch with your intuition following these four easy steps
Think of oracle cards as training wheels for tarot cards. Tarot cards, like the traditional Rider-Waite tarot deck, consist of 78 cards with both major and minor arcana, and take time to learn. However, oracle cards come with a general theme and without the complex rules of tarot cards. I’ve read my own oracle cards for years and learned how to interpret its myriad of meanings over time.
Robin Hunsberger, a licensed Psychic Medium and Tarot Reader for over 30 years, told Off the Strip, “A Tarot deck typically represents a person’s journey through life and helps us see different perspectives. Tarot cards remind us [how] we can see the larger picture instead of hyper focusing on the tiny details and getting stuck there.” Get in touch with your intuition by following this simple how-to guide.
First: Choose an Oracle Deck
Either browse the internet or visit a local psychic store to see which deck you gravitate towards. There’s no wrong way to choose a deck, but you want a deck you enjoy reading. Many decks have themes, such as Literary Witches, which features writers on their cards like Toni Morrison or Sylvia Plath, or Angel decks which feature archangels like Micheal and Gabriel. All decks offer unique ways of sharing wisdom and clarity.
Hunsberger recommends starting out with a Rider-Waite “themed” deck to familiarize with the the structure and framework of reading tarot. “Use a Rider Waite ‘themed’ tarot deck for learning. The Rider-Waite theme is the most universally taught and used all over the world,” she says, “Buy cards that have unique pictures on each and every card. Some decks sold will have minor arcana cards only.”
Another deck to consider is “Easy Tarot” when you are first starting out. “I love the deck called ‘Easy Tarot,’ a gilded tarot deck by Ciro Marchetti. I use this deck in each reading so each client can clearly see what I’m talking about,” explains Hunsberger, “That deck is colorful and not overdone so each image is clear but beautiful.”
Second: Cleanse your Oracle Deck
Make your deck sacred by cleansing or charging the cards. There are many methods on how to clear the deck’s energy, such as smudging the deck by burning sage, setting the deck out under the moonlight or sunlight, or sprinkling salt over them. If you choose to use salt, do not eat it after the ritual. Throw it away because it absorbs all the unwanted and negative energies.
“[For] brand new decks, I sage each card as I go through the energy connection process,” says Hunsberger, “For daily use, I prefer knocking out the energy and sometimes a quick full deck swipe through the sage smoke. There are many choices available and you will find what works for you from bathing in moonlight, crystals, salt, sage and others.”
If you want to try the knocking method, she says all you do is knock with intention on the cards three times (just like you knock on a door). This method is another easy way to quickly cleanse the energy in your deck.
Third: Pick a Card Spread for your Reading
Most people are familiar with psychics in the movies laying out three cards representing the past, present and future. This is only one way to interpret the cards. “Oracle decks are a lot easier to use [because they] have no template or common structure,” says Hunsberger. There are countless spreads you can try besides this three card method.
For a simpler approach, ask a question. Shuffle the cards. Then, draw one card. This card is meant to offer guidance or insight to give you a fresh perspective on your personal situation.
One card readings easily and quickly get a beginner acquainted with the process. Be sure to pay attention to all the card’s details like the colors, numbers or imagery in the artwork. Oftentimes, the details reveal deeper meanings than the guidebooks that come with the deck mention.
Don’t worry about the cards being “evil.” Hunsberger says, “Tarot is connected through universal life energy and intuition and has nothing to do with religion or anti-religion.”
Fourth: Cleanse your Deck and Store them Somewhere Safe
After readings, cleanse your deck again. This removes the energy from the previous reading. Then, store them somewhere safe. Many readers place them on an altar with photos of family members and crystals. Whichever place you feel is sacred in your home is the best place for your deck to rest.
Or you can take your deck with you everywhere you go like Hunsberger. “I use one primary deck (I always keep a spare of that one deck as I wear my decks out) for all readings and it’s that deck that goes everywhere with me,” she says, “My primary deck sleeps next to me as well.”
Learning to read oracle or tarot cards is a great way to open your mind and see things in a new light. “In many ways, tarot has changed my life. I see life with infinite possibilities instead of trying to view the world through a keyhole,” says Hunsberger.
Follow Robin Hunsberger’s Instagram and Facebook to for upcoming specials! If you’re interested in booking a reading, visit here.
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