Have you ever felt like the universe was trying to tell you something?
Maybe a song on the radio seemed to answer a question in your mind, or a stranger’s words felt like a message meant just for you.
Our intuition is always speaking – but do we know how to listen? That’s where divination tools, like oracle cards, come in.
I’ve been exploring different ways to tap into my intuition, and after listening to a podcast by Sahara Rose on divination, I found some tools I want to try for myself.
We all have moments where we’re searching for direction, wondering if we’re truly supported. The truth is, we are. Spirit, the universe – whatever you call it – is always communicating with us.
The challenge isn’t whether guidance exists but whether we know how to listen.
Key Takeaways
- What oracle cards & divination tools really are (beyond the myths)
- How to choose a deck that aligns with your energy
- Step-by-step guide to reading oracle cards intuitively
- How to ask the right questions for clearer guidance
- Simple daily rituals to strengthen your intuition
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What is Divination?
Divination is the practice of asking the divine for guidance. It has been used across cultures for thousands of years, showing up in different forms but with the same underlying purpose: to help us listen.
Sahara explained it this way – when you’re lost in your thoughts, it’s easy to get distracted. But when you sit down to journal, your focus shifts.
You’re contained within a practice, which allows clarity to emerge.
Divination tools work in the same way, offering something tangible to channel our intuition through. They become a mirror, reflecting back what we might not have been able to see on our own.
How to Use Oracle Cards: A Beginner’s Guide to Tapping into Your Intuition
One of the most common divination tools – and the easiest place to start – is Oracle Cards.
These decks hold archetypal messages that help reveal what’s beneath the surface of a situation.
Rather than giving strict predictions, they offer insight into energy, patterns, and possibilities.
Steps to Use Oracle Cards for Guidance
Get to Know Your Deck – Sleep with it under your pillow for three nights to infuse it with your energy.
Set an Intention – Before pulling a card, focus on your question or situation.
Feel Your Intuition – Before flipping the card, close your eyes and sense its message.
Interpret the Card – Notice the imagery before checking the guidebook.
Reflect on the Message – Journal your thoughts and revisit them later.
Another key aspect of Oracle readings is light and shadow. Some decks (like tarot) incorporate reversals – where the same card can have a different meaning depending on how it’s drawn.
If upright, it may reflect the light of a situation; if reversed, it invites us to explore the shadow. Shadow doesn’t mean bad – it simply highlights an area that needs awareness or healing.
I recently used this idea of light and shadow with my deck The Universe Has Your Back by Gabby Bernstein, and it really added another layer of meaning to the cards I pulled.
Learning how to use oracle cards can help you develop a deeper relationship with your intuition and, in turn, connect you to your higher self.
Energy Clearing: Releasing the Old to Make Space for the New
Before we can fully receive guidance, we need to make space for it.
We are constantly absorbing energy – from people, places, social media, and even past experiences. If we don’t clear it, we carry this energetic debris with us, clouding our intuition.
One of the most powerful ways to clear energy is through smoke cleansing with sacred resins and herbs.
Copal: The Ancient Energy Purifier
Copal is a tree resin that has been used for centuries in spiritual rituals. The scent alone is deeply grounding, and when burned, it clears stagnant energy and enhances spiritual connection. Traditionally, copal is burned on charcoal to release its rich, sacred smoke. When using it, take the smoke from your crown down to your feet and allow it to cleanse every part of your energy field.
Sage + Palo Santo: Clearing and Soothing Energy
White sage is a powerful energy cleanser, often used after emotional or energetic upheaval. However, it’s important to use it mindfully, as white sage is being overharvested. A great alternative is wild sage, which is more sustainable and equally effective. Palo Santo, on the other hand, smooths energy rather than clearing it. It has a warm, grounding fragrance that helps restore harmony to a space.
When working with smoke cleansing, always keep a window open. Energy needs an exit—otherwise, it will recirculate in your space.
Agua de Florida: Clearing Without Smoke
If you’re sensitive to smoke, you can use Agua de Florida. This is a natural floral water with a strong cleansing effect. Put a few drops in your hands, splash it behind you, and press it into your heart and temples. The shift in energy should be immediate – like an invisible weight lifting.
Sound as a Tool for Energy Clearing
Sound is one of the most powerful ways to shift energy. The vibration of clapping, singing bowls, or even certain types of music can clear stagnant energy and reset a space.
For example, when entering a new hotel room, set an intention, clap in the corners, and call back your energy while sending away anything that isn’t yours. Even this simple act creates an energetic shift.
Candle Magic: Intention in Physical Form
Candle magic is an interesting divination practice it weaves intention into the physical realm. The flame represents transformation, and the wax can be used for divination – much like reading tea leaves.
You can write prayers or intentions, place them under a candle, and observe how the flame burns. Does it flicker wildly? Does the wax form shapes? Each movement carries a message and you can use your intuition to read them.
Restoring Our Energetic Balance
As I start to work with energy clearing tools, I am realizing that divination isn’t about seeking answers outside of ourselves – it’s actually about clearing the blocks that prevent us from hearing the wisdom we already hold.
Energy clearing, sound, candles, and oracle cards are some of the rituals we can practice to help us develop and trust our own inner knowing.
These practices remind us that we are supported, that guidance is always available, and that when we clear space – physically, emotionally, and energetically – we make room for the messages of our highest self to come through.
Living with intention and high-vibrational habits can enhance your divination practice. Read more about high vibrational living and living intentionally.
Final Thoughts
Using oracle cards is something I’ve done previously – but in a very unconcious way. I now realize that if I put my intention into the practice, it does really provide clearer results.
It’s definitely something that I’m going to work with and fine-tune so that I feel I am getting an actual message.
Let me know any of your tips and tricks, and if it works for you – I would love to know!
