Rabbit Holes
Tarot or Oracle Cards, which is your preference?
After looking into meditation to raise my energy or soul vibrations, I seem to have fallen down a different rabbit hole.
I mentioned last time that I was undertaking the free training by Denise Linn, well I signed up to take the course…
Watch this space for updates.
The course is to become a ‘Soul Coaching Oracle Card Reader’, it’s a bit of a mouthful, but it will give me a great grounding for working with Oracle cards.
Many years ago I bought my first Tarot card deck, (1986) such a lot has happened since then. I loved using them for guidance; they made me feel connected to something larger than myself. I am not sure what, the universe maybe, although more likely to those who I had lost and were in spirit, hoping for a bit of guidance from the other side.
This really isn’t the case, and this connection to the unseen world with its possible dark intonations puts many people on their guard. I recently asked some friends if they would mind me practicing with them. They mostly said no. I could feel an uncertainty, almost a fear flowing from them. There are so many negative associations with the Tarot or any kind of Oracle cards that this gut reaction to them is completely understandable, but it is not necessary.
The beginnings of the Tarot are shrouded in the mists of time. Some say it came from Egypt, others that the wandering tribes used them. Tarot is not a supernatural tool, or occult in any way. The card reader has no magical skills or connections to the dark realms. Wherever they emanated, the first verifiable decks date to the mid-fifteenth century, where they were very popular. They were freely available to anyone who could afford them. A lot like today.
There is still a fear of the occult attached to them for some people. It brings to the surface a primitive fear of the unknown and the unknowable. Almost as if the card reader is some witch doctor throwing the bones in a voodoo ish ritual.
Oracle cards, are a more recent addition to the pantheon of guidance tools. Unlike the Tarot, they seem to carry a lighter, more positive energy. They are structured differently; the Tarot has two parts - the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana represents the journey through life, whilst the Minor Arcana describes the experiences and situations in that life. Oracle cards have no such structure, the decks can range in design and pack size, usually though they have approx. 45-52 cards in a deck.
They are used similarly to the Tarot, with different ways to choose and lay out the cards. The person seeking guidance must hold a question in their mind when choosing the cards for the best outcome. The card reader should be centred and grounded, open to any connections with the cards or the sitter.
Ok, so maybe it is a bit Woo Woo, and yes I still believe that spirit, earth energy, the source, however you name it, can guide and help when reading cards. But this skill is within all of us, as I have said in previous missives, we just need to be open to it and to pay attention. Practice meditation in whatever way suits you best. I have just come across the lovely Sigrid van Heerwaarden, who was running a series of interviews. One person she interviewed was a lady called Ashana, who uses crystal singing bowls. The sound they produce is magical. I have currently downloaded her celestial sleep soundtrack and listen to it before I go to sleep every night. If you would like to find out about Sigrid or Ashana, I will pop some links at the bottom of the page for you.
The timing of the training for the Oracle cards could have been better, as we move house in just over 3 weeks’ time. But I have never been one to baulk at a challenge, and usually the universe knows best. Trust and faith, although my word of the year is Believe, so very apt. Do you choose a word for the year? This is my first time, and it seemed right.
To gain my certification at the end of the course, I will need to do some practice readings. If anyone is willing to be a guinea pig for this, please let me know, all volunteers gratefully accepted. As I have said, quite a few of my friends are a bit freaked out by the thought of having a card reading. I wish I could reassure them that nothing bad will happen. Hopefully, with time, they will see that the cards are a way to guide us. A reflection of what is already inside us, maybe hidden away, needing to be brought to the surface so it can be acknowledged, or be dealt with.
What are your thoughts on Tarot and Oracle cards? I would love to know, pop a comment at the bottom and let me know.
Until next time, may the Light and Love of your Angels and Guides be with you all.
Tracy x
Links
Denise Linn’s website:
Sigrid van Heerwaarden website can be found here:
https://sigridvanheerwaarden.com/
and her Facebook page is here:
https://www.facebook.com/SigridvanHeerwaarden1
Ashana’s website for more information about all she does