If you’ve been following my blog, you know I’ve been posting quite a bit lately about tarot and oracle cards. This might seem like a strange thing to find on a fantasy author’s blog, but I’ve never thought of this page as a place that has to be dominated by marketing myself. Sure, I want to sell books (and you can buy them here!) but much of what I write about here is all about my pursuit of the Other.
For me, that Other is anything that brings a little magic into our everyday lives. Most of my books have that theme, whether it’s a woman who winds up fostering a young dragon or someone who communicates with a ghost to solve a crime. I’ve always wanted some of that magic in my own life, and sometimes I find it in studying the mystical.
I bought a tarot deck in my late teens, but life took over and I never really got a chance to learn how to use them. After taking an online course about oracles and divination through Harvard, I dug that original deck back out again. I noticed, though, that I didn’t really have a connection to this deck. Maybe it’s the artwork, but it just doesn’t click with me the way more recent decks do.
And it’s so magical to feel that connection! When I first opened my Spirit Animal oracle deck from Colette Baron-Reid, I could feel the energy in my palms and the bottoms of my feet. It lifted my heart and gave me a dizzy, exhilarated feeling. If having this kind of connection with a deck of cards sounds crazy, then I suggest you give it a shot. It’s amazing!
Tarot and oracle cards aren’t going to give me winning lottery numbers or guide me such a concrete and definitive way. I do, however, feel that they’re very effective at reminding me of the path I need to be on. I may draw a card that reminds me not to worry so much or that things are going to be all right. It maybe just be a random pretty card, and you could say I don’t need to rely on a device like this, but those messages are comforting, enjoyable, and make me feel like I’m getting a glimpse of the mystical world that’s so often hidden from us.
Have you had any experiences with tarot or oracle cards? Good, bad, or otherwise? I’d love to know!
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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Ashley O'Melia, Author 