How to Combine Tarot, Oracle, and Affirmation Cards in a Reading

A few weeks ago I shared my favorite tarot and oracle card decks.  My collection has significantly grown over the last year or so but my purchasing of decks as slowed in the recent months.  I credit this to getting to know the decks I have.  Now, I'm not going to discourage you from buying all the decks (because it can be fun to collect and learn from different decks) but I want you to connect with the decks you have and find where new decks can fit into your journey.

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I use tarot, oracle, and affirmation cards for personal growth and development.  My persona belief is that these cards don't tell me the future.  These cards reveal to me things I may not consciously know or things that I know...but have chosen to ignore.  Those that are able to use the cards to tell the future have a gift I do not and the cards are mere tools for their gift.  But this belief in revealing subtleties is why I think everyone and anyone can benefit from using tarot & oracle cards.

It can be difficult to figure out how to use these decks just by themselves let alone pair these decks together.  Here are the three ways I suggest to start using multiple decks and card styles into one reading:

Pair Cards in the Same Position

When you're doing a certain spread, use two cards one position to get a more expanded yet direct message.  I find this most successful when I designate one of the pairs as the first or main card in that position.  For me this main card is often a tarot card.  So during the reading, I'll place down the tarot cards first in the spaces I've designated as for tarot cards.  Then I'll choose my oracle deck, shuffle, and place the oracle cards on to the tarot cards in the positions I've chosen to be expanded.  

Getting to know the decks you're using can help in this, too.  Pairing an oracle card with a tarot card on the same space can often explain or build on the message of the first card so when you know the energy of different decks you'll get the most from this pairing.  Often I'll use multiple decks (3 at max) because I know what each will give me in a reading especially when I'm putting them in a specific space.  

Create Specific Spreads 

When you know you're cards & your decks you can begin to work with them in a way that really works with you.  We form a certain relationship with our cards and I truly feel the universe will deliver what you need, in the way you need, if you just ask!  So, work with your cards.  If you know certain cards work great to form mantras, use those cards in a spread or specific position that deals with mantras.  In the weekly spread I usually do, I choose a card from the Sprit de la Lune deck as well as a card from the Sacred Soul Searching deck and a tarot card for the position of weekly theme.  I sort of created this spread around using those three cards because I find the most complete message comes from pairing these cards together.

When I do the Midweek Mantra spreads on the Connected Chakras Instagram, I also intentionally created a pairing between the Connected Chakras deck and the Pagan Cats Tarot.  I find that this mini tarot deck is very playful due to the cat imagery but offers a good compliment to the Chakras deck.  When you intentionally and repeatedly assign certain spreads as designated for affirmation cards or oracle cards, you'll find a better connection to your messages. 

Choose a Significator

This is one thing that really like to do when I'm attempting to work with a certain energy.  Choose a tarot, oracle, or affirmation card as the main theme of your reading.  For example - the Strength card.  So then you can pull and pair cards on how to embody the strength card.  

Perhaps you can ask "What mantra will help me embody the energy of this card?"  Then pull a card or cards that you know usually create wonderful mantras for you.  For me, I may choose to pull a card from the Connected Chakras deck & the Soul Searching Deck.  These always pair well for me. Again, knowing your cards and the messages they give can help you out here.

After working with my favorite decks and really connecting to them, I know which cards deliver the best messages when paired.  You'll find these great pairings by repeatedly using your cards.  Some decks may offer great messages on their own, some decks pair well because of their imagery, some decks might work well because they are both action oriented...the possibilities are endless.  You can also get to know your decks through a Get to Know Your Deck spread and keep note of what that deck will most likely tell you.

If you're looking for an easy way to learn the 78 tarot card meanings, I have a free tarot guide available for download!  You'll get a little ebook style download + a printable booklet to store in your tarot journal.  Sign up for the newsletter below to grab your free copy.

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Tarot is a great self reflective tool that can help hone your own intuition and help to develop a healthy relationship with yourself.  It is a key part of my self care routine, my goal setting strategy, and developing my self confidence.

If you'd like to read more about Tarot on the blog, click here.  You can also get weekly Tarot advice over on the Connected Chakras instagram.  If you're looking for another affirmation deck to add to your collection, check out my self published deck Connected Chakras or print your own here.

How do you use the tarot in your life?  How does it speak to you?

xoxo, Moe

Current Favorite Oracle & Tarot Decks

When it comes to self development & spirituality, I can't recommend using oracle and/or tarot cards enough.  Paired with some quiet time, mediation, and just self care in general, these decks can be a powerful way to connect with our higher selves so that we can understand who we are and move forward with a more positive outlook.  For me, tarot & oracle cards aren't something that can predict the future.  Personally, I believe that those who use cards in that way have another (totally separate) gift and the cards are a physical way of representing it.  But no matter what you believe, using tarot & oracle cards should be a vital part of your spiritual practice or self development journey!

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

I first started using tarot cards in March of 2018.  I found them to be a great tool for guidance & for inspiration.  These cards can help us with mantras, give guidance on choices, and most often they can spell out what we already know...but are maybe too naive or too reluctant to see.  

Types of Decks

There are quite a few decks that I turn too and I often will use more than one deck in a reading.  I love oracle cards just as much as tarot cards and I find pairing the two means I'll get a more interesting and sometimes more inspiring message.  There are three types of decks that I use:

1. Tarot deck - your traditional 78 card tarot deck.  I usually use a Rider-Waite-Smith inspired deck as the imagery is easier to read for me.
2. Oracle deck - These range in their style but they are normally considered anything that is not a traditional tarot deck.  There can be angel decks, moon phase decks, ascended masters decks, crystal decks, etc.
3. Affirmation deck - I'm not sure if this is a subcategory of cards, but this is what I like to call decks that have text centered around a mantra or affirmation.  So the face of the card will have text making the meaning very clear.

My Current Favorite Decks

The After Tarot

type of deck : tarot

The After Tarot is really the only tarot deck I use now.  I do have the Miss Cleo Tarot deck - surprisingly good I have to say - but The After Tarot has imagery that makes the cards much easier to understand.  The whole premise of this deck is to show what happens just after the traditional image in a Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

The imagery is still consistent with a RWS deck but takes it that step further and for me that makes the cards easier to understand.  The message is about action or reaction and gives a deeper meaning to the traditional images.

There is an expanded book that accompanies this deck, however I find it quite useless!! I prefer to build the meanings/interpretations on this deck from a traditional RWS perspective so it may be helpful to have a little white book from a traditional deck.

Spirit de la Lune

type of deck: oracle

The Spirit de la Lune deck was one of the first oracle style decks I purchased.  Since I really wanted to connect more into the moon and learn more about the phases, this deck stood out to me. This deck has 56 cards including moon phases, full moondalas, and zodiac moondalas (a moondalal is just the circular illustrated artwork on multiple cards).  Each card has printed words - the zodiac, the moon phase, the full moon, and the one-word meaning of the card - though I do not consider this an affirmation deck.

This deck is perfect for working with action as well as the moon phases can tell us what we may need to incorporate into our lives, which is why I think it is the perfect oracle deck.  The guidebook is full of information as well.  Not only do you get detailed info on each card, but there are spreads, crystal suggestions, and self care actions as well.  If you're even looking to learn about the moon the guidebook is full of information.

Connected Chakras

type of deck: affirmation

This deck is a deck I designed in 2017 that started as a throat chakra project.  I'd only intended to make a set of cards for the throat chakra and then the whole deck came together.  This is an affirmation deck as it is intended to give or inspire mantras for meditation.  I created this deck when I didn't really feel into my own power and I wanted to tap into my chakras to get aligned.

With 42 cards in this deck, the Connected Chakras deck features are six affirmations for each of the seven chakras.  There is no guidebook for this deck, but two cards provide info on how to use it.  This deck is intended to be a supplementary deck to your collection though it can be used alone.

My favorite way to use this deck is to pull a card with a tarot card and another oracle card.  I find that the Connected Chakras deck and the After Tarot work wonderful together.  The Connected Chakras deck will either be my mantra for the week/day/etc or add to a mantra I feel coming through that is supported by the other cards in the reading.

Universe has your Back 

type of deck: affirmation

This deck I wasn't too fond of at first.  But when I use this deck in conjunction with other decks (like the Connected Chakras deck) I feel like I get a more complete reading.  This is another deck that either provides me with or builds an affirmation for me.

The Universe has you Back deck features watercolor artwork is also very interesting and speaks to my creative side.  I love the hand written look of the text as well.  It just really speaks to my creativity.

Again, there is no guidebook with this deck though there is a supporting self development book by Gabby Bernstein by the same name.

My Quality Time Self Care Activity Deck

type of deck: oracle

Another creative deck, the My Quality Time Self Care Activity Deck from DeJa Drewit is one that I love to use weekly.  This can show me what I might want to do in order to focus on self care for the week.  Paired with other decks - especially an affirmation deck - I can begin to see where I might need to focus.

This deck is hand drawn with watercolor accents. The illustrations are ethereal, inspiring, and realistic....they all focus on you.  I am always so inspired by this deck.

Sacred Wild Soul

type of deck: affirmation

One of the first affirmation decks I purchased was from the Sacred Wild Soul website.  There are actually two decks that I'm lumping into this one category - the Sacred Soul Searching deck and the Sacred Wild Soul deck - and both are amazing.  They are the same size so you can combine the two decks if you want.

The imagery of this deck is watercolor illustrations combined with photographs.  Each card features a word or phrase along with an explanation, action, or question.  This is another deck that helps to build affirmations for my week or day.  The care and attention to detail make this deck one of my absolute favorites!

These are the decks I turn to the most.  I usually do a combination of a few decks in a reading because I feel drawn to them all.  Even using just one of these decks is super powerful & inspiring.  If you want to learn more about reading tarot, check out this post for a free Tarot Study Guide.  You can also read more tarot related posts here.

xoxo, Moe

Tarot Diaries // Tarot Birth Cards & Life Path Numbers

If you haven't noticed, there's been a lot of woo woo around these parts! Especially over on my instagram.  Tarot & oracle cards have quickly become my go to way to align myself and focus on my highest good. (oh and working with my Chakras! The Connected Chakras Affirmation deck is available here!)  There are a ton of ways to work with Tarot cards beyond choosing a spread, asking a questions, and reading or interpreting them.  For example, choose a specific card that appeals to you - like the 7 of Swords - and bring the meaning into your life.  Study it, work with it, journal with it....and then in the next week or month, choose another!  Today, though, I want to share with you Tarot Birth cards and why I love working with mine!

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Tarot can reveal to you a lot about yourself.  I've said before that to me Tarot is not a predictive tool but rather a reflective tool.  Tarot reveals to us what we may not be seeing in our current situations.  Working with your Tarot Birth card can reveal a lot about who you are and where your path might be in life.  Coming back to these guys when you're feeling down, confused, and misaligned will help you remember your purpose & nudge you back on the right track!

What is a Life Path Number?

Your life path number is determined by adding the month + the day + the year of your birth.  For example:

March 29, 1978

Month : March is the third month, so 0 + 3 = 3

Day : 2 + 9 = 11, then continue to add the numbers until there is a single digit. 1 + 1= 2

Year : 1 + 9 + 7 + 8 + 25, continue to add the numbers until there is a single digit. 2 + 5 = 7

Life Path Number : 3 + 2 + 7 = 12, continue to add the numbers until there is a single digit. 1 +2 = 3

This persons Life Path Number is 3!

Each number has an assigned meaning based on numerology.  Each number can give an individual an idea of their life purpose as well as any challenges, obstacles, opportunities, and habits that may appear in the their life.  These numbers are reduced to single digits, though there are resources that list Life Path numbers as including both 11 & 22 as master numbers (this also comes into play with your Tarot Birth Card).  My favorite resource for reading more about your Life Path Number is Astro Style because of how in depth, but clear the outline of each number is.  I also love that the site shows you what alignment with your number looks like and what being out of alignment looks like!

Now that you have your Life Path Number you can translate this into your Tarot Birth Card.

What is a Tarot Birth Card?

Your Tarot Birth Card is three things - firstly it is the card of your Life Path Number, secondly is is the card of the numbers that create your Life Path Number, and finally it is only pulled from the 21 Major Arcana cards of the standard 78 card deck.  Most often the Fool is excluded..though I have see that used as 22 in some cases.  So from the individual in the example above has the Life Path Number of 3.  This means their Tarot Birth Card is the Empress, the third card in the Majors, but also the Hanged Man, the twelfth card of the Majors.  This is because 3 = 1 + 2, so 12.

So, your Tarot Birth Cards can also be a way to help you discover your purpose in life.  They can reveal the combination of archetypes that will be prevalent in your life.  Another thing to mention is that in the persons example above, the first birth card for this individual is 12, and the second card is 3.  Some find this unimportant but if you'd like to sort it as the primary theme and then the secondary theme, this will help.  So if the sum of your birthday reduces down to a single digit first, that number is your primary birth card.  Then the numbers that make up that number is your secondary card.  Hope that makes sense!

Working with Tarot Birth Cards & Life Path Numbers

My life path number is 7, which is the Chariot & the Tower.  The Tower scares the crap out of me and when I realized this was part of my Tarot Birth Card combo....it all sort of made sense.  This also goes a long with my Zodiac signs too, but that is another post!  I first learned about Tarot Birth Cards from the Biddy Tarot Podcast (part 1 & part 2) and found this article about the card pairings on one of my favorite Tarot blogs, Labyrinthos.  I also tend to use my personal Tarot associations as I work with my birth cards.

Working with your Tarot Birth Cards & Life Path Numbers can be personal to you but journaling can be a great way to connect with your numbers:

Start & Keep a Journal

Designate a place to keep all your information, reflections, and realization when it comes to your numbers.  Start off with the basic info you have about your number & your cards and build upon that foundation as time goes buy.  Use this as a place to reflect on how these numbers are showing up in your life.  Journal about how you feel aligned or out of alignment with these numbers.  Keep track of all the times you feel you're on your path & all the times you're off.  You can even journal about how you may feel this is bullshit too!  But chances are if you're journaling about it....you're at least a little bit open to it.

Gather Your Cards

Pull out your Tarot Birth Cards from the Major Arcana and pull out all of the cards from the 4 suits that match the single digit number.  So, I'd pull out the Tower & the Chariot as well as all of the sevens.  Keep these cards, or images of these cards, in your journal in order to have physical reminder of what each card looks like.  It might even be helpful to find the cards in multiple decks as the imagery of one deck may speak to you more than the imagery of another.  My two favorite decks to work with are the After Tarot & The Wild Unknown.  The imagery between the two is vastly different but comparing two decks like this can bring information forward that you may not identify in one deck by itslef.  Begin to work through & journal about the meaning of that number in each of the suits.  You can get started by reading more about connecting with the Tarot Card meanings here & downloading the study guide in the same post.

Implement What you've Learned

The most significant way to become aligned with your Life Path Number & your Tarot Birth Cards is to release what isn't serving you in order to get in line with your highest good.  If anything, these numbers give us a reason to be a better person.  These numbers allow us to strive to be our best selves.  It may be helpful to set intentions that will help align you with your path at the New Moon in order to form new habits.  Working with the moon & moving with the lunar cycle has really helped me discover more about myself!

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The whole point of these numbers is to be our best selves.  Here's the thing, there are some people out there who have no problem living their best life without things like Tarot cards, mediation, essential oils, and crystals.  But for me all of those things are physical reminders of the person I'd like to be.  They help me to switch into the mindset I'd like to be in.  And that is why I find things like this important.  We all want to live the best life we can, I just want to share with you reflective ways we can do that!

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If you'd like to learn more about working with the lunar cycles, consider signing up for the newsletter!  You'll get lunar advice every new & full moon as well as other important 516 info through out the month.  I'd love to have you join the creative community over in the Five Sixteenths | Live Creative group too.  There you'll find creative inspiration, resources, & lunar guidance to express your authentic self!  Can't wait to see you there.

If you'd like to read more about Tarot & my Tarot Journey, find all the posts here.

xoxo, Moe

Total Newbie's Guide to the Natal Chart (+ a Workbook!)

A natal chart - or birth chart - is an astrological snapshot of where the planets were (in relation to earth) on the day of your birth.  Analyzing your natal chart can give you an in depth look at who you are & tell you where you may want to focus your efforts in order to become the best person you can be.  You'll learn that you have these little quirks for a reason and may figure out the hidden meaning behind a certain habit of yours.  I know I'm learning a lot from mine

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

One of the best things about the internet is you can generate your birth chart, for free, on quite a few different sites (this is the one I used).  These sites will give you all sorts of in depth information on your chart but it can be hard to sort through.  Two of my favorite resources are Cafe Astrology & Dark Pixie Astrology.  You can also get a chart reading by a professional - that is the route I went when I was first interested in my natal chart.  I worked with Madeleine Jones.

If you're down to learn a bit on your own, here are the three sections of your chart that can help you get started understanding this snapshot of yourself:

Sun, Moon, & Rising Signs

If you've ever read your horoscope, you've probably read for your Sun sign.  This is the sign that is based off of the month you were born.  For example, I was born 12/15 so my sign is Sagittarius because that date falls with in the range of November 22 - December 21.  You may not know your moon or rising sign.  Generating your birth chart will tell you both of these by utilizing the exact time of your birth as well as your location.

This gives you a better idea of your whole self. If you just rely on your Sun sign you're getting a limited view of who you are.  Your sun sign is how you feel about yourself.  It is the key essence of who you are.  Your moon sign represents your passions & emotions.  Your rising sign represents what you aspire to be & is how others see you.  Your rising sign is what you try to present to the world.  All three of these signs have traits that make up our whole selves and when reading 

Wheel of Houses

There are 12 astrological houses that correspond to the same signs as the zodiac.  However, the zodiac wheel and the wheel of houses are two different things - The Wheel of houses in your birth chart is based on the earths rotation on it's axis in a 24 hour period.  Your personal Wheel of Houses is determined by your birth time and location.  It is a map of the sky at the time and area of your birth.  

Various planets fall in your houses on your birth chart - the planets (including planets like Mars, Jupiter, etc + the Sun and the Moon) of the chart show how the signs in the houses express themselves.  The houses show in what area this will play out.

So for example - I have Aries on the seventh house cusp + Jupiter in the 7th house, therefore Jupiter shows how the sign of Aries plays in my house of Marriage & Relationships.   The 12 houses are:

1. Self
2. Possessions
3. Communication
4. Home
5. Creativity
6. Service & Health
7. Marriage & Relationships
8. Death & Regeneration
9. Mental Exploration
10. Career
11. Community & Goals
12. Inner or Hidden Self

If you imagine your birth chart as a clock, the first house falls below the 9 o'clock position.  Then you work counter clockwise around.  The 12 house then falls in the 10 o'clock position.  These houses are the main sections of your life.  The planets that fall in these houses or specifically rule these houses have an impact on those areas of your life.

Planetary Relationships

The relationships of the planets to each other is another key part of reading your natal chart.  These are degrees of separation between the planets.  These relationships allow for more fined tuned understanding of the planets and show us where positive or negative or ease or difficulty expressed in these relationships.  This is also an important layer of your chart, just like only reading your sun sign gives you a limited view, ignoring these aspects gives you a limited view of how your planets interact.  

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Now, this obviously isn't all there is to know about natal charts.  I'm just a newb sharing what I've learned so far, in the easiest way possible.  So you may be wondering how you should put this into action for yourself.  I suggest starting with your Sun, Moon and Rising signs as well as the characteristics of each of your houses.  For example - my house of Communication (the third house) has Sagittarius on the cusp, so I'm talkative (check) and love to learn (check).  My moon sign is Libra which speaks to how I have a desire for a calm and balanced life.  Libra as a moon sign also apparently leans towards an extreme dislike of manual labor and I truly hate yard work...so there's got to be some validity here.

Learn these guys and how the relate to you, first.  The first step here is to gain a better understanding of yourself.  I've seen that working with your natal chart can help you discover the small tidbits of yourself you can't put into words or, even better, the tidbits of yourself that seem contradictory. These small sections will help you get a good snapshot of who you are.  If you assemble this and think 'hey, this is cool!' you may be pointed into the next steps to take to work with more parts of your natal chart.

You don't have to do it all at once.

My current trajectory with my natal chart is to work the rising new moon energies into the house it is currently rising in.  For example, in May the new moon rose in Gemini.  Gemini is my house of Mental Exploration.  Gemini is also about communication.  So my work that month was in listening & learning and working with the Throat Chakra.  However you feel called to work with this chart is how you should work with it.  I plan to continue this work in the foreseeable future and then work in the aspects and planetary relationships when I am ready.

I've put together a little workbook for you to assemble all this knowledge & get to know yourself better through your natal chart.  If you sign up for the newsletter above you not only get the monthly newsletter but you'll also get New & Full moon emails!  We'll work together during the moon phases to manifest our goals & release what isn't serving us.  Most of the time we'll work with a chakra that corresponds to the sign the moon is rising in.  You can follow along with your own natal chart or just work with our collective goals for the month.

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Once you subscribe above, check your email for the confirmation.  Then, in a few minutes you should receive a second email with your workbook!

This little workbook is sized perfectly to fit into an A5 planner.  These guys can print back to front (refer to your printer's instructions for duplex printing) on a standard letter size page.  Trim down the center & then punch it into your binder.  Then get to know yourself!

I hope this loooooonnnnggg post has helped you learn more about reading your natal chart.  Like I mentioned, this is not a comprehensive guide...just something to dip your toes in!  Just like me!  If you haven't joined the Five Sixteenths Blog | Live Creatively group on Facebook...c'mon over there too!

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Looking for the Tarot deck used in the post?  It's the After Tarot & you can find it here.  Planner is from Simple Stories, find it here.

Are you interested in your natal chart?  Do you read your horoscopes?

xoxo, Moe

Tarot Diaries // Weekly Planning with the Tarot

Each week I do a weekly reading for myself to understand the theme and energies I may work with in the next week.  While I don't believe that the Tarot is a predictive tool, this spread does help me understand what to plan for in the next week and what I should be working towards for my higher good.  To me, Tarot is a self development tool.  It is a tool that helps us align our selves with the things we must do & be in this life in order to live our best life.

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Doing a weekly spread lets me know what may be at play so I can plan my week accordingly.  I do a lot with my blog, YouTube channel, and my day job so anticipating what energies may be at play or what my focus may be during the week allows me to plan.  For example - I'll see what I need to focus on in the next week.  The cards I use here are the After Tarot, the Sacred Wild Soul Soul Searching Deck, and the Spirit De La Lune Deck.  I also use these positive affirmation cards for my mantra for the week.

In the spread above, the beginning of the week will be about reinvesting.  So I should do some work to get things done - reinvest in business, work, etc as demonstrated by the suit of pentacles.  I take this as working on my blog, YouTube, etc because that's always a big focus of mine.  Then the middle of the week I should slow down and focus on relationships.  Put the business things away and focus on friendships, partnerships, working with others to build strong bonds.  Maybe I should be more open when it comes how I interact with others and how they interact with me.  At the end of the week - today, when there is the New Moon - I should focus on myself, focus on my intuition.  Dedicate time to this relationship and this balance.  That is what the two is about after all.  And finally, this weekend I should be looking for truth, finding what is fair and balanced.  Be open to changing what I'm doing to achieve this balance.

As you can see none of that is really predictive as we move through the week.  It is what I should work on or focus on during the days of the week.  These positions can be further enhanced by my daily pull too.  Here's a breakdown of each position.

card 1

Theme for the week

For this position I usually draw a Tarot card as well as two oracle cards.  I use the Soul Searching Oracle and the Spirit de la Lune deck to discover the main theme of the week ahead.  This is the thing that everything will come back to this week.  Perhaps it is what you should do or what you should let others do, none the less it is the over arching subject that will work through the coming week.

card 2

Beginning of the week

This card, like the next 3 cards, has a pretty obvious position here.  The expectant energy or theme of the beginning of the week. For me this card goes from Monday to Tuesday but if you're starting your week differently this can apply to the first two days of your week.

card 3

Middle of the week

Again, pretty obvious.  Since this is the pinnacle of the week this energy is important.  It may play into the energy of the next card as you finish out your week.

card 4

End of the week

This position is for the end of the 5 day week.  I use this spread because I'd like to know what energies are at play through my work week with a different card for the weekend.

card 5

Weekend

For this position, the card draw represents the energy or theme of the weekend - Friday night, Saturday, & Sunday.  For me, my work week ends on Friday at 4pm....but I go on for the next few days working on my blog, YouTube, etc so this card lets me know how productive I may be those days.  Seeing the energy helps me prepare my to do list.

card 6

Lesson to be learned/Outcome

After working through all of these cards for the week, this position is the outcome.  What will you learn working towards the main theme of the week?  I often reflect on this card at the end of the week to incorporate this reading with the daily pull I do.  This card represents what you will learn this week but it also helps you anticipate how to learn this through the week.

Tarot isn't a fortune telling tool for me, even though this reading seems predictive.  It is more of how can I be the best this week?  It helps me see what themes may show up this week and how I can emulate and prepare for the energies of the week.  I incorporate my daily pull with this reading as well.  How can my daily pull work with the energy at that time of the week?

I log my weekly readings & my daily pulls (plus new moon, full moon, and monthly spreads) in my Moon Planner.  I love this guy because there's a lunar calendar and each week has a blank page perfect for these weekly readings.  This planner has a ton of resources if you work with the lunar cycles - and even if you don't, it's pretty dope as a Tarot journal anyway!!

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I hope you pick up a deck of Tarot cards and use them as a self development tooL.  I really want you to be able to use these guys easily so I've put together this Tarot study guide as a reference.  It will help you break down the deck into manageable chunks to help you create your own personal, and intuitive connections to the cards.  Pick it up here.  And if you want a peak into my little sacred space, you can see a little bit of it in this post.

xoxo, Moe

4 Tips for Deeply Connecting to the Tarot Cards Meanings

If you haven't noticed - either from the blog or from my Instagram - I've started to learn to read Tarot cards.  This has been a great journalling, mediation, and self improvement tool for me.  I highly recommend a little Tarot exploration if you're looking for some meaning in your life or you want to connect with your higher self.  In my quest for mindfulness this year, reading Tarot has helped me be more self aware and has helped me become more spiritual.

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Learning to read Tarot can be developed like any skill.  Study & practice is only part of the journey.  Equally as important is your personal relationship with the cards and the personal meanings that resonate with you.  There is a delicate balance between these two parts, and I don't think you can do one with out the other.  I've created a study guide, found at the end of this post, to break the deck down for you so that grasping the common meanings is easier.  But interacting with the Tarot will build that deep, intuitive connection.  Here are some tips for working with the cards in order to understand what they have to reveal:

Learn with a Pictorial Deck

I've found the best decks to learn with are decks where every card is illustrated in detail.  If you use a deck based off of the Tarot De Marseilles you'll find that only the Major Arcana cards are fully illustrated which might make it hard to connect with the meanings of the cards.  For example - the Sun has a grand illustration while the 4 of wands is simply four sticks.  The latter part of that example doesn't illustrate the celebration, harmony, and victory that the 4 of wands represents.  It is easier to see that interpretation when the card is fully illustrated.

There are three decks I love for the imagery - the Original Rider Waite deck, the Wild Unknown Tarot, and the After Tarot.  The other deck pictured here is the Luminous Spirit Tarot deck.  Since there are commonly assigned meanings to each card, each card is illustrated reflecting that meaning.  This is visual stimulation to help associate meanings and eventually you will be able to see the images in your minds eye.  This can help if you're reading with a different deck or a non-illustrated deck (or even playing cards!) as you can pull from your memory bank.  But the best part about these illustrations is that you can begin to create personal connections with the cards and have the images resonate with you in a personal way.

Do a Daily Pull + Journal, Journal, Journal

In order to gain this personal connection it is important to work with the Tarot daily (or as frequently as possible).  This is as simple as a daily card pull.  I've posted about my Mindful Morning Routine before - but each morning I set aside time for meditation & my daily pull for guidance.  Journalling is another key part to connect with the tarot cards.  So pulling a card a day and journaling the message your receive from the card will help you make that personal connection and form your own data bank of meanings.  The best way to develop a skill is to practice as often as possible!

This is where your little white books and other Tarot resources come into play - like the study guide in this post.  These resources are there to help you but you should eventually come to rely on your intuition and trust your own knowledge.  Journalling daily will give you a data bank of personal meanings.  You'll also grow through your studies, developing a deeper understanding of each card.  Pulling a 3 of Pentacles right now in your journey may have a different meaning when pulling it in 6 months.  Journalling will help with this process.  You'll have a record to look back on and reflect!

Weekly Readings

To gain a better understanding of how the cards work together it is important to work with more than one card.  You can do pairings of two cards or even bigger spreads if you like, but working with more than one card will help you create connections and see how the cards of the Tarot play together.  A weekly reading is a great way to build these connections between the cards and build a relationship with the cards.  I pull a theme card for the week, a card for the beginning, middle, & end of the week, then a card for the weekend, and a card for my lesson of the week.  Expecting these energies through your week will better prepare you for any challenges and then when you run into the anxiety of the 9 of Swords on Wednesday you can form a more personal connection to keep with you each time you draw this card in the future.  Make sure you're keeping your Tarot journal so you can reflect on the cards as you move through your studies!

Weekly readings can show you what themes are coming up for you most often.  You can also learn to relate your daily pulls with the cards of your weekly spreads.  How do the two energies play out?  What will their interactions be?  Journalling will help you build these connections.  Writing things down helps you remember information & creating meaningful connections will solidify what the cards reveal to you.

Interact with Like Minded People

If you don't have anyone local to connect with, Facebook groups are great for finding like minded people.  I find that there are tons of helpful tips, deck reviews, and card challenges.  One of my favorite posts in these groups is card pairings where the group is asked their interpretations of two cards together.  This is a great way to practice your skills but also resonate with new meanings.  You can find kindred spirits in these groups and encouragement in your journey.  There are also a ton of online Tarot Communities, but often they are locked behind paid memberships.  These can be great for more specific classes and to support an individual you respect, but you can find similar communites for free on places like Facebook. 

These groups will challenge your intuition with critical thinking, questions, and experiences.  You'll learn tips for when you're stuck and you'll be able to share your tips with others.

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Learning the Tarot card meanings and developing a relationship with the cards takes times. This study guide breaks the deck down into easy to remember chunks so that you can begin to build your own associations.  You'll find the meaning of all the suits plus the meaning of the numbers in the deck.  Find keywords to associate with each card, learn to read the court cards with ease, and learn they key ways to interpret spreads.

This guide prints as a small 9 page booklet (print double sided using your printer's double sided print settings) & can be bound like this or with staples.  It is small enough to fit into your journal or notebook to keep the guide handy.  Sign up for the email list below then double check you email inbox - first email confirms subscription, second email (check your spam or promotions tab) will be your FREE ebook!

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Contents :

- What is the Tarot? : Brief history of the deck, game, and Tarot today
- Composition of the Tarot Deck : Overview of the Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, Pips & Court cards
- The Suits : Keywords and description of each of the 4 suits
- Major Arcana + Numerology : How to relate the Major Arcana to the Pip cards with numerology & keywords for the remaining Major Arcana
- Understanding the Pips : Keywords & description for each numbered card of each suit
- Understanding the Court Cards : Brief description of each Court card and how it relates to each suit
- Questions & Spreads : Questions to ask + easy 3 card beginner spread
- Tips for Reading Cards : Key points to remember in order to create a complete reading

Plus there is a full size (8.5 x 11 inch) PDF to print or read on your iPad or tablet.  I love using my iPad mini for ebooks & PDF courses like this.

Here's an example of the relationships you can create by focusing on this study guide : The suit of Wands represent dreams & manifestations, and the number four represents stability and often stagnation.  So you you can begin to associate the 4 of wands with achievement while working towards your dreams, but also the need to push forward.  Since the four is such a low number, we have more work to do and must push forward.  You can then relate the 4 to the 4 of Cups - the suit of Cups represents emotion and the 4 of Cups may represent a stagnation or an ignoring of new opportunities.  Both of these meanings are enhanced by the imagery on the cards.  This imagery allows you to dive deeper into the meanings to connect personally to each card.

I hope this little study guide helps you to connect with the cards and see the cards not as an intimidating deck, but as pieces of a whole.  The deck is much easier to understand when you break it down and work with the pieces.

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How do you study the cards?  How do you form connections?

ps - polkadot planner is a Carpe Diem planner, print your own positive affirmation cards here, learn to make a diffuser necklace here, find out some of my favorite essential oil + crystal pairings here.

Interested in more Tarot posts? Click here.

xoxo, Moe

Tarot Diaries // The Fri-YAY Spread

Some weeks just kick your butt, don't they?  Then it's finally Friday.  You're home with your bottle of wine, trying to unwind and relax.....time to crack out the Tarot deck!  I've found in my recent journey with mediation and reflection that even the hardest weeks have their successes.  I know that sounds like a lot of happiness bullshit - believe me the idea that everything is unicorns is not true and I really dislike the everything is awesome mindset, maybe that's another blog post - but for me positivity can be a real thing.  The trick to positivity is knowing that things suck sometimes, some days are bad, shit doesn't work out, but to realize that with in that which sucks is a little bit of awesome.  We just have to search it out.  Ahem, imagine the Wheel of Fortune card.

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The Fri-YAY! spread is intended to open you back up to positivity by focusing on your accomplishments & breakthroughs while giving you more positive energy to focus on as you move into the weekend.  The Tarot is simply a reflection of ourselves, and sometimes we need a reminder that we're doing something good.  Choose a deck that makes you feel happy & that you can see happiness in (the Radiant Wider Waite is my choice!)  So...here we go.

cards 1-3

What have I accomplished this week?

For this position choose a few areas of your life you'd like to know your successes this week.  Maybe the areas you feel really kicked your butt this week!  For the most part I choose work, passions, and then sometimes I choose the third card as spirituality or as relationships.  Depends on what I want to focus on at that time.  Choose areas that you've struggled with but also areas you feel that you may have a break through.  This spread is all about positivity.

card 4

What positive energy can I focus on this weekend to keep up success?

You can pull this card intentionally if you wish.  Perhaps you want to focus on the Wheel of Fortune to remind you that things change, to everything there is a season, etc.  Perhaps you want to focus on the energy of the 10 of Cups or the 10 of Pentacles and realize that your successes make you feel bountiful.  Or maybe even the Ace of Cups or Ace of wands - the feeling of being brand new or having renewed inspiration.

If you choose to pull a random card you may be surprised!  Don't be scared if you draw something unexpected.  Use your intuition & don't get down on yourself!

card 5

How can I embody this energy to have a great weekend?
After choosing or pulling a card for card 4, this space is for developing and channeling the positive energy into the next few days.  If you need to elaborate on the spread and pull another card for clarification - especially if you pulled a card intentionally for card 4 - do so here.  But don't just keep pulling until you get the answer you want!! Pull a clarification card for understanding not for yearning.

After working through this spread, if it's been an especially hard week, I like to mediate.  You can find some Reflecting, Refreshing, and Relaxing essential oil blends in this post if you need some inspiration.  Take a bath, sit at your alter, or seriously cuddle with a loved one (four legged furry friends count for this too) and realize that you are enough & what you do is enough.

I've been pulling a Positive Affirmation Card (print your own here) each time I do a big spread too.  Heck, I've been pulling them everyday!  I really like to have a positive thing to meditate with all day everyday.

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Keep your head up!  We've got a whole life to get through...keep the good vibes coming.

How do you keep your head up when a week kicks your butt?  What moves you to keep positivity?

xoxo, Moe