When I was a wee young whippersnapper of perhaps 10 or 12, I bought a set of tarot cards at a garage sale. It was the Aquarian Tarot Deck, which I now know was fairly popular in the 70s. Apropos, given it was the “Age of Aquarius” and all, though what appealed to me about it was the very woo notion that I could use it to predict the future.
Well, that and the fact that I apparently already had a penchant for the flair of Art Nouveau. 😁
I also liked how the faces on all the cards were drawn in a faint, rather ghostly style, which contrasted with the bold, bright colors of the rest of each card’s image. It made them not only a bit spooky (goths weren’t a thing back then, but if they had been, I totally would’ve been one), but also malleable. That is, I could easily see them as representing whatever face I wanted.
I played with my deck endlessly, and also collected every other kind of supernatural doodad and tome I could afford; crystals, incense, sacred oils, books on white witchcraft and astrology…if it was occult or esoteric, I was probably interested. I especially loved the ritual aspects of it all.
However, just a few short years later, around the age of 16, I wanted nothing at all to do with witchcraft, divination, or anything else of the sort. I had “found religion” (specifically, Christianity) and been baptized (another ritual). Burning every single one of my tarot cards on the back porch of my parents’ house was an altogether different type of ritual.
I also attended my first (and last) Catholic funeral in my very early high school days, and was struck by how it took ritual to a whole new level. Even at such a tender age, I had begun to understand my attraction to ritual, and play around with it.
Then Came the (Anti-Woo) Science Years
The last time I did much with occult stuff was during a brief infatuation with astrology, in my late teens/very early 20s. Once I discovered quantum physics, my romance with such “woo-woo” practices was dead. Partially because the budding science appeared to explain SO MUCH about what had previously seemed explainable only by supernatural means. Michael Talbot’s book The Holographic Universe was mind-blowing in the possibilities it presented, and I was hooked.
Thus my fascination with ritual stayed dead for a very, very long time. I also studied psychology topics like neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), the power of transformational journeys (Way of the Peaceful Warrior and Mutant Message Down Under were standouts), Meyers-Briggs types (can you say “craving for simplistic explanations?”), self-help topics galore, and much, much more.
The intersection of science and the human mind has fascinated me pretty much forever. I love that we are now learning so much about how the mind works, how it tricks us into believing things, and how we can use that power to our advantage. Specifically, my relatively recent reading of David Robson’s The Expectation Effect has brought the concept of ritual back into my life. (Okay, my recent listening; it’s rare I pick up a physical book anymore, other than cookbooks.)
How to use Prism Oracle Cards for Motivation
Why Ritual?
To quote David Robson, “The adoption of secular rituals can also improve our resolve in some classic tests of willpower that often leave us feeling depleted.” For my ADHD side, willpower/motivation is one of my biggest struggles. Since the Autistic side craves routine, I use rituals (routines) to help give meaning to the things I do.
To put a finer point on it, I have 8 bajillion fabulous ideas, but my ability to wrangle my attention long enough to finish any one of them can be very limited indeed. But by building small rituals into my day to help me refocus and remind myself of what I’m supposed to be doing (and more importantly, why I’m doing those things), I work with my brain’s natural tendency to want to do things that are interesting because they have personal meaning.
The long and the short of it, though, is that it’s a ritual to help me look at the big picture of my life. I am painfully detail oriented. It’s what makes me an excellent editor and proofreader! But that trait can be extremely limiting when it comes to big-picture things like building a whole new business from scratch. I tend to get mired in the details, and when I’m stuck down there, overwhelm can all-too-easily become a constant companion.
Repeating this ritual each day forces me to pull my head out of that place of overwhelm, up into a more capacious headspace that reminds me to breathe and be grateful for the opportunities I have.
What is My Ritual?
I actually have many small rituals, but the ritual I’m addressing with this post is the use of the Prism Oracle cards created by Nicole Pivirotto. It’s a fun one that’s easy to understand and I figure it might appeal to anyone who likes the creations of my Paperies brand, as these cards are focused on vibrant colors and the energy each brings.
Of course, if you already have another oracle deck that you like, by all means, feel free to steal my ritual and adapt it to what you have!
The ritual is this: Each evening, not too long before bedtime, I shuffle my oracle deck while keeping a question in mind. The question is some form of, “What should I focus on tomorrow that will help me the most?” I repeat this question a few times, maybe three to five, and usually use different wordings each time, because the intent is more important than the precise wording.
Then I cut the deck into three piles, restack the piles in whatever order I happen to feel like, and then flip over the first card from the top. Sometimes the meaning of the card is clear and obvious; for example I’ve drawn the Peace, Love, and Abundance cards.
Sometimes, though, I have to consult the booklet for more guidance. For example, when I drew the Flow card, I doubted that it was referring to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept, though that would certainly fit, given how much my hyperfocus mode resembles that kind of flow. When consulting the booklet, though, all became clear with this line: “water always gets to where it wants to go.” Yup, I thought, so do I!
What if I Draw “Bad” Cards?
In case you were wondering, yes, the Prism Oracle deck does contain some cards that could be interpreted as having negative connotations, such as Sadness and Death. This is where my previous experience with tarot came in handy, as well as the guidebook that came with the cards. As with tarot, death has to do with change and cycles rather than literal death. So it serves as a prompt to consider shifting something about the part of my business that I’m working on, or that some other aspect of my life might need to change before I can move forward.
Which brings me to what I actually do with the card I’ve drawn. First, I consider the obvious, face value of the card; then I read the guidebook page about it for further insight; and finally I sit with that information for a minute or two, meditating on these meanings, and how they might apply to my current situation. What message or mindset can I carry with me into tomorrow that will help me keep moving forward?
That’s it. Fast and simple, yet expansive.
Why at Bedtime?
You might be wondering: Why draw a card at bedtime to set up my mindset for the following day, rather than at the start of the next day?
Long ago I came upon some research that indicated that studying right before bedtime was more effective than studying at other times. That is, the information one takes in right before sleeping is more easily and completely integrated into the mind and memory. The process by which this occurs is called called consolidation, and it’s rather a fascinating field of research all on its own.
The bottom line, though, is that this is a time that works for me. I find the ritual relaxing, and for whatever reason, waking up already knowing my “theme” for the day, as it were, is likewise a relaxing way to begin my day. Given that entrepreneurs, Autistic folks, and ADHD folks all have been shown to struggle with sleep (and I’m all three!) you can probably understand why I value the serenity this quick little bedtime ritual brings me. I hope it (or something like it) can help you too!
All stories are poorly recollected and names have been altered to protect the guilty. This post probably contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase something I link to on this page, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.