How to use an oracle

I was flirting with the idea of getting an oracle for a few weeks. I would go to the witch store in my neighbourhood regularly to buy candles and incense; it was all really just a pretext to go examine the mysterious oracle and tarot decks in the corner. After many visits, curiosity won me over. The store lady recommended her favorite oracle deck, l’Oracle de Kuan Yin by Alana Fairchild. I have been using this oracle for many months now. I developed a ritual around this practice, which I’ll happily share with you in this article, along with some advice on how to get the guidance you need.

I started using my oracle out of curiosity and without realizing it could offer me guidance. After drawing out a few cards I realized it’s immense potential. The Kuan Yin oracle offers a thorough description of the card, as well as an exercise to work on whatever the card pointed to. I was drawing cards to see if the descriptions would match my reality. I was testing it. After a few weeks of getting similar cards over and over and getting dead on descriptions of problems and situations in my life, I started trusting my cards. This is when I began being open to trying the different healing exercises. My relationship with the cards rapidly evolved. I was now using the cards as a channel of communication with my higher self and my spirit guides. 

Before getting to the how to, let me expand on this communication. We all have times where we are so deep in a situation, so obsessed with some thoughts and beliefs that we can’t see the bigger picture anymore. This is when communicating with your higher self and spirit guides can be most beneficial. Connecting with these wise entities allows us to see more clearly, act more wisely and feel more compassion. We can connect to these beings with our psychic senses, through dreams or using divination. This communication has guided me through many tough moments in the past years and has helped work on healing some deep emotional wounds.

Here is how I use my oracle:

1 - Setting an intention

Your intention is the reason to communicate with your higher self and spirit guides. Sometimes I feel attracted to my deck, but I don’t have any specific question in mind. I want general guidance. This happens when I feel a bit lost, when things feel blurry and I need clarity. In this case, my intention is to be informed of what I most need to be aware of. Intentions can be very particular questions, like: “should I follow a class on X topic?” or “should I visit my family in the coming month?”. I experience a lot of physical pain with chronic migraines and horrible period cramps, so my intention is often to know what the pain wants to communicate to me and what there is to learn from it. I often ask what a certain emotion is and why it is coming up in my body. I write down my intention prior to drawing cards whenever it feels necessary. 

2 - Preparation before divination

I go in my room alone, to have some peace and privacy. I light up some incense to make vibrations higher in the room. Then, I take out the cards, hold them in my hands and call the spirits. “I call all the spirits that love me unconditionally (3 times), I call all of my spirit guides (3 times), I call the spirits of my ancestors (3 times)” is what I say before continuing with a small prayer that usually starts like this: “I need help to see more clearly, to act more wisely, and to feel more compassion to [insert intention] (3 times)”. Either I stop there or continue freestyling a prayer if I’m inspired. I ask the spirits to deliver guidance through my oracle, and I thank them. At this point I can feel the air in my room becoming more electric and the vibe shifting entirely. 

3 - Connecting to the cards

Connecting your heart to the cards sounds abstract and weird, but is a very simple practice. First, I focus my attention on my heart. I observe the sensations in this area and try to feel pleasant sensations of love. If there are no pleasant sensations to focus on, I thank the cards out loud 9 times while focusing on feeling gratitude in my heart. I direct the love and gratitude towards my deck by feeling the weight of the cards in my hands as well as sensations it is creating. This practice helped me develop a relationship with my cards. When I first tried this, it felt like pretending, but slowly the connection became more genuine. Now, as soon as I pick up the cards and close my eyes, my mind becomes quiet and my heart expands. 

4 - Divination to find the right card

After connecting with the cards, I shuffle them until it feels right. Then, I spread down the cards in front of me. I pass my left hand (I am left-handed) over the cards slowly. I observe signs that will point me to a specific card. It could be feeling some heat in my hand, a pulsation, a pain. Often my fingers start moving a bit over a card. I also try noting what feelings come up. I might start feeling uplifted and excited or disappointed and heavy, this can also guide me. There are different layouts possible and you can choose what fits best for you. I often like to pick only one card, and then pick another card if I need clarifications or specifications on the first one. Another spread I often use is choosing three cards, the first one being the problem, the second is the solution and the third is the outcome. The possibilities for layouts are infinite, have fun with it. 

5 - Interpreting the card

When you see your cards, first observe which emotions, reactions or thoughts are coming up. If you are trying to take a decision and that you feel disappointed by what you are being told, than this is still giving you precious information on what you truly want. You can write down these informations if you feel like you need more clarity. Oracles usually give you a text accompanying the card. I make links between the meaning of the card and my intention. Open-mindedness is key in interpretation. As mentioned earlier, sometimes we can’t see the bigger picture of the situation, which means that the cards may surprise us. I always try to stay as open-minded as possible. I have learned to question my own dogmas and beliefs rather than the accuracy of the card. I had a friend that was seeking guidance to further develop his psychic abilities. Instead of answering his questions, cards would always advise him to establish strong roots and security in his life. He realized that he needed to build solid foundations before a healthy exploration of his psychic abilities was possible.