Episode Summary:
In episode ten of the Spiritual Dance Podcast, Carla describes her methods for integrating tarot and oracle cards into her dance and movement practices. She shares her journey with the tarot and how she came to perceive and work with kinetic energy in the cards to enhance her understanding of those archetypes through embodied expression.
Episode Transcript:
Welcome to the Spiritual Dance Podcast. A virtual space for creative souls discovering how to move in sync with the rhythm of spirit. I’m your host Carla White Crowe, also known as The Dancing Oracle. In this podcast, I share openly about my journey of weaving together my two primary passions - spirituality and dance. My intention is to encourage and inspire spiritual seekers in pursuit of a more embodied form of spirituality as well as provide insight and tools for those seeking to expand their creative edges in service to the world of spirit.
Hello everyone and welcome back to the spiritual dance podcast. In this episode, I’m going to talk about my journey with tarot and oracle cards and how I’ve integrated those tools into my dance and movement practices.
I found tarot shortly after leaving the church and it quickly became an incredibly nourishing and supportive thing for me, especially during those first couple of years when I was in a spiritual transition period. I used tarot as a way to self-reflect and also divine wisdom and guidance concerning what was next for me and where I was headed.
I’ll never forget the day I purchased my first deck. It was a little intimidating because I had to overcome the mindset of my previous religion. Because of its association with fortune-telling, many religions, especially Abrahamic ones, view the practice of reading tarot cards as evil or sinful. I don’t know the exact historical reason for this, but from what I’ve gathered, it’s likely because they wanted people to hear from God through a priest - because if they could hear from God for themselves, why would they need to be a part of a church?
During my time in Christianity, I used to practice something called “Bibliomancy” - though I had no idea at the time that’s what it was called. Bibliomancy is when you open your bible and randomly select a passage that you then interpret and use for guidance or inspiration. That was actually a common practice in the church communities I was a part of, though I’m not sure if everyone selected a passage in the same way that I did. I approached that practice with intention - forming a specific inquiry and then asking spirit to direct my eyes to the exact scripture I needed to see (which, for the record, is a form of objective clairvoyance). Whatever I read next, I would discern how that applied to my current situation and what I thought spirit was trying to say to me through those words. I would also pull out any keywords or symbols described in the text that seemed significant. It didn’t feel random to me at all because I was tapping into my connection with spirit and setting specific guidelines for the information that I was seeking and also how I wanted it to come through.
That process that I just described is exactly how I approach my work with tarot and oracle cards, at least initially. The biggest difference is that there is a visual component involved with these kinds of decks, whereas there are typically few if any pictures in the Bible. With bibliomancy, I was divining words. With tarot, I am divining art. And as a creative person, the use of artwork in this type of divinatory practice was very appealing to me. Like many things, there is a huge spectrum when it comes to the types of decks you can purchase - traditional to modern, dark and gothic to love and light, you name it - I am sure there’s a deck out there somewhere for it.
My first deck was something I spotted on the bookshelves of Barnes & Noble. It was called The Crow Tarot by MJ Cullinae. I was drawn to it immediately because my last name is Crowe and I have an affinity for those birds because they are highly intelligent. So it just felt like a sign from the Universe that that deck was the one I needed. Once I got home, I immediately started looking through all of the cards to take in the beautiful imagery, symbolism, and colors.
I had never touched a tarot card before purchasing that Crow Tarot deck. Though I had recently begun attending a local yoga studio where we were encouraged to draw an oracle card at the beginning of each class. The oracle cards didn’t feel as scary as tarot did. Some of them included imagery and archetypes that I was familiar with, specifically angels.
If you’re not familiar with the difference between tarot and oracle, most tarot decks follow a set structure that includes the same 78-card system. In those 78 cards, there are 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. The major arcana in the tarot represents The Fool’s Journey. It has cards like The Emperor and The High Priestess that deal with themes or roles that we can identify with throughout the course of our lives. They are archetypes that can teach us about who we are and how we see the world on a deeper level. Whereas the minor arcana deal with the details of our daily lives. The minor arcana is split into 4 suits with 14 cards each - Ace through 10 and then the court cards which are the page, knight, queen, and king. Those four suits are the cups, wands, swords, and pentacles (or discs). Each card has certain symbols and universally accepted meanings no matter what deck you’re using. I think this is why some people feel intimidated by the tarot because there’s information that one might feel the need to learn before working with the tarot. But your deck will come with a guidebook to help you understand the symbolism. Sometimes people feel like they shouldn’t need to use the guidebook - like it’s cheating or something. But we all have to start somewhere. My perspective is: the author of that deck took the time to write that book - so I think it’s important that we understand the author’s perspective. You can then compare that information with the intuitive insight you received and now you have an additional filter to run that information through.
Oracle cards don’t have a universally set system, and the amount of cards in an oracle can vary greatly. These decks stand on their own - they are unique to the creator of those cards. Oracle decks are often inspirational in nature, and I think that makes them a great first deck for someone who is sensitive to negative energy or has any type of religious conditioning that creates fear about using tarot cards. I don’t recommend using the tarot if you feel afraid because that fear carries a vibration that will influence your reading. If that’s you, please know that there are plenty of beautiful oracle decks out there that will provide a much better introduction to this practice. If you are still moving through a deconstruction process - Kyle Gray has some incredible angel decks and I also love Rebecca Campbell’s decks for those who are new to oracle cards. As a dancer, my favorite oracle deck is the Cosmic Dancer Oracle by Sedona Soulfire and Tess Whitehurst. I will link all those decks in my show notes.
My best advice for selecting a deck is to go with your gut. Look for imagery and topics that speak to you. When you bring your deck home I would suggest cleansing it before you work with it. I personally like to smoke cleanse each card. Some people will set the decks on their altars and maybe top it with a chunk of selenite. Others will clear negative energy with sound or flower petals. Once, I felt called to set my deck out under the Pisces full moon. If I’ve been working with a deck for a while and I want to refresh its energy, I will put the cards in order (according to the guidebook), knock on the deck three times, and then speak my intentions out loud over the cards - which is usually something like “This is my deck, it belongs to me. These cards speak to the highest good of all whom I read for.”
Once you have your deck, and you’ve cleansed it and set your intentions for it, the next thing to decide is how you want to approach shuffling and what method you’ll use for pulling your cards. Everybody has a different opinion on this and I think the method you choose should be personal to you. I also really value flexibility in the shuffling and selecting process, and I’ve never forced myself to follow the same method each time, though I do have a certain rhythm that I will often lean into.
Typically, I shuffle my tarot cards just like I would shuffle playing cards. This particular method is called a casino, riffle, or waterfall shuffle. Most readers I know use an overhand shuffle which is kind of like a loose tossing of the cards. Then they will either set the deck down once they feel complete or keep shuffling like that until a card flies out of their hands. I also know others who utilize specific ways of cutting and sorting the decks into stacks and then restacking them over and over until the cards feel right. The last style I want to mention, which really isn’t a shuffle but it’s a method I like to use for oracle cards, is the fanning-out method. This is where you set your deck on a flat surface and spread the cards out in the shape of a fan.
Again, I don’t think there’s one right method for shuffling, but I do think there is a method that’s right for you. So my best advice would be to follow your gut instinct each time you sit down with your cards. You might find that you like to stick with one method or you might be the type to use whatever method feels right in the moment.
When I sit down with my cards, I usually begin with a waterfall shuffle for a good minute or so until I feel the energy of the deck and my energy beginning to merge. Then I will engage my clairaudience, asking spirit to give me a number for how many more times I need to shuffle the cards before I start drawing. So say I’m just shuffling and connecting with my deck, then I’ll have a moment where I feel like OK I’m ready to pull and I will say to spirit “How many more shuffles” and then almost immediately I get a number - usually it’s between two and seven. Then I will shuffle the cards that many more times and then stop and then pull my cards. And I want to reinforce that as I am shuffling, I’m setting my guidelines with spirit for the reading. So I’m usually speaking out loud “spirit please give me three cards for [whomever] concerning [whatever].” I like to get really specific with those instructions because, the more specific I am with my expectations, I find the clearer the information is that I receive.
I work with oracle cards a little bit differently. I do like to spread them out in front of me, and then I engage my objective clairvoyance, asking spirit to draw my eyes to the exact card I need to see in that moment. Sometimes that’s one card, and sometimes it’s two or more. It just depends on the intention that I set for that reading as I’m spreading the cards out in front of me. If you’ve never worked with a deck of cards like this before, I would encourage you just to start playing with them at first. Get a feel for them in your hands and try out different shuffling methods to find the one that feels the best for you. Work with the methods that you already use to connect with spirit, especially if you’re someone who engages with your psychic senses - utilize those when you go to shuffle the cards and select them. I know some people who will spread the cards out on the floor and run their hands over them, slightly hovering above the cards, trying to sense the energy of the card that they need to see. That method has never really worked well for me, but I do know a lot of people who use it and it works really well for them.
When I first started using my tarot deck, I had a set practice of pulling two cards each day and journaling about my reflections on them. I would begin by lighting a candle and centering my energy through a few intentional breaths. Then, I would call on spirit and my higher self as I asked a question - which was typically “Spirit, what do I need to know today?” In my mind, I had set the intention that the first card I pulled was the main thing I needed to know, and the second card was meant to be supplemental to help me dig a little deeper. I would always sit with the card and divine my own interpretations first before looking at the guidebook. Looking back, that step was super helpful in helping to cultivate an intuitive approach to the tarot. I didn’t know it at the time, but what I was doing in those early days of working with my tarot deck was trying to look for kinetic energy in the cards. I would first connect to the element of the card, and then look for other clues such as energetic polarity and shapes. That process helped me to memorize the traditional meanings of the cards more quickly.
I continued that practice daily for almost a year and a half. Every time I sat down with my cards, I was in awe of what I had pulled because it always seemed to be the exact thing I needed to hear. That process supported me in healing and moving through the spiritual transition I was navigating at that time in my life.
Eventually, I started to pull three cards instead of two, using the third card as a way of asking for advice on what steps I could take next. I have numerous journals from those years and I've never really been a journaler. But in that season it felt important to write down what cards I was pulling as well as the insights and intuitive nudges I was receiving.
Every so often I will go back and reread those journals. Doing so boosts my faith, and reassures me that I’m on the right path. Working with my decks has helped me to navigate through some very difficult seasons. Over time I’ve developed a close intimate relationship with certain decks. Some of my decks I keep separate, especially my professional ones (the ones I use to read for others), I don’t let anyone else touch those. Other decks that are the most meaningful to me, stay on my altars. I see them as sacred tools and I like to treat them as such.
In recent years I’ve transitioned to using tarot and oracle decks that have astrological themes and symbols included on the cards. The Celestial Tarot specifically has become my professional deck because I feel like astrology is a key part of my divination path and when the language of astrology is included in a deck, it really helps me to understand the energy of the cards, especially kinetic energy (which is the energy of motion). Once I understand the kinetic energy of a card, I can then convert that card into a movement meditation - which is a service I provide for people in my intuitive reading packages.
And that brings us to the topic of how we can utilize tarot in our dance and movement practices.
So the first method I’m going to suggest is combining a single card pull with an intuitive movement practice. Intuitive Movement is the practice of being fully aware and fully present in our physical bodies, bypassing the ways in which we were trained or how we think we should move. It teaches us to identify and respond to the voice of the divine within as well as our own inner wisdom. So for this practice, you are going to pull a card and meditate on the images, colors, symbols, shapes, and figures in that card while standing with it and taking it into your body. Notice how your body feels as you look at it. Notice the parts of your body that feel activated. And when you feel ready, begin to move, imagining yourself bringing the energy of that card into your body and allowing your body to respond without any judgment or direction on your part. This practice will teach you to train your eye to look for kinetic energy in a card and also how to move with the subtle energy that you are sensing.
A variation of this practice is to incorporate psychic movement. This is where we respond to energy gained through extra-sensory perception, identifying movement messages received through the clairs. For this exercise, you are also going to draw just one card, but you are not going to look at it. Keep it face down and hold your hand over it, or you can also hold it to your chest - just make sure you don’t peek at it. Then ask spirit to show you the energy of that card. When you began working with this practice, I would focus on engaging one clair at a time. You might start by asking spirit to speak to you about the energy of the card - which will activate your clairaudience. Or you could ask spirit to help you feel the energy of the card, engaging your clairempathy. And so on and so forth. If you want to learn more about working with the psychic senses in a dance or movement practice, make sure you pick up a copy of my book on Dance Divination. This is probably my favorite way to work with Tarot because it helps you to develop your psychic abilities by providing immediate feedback. I would also recommend recording your movement so you could study it in comparison with the energy of the card once you turn it over.
The next exercise I want to share is the combining of a card or several cards with an interpretive movement practice. Interpretive movement is an expressive practice of retranslating our own personal experiences with this world. In this particular exercise, we are expressing our interpretation of a particular card from our own perspective, allowing the information we receive from that card to create a raw and authentic kinetic response in our bodies. When you begin this practice, I think it’s helpful to pull out the Major Arcana and begin working with just those archetypes initially. Once you’ve worked with this process for a while, you can pull 2 to 3 cards from your deck and create a movement story that links the themes of those cards. I’ve used that method many times as a choreographic device and it has helped me during times when I’ve felt blocked creatively.
The interpretive movement practice might seem similar to the intuitive movement practice, but there is a big difference. With intuitive movement, we are having our own unique response and experience as a result of viewing the card. That response doesn’t have to express anything about the traditional themes and meaning of the card. It’s about what the card triggers within our own psyche. But with interpretive movement, we are trying to communicate kinetically about the themes and meaning we see represented in a particular card. This provides us with a deeper understanding of that archetype and helps us to integrate its medicine into our lives when needed. If you would like an example of this or need some ideas on how to begin working with this practice, check out my “Embodying the Major Arcana” series on my blog. I share channeled movement as well as exercises you can use to get started. You can also use this practice to develop your own movement meditations by mimicking the energy depicted both in the card you’ve selected and in the astrological correlations or elemental correspondences associated with it. This is a powerful tool for personal growth and spiritual development.
One last tip I want to leave you with is on the topic of reversed cards. Some people interpret reversals as a bad thing and some just don’t read reversals at all. I don’t subscribe to a binary view of good or bad energy in the cards. I believe that every card has something to teach us. In my practice, I have set the intention that a reversed card means I’m working with yin energy or a receptive perspective versus yang energy or an external perspective. That means that if I pull a reversed card, I would meditate on what that means for me from an internal perspective. My movement would be focused on what’s happening inside of me, instead of expressing energy outside of myself or moving with someone or something outside of myself. Please remember that this is my process and it’s an agreement that I have made with spirit on how I choose to work with reversed cards. You get to set your own guidelines and expectations with spirit for things like this. However, I wanted to share a perspective and method that has been helpful for me.
That my friends is everything I have for you today on this topic. Before I wrap this episode up, I wanted to give you a bit of a life update and share what you can expect from me moving into 2025.
If you've been following me for some time, then you know that 2024 has been an incredibly productive year for me. Not only did I launch this podcast, but I also published many new blog articles, posted almost daily over on my Dancing Oracle Pinterest account, relaunched my spiritual dance company under the name of Synergy Dance Collective, and completed my first book titled Dance Divination: Movement That Illuminates the Mysteries of Spirit. You can pre-order the Kindle version through Amazon right now. Both the Kindle and paperback versions are scheduled to be released on October 31st. It just seemed fitting for me to release a book about divination on Samhain. I’ve also started teaching dance again this year both in person through monthly New Moon choreography circles and through a few other opportunities that are more technical in nature.
Also, very few people know this about me because I don’t realize advertise it, but I do offer small business consulting and formation services as well as virtual assistance for businesses that need marketing, content creation, administration, or bookkeeping help. I have taken on a handful of new clients in that area this year and I’m really enjoying that work. If you are in need of any of those services, I plan on making space for a few new clients beginning in January 2025. Just send me an email at
As for my podcast, this episode will be the last episode of season one. I do plan to release a second season and I have a lot of thoughts for what that will look like. I am mulling over doing some episodes on dancing through the seasonal shifts within the wheel of the year and also how we can work with the lunar cycles in an embodied way. I may even dive deeper into some astrology topics such as how we can dance with the planets and the creation of dance rituals. I also hope to bring some of my dancing friends onto the show to share some other perspectives on spiritual dance.
But for now, as we move towards the darker part of the year, I need to take some time off to rest and hibernate a little bit because I have been so productive this year and I'm feeling the need for some rest and rejuvenation so I can care for my body, soul, and home.
If you have any topics that you would like me to cover in season two, please reach out to me through the contact form on my website or send me a DM on my Instagram account, which is @TheDancingOracle - I would love to incorporate some listener requested topics in season two which I plan to start on Imbolc (which is February 1st, 2025).
One last thing I wanted to offer you all before I go into hibernation mode - if you feel led to leave me a positive review of either my podcast or my book (once it’s released) - send me a screenshot of that review via email and I will share a coupon code with you for 20% off of any of my intuitive reading packages or my soul compass natal chart session. That offer is good from now until December 31st, 2024, and can be redeemed throughout all of 2025.
And with that, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to reconnecting with everyone in the new year. Goodbye for now.
EPISODE 10 RESOURCES:
- The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark
- The Angel Guide Oracle by Kyle Gray
- Work Your Light Oracle by Rebecca Campbell
- Cosmic Dancer Oracle by Sedona Soulfire
- Embodying the Major Arcana Blog Series
- Purchase my book: Dance Divination, Movement That Illuminates the Mysteries of Spirit
If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to join my "Friends of the Spiritual Dance Podcast" on Patreon for behind-the-scenes content and member extras.
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