If you haven’t had an oracle card reading before, but you’re tempted to try, it might make you more comfortable to know what you can expect.

Of course, each reader is different so the experience described here may not be exactly what you get. But it is a fairly accurate guide – so if you seek a reading with someone and it is wildly different than this, you might reconsider seeing that person again.

Let’s begin with why you’d get your cards read in the first place.

Why get an oracle card reading?

There are a lot of reasons you might choose to get your cards read. Just a few of those reasons are:

• You’re going through some major (or minor) life changes and want some guidance

• You’ve recently gone through major/minor life changes and are curious about what’s coming

• You have a specific question that you’d like to gain clarity or get guidance about

• You feel like something is shifting or coming and you’d like to see if you can get some insight into what it is

• You just think it’s fun and want to do it

There is no one specific “right” time or “good” reason to get your cards read. It’s entirely a personal choice.

What will happen during the reading?

When you get a reading, what precisely will happen varies a bit depending on your reason for the reading. Basically, though, your reader may ask a few questions about what prompted you to get the reading, what you’re hoping to learn, and perhaps if you’ve ever had a reading before.

When I do a reading, I take a moment to settle and open the channel to a higher source. This can look like sitting quietly, perhaps with my eyes closed, taking a few deep breaths – almost in meditation. Then I’ll ask you what question you’d like answered. Your question can be as simple and open as “What can I expect in my life?” or as specific as “Where is my career going?”

Once we have your question, I’ll begin shuffling the cards. When it feels right, I’ll stop shuffling. I’ll split the deck into three piles, then bring them all back together before spreading them on the surface before me. Depending on the reading you’ve requested, I’ll pull 1-11 cards and line them up in a certain order, face down.

Then I’ll turn each card over, one by one. Sometimes I’ll immediately be able to tell you what the card means, but sometimes I may sit for a moment and look at the card. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong; it simply means that I need a little more time to understand what the message is.

I’ll show you the card and tell you what it means. Sometimes I may ask if it sounds or feels right to you. Again, this doesn’t mean anything is wrong; it can just indicate that there’s possibly some confusing messages, more than one potential message, and I’m simply trying to make sure I’m giving you the right one.

When we’ve gone over all the cards, that’s it. The reading is done. You’ll be able to continue to reflect on the messages and see what else comes to you even after we’ve ended the video stream.

What does “meaning” and “messages” mean?

Sometimes, people who have never had an oracle card reading mistakenly think that they will get clear, straightforward answers. They expect to ask “Where is my career going?” and be told “You’re going to get a promotion and a raise next month, go back to school next year, and in 20 years, you’ll retire a millionaire.”

Unfortunately, this is not how it works. If it was that simple, a lot more readers would have won the lottery or found other ways to get rich themselves.

When you get your cards read, there are two things that you need to remember.

First is that there will never be a clear-cut answer. Oracle cards are about connecting with intuition, with higher source, and that means getting insight but not answers. So what you’ll get are card meanings or messages – clues that can help you choose a direction, feel confidence in a choice, or connect with another clue to have a realization.

Second is that there’s no fixed future. We all have free will and personal choice. Even if I tell you today that you’ll get in a car accident tomorrow, it doesn’t have to happen. You could choose to take the bus or stay home and not go anywhere. And this is particularly true when it comes to bigger, longer-lasting or more time-consuming aspects of life. Even small changes, seemingly insignificant decisions made today, can completely change your future.

Does that mean a card reading can be wrong?

Yes and no.

Yes, a reading can be wrong in the sense that you can exercise free will and make a change. It can also be wrong in the sense that someone who is scamming you could lie and say things that are completely made up and untrue and thus, would be wrong.

But at the same time, no, a reading can’t be wrong. It can be wrong because it’s not a fact. There is nothing factual about getting your cards read. It’s not bloodwork that the doctor’s office can mislabel or the lab can misinterpret and thus be wrong. Card readings are intuitive and energy-based. Intuition and energy both change based on the information available at any given moment. So what is “correct” right now could easily be “incorrect” tomorrow.

Why would you get your cards read then?

There’s a couple of reasons you can get your cards read, even if it doesn’t give you the concrete answer you’re hoping for.

One is that it’s just plain fun. It can be fun to connect with your intuition, with a higher source, and see what might happen in your future, how the past is impacting your present, and what you might expect to happen in the next few days or weeks.

The other is that it can be a unique way to answer a question you’re conflicted about. The insights and clues you get from your reading can help you determine what it is you really want. They can offer you that “aha!” moment where you realize you’re on the right path, or want to change direction, or whatever it is that might have felt a little unclear about.

More questions? Ready for your first card reading? Let’s go!