The cards speak to me! (yer girl is lowkey the oracle of delphi)

 What's up fam? It's yer girl. I wanted to tell you guys about how much I love oracle cards and how much I have benefited from them on my healing journey. I know what y'all are thinking "now wait a minute snekgirl, I didn't know you were one of those new age spiritual types. I thought you were an atheist!" And that is true. But rather than thinking of oracle cards as a way of connecting to a higher power, you can think of them as connecting to your own intuition if you're an atheist. This is why I encourage people to use oracle cards. If people in your life treat you as if you're still a child who doesn't know what's good for you, if they act like they think you don't know how to make decisions by yourself, then oracle cards can feel very empowering because they remind you that you know yourself best. They encourage you to take matters into your own hands instead of being passive when a problem or uncertainty arises in your life. They will train you how to listen to your gut feelings again, the way you used to before society gaslighted you. 

Oracle card decks can be expensive (although the art on them tends to be exquisite, so it's worth it imo) but there are free online ones, and some new age cafes have oracle cards you can use for free as well. I have the Sufi wisdom oracle, but honestly I prefer the Starseed oracle and Kuan Yin oracle. 

Since I like art, folklore, and writing inspirational messages for people, I am also thinking of making my own oracle cards and posting them online for people to use. 

Before shuffling the deck, say a prayer to yourself. This can be an actual prayer if you're religious. If you're not, think of any deity that is relevant to you but imagine it as the manifestation of an abstract concept rather than thinking of praying to a being that exists. It could be any concept that is relevant to the question you want to ask the cards about. 

For example, if I need refuge from particularly disturbing thoughts that day, I pray to Santa Muerte. She's a skeleton, but her embrace is warm. And she offers protection for those fearing violent deaths, or those who simply have no one else to turn to. If I'm stagnating on creative growth, I think of Xochipilli, "the prince of flowers" as he symbolizes the springtime and that is the time of growth and renewal so I think of it as the season of creativity. If I want to turn to a protective, motherly figure who can also be fierce, I think of Sedna or Nuliajuk from Inuit beliefs. And if I want to do justice to a certain research topic and approach academics with integrity, I think of my favourite, Quetzalcoatl the Aztec god of wisdom. 

Of course, go with whatever speaks to you. Imagine Venus is you're trying to maximize enjoyment in a relationship. Imagine Mars if you're trying to rizz someone up, as he symbolizes action over passivity and courage over being a wimp. Those are just my suggestions. 

Once you've prayed, shuffle the cards slowly and allow yourself to put your trust in them or feel a connection to them. 

Now comes the time when you can ask the cards a question. Don't ask yes or no questions, and don't ask "am I right or wrong?" Ask things that are more open-ended.

Questions that I have asked the cards:

1. How will pursuing a PhD change me as a person?

2. What challenges lay ahead of me as I am about to start a PhD?

3. I worry that I may stagnate when it comes to artistic pursuits. How can I prevent this?

4. How do I maximize enjoyment in a relationship for both me and my partner?

5. How do I heal from a breakup?

6. How does learning about a new language or immersing myself in a new culture change me as a person?

7. How will moving to a new country change me?

To answer a question, you could draw a single card. But I recommend using a spread if you want a more precise answer. One of my favourite spreads is laying out three cards in a row to represent the past, present, and future. You can draw a fourth card to add clarity to your reading. You can arrange 12 cards in a circle to do a yearly forecast. Every oracle card deck is different, but they all come with guidebooks. The guidebook is indispensable! It will tell you card meanings and suggest spreads. Some guidebooks will give you alternate meanings for if you draw a card upside down. Others may offer separate meanings for if you draw a card for a "personal question" or a "relationship question." Some will add a prayer for you to say or a type of meditation to try. 

Tarot cards generally have more intricate spreads, and an experienced tarot reader won't need a guidebook. But for oracle cards, you do need one. 

Once you flip over the cards in your spread, you can start interpreting their meaning. The guidebook will help with this. 

Here are some examples of things that the cards have told me:

• I possess great creativity and the ability to love deeply and I need to protect these parts of my identity while pursuing a PhD
• I will need to work very hard (getting in was hard, but staying in is also not easy lol)
• I need to seek collaboration on my creative projects
• When in a relationship, I need to focus on enjoying the present moment instead of worrying about the future. 
• If I try my best in a relationship, the breakup will be easier to deal with because I will know that I did all that I could have done. 
• I will become better at strategic and analytical thinking, problem solving, and taking action if I learn a new language
• When I move to another country, I need to let go of my emotional baggage and any negative vestiges of my past life

These are all great answers, and I am glad the cards spoke to me!

I hope y'all will give oracle cards a try.