So one of the things that I have decided to work more on cultivating is my spirituality. Note—I said spirituality and not religion. I don’t believe in organized religion, or the idea that you have to be threatened with the thought of eternal damnation to be a good person. If you need that threat to behave—you have moral issues in addition to spiritual issues.

Depending on my mood (and possibly people around me), I fluctuate between saying that I’m a pagan/wiccan and I’m an atheist. The last time I actually set foot inside a church was back in 2001 for my older brother’s wedding. My main criticism of organized religion is that they all argue that one is better than the other, when in truth they’re all the same (just slightly different forms) and no matter what—we all bleed the same.

So in terms of cultivating my spirituality more, I’ve decided that I’d do a couple of different things: 1) to read more books on different aspects of spirituality (there are probably a good half a dozen on my personal/professional development book list), 2) build my own pagan/wiccan altar, and 3) do a daily tarot/oracle card reading (which may or may not be posted on social media). I think that there have only been probably two or three days this year that I haven’t posted my evening oracle card reading.

In terms of the daily card readings, I have also decided that each month I will try to stick with one oracle/tarot card deck. Currently I have like six different decks in my room (and another three or four in my storage unit). Card readings have always fascinated me, in that it’s a way of seeing what the universe has in store for us, and to possibly get another view to a question.

So last month’s deck that I used as the Oracle of the Unicorns (which I bought out in Salem last October when I was there on a mini-vacation). I have always been fascinated by the idea of supernatural creatures (and I don’t mean the horror show variety), but ones that have both a human side and an otherworldly side (I guess that is one reason why I’m drawn to paranormal romances as well). So back to the cards—January was the month of the unicorn for me. This was the second month of using oracle cards for guidance (December was using the enchanted spell oracle cards), and wisdom.

So the oracle of the unicorns has forty-four cards in the deck, and over the course of January, only two cards weren’t drawn in a reading (either privately or ones posted on Instagram). Of the other cards, the number of times ranged from a single drawing to eight times over the month. The cards that showed up the most in the drawing included:

Adventure (8 times),

Passion (8 times),

Strength (8 times),

Freedom (7 times),

Prosperity (6 times),

Imagination (5 times),

Intuition (5 times),

Miracles (5 times),

Patience (5 times),

Rebirth (5 times), and

Trust (5 times). The others (other than leadership and beloved) showed up between one and four times, throughout the month.

So let’s look at some of the readings that I did last month:

So on the 9th, the spread stated that adventure and change are still on the horizon, though it is also a time for self compassion and forgiveness. Strength and passion will also see you through the process as well. One of the things that I am trying to work on this year, is replacing the negative self-talk with more positive self talk (more compassion towards myself). Adventure is pretty self explanatory—the world is a large place, and we really shouldn’t stay in just a small area of if (though now traveling is expensive—but one should try to do at least one trip a year; preferably to somewhere they haven’t been before).

The passion card refers to more than just doing what you love—it also refers to taking care of yourself. Again this is something that I’m working on this year. Though my methods may go against the norm, but I’m going with moderation (still having snacks [i.e. chocolate and candy], and not putting a label on food [good vs bad]), and doing some type of exercise at least six days a week—a rest day is always good).

The strength card is referring to the fact that life will always be testing us, and that we can get through it to the other side stronger than what we started. The “main test” this year is my transition from academia to industry, and finding my footing again in terms of getting into the best shape of my life.

So on the 16th I decided to do a pyramid reading using the cads. I was thinking on another question in terms of my job search (the why), and got quite a bit of information from the unicorns. They were urging me to remember what excites me about science, but at the same time listen to my inner voice and be in the moment. There will be more networking on the horizon and a new path will be forged and support from other will help on the way.

The awareness card reminds us that only when we are truly living in the moment do we actually feel peace and security—and that our guides are watching over us and that things are happening for a reason. The passion card showed up again in the pyramid—showing that it has a firmer foundation when you surround yourself with liked minded individuals who are also seeking to grow. But at the same time you need to listen to your inner voice and trust your instincts (intuition).

The rebirth card showed up in the spread. This unicorn urges you to shed what no longer is of use to you, so that you can continue growing into the person you were meant to be. The support and friendship cards showed up to remind us that we don’t have to do everything alone, that there are people who support us in our journeys and to surround ourselves with them.

This was a reading that I did right around the time of the Leo full moon, and I was also trying to reflect back on different areas of my life. I noticed that the unicorns were urging me to slowly start stepping out of my comfort zone so that I could grow and reinvent myself this year. I had stated that while change can be scary, its better than being stuck in a job you don’t love and one that doesn’t offer that much growth.

So again the passion card showed up in the spread, as well as the rebirth card. In addition to the oracles of celebration, flow, and expansion.

The oracle of celebration reminds us to look for even the smallest achievements and successes that we’ve been having (for me at times that means getting through the work day without actually saying what is on my mind), and that if we remain positive, we will be reward with positive outcomes as well.

The oracle of flow reminds us that somethings aren’t meant for us and that once we realize that and surrender the outcome things become much easier to navigate. All you can do is your best, and once the day is done—the day is done. No one should be trying to repeat and correct days that they had already done their best on.

The oracle of expansion is reminding us that we need to spread our wings and soar. Once that happens we can share our magic with the world, and maybe just maybe start making the world a better place for all of us.

Adventure is still on the horizon, but as always there is an obstacle in the path, but strength and believing in myself will see me through to the other side. Action, self love, and believing in dreams will also see me through.

So the adventure and strength cards showed up again in today’s spread. The main obstacle to my transition is my negative thoughts and doubts about what I actually want to be doing in my next career. The unicorns are saying that I’m ready for taking that step—I just need to believe in myself and take that first step. In addition, I need to practice self love and realize that I’m not going to look like others even once I get into the best shape of my life—but that I need to love myself now and realize that getting into shape isn’t to punish or change, but to honor myself by being able to do things that I’ve wanted to do (but haven’t due to the fact that I’m out of shape).

Also I’m reminded that there are divine powers that are watching over me, and that at the right time my “prayers” or requests will be answered by the universe.

The unicorns said that change is still on the horizon, and that hard work, patience and imagination will get me there; along with help from friends and mentors.

The oracle of patience is to remind us that it is okay to slow down every once in awhile—if we do hard work, put in the effort, there are times when all you can then do is wait (i.e. after a job interview) to see if the fruits of your labor paid off. The oracle of growth is reminding us that having a mentor (or several mentors) can always help the process go a little quicker as well.

The oracle of imagination is there to remind us not to neglect the other half of our selves—the side that loves imagining new things, ideas, creations, and so forth. In addition the healer showed up in the spread, to remind that we all have gifts to share with the world.

So these were just a few of my evening readings from last month. As I continue on my spiritual path, I’m slowly realizing that there are some decks that make it easier to share the insights, while other decks seem to be a little more personal in the readings and interpretations. The unicorn deck is one deck that I will be going back once I’ve cycled through all of my decks.

Also once I have my wicca/pagan altar built, the guidance of the cards may pop a little more than what it’s currently doing (as my current reading spot is on the rug in my bedroom).

If you are looking for an oracle deck to start using yourself for inspiration and guidance, this is one (of probably many) that I strongly recommend.