Daily read

App: Sword Oracle app
Deck: Kuan Yin Oracle
Subject: me

Maiden Magu and Drink from the Emerald Fountain

The Kuan Yin Oracle again eh? This one has come up as my random daily read deck quite a few times now, I may have to buy this one as a physical deck.

So, Maiden Magu tells me I've been emotionally bypassing my healing without even realising it. A certain aspect of myself was accepted but ignored, which means it can't heal. This part of me I need to face, to see, to dive into and let it bleed, metaphorically speaking, only then can I get better. This means existing in a place of darkness for a while, a place of pain. A few days ago I got a card that said I was in the Dark Night of the Soul, which is a period of intense pain and spiritual suffering that allows growth to happen. We delve into our darkness and stay there for a while, and not always by choice. The idea is that when we emerge we are better for the experience.

At the time I wasn't in a DNotS, but now I am, and not because the card predicted it.

DNotS is a harsh experience that anyone can go through, and in this reading DrtEF is saying to remember to take respite along the way, remember to practise self care while the night is ongoing, to get help if I need it because I don't have to experience this alone.

What I mustn't do is try to avoid the pain as otherwise I will just continue to exist in a limbo with this particular issue.

This reading is a little more on the personal side than I'd usually like to reveal but it's such a good way of showing how oracles can work that I had to put it up.

Daily read

App: Sword Oracle app
Deck: Kipper
Subject: me

Thoughts

False Person, Marriage, Unexpected Income

Family Room

A highly strange reading this one. Living Room and Thoughts were pulled together but they don't really make any sense. Both are neutral cards that require you to look at the cards around them to understand their meaning. LR is literal rooms, private spaces, privacy, inner thoughts and feelings. Thoughts is thinking about things, again literally just thinking about things.

I decided I needed more information so did a separate reading for which I got False Person, Marriage, Unexpected Income, and Living Room again. The inclusion of a card from the previous reading assures me that they are related and tells me how to combine them.
False Person can be what it says but it can also be lies, trickery, deceit of any kind. Marriage can be literal marriage or it can be a union between two things, especially if it's the middle card. Unexpected Income is any small boon or good luck, similar to Clover in Lenormand.

I was still having a hard time until I realised that LR and Thoughts were meant to be looking over the entirety of the second reading, not just a certain card.

So I can now see that there are two parts to this reading, one is the observer of private matters, the other is the union of deceit and small fortune or small luck. These two elements shouldn't be related but become so precisely because of the observation. The observer, however, is also be observed upon.

See, when you do a reading on something or someone you have to connect to the energy of that person or thing, when you do that you're not just connecting to them they are connecting to you, and some people will be able to notice such a thing.

As far as I'm aware, however, I've not seen any shady deals or shenanigans going down like this reading suggests, so what is this reading about, or who?
I have no idea but it's certainly intriguing.

Daily read

App: Sword Oracle app

Deck: Kuan Yin Oracle

Subject: me

The Lotus Throne and Turquoise Lotus Mother

The daily read cards from the Sword Oracle app should be randomised, yet I've gotten Kuan Yin for a few days on and off now. I can't tell if it's a problem with the app or a problem with me lol

TLT was an advice card on the 25th.

TLM was the highest outcome card for a reading from the 23rd, it's unusual for a highest outcome card to arrive so soon. The fact that it's an advice card from today is a really good sign, it's saying the best outcome I could have on the 23rd is here and in progress.

TLM is saying to trust my own intuition, to keep my inner self sovereign, backing up the messages I've been getting recently about this issue. This means that I am not paying attention to this message or that this issue is one that will continue to crop up for a time and so I should be mindful.

TLM says that I have learned lessons or at least begun to understand and so now I can receive the proper healing.

Deck: White Light Oracle 

Shaktipat of Seahorse 

Going with the flow, being authentic, seeking out places and people that suit us rather than forcing ourselves to change in unnatural ways. Don't force a fit that doesn't work. Live without shame of who you are.

I get out of the way of other people, physically. If I'm moving towards someone coming the opposite way I'll move aside, even to my detriment, even when they should step aside, even as a disabled person.

In a shop I will walk all the way out of an aisle and back in to make sure that the person behind me doesn't have to wait for me to find the thing I'm looking for, not even for a second. 

Today I was in a store and doing this even though I was aware of it, even as I'm thinking "Don't move out of the way," my feet just moved to steer me clear of others.

This is something I do emotionally too, I'm fearful avoidant, I get out of other people's way even before they say they want me to.

A problem the depth of which I'm now aware of and can begin healing, as TLM says above.

Daily read

App: Sword Oracle

Deck: The Good Tarot

Subject: me

Temptation and 4 of Fire

I'm rather perplexed by this pull as I've got no idea why it's come up. It's saying I'm too focused on the material world in relation to my creativity and passions. I'd usually say that I'd accidentally pulled on someone else but this certainly feels like it's for me. Perhaps the meaning will become clear in the next few days, it wouldn't be the first time that's happened.

Daily reading

App: Sword Oracle

Deck: Goddess Power Oracle

Subject: Me

Epona and Branwen

Wise leadership and forgiveness

Epona is encouraging me to step into my power, or to continue to do so. She's talking about this blog and wants to make sure I use it correctly. It's important for me to remember that people will look at me as an authority on tarot and other spiritual matters, that people will take to heart what I say.

There is another message here also, one that Branwen picks up on. They wish me to be willing to be held accountable for my bad behaviour and the times I have hurt people, but they want me to do this without the shame and self-flagellation I will usually feel. Branwen specifically tells me I should forgive myself for the things that others have forgiven me for, that there is no point holding on to guilty feelings for the things I have done wrong if the wronged party has moved on.

It's a difficult ask as I am very prone to self-criticism and self-blame.

If only therapy wasn't so expensive 😅

My decks

Some people buy card decks to use, others buy card decks because they look nice, some of us do both which is how I’ve ended up with a collection of over 30 physical decks and am also now using many digital ones.

This list is split into tarot cards, Lenormand cards, and oracle cards. To find out what the difference is you can use the links in the sidebar.

Where possible I will list not only the name of the deck but also the creators and publisher.

Tarot decks

1. The Ancient Egyptian Tarot. Clive Barrett. Element.

2. Deviant Moon Tarot. Patrick Valenza.

3. Dragon Tarot Cards. Peter Praconik. U.S Games Systems.

4. Dreams of Gaia Tarot. Ravynne Phelan. Blue Angel.

5. The Fey Tarot. Riccardo Minetti and Mara Aghem. Lo Scarabeo.

6. Imperial Dragon Tarot. Andy Baggot and Peter Praconik. U.S Games Systems.

7. The Intuitive Tarot. Cilla Conway. St. Martin’s Press.

8. The Law of Attraction Tarot. Mariana Roveda and Simone Gabrielli. Lo Scarabeo.

9. Legends Tarot. Anne Stokes.

10. Night Sun Tarot. Fabio Listrani. Lo Scarabeo.

11. Starlight Dragon Tarot. Steph Engert and Nora Huszka. Self published.

12. The Steampunk Tarot. John and Caitlin Matthews with Will Kinghan. Tuttle.

13. The Unicorn Tarot. Liz Hilton and Suzanne Star.

14. The Wildwood Tarot. Mark Ryan and John Matthews. Connections.

Oracle decks

1. Angel Prayers Oracle Cards. Kyle Grey. Life Styles.

2. Angel Power. Wolfing von Rohr and Gayan S. Winter. AGM.

3. Beyond Lemuria Oracle Cards. Izzy Ivy. Blue Angel.

4. Dream Oracle Cards. Kelly Sullen Walden and Rassouli. Hay House.

5. The Druid Animal Oracle. Phillip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm. Connections.

6. Energy Oracle Cards. Sandra Anne Taylor. Life Styles.

7. The Faeries’ Oracle. Brian Froud and Jessica Macbeth. Fireside.

8. Harmony Angel Cards. Angela McGerr.

9. Heart and Soul Angel Cards. Angela McGerr.

10. The Heart of Faerie Oracle. Brian and Wendy Froud. Abrams.

11. Moonology Oracle Cards. Yasmin Boland. Hay House.

12. Power Animal Oracle Cards. Steven D Farmer. Life Styles.

13. Sacred Sites Oracle Cards. Barbara Meiklejohn-Free. Watkins.

14. White Light Oracle. Alina Fairchild and A. Andrew Gonzalez. Blue Angel.

15. Wisdom of the Oracle Cards. Colette Baron-Reid. Life Styles.

Lenormand

1. Gilded Reverie Lenormand. Ciro Marchetti. Konigsfurt Urania.

2. The Enchanted Lenormand Oracle. Caitlyn Matthews and Virginia Lee.

Merchandise

Clow Cards, red x3

Clow Cards, pink x2

These cards are official and unofficial merchandise from a show called Cardcaptor Sakura. They work well as oracle cards.

Lenormand cards

Lenormand is a cartomancy system used for divination. It consists of a single group of 36 cards, each of which has a corresponding playing card suit and number, known as pips.

Lenormand is usually read from left to right in the manner of a story, with each card adding to or augmenting the previous one. The lowest number of cards usually pulled for Lenormand is 2, these cards are then read together, for example Dog represents friendship and loyalty, Mice represents decay and pollution, together they could be read as a dwindling friendship.

Common Lenormand spreads are 3 cards, 5 cards, and the more detailed 9 card spread. There is even a spread that uses all 36 cards called the Grand Tableau.

When Lenormand spreads contain 3 or 5 cards you would usually read them in sets of two. So in a 3 card spread you would read cards 1 and 2 together, then cards 2 and 3 together. In a 5 card spread you would read cards 1 and 2 together, then cards 2 and 3, then cards 3 and 4, then cards 4 and 5.

You can also mirror these kinds of readings, where you imagine you are folding the reading down the middle where the central card is, this way you can also pair cards 1 and 3 in a 3 card reading, or cards 1 and 5 in a five card reading as well as 2 and 4.

3 or 5 card readings can also be interpreted with the middle card as the central theme or the querent and the outer most cards as the foundation of the reading.

The more cards you add to a Lenormand reading the more complicated it gets, but you also gain more insight into your situation.

9 card readings are the biggest you will usually do. They are read vertically and diagonally as well as horizontally, with the middle card being the central theme. Unlike 2, 3, and 5 card Lenormand readings the 9 card versions have categories; past, present, future, conscious, reality, unconscious, the central theme and the four corners as the foundations.

9 card Lenormand readings can take hours to work through.

The Grand Tableau is an advanced spread and not for the faint of heart. 36 cards all needing to be read in relation to each other. This spread also puts each card into a category, though it works differently from the 9.

For more detailed information on how to read Lenormand I highly recommended Labrynthos, both the site and app are very well made.

Tarot cards

Tarot (tah-roh) is a cartomancy system used for divination. It consists of 78 cards divided into two groups. The major arcana is 22 cards that represent a journey, starting at the Fool and ending at the World. The minor arcana is 56 cards of four suits, each having 14 cards. The suits are traditionally called wands, swords, pentacles, and cups. Each suit has an Ace, numbers 2 to 10, a page, a knight, a queen, and a king.

The major arcana tends to deal with big, major life events and issues whereas the minor arcana tends to deal with more day to day things.

Each card in the tarot has a traditional meaning that goes along with it. Some diviners prefer to stick to the traditional meanings, others prefer to just go with their intuition, and still others prefer to do a bit of both.

Most tarot decks can be read in an upright or reversed (rx) position which effectively gives you double the number of meanings. For example, Death means sudden and drastic change when it is upright, but rx it means stagnation.

Some tarot decks are designed to be read in the upright position only, the guidebook with the cards will usually tell you if this is the case.

Tarot is often read with each card in a specific context or category in a spread. For example a common spread is past, present, and future. In this spread the first card represents the past aspects of the situation you are reading about, the middle card represents what is going on right now, and the last card represents what is likely to happen. Another example would be situation, action, outcome. The first card represents what is going on right now, the middle card represents what you should or could do in relation to that situation, and the last card represents the likely outcome should you follow the advice of the middle card.

Of course, you don’t have to use a specific spread to read the tarot, you can just let your intuition tell you how many cards to pull. Doing this means you’ll have to figure out the meanings without the context of their position in a spread, but it’s certainly doable.

You can use the tarot to read on anything and everything. You can use it for yourself, for others. You can use it for purely spiritual matters or mundane daily life things, it’s entirely up to you.

Oracle cards

Oracle cards, like tarot and Lenormand, are used for cartomancy, unlike tarot and Lenormand however they do not use a specific system. Oracle card decks can be on any subject, have any designs, any number of cards. There aren’t really any rules. Lenormand and tarot can be classed as types of oracle cards, but usually when spiritual practitioners refer to oracle cards they mean those of a non-specific reading system.

While oracle cards offer the most freedom in cartomancy they also have the least structure. Each deck will be designed to be read in a different way depending on what the author intended.

Over the years, however, certain themes have arisen in oracle decks. Oracle decks are usually of a certain size, 78 cards of specific height and width are common. They often come in the same types of boxes with the instructions printed in the same types of booklets. These things probably cropped up due to the increasing popularity of card decks making it more viable to print them in certain ways, streamlining the production process.

Definitions

Oracle A medium or tool through which prophecy can be sought. Crystal balls, tarot cards, lenormand cards, rune stones, scrying mirrors and so on are all types of oracles. The person using the tool can also be classed as an oracle

Divination

The practise of using a tool, such as tarot cards, to seek information and knowledge through supernatural means.

Telling someone’s fortune, reading their future, these are examples of divination.

Diviner

The person or practitioner using the divination method.

Querent

The person for whom the divination is taking place, the one asking the question. The diviner and queren can be the same person.

Cartomancy

Divination using cards.

Oracle cards

Cards used for the purpose of divination, generally referring to those that do not belong to any specific reading system.

Tarot cards

A specific cartomancy system. Tarot consists of the major arcana which begins at the Fool and ends at the World, it also has the minor arcana which has four suits of fourteen cards each, usually named wands, pentacles, swords, and cups.

Lenormand cards 

A specific cartomancy system. Lenormand consists of 36 cards that are read in relation to each other.

Kipper

A specific cartomancy system. Kipper consists of 36 cards that are read in relation to each other.

Cleromancy

Divination through the casting of lots, such as the rolling of dice, runes, or bones.

Rune

A language writing alphabet.

Runestone

A type of cleromancy using runes written on or carved into small, smooth stones. They can be made from any material but wood and stones are common. A set of runestones is traditionally made up of 24 symbols, but other systems may include more. Some systems also include a blank rune.

Scrying

Scrying can refer to a large number of different divination methods or can simply be the word used to describe the act of divining on someone or something. Often people will use the word to specifically refer to divination by way of seeing images in crystal balls, black mirrors, moonlit ponds and so on.

Upright

Tarot cards read so that the words and images are upright.

Reversed (rx)

Tarot cards read so that the words and image are upside down. Not all tarot cards are meant to be read this way, not all diviners incorporate rx cards in their readings.

LDR

Long distance reading. Divination performed on behalf of someone else but not in their presence. At one time this was a very unusual way of reading for someone but now it’s often the preferred method.

Spread

The layout of a cartomancy reading. Tarot incorporates many and varied spreads.