A Bruja's Guide to Goddess Oracle Cards

I started working with oracle cards in 2017 and began my journey as a divination reader. That’s when goddess oracle cards crossed my path, inspiring me to activate my diosa energy. At the time, there weren’t many readers online openly sharing how to work with goddess oracle cards. I had to rely on my intuition to learn how to work with goddess oracles, oracle cards, and tarot.

How do you know if goddess oracle cards are right for you? Consider: are you wondering how to further embrace your divine feminine energy with the assistance of goddess oracle cards? Do you want to get more in tune with your intuition with the assistance of oracle cards? Are you ready to trust in a higher power and become more self-aware? Bienvenida! Whether you’re a novice reader or have no clue what a goddess oracle deck is, this is the medicine you need at this point in your journey.

I often get asked if only tarot readers are allowed to read and work with goddess oracle decks. The answer is absolutely not. Oracle cards are an open practice. Still, it can be confusing come into the bruja or spiritual space and not know whether you’re misappropriating or stepping into a closed practice. So, what’s the protocol?

Practitioners such as energy workers, sound healers, and traditional therapists are taking a modern approach to integrating goddess cards. But even if you’re not a spiritual practitioner or healer, you can still lean into this diosa energy. Anyone, regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs, is welcome to join in on the magia of goddess oracle cards. Here, we break down how to connect with your new goddess oracle deck – we got you, amiga!

What Are Goddess Cards?

Let’s get familiar with what a goddess is. Yes, you and I are both living goddesses – pero, in a spiritual context, why does this matter? Prior to colonization, (yes, we always need to bring it back to basics, because ancient civilizations had their own cosmology and belief systems), our ancestors believed in gods and goddesses.

Goddess oracle cards focus on goddesses from ancient mythology and the religious and spiritual beliefs of ancient cultures. You can find Aztec, Buddhist, Celtic, Greek, Hindu, Mayan, Pagan, and Incan-themed goddess oracle decks. Some decks have a mix of goddesses from all the mentioned above.

You might see the inclusion of Santería, a pantheistic religion, and its orishas in some goddess oracles. Technically, orishas (the polytheistic entities in Santería) aren’t gods or goddesses; they can be understood as entities or possibly even deities. Goddess oracles range in size from 22 to 52 cards and have beautiful artwork created by the author and illustrator. They will always center on feminine energy, because that’s what a goddess is – it’s the highest form of our feminine expression. It’s helpful to get familiar with polytheistic cultures to better understand the different origins of goddesses.

What Do Goddess Cards Mean?

Goddess cards represent archetype energy. This format is common across all goddess oracles. The goddess on each card will represent the energy you embody or have the potential to activate within yourself. Think of each goddess as a symbol that represents an aspect of your divine self. The energy you naturally have within you is ready to be brought to life in order to create or destroy.

Where Do Goddess Cards Come From?

There’s no exact date of origin, but goddess oracle cards are popular in American culture. All goddess oracle cards derive from the inspiration of a polytheistic group or culture.

What’s the Difference Between Goddess and Oracle Cards?

Oracle cards can include a variety of themes or inspiration. Goddess oracle cards differ in that they only focus on the female representation of ascended beings. Goddess cards usually lean more toward feminine expression, while oracle cards can be more masculine with their artistic approach.

What Is a Goddess Card Reading Like?

Have fun when working with goddess cards – the more relaxed you are about the process, the more intimate your relationship will be with your cards.

A goddess oracle reading doesn’t have strict guidelines – in fact, you can do whatever you want. When working with oracle cards, we lay them out in a spread – a straightforward way of laying out the cards you decide to pull or let fly out while shuffling. (Tarot can also be used in this manner.) It’s totally up to you whether you let cards fly out or pull them yourself, and no matter what choice you make, know that the right cards will always come out. Oracle spreads can be as simple as a one-card pull or a three-card layout and as advanced as a Celtic cross – a famously complex spread.

Below is a spread you can use yourself with five cards. Always set an intention before you touch your cards. What do you want to know? Or rather, what do you need to know about the situation? From there, pull in the order of the cards numbered above. Then sit and reflect on the meanings of the cards from your oracle guidebook and use your intuition to help you reach a conclusion.

How Do You Use Goddess Cards?

Use goddess oracles to reflect and to check in with yourself for inspiration. Consider taking a break if you find yourself becoming overly dependent on goddess or oracle cards when making practical decisions in your life – goddess cards aren’t created to exploit codependent behaviors. However, they can certainly assist you with identifying shadow work and unhealed aspects within yourself.

Use goddess cards when you feel that you need clarity in life or are curious about how to be more mindful about a situation. Try working with goddess cards to identify a more open mindset for the situation. I recommend not pulling cards when you feel you’re in a low vibrational state. If you’re angry, sad, or desperate, step away from the cards and focus on grounding your energy. Try to connect with nature to redirect your energy inward instead of seeking answers outward through formats like oracle or tarot readings.

How Can You Add Goddess Cards to Your Tarot Practice?

Adding goddess cards to tarot readings is definitely optional. Goddess oracle cards won’t make your tarot reading any less accurate or significant, but they can definitely help you become a stronger storyteller. Ultimately, reading oracle or tarot is about storytelling. You have a beginning, a middle, and an end in every oracle or tarot reading. That’s how oracle spreads can help. Goddess cards can help you get to the outcome faster by providing additional context to your reading or intention.

So you want to add goddess cards – but how do you do it? There’s no wrong way. Try playing around and seeing if you like pulling goddess cards before you touch tarot or after you’ve drawn tarot cards. Asking open questions when pulling goddess cards is the preferred method of utilizing them.