We’ve already had a look at how oracle and tarot cards are different, but now we’re about to jump into the world of combining the two! Yes, that’s right, you can use oracle cards AND tarot cards at the same time for a detailed and intuitive reading.
There are a few different ways to do this, but to start you off, I wanted to introduce you to my personal favourites and beginner-friendly ways of using oracle cards with tarot.
One of the main reasons to add an oracle card to your tarot reading is to offer an extra level of detail and understanding. Oracle cards are messages from the universe on what we need to know. Each card is filled with a unique narrative that can really help you to figure out the tarot a lot easier.
Some people will mix in a few oracle cards with their tarot cards, however, I prefer to use just one oracle card in my readings, to give it more influence and meaning. The more oracle cards in a spread, the more diluted the messages are… in my experience anyway!
The perfect way to start using your oracle cards with your tarot cards is by following along with one of my workshops or workbooks
We talked a lot about how oracle cards work in my previous blog post (see below), so I won’t go into too much detail about that here, but I will reiterate that oracle cards hold a lot more detail and story than that of tarot cards. I find that tarot cards work best when they are paired with each other to create a narrative. Oracle cards can do that all by themselves, hence why you often get fewer oracle cards in a deck than you do tarot cards.
When it comes to readings, adding in an oracle card can provide a more rounded universal message than the tarot. If you’re finding it hard to put all the tarot cards together, adding an oracle card can help give you context and bind everything together.
You can of course do this just using the tarot by picking out a shadow or light card, but using oracle cards is a lot more fun and beginner friendly.
Oracle cards with tarot spreads
I’ve created two little spreads for you to get you on the road to using oracle cards with tarot. Both use just one oracle card as a signifier card, helping to provide more detail and narrative to your readings.
Oracle Wisdom
The Oracle Wisdom spread uses five tarot cards and one oracle card. In this spread, the oracle card is here as the message that binds all the tarot cards together. For example:
Oracle deck: Work Your Light Oracle Deck. Buy the deck here >>> Shop Now
In the above reading, we’ve got the following cards in the following positions:
Past – Eight of Cups
Present – Ten of Cups
Bridge – Six of Pentacles
Future – Page of Swords
Block – Four of Swords
Oracle – Birthing a New Age: Birthing new creations. Dreaming a new world into being.
If we got these cards in a general reading I would say that we’ve come from a place where we’ve had to make a big decision to walk away from something that we were emotionally invested in. It might have been a project that just didn’t work or maybe even a relationship.
In the present, we now feel more emotionally fulfilled because of this decision, walking away from what was no longer serving us, has helped us to reach a place where we feel happier, more supported and more optimistic for the future. We’ve managed to get to this point by asking those around us for help and accepting what we received.
In the future, we are aiming for a lot more mental clarity around what it is that we need in our lives to make us happy. We may be in a good place right now, but it’s only temporary and we need to start planning for the future and how we can maintain this positivity. The way we can get to that point is by taking some time out, revelling in this 10 of Cups energy for a while and allowing ideas and thoughts to come to us naturally.
The Oracle Card helps by telling us that this process is going to be a big turning point in your life. It’s going to put you on a completely new path than what you were expecting and that decision you made to walk away from where you were, was one that was always meant to happen. Taking this 4 of Swords time to just allow yourself to figure things out in your own time, will help you to really delve into your subconscious and uncover deeply rooted dreams and goals that you’ve been suppressing.
The addition of the Oracle Card gives us that extra level of comfort and universal support, showing us that the path we are taking is one that was meant to be and written in our destiny. It helps to uncover even more detail from the cards as you move along.
Divine Guidance
The Divine Guidance spread uses the oracle card in a slightly different way, giving you a present narrative to which all the other cards revolve around. Let’s have a look at it in action:
Oracle deck: Work Your Light Oracle Deck. Buy the deck here >>> Shop Now
In this example, we have the following cards in a general reading:
Oracle – Get Grounded: Empaths, Highly Sensitives. Connect with Nature.
This spread gives us more information about what’s going on internally. It’s less about your circumstance and more about your emotional and spiritual wellbeing. In the middle of the spread we have the Oracle Card, which tells us to get back to nature and find a way to ground yourself right now. You are feeling overwhelmed by both your own emotions and those around you. In order to improve your state of wellbeing, you need to figure out a way to feel more in control and gain a more grounded mindset about where you are right now.
The conscious card of the 9 of Pentacles tells us that we are thinking a lot about our material world right now, how much money we have, or how much money we lack. This can also be about wanting material possessions that you can’t justify buying or you simply can’t afford. You think that having these things will make you happier, and so the lack of them is making you miserable.
In your subconscious, there is a deep need to be able to see things for how they are. You want to be able to get rid of this constant material thinking and start using your brain power for more intellectual things like planning your future and thinking about the important things in life.
This is all coming from a place of comparison, the 3 of Cups has us thinking about how happy others are with what they have and how we want to be like them. We are watching as these people celebrate all they have, this can be caused by comparing our own lives on social media. This comparison is causing us to live in this daydream where we have all we desire and when we get hit with a dose of reality, we come crashing down.
The future promises that we will be able to grab a hold of these wayward emotions, but that the grounding energy from the oracle card is what we need in order to get to that point. We need to stop the comparison and practice gratitude for what we have, in order to see things in a clearer light.
The oracle card in this spread allows us to link each of the tarot cards back to one singular point. For the above reading its about grounding. We can link each card to this subject of grounding and how it will support or unblock the tarot card’s energy.
Using oracle cards in your tarot spreads doesn’t have to be confusing, keep the amount of cards you use to a minimum and you’ll find it a lot easier to get to grips with this form of divination!
I frequently get asked by newbie tarot readers if I’ve ever had someone tell me their reading was completely incorrect. The answer is no, nobody has ever said that their reading was wrong and here’s why.
For my personal readings, tarot is a guidance tool. I don’t claim to be able to tell them what is going to happen to them in the future, instead, I offer possibilities and outcomes and a path to show how my client can get there.
The cards represent the most common lessons in life
The tarot cards are designed to represent the main core lessons in life, each card can be used to represent something you’ve been through in your life. Whether it’s addiction with The Devil, big life changes with Death or complete joy and success with The Sun.
These themes are things that every human goes through at some point, what a tarot reading does is highlight which of those lessons we are currently learning, have learned or have yet to learn. The Major Arcana (The Fool, Magician, High Priestess etc.) are the big life lessons, the lessons only the universe can throw our way. The Minor Arcana(the suits of cups, pentacles, swords and wands) are the smaller, daily obstacles and challenges we face in our normal waking lives.
Is the reading wrong? Or are you reluctant to accept the answers?
One of the most common reasons people perceive a reading to be incorrect is because the cards are telling them something they don’t want to hear. I find this can happen a lot in love readings (I speak from personal experience and doing my own love readings).
People will ask about a crush or their ex and when they are told the answers the cards are giving, they don’t want to hear anything other than “yes of course you’ll get (back)together“. This is because they are coming from a place where they want to be told their irrational or emotionally charged beliefs are fact. The problem is, when our perspective is clouded by intense emotion, we can’t see the reality of our situation.
If you want to get a completely accurate reading, there are a few things you can do as a client, to help the reader find the answers for you.
Get clear about what your problems or obstacles are
Think about what came before your obstacle and how it might be influencing your present
Try the most logical of solutions before contacting a reader – e.g. if you’re having trouble telling someone how you feel, have you actually attempted to tell them before getting a reading?
Enter into a reading with an open mind and the space to accept whatever comes up in the cards
Tarot reading should never be used as a way to support or backup irrational thoughts or damaging behaviours. Use tarot as a tool to find emotional and spiritual wisdom and guidance on how to move forward in a healthy and positive way. Use it to gain a different and more unbiased opinion on your current situation. Tarot is neutral, it is Switzerland, it doesn’t side for or against you, it simply tells it like it is.
If you’re interested in booking a tarot reading, why not drop me a message and we can work together to find answers and gain clarity!
When I get approached for tarot readings, the first thing I like to do is make it clear that I do not do psychic tarot readings. A lot of people don’t realise that there are different types of readings, with the psychic and guidance readings being the two most commonly used.
When I read tarot for my clients, I like to use a question to give the reading context. It helps me get really focused on a specific area of the clients life and means that they walk away feeling like a weight has been lifted and like they finally know how to move through whatever it is they are facing.
What is the difference between psychic and guidance readings?
When it comes to psychic tarot or fortune telling, I find the outcome is a lot more general and the reading as a whole is a focused on wowing you with facts about yourself that a stranger wouldn’t be able to know. Psychic readers usually provide a potential outcome to your life, for example they may tell you you’re going to meet a tall handsome stranger in your future.
Psychic tarot readers are most often represented in mainstream media, usually in horror films or supernatural stories. Most often they are shown as being Romani, hidden in a room with a lot of curtains, a crystal ball and a few other spooky trinkets. Due to this idea of tarot readers, I do get a lot of people looking for love readings, or people looking for me to tell them exactly what they need to do, but that’s just not the type of reading I do for my clients.
Guidance tarot reading helps clients to fully understand their situation and what they need to do to move forward. A lot of my clients come to me because they are facing an obstacle, or they’re feeling like they are stuck with no way out. I use the tarot cards to help give them guidance and help them uncover things that they may not have been able to admit to themselves.
One of the most popular pieces of feedback I get from clients is:
> “It’s something I already knew, but I feel like I needed it confirming. Now I feel more confident in what I know I need to do. ”
What kinds of questions should you be asking a guidance tarot reader?
When getting a tarot reading for guidance on a particular problem or question, it’s best to try and give the reader as much background as possible. We need to fully understand what has happened in the past to bring you to this point, in order to help you figure out your conscious and subconscious thoughts about it.
The aim of any guidance tarot session is to help you better understand how your past has influenced your present and how it could influence your future. We look into your conscious and subconscious mind, to identify and highlight blockages or challenges you need to overcome, again, seeing how events in your past may have influenced these. Finally we pull everything together to see what path lies ahead and what possibilities are open to you, based on all the information given to us by the other cards in the spread.
The types of questions or problems I get the most are things like:
Am I on the right path to achieve my goals?
Am I focusing my energies into the right areas of my life?
Is there something else I should be doing, other than what I’m currently focusing on?
Am I making the right decision with my career?
Should I think about taking a new path right now?
If you were going to a psychic reader, they will very rarely ask your for a question to focus on. They will use their intuition and psychic abilities to tell your fortune, so they are a much better choice if you are looking for answers to things like:
When will I meet a new partner?
Will I ever have my dream career?
Will I marry my current partner?
Will I be successful in the next 12-months?
Booking your tarot reading with me
If you’re looking for a career or business tarot reading, then I’m your girl. All you have to do is head on over to my booking page, click one of the many buttons and fill out the booking form. My email readings are £15 and my video readings are £20!
As business owners, we are often victims of self-sabotage, we have to rely on ourselves to get shit done, to hit deadlines, to file our self-assessment and pay our taxes. With all of this to think about, our minds can become a chaotic place to be and it becomes a breeding ground for self-doubt and negative beliefs.
The real kicker is that we often don’t realise these negative self-beliefs and doubts are forming until they start to get in the way of what we want. We hit roadblocks and obstacles that stop us from growing or progressing and we assume it’s because we aren’t capable, but it’s this very mindset that caused the obstacles in the first place.
So how do you know if the problems you are currently facing are caused by your own mentality? What tarot cards should you look out for during your readings, that tell you what you’re facing can be solved by a mindset shift?
Seven of Pentacles
The Seven of Pentacles is one of the most common cards I see for ambitious, career driven people. When we are working super hard, we want to be able to see the results of all that hard work, but it’s not always instantaneous.
Patience is key when it comes to being a business owner and solopreneur. We need to be able to trust that the work we put in will pay off in the long run, but many of us get frustrated and give up before our efforts have the chance to blossom.
This card is a sign that your impatience is the cause of your frustration and you need to trust that you will reap the rewards, when the time is right and it’s most beneficial to both you and your business.
Eight of Swords
The Eight of Swords is one of the ultimate ‘you’re doing it to yourself sis’ self sabotage cards. You’re completely oblivious to how your thoughts are keeping you prisoner and instead, it feels like the entire world is against you.
It feels like no matter what you do, nothing seems to go right you can’t find the right path. What you need to do to solve this is take a step back, stop trying to fight against the tide and go inwards. Take a look at your thoughts and analyse how they could be effecting you in the present.
There’s no point struggling against our thoughts, we need to learn to live with them, so mindfulness is your best friend in this moment. Work with your thoughts and you’ll see how those shackles fall away and life will start to get a lot easier.
Seven of Cups
The Seven of Cups highlights our lack of focus and indecision. It shows us that we are trying to give our time and attention to too many things and because of that, we are finding it hard to zone in on a specific direction and intention.
The best way to combat the Seven of Cups energy, is getting serious with intention setting. You need to decide what is really important to you in this present moment. Think about prioritising everything that you’re currently drawn towards and distribute your focus accordingly. Listen to your gut, what is it saying to you?
This will help you to set a goal and objective and give you more focus in your work. Keep this intention setting going by setting smaller, daily intentions.
Four of Cups
The Four of Cups shows us that we are not practicing gratitude like we should. Our lack of gratitude is causing us to be unhappy and frustrated with where we are presently. We are so focused on what we don’t have, that we aren’t appreciating everything we’ve achieved so far.
This happens to all business owners at some point. We get so consumed with reaching a certain goal or constantly moving forward, that we paint ourselves into a corner. We forget to enjoy the journey and want to rush right to the end, ignoring everything we achieve along the way.
With the Four of Cups, it is time to put gratitude into action. We need to sit down and think about all we’ve done, what we’ve been through and what we’ve overcome. Be grateful for everything the universe has given us so far.
Wheel of Fortune
How often do you actually go with the flow? It’s something that’s hard to do when you’re a solopreneur. With everything relying on us, we can develop an overwhelming need to control every tiny detail, in fear that all we’ve built will crumble if we don’t.
Controlling every area of our business can be exhausting though, it can cause stress and lead to us worrying about the things that are not in our control. We need to learn that we can’t direct every part of our business and some things need to be left up to chance.
When the Wheel of Fortune pops up, it’s time to address this overwhelming need to control and loosen our grip. Allow things to play out and trust that the universe has our best interest at heart.
Judgement
Inner judgement, something that can fuel self sabotage. The pressures we put on ourselves will weigh us down and when everything grinds to a halt, it’s time to look inwards to identify the issue.
We can be very hard on ourselves when we are trying to grow and run our own businesses. It’s not easy to be a solopreneur, yet we ask a lot from ourselves anyway. Remember that you’re doing the best you can and if things feel like a struggle, it may be because you are asking too much from yourself.
Write yourself an achievement list and think about the ways you’ve grown and developed as a business owner. Be proud of your achievements and recognise how far you’ve come.
The Hanged Man
The Hanged Woman (hanged man in Rider Waite-Smith decks) is a sign that we need to stop pushing forward, stop forcing progress and just take a moment to reflect.
This is one of my favourite cards to get, because it is permission to take a break, rest and just pause for a while. We don’t always have to be achieving the next big thing, sometimes it’s enough to just enjoy the position you’ve created for yourself in the present.
The Hanged Woman is a clear message that the universe needs you to just stay where you are right now. Now is not the time to be taking risks or facing challenges, just be still and enjoy life.
When you’re completely new to the world of tarot, it can be a bit daunting choosing what tarot cards to buy for the first time. There is some mythology that you should only be gifted your first tarot deck, but many of us have gone against this tradition, taking our first tarot decks into our own hands.
What do you need to think about when choosing a tarot deck?
When it comes to choosing your new tarot deck, there are a couple of things you will want to think about. A lot of the decisions you will make when it comes to deciding on the types of cards you want, will depend on your understanding of and experience with tarot reading.
You will also want to think about whether you want to use your cards for personal use or for clients. If you want to use your tarot cards for your own personal readings, then you can pretty much choose any deck you like the look of, just as long as it comes with a guidebook to help you understand the meanings of each card.
If you are looking for a tarot deck to use for client readings, then it is important that you can read the cards intuitively and easily. This means you need to be able to really connect with the imagery of the cards and be able to pull together a story, that also makes sense and connects with your clients.
Connecting with the imagery
The imagery is, for me, one of the most important aspects of a tarot deck, if I don’t connect with the pictures on the cards, I find it very difficult to interpret their meanings. I have to be excited by the cards I’m reading, which is why I always choose cards that look beautiful and inspire creativity in me.
If you are just starting out with tarot and you’ve never even come across a tarot deck before, I highly recommend getting yourself the Rider Waite tarot deck. This is the OG deck and the imagery is something many of us will have seen throughout popular culture. The images on the Rider Waite deck are immensely detailed and they hold a lot of hidden clues and meanings that can be used to give very detailed readings.
Luckily for us modern tarot readers, we have our pick of beautifully designed tarot cards and many of them are based off the Rider Waite meanings, allowing us to transition seamlessly from the original Rider Waite tarot deck, to more contemporary cards, such as the Mystic Monday’s Deck or the Elemental Power Deck.
The images in these more modern decks are very closely based on the Rider Waite images, meaning that if you are familiar with the more traditional illustrations, you won’t have too much trouble interpreting these custom designs.
The most important thing to think about when choosing a more modern tarot deck, is that you NEED to be able to connect with the imagery on a spiritual level. Just because a deck looks beautiful, doesn’t always mean that it will be a good deck for you. Listen to your gut, does the imagery excite and inspire you?
Meanings and interpretations
There are hundreds of books out there that aim to help you understand the different meanings of the cards, but remember that many of these focus on the Rider Waite meanings and only apply to tarot decks that follow the same meanings.
All of the tarot decks in our store follow the Rider Waite meanings, so it doesn’t matter which deck you want to transition to, you’ll have no problem applying everything you’ve already learned.
Keep in mind that not all tarot decks follow the same meanings, so if you’ve learned the meanings of one deck, that knowledge may not always apply to a new deck. Make sure to check before buying whether you’ll have to start from scratch with your new tarot cards.
Quality of the cards
Good quality tarot cards should be thick, easy to shuffle and not too slippy if they’re laminated. All of the decks we have in our store have been tested by myself to determine their quality and they are all excellent!
We have beginner decks that are laminated and a medium thickness, such as the Rider Waite, Mystic Mondays and the matte Elemental Power Tarot.
Pricier than some of our other tarot decks but 100% worth every penny. These cards are sure to last a lifetime, as they are very thick, matte and have a beautiful finish to them. The illustrations on these are for those that are a little more accustomed to tarot reading, as they’re fairly abstract.
The quality of your cards are very important, especially if you want to invest in a good quality deck that will last you forever. If you read tarot for clients, the Threads of Fate tarot is highly recommended.
How do you know it is time to buy a new tarot deck?
If you’ve been thinking about getting yourself a new tarot deck, then that is your sign! If you are completely new to tarot, I highly recommend jumping into the deep end, grabbing yourself a deck and get started doing simple 3-card tarot readings for yourself in order to learn the cards.
If you already have a deck and you’re looking for something a little more impressive or indulgent, then investing in thicker, higher quality cards like the Threads of Fate tarot is highly advised.
