Three Ways to Use Oracle Cards (for Beginners)

Feb 4, 2020 | Learn Tarot, Oracle Cards

Use your Oralce Cards like a pro with these three easy and beginner friendly Oracle Card spreads.

If you've been thinking about diving into the world of Oracle Cards but not sure where to start then this is the blog for you. I'll show you three simple ways to start using your Oracle Cards so you can start to benefit from the amazing, universal wisdom of the cards.

WORDS: Cat Crawford

Oracle cards are like tarot cards less detailed sibling. They have their own power and energy that is different to the more traditional tarot cards, but they are perfect if you’re are a mega busy person or just looking for more generalised advice and guidance.

With tarot, you are really drilling down into the nitty gritty of the subconscious and it’s a very personal journey for each individual. Oracle cards are more about helping you see the bigger picture and giving you shots of wisdom and guidance, that could help you focus and set intention.

People often feel like they have to fall into one camp or the other, an Oracle Card user or a Tarot fanatic. I always encourage beginners to experiment with both. Which one is best for the job depends on the job at hand.

I like to think of oracle cards as a daily divination tool and tarot cards for more long term planning. If you’ve grabbed yourself an oracle deck recently, then here are three different ways you could start experimenting with your oracle cards.

One Card Daily Oracle Card Readings

One of the most common ways to use oracle decks, especially for complete divination beginners, is a one card pull.

Using the cards in this way gives you a focus for the day and tells you what the universe wants you to know that day. You can do these readings as often as you like, so it doesn’t have to be every day. It could be that you only draw a card when you’re in need of some spiritual and emotional support or guidance.

How to do a one card pull

Grab your oracle deck and give the cards a good shuffle. I always aim for the magic number of three, three good shuffles and your cards should be ready to go.
Next, split your deck into three equal piles and spend a few seconds seeing if you feel a pull towards any pile in particular.
Whichever pile you feel drawn to, grab that pile and fan the cards out in front of you.
Again, tap into any pulls you feel towards any of the cards in front of you. Whichever you feel most drawn to is your card for that day.

*If you’re in a rush, you can simply shuffle and pick from either the top or bottom of your deck for a quick hit of guidance.

Moving Forward Two Card Oracle Card Spread

One of the things that the oracle cards are best at, is delivering clear and concise messages from the universe. These messages are not just what we need to know to move forward, they can also tell us what we need to leave behind. As we move forward in life, we can only carry so much, so we have to let go of the things weighing us down to take on what promises to propel us forward.

This spread tells you what the universe needs you to let go of and leave in the past and what you should focus on to move forward, healthily and positively.

How to do this two-card Oracle spread

Just like last time, give your deck a good shuffle and split it into three equal piles.
Fan out your cards from your chosen pile, and don’t forget to really tap into that intuitive pull and guidance.
Next, ask the cards “What is moving out of the way?” and choose whichever card you feel drawn to the most.
Ask the cards “What is coming into view?” and again, choose the card that you feel the strongest pull towards.

Whatever card one is telling you is what is currently on its way out of your life. This could be a mindset, a general theme or something more specific to you. Card two is what card one is making room for.

Release And Focus Three Card Oracle Card Spread

We can combine the first two oracle spreads in order to create a well-rounded and effective oracle spread. This three-card spread helps us to receive the main message the universe wants us to know and work on. It then goes on to tell us what we have to release in order to reach that goal and what we need to remember or focus on, in order to fully embrace this universal message.

How to do this spread

Like we’ve done for the others, shuffle and split your deck into three piles. Intuitively choose the pile you are most drawn to.
Fan out your chosen pile and ask the cards “What message does the universe have for me?” and choose your card for position one.
Next, ask the cards “What do I need to release?” and choose your second card.
Finally, ask the cards “What do I need to focus on?” and choose your third card.

The message from the universe card gives us an anchor. This is so when you approach the “What needs to be released” card you’re not as defensive and you’re more open to the reasoning behind why it needs to be released and the goodness that it will offer you.

What Oracle Cards to Choose?

There are lots of oracle cards to choose from and it depends on how much experience you have with them, which will determine the ones that are best for you. Remember to also think about which illustrations connect with you the most. Art speaks to us and can connect with our emotions better than any other medium, so the illustrations of your oracle cards are very important.

I really love the oracle decks created by Rebecca Campbell and artist Danielle Noel. These cards are not only beautifully illustrated, containing a huge amount of divine feminine energy, but also have a way of helping you visualise and process your subconscious thoughts.

The messages on these oracle cards are also very detailed and easy to understand and really help to deliver those universal messages to our conscious minds. The same can be said for decks like the Moonology deck by Yasmin Boland. It depends on what themes you are drawn to and what you want to use your Oracle Cards for.

If you’re looking for more guidance on using your Oracle Cards in a more practical and hands-on way, make sure to grab one of my ‘Tarot For…’ workbooks, all of which can be used with either Tarot or Oracle cards.

How to Use a 3 Card Tarot Spread For Self Care

Dec 21, 2019 | Learn Tarot

Explore these different three card Tarot spreads, all with the aim of aiding you with your own self-care.

Over the years, tarot reading has been turned into a bit of a gimmick and many have forgotten the real benefit of having these tools at our disposal. Even just a simple and easy 3 card tarot spread can be used in a healthy self care routine.

WORDS: Cat Crawford

IMAGES: Jen Theodore

A 3 card reading is perfect for complete tarot beginners and those not looking to learn how to do full readings, but need a little spiritual support. I often do a 3 card reading on a Sunday as part of a bigger self care routine.

The cards allow me to reflect, assess and plan. Reflecting on the week that has just been, assess where I am in that present moment and plan for what I need to focus on in the week ahead. I find it is a great way to check in with my emotions, process everything that has happened and pick up on any details that I may have missed by not being ‘in the moment’.

There are a few ways you can structure a 3 card tarot reading, so below I’ve pulled together 3 different structures that you can use regularly, to better take care of your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Don’t forget to cleanse your cards before starting. If you don’t know how to cleanse your tarot cards, make sure you check out my blog posts on how to do just that!

Past, Present & Future - Three Card Tarot Spread For Self-Care

The most common 3 card tarot reading is the traditional, Past, Present and Future structure. In this spread, you’ll use the cards to reflect on the past, assess the present and plan for the future.

Read the cards from left to right and be aware of any major arcana cards that might pop up, as these will set the tone for the whole reading. For example, if you get The Lovers card, then the reading will probably centre around your romantic or self love. If The Fool tarot card appears, the reading may suggest that it is time for something new or a new adventure is on the horizon.

If you are doing this reading every week, the Past card will refer to the week just gone and the Future will refer to the week ahead. Don’t try to read too far in the past or see too far into the future, as it starts to become too complex and you won’t get as much benefit from your reading.

Past Card – This card helps you to look back at the previous week and understand any lessons you learned, any complex or strong emotions you may have felt or something you’ve worked through. When moving on to the Present and Future cards, always keep in mind this card, as it is a huge influence moving forward.

Present Card – This card allows you to look inwards and assess your emotional and mental wellbeing in the present moment. It has probably been effected by the events that are shown in the Past card. For example if you get the Seven of Wands in the Past position, and the Ten of Swords in the Present position, it indicates that you have battled through something in the previous week that is currently causing you burnout and in need of rest.

Future Card – The Future card indicates what is possible or what you need to focus on in the coming week. The Future card is never set in stone, it is here to show you how things could turn out if you listen to the warnings and follow the advice of the Past and Present cards. If we use the above example of the Seven of Wands and Ten of Swords, we may get a card such as the Four of Swords, which indicates that we need to spend the next week resting and recovering from this difficult time and assess why this was such a struggle for us.

Past, Present and Future Tarot Reading Spread

Subconscious, Conscious & Higher Consciousness - Three Card Tarot Spread For Self-Care

Three Card Tarot Reading Spread for Mindset

f you’re looking for something that allows you to tap into your spiritual self-care and delve a little deeper inwards, then this structure may be a better option.

The Subconscious, Conscious and Higher Conscious tarot spread allows you to spend time in your own head and really work through your thoughts and how your emotions may be effected by your thinking.

Subconscious – The subconscious is the wizard behind the curtain, it controls a lot of how we think, feel and even act. A card in this position is a window into your deepest thoughts and feelings, that you may not have even been aware of. For example, if you received the Three of Swords, you may have a deep need for a companion or someone to confide in. This is very common, especially amongst those that are not comfortable being vulnerable or asking for help when they need it.

Conscious – The Conscious card represents the thoughts and feelings you are aware of. These can be recurring thoughts or fears that you’ve been having in the past week that have been holding you back. The conscious thoughts are heavily influenced by the subconscious, so if you look carefully at the Subconscious card, it can help you to better understand why you may be having those thoughts or feelings in the here and now. It is figuring out the connection between this card and the Subconscious card that makes this structure so valuable.

Higher Conscious – The Higher Conscious card is what you already know, but a concept you probably haven’t completely grasped or accepted yet. Once you’ve understood the root cause of your current thoughts from looking at the Conscious and Subconscious cards, you can use your findings to better understand the Higher Conscious card. This card is your ‘truth’ and it is often kept from you because of negative or self depreciating thoughts causing a mental block.

Release, Begin and Sustain - Three Card Tarot Spread For Self-Care

Another beneficial way of using a 3 card tarot reading for self care, is by assessing negative behaviours and patterns. This is where the Release, Begin and Sustain structure comes in handy. It helps you identify the things that are not serving you, what is working for you and what you need to leave behind in the past.

Release – This card will indicate something you need to leave behind in the week that has gone by. It could be a thought, a feeling, a habit or even a person.

Begin – The Begin card tells you of something that you need to start in the week about to begin. This is usually something you’ve already been thinking about or have been too scared to dive into.

Sustain – The Sustain card shows you something you are already doing that you need to keep up with. We are always so obsessed with progress and trying something new and exciting, that we often overlook the good habits we already have. This is a good point to reflect on how far you’ve come and the things you’ve done that have really benefited you up to this point. These are the things you need to keep up with moving forward.

Using All Three Spreads Together As One - Nine Card Tarot Spread

If you’re feeling confident, you can combine them all together to create one mega 9 card reading! This can be done weekly to give you a full in-depth review of your weeks, or once a month to do one mega check-in with yourself.

Combining these 3 structures means that you get insight into your thoughts (with the Subconscious, Conscious & Higher Conscious cards), your feelings (with the Past, Present & Future cards) and your actions (with the Release, Begin and Sustain cards).

Combine all of the meanings from all the other positions from those previous spreads. This gives you what I am calling the ‘Ultimate Tarot Spread for Self-Care’.

This will tell you everything you need to know about how you can take care of yourself in the best possible way right now!

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