Few Reminders...

Have I mentioned that I am no paranormal? Should have I left this one little detail behind, I honestly can't remember.  But yes, I am not a psychic nor am I a paranormal.  I don't see ghosts, I can't see the future, nor could I even travel the distant past.

Yet here I am, exploring the depths of esoteric.  Something that can't be seen by the naked eye magnetizes the altitudes of my curiosity.  I may not be one of them special beings, but there's just something about it that piques my interests quite deep.  Hence, I bought my oracle deck, The Oracle of Shadows and Light.

For those of you who follow me, you may have read about My First Reading.  I admit, I was excited to share my experiences as a greenhorn in the field (hence, the post).  But I'd like to induce a little of organization in this little realm of mine.  That's why I'd like to start with the basics and discuss some few important things before or when you're conducting a reading.

1. When consulting an oracle deck, remember that you're entering an oracular space.  In this sacred space, there is no past, present, or future --  there's only but pure energy that can be rewoven in the oracular moment.

2. Where is this sacred place you ask? You may create one.  Escape from realism by temporarily forgetting about all things material.  For instance, get away from the internet, keep your phone away, turn off the television, etc.

3. It would help if you can light up a candle.  Be also mindful about candle colors, choose the one that suits your intention.  I'll talk more about candle colors in a separate post.

4. Before you even begin shuffling the cards, close your eyes first and take three deep breaths.  Relax your body and calm your mind.

5. My oracle deck is quite of a social deck.  The more you interact with it, the more it's gonna trust you.  Therefore, it's very essential that you build a strong relationship with your deck.  You may take your deck anywhere you go, sleep beside it, or talk to it from time to time.  Sounds sissy?  Perhaps.  But I do that, and I felt more bonded with my cards.

6. Avoid being too hungry as card reading takes a lot of energy.

7. Take time in interpreting your readings.  Write them down in a journal to discover some helpful patterns.

Above all the things I mentioned, the most important advice I could give is that you weave your own fate. There is nobody else accounted for your own life but yourself.  The strands of your life ultimately depends on how you weave or reweave them.

My First Reading

Right after I bought my first oracle deck, I immediately wanted to try it.  However, there are somethings that need to be considered before conducting a card reading. For one, it requires a great amount of concentration thus, it is recommended to perform it in quiet areas (preferably with candles).  I was still in the mall at that time which isn't exactly the best place to conduct a reading.  But being as excited as I was with my newly-acquired item, I somehow disregarded that predicament.  And so, my feet took me to my favorite crepe shop, Cafe Breton, which in my opinion has the best crepe in town. *coughs.shamelessplug.coughs*.

Another thing to take into account for during card reading is, the reader should neither be starving nor bloated.  Just to be sure, I ordered something light to eat.  After the sumptuous meal and a little rest, I eagerly unwrapped my Oracle of Shadows and Light.

The very first thing that welcomes you when opening the box is a guidebook, underneath is the 45-card set.  Having little to no knowledge about card reading, it is only but wise to read through the guide first.  I learned that the book teaches variety of spreads though, eventually you can make a spread of your own.  I have a feeling that it’s still a long way for me to get to that level, so I’d rather stick to the guide for now.  On a side note, a spread is what you call the different card reading formations.

For starters, I wanted to start with some light reading, a beginner shouldn’t be too ambitious after all.  And guess what? It so happened that there was a perfect opportunity for me to consult my deck on that very same day.  You see, there’s this denim jacket that I’ve spotted while window shopping.  I was hesitant on buying it because of some constraints in the budget department.  This led me to seek -- for the very first time -- the advise of my oracle deck.  Lo and behold, here’s what the cards have told:

First Card (center)

The center card gives you more information on the problem/question.  My question was: Should I buy the denim jacket or not?  

The card I picked was the Mend-a-Broken-Heart Fairy Card.  This fairy comes along to tell you that whenever you feel down or brokenhearted — doesn’t have to necessarily be romantically —, don’t ever forget to treat yourself.  In a sense, that is exactly how I was feeling at that time.  It breaks my heart to be torn about buying that very nice piece of clothing.  And my problem was I wanted to “mend” that “broken heart” by giving myself a treat, a pretty little jacket.

Second Card (left)

The left card explains why am I facing such predicament.  

I picked the Storm Angel Card, it’s the very same angel you see on the guidebook cover.  This fierce-looking angel shows up whenever disorder arises.  It could be an argument with someone but in my case, it’s within myself.  The debate on whether to make the purchase or not is still on going.  But this angel wants me to speak the truth and the truth is that, I really want the jacket but it'll surely cost me an arm and a leg.

Third Card (right)

On the right hand side is the consequence card.  It tells you what could possible happen should I not heed the card’s advice. 

The Faceless Ghosts and the Haunted Girl appeared as the third card.  Maybe it’s telling me that if I don’t make the purchase at that time, it’ll come haunting me in the form of regret.  It could also mean that history could repeat itself when I postponed my buying of this beautiful pair of oxford shoes.  It was gone by the time I was finally decided on buying it to think that only hours had passed before I finally made up my mind.  That experience was heart-rendering and I still feel sorry about missing the opportunity of buying it  up until today.

Fourth Card (bottom)

Located at the bottom of the spread, the card that gives you a better insight helping you to decide will be the fourth card. 

The Carnivorous Flower Fairy Card warns that whatever it is that I want is very tempting but it comes with in a high price.  And yes, sadly, it does come with a high price… literally a high price.  The card literally tells me that nothing comes for free, especially when it’s as nice and pretty as a denim jacket.  Boy, these cards are cheeky indeed.

Fifth Card (top)

Finally, we reach the end result.  The fifth card on top talks about the action/decision that I should take/follow.

Ironically, the Candy Cane Angel Card showed up.  After warning me how expensive it’s gonna be, it’s now telling me to actually buy it.  Yes, when the Candy Cane Angel shows up, it tells you that there’s nothing wrong if you indulge yourself every now and then so long as you don’t go overboard.  Hence, I should pull the trigger and give myself a helluva treat.

…And damn sure I did~! 

Oracle of Shadows and Light

photo grabbed from Amazon

Divination has many facets. But for now, I’d like to focus on one particular practice called Cartomancy.  Cartomancy, or card reading as it’s more popularly known, is one of the oldest form of divination.  Cartomancers commonly use a 52-card deck playing card or the 32-card piquet set that originated from France around 18th, 19th, and 20th century.  But here in this blog, we’re going to use a more recent deck of cards.

We’ve already established the fact that the focal of my blog is about my adventures (or misadventures) as an amateur cartomancer using my first ever oracle deck, the Oracle of Shadows and Light.  This stylish 45-card deck was authored by Lucy Cavendish.  The haunting yet enigmatic artwork of Jasmine Becket-Griffith was the very first thing that caught my attention.  I debated within myself whether I should buy this deck.  I never delved into divination my entire life after all, part of me was skeptic even.  But can you refuse these beautiful quirky magical messengers?

Don’t confuse this deck as a tarot deck which is common for those who are unfamiliar.  There are other types of card used in Cartomancy apart from tarot, take the above-mentioned playing cards as an example.  Tarot is a form of oracle that has developed a more formal structure over time.

I know my blog may sound occultic and all.  I understand that not all of us are such huge fans of the said practice.  Some find these kinds of things sketchy and illogical.  But isn’t this what it’s all about? — Dealing with the occult and unknown? One more thing before I begin my quest, you are sorely mistaken if you think I’m doing this to change your belief or try and convince you with my shiz, that is simply not my intention.  Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m only doing this for the sole purpose of self-gratification.