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How to Use These Sacred Journey Medicine Cards

This oracle deck can be used...

1 Card Reading
3 Card Reading
Couple Reading
Group Reading
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Embracing the Layers: A Guide to Card Interpretation

Often the layers of interpretation unfold after a series of further reflections.
Usually the divination works best when you receive information from the card that bypasses your conscious mind. With this in mind, it helps not to be highly methodical and conscious about which card you choose. Just let the spirit within you move you.
When looking at the card you choose, be sure to tune into the the many layers of visual elements – and let yourself feel whatever you feel.
Some cards might intuitively appeal to you more than others. Not just aesthetically but in terms of how deeply they capture your attention.
If you have a particularly strong feeling about a card, then you should definitely consider keeping the card out in your home in a significant way.

One-Card Reading​

Back of Card
Joining Together Medicine Card

Joining Together Medicine Card

Soon you will be joining with others to create something that will require a collaborative effort. Each person will bring their skills to the table. There may be some overlap, but each voice and vision offers a unique contribution. You are connected with these individuals like the mycelial network of the Mushroom, embedded in the soil of this earth. Your leadership may be called on to build community; you will be guided by the unseen world in this process. Like the Mushrooms, this community may fluctuate in size but will have the potential to remain in one spot for years. Pay attention to the visions and insights that you receive from the sacred fungi; there is an unseen aspect of this process that may be challenging to discern. Detours might happen along the way, but in the end you are bringing something significant, valuable, and life-changing into being.

Psilocybe subaeruginosa photograph by Bob Ericos, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia Mushroom Observer.

SHUFFLE
FLIP ALL CARDS

Feeling depressed?    Stressed?    Cloudy in thought?    Blocked?     Disengaged?

Medicine Card Reading step1

Select a Card for Inspiration

Choose a card to meditate on or for daily inspiration.

Medicine Card Reading step2

Ask a Question

Ask the card a question like, “What should I focus on today?”

Medicine Card Reading step3

Connect with the Cards

Touch, shuffle, and connect with the cards. Hold them to your heart or speak to them if you feel inclined.

Medicine Card Reading step4

Choose Your Card

Lay the cards face down in a fan shape. Pick one or more cards that attract you.

Medicine Card Reading step5

Reflect on the Images

Look at the selected cards and notice how the images make you feel. Consider the photographic image, mixed media art, number, title, and colors.

Medicine Card Reading step6

Find Personal Meaning

Reflect on what these elements mean to you. Allow your intuition to guide you.

Three-Card Reading

This method helps illuminate multiple aspects of a situation.

Back of Card
Contrast & Equilibrium Medicine Card

Contrast & Equilibrium Medicine Card

Two wild Zebras appear before you. The mother grazes to nourish herself, and her foal follows her, waiting to nurse. The patterns formed by the Zebra’s stripes are unique like fingerprints, reminding you to honor the singular set of qualities that only you have to offer. The sharp contrasts of light and dark symbolize the possibility that opposing characteristics can coexist in one being. You do not have to choose one extreme or the other; you can hold both, and it is plain for anyone to see how beautiful you are as you achieve this equilibrium. And still you can be wild and refuse to be tamed. Draw upon this quality to sustain you now as you glory in the blaze of your apparent contradictions.

Zebra photograph, California Coast Highway near San Simeon, USA.

Back of Card
Patience Medicine Card

Patience Medicine Card

A friendly Calf stops mid-frolic to stare at you with piercing eyes that look directly into your soul. It is here to deliver the patient and holy Medicine of its Ancestors. You can look up at the night sky and tap into this same power in the Milky Way. The force of the moon is also with you, providing feminine nurturing energy. The Calf’s appearance also brings you equanimity. You may be experiencing a strong desire to get moving, but you needn’t push; now is not the time to rush into anything. Take all the time and preparation you need; know your strength, choose a direction, and take the first step. This Medicine is a source of sustenance for you, and it can induce a calm, meditative, and peaceful state if you let it. You will be carried where you need to go. Relax and enjoy the tranquil, tender ride.

Calf photograph, California, USA.

Back of Card
The Screaming Child Medicine Card

The Screaming Child Medicine Card

The screams of the Child suddenly pierce your awareness, demanding to understand why you have had to endure such heartbreak. If you have suffered this pain and loss quite recently, you may be asking yourself, where is the Divine Creator in this picture? If it occurred at a tender age, where were the human caretakers who were charged with protecting you? Pegasus comes to you as a messenger to make use of your highflying imagination. This mythical winged divine stallion, with his ability to overcome his own trauma, embodies the light and rises above the suffering to embrace freedom. Fly with him. From above, observe the experiences that have shaped you. From here you can safely formulate a plan of healing. Call upon your Spirit Guides, Angels, and others in the realm of the divine to help you do the work that will comfort and restore the little ones within you who are demanding to be heard.

Pegasus Float photograph, La Paz, Baja California Sur.

SHUFFLE
FLIP ALL CARDS
Medicine Card Reading step1

Understand the Representation

The 3 cards can symbolize the past, present, and future; the beginning, middle, and end of a sacred journey; or any specific three-part process of your choosing.

Medicine Card Reading step2

Prepare the Cards

Shuffle the cards. Place them face down. Spread them out.

Medicine Card Reading step3

Select Your Cards

Choose 3 cards.

Medicine Card Reading step4

Lay Out the Cards

Arrange the cards side by side to view the entire reading.

Medicine Card Reading step5

Reflect on the Cards

Take time to feel the energy and guidance of each card before referring to the booklet. When you look up a card, be open to receiving new perspectives and interpretations.

This process provides a comprehensive view, helping you gain insight into different facets of your situation.

Couple Reading

If you're in a relationship and struggling with your connection, consider doing a card reading together. This can become a profound interactive process, bringing needed insights into your relationship.

Back of Card
Boundaries Medicine Card

Boundaries Medicine Card

You are walking along the bank of a swampy marsh where you encounter hundreds of tiny Land Crabs. You can hear the sound of their movement as they crawl over a large shell mound created by the tribe that once lived in this place. The tribe believed that each person had three souls: one existed in the pupil of the eye, another in the reflection of themselves in the water, and the third in their shadow. The energy of Crab’s shell can help you to maintain boundaries, protecting you from discoveries that leave you vulnerable, and personal difficulties when you are not ready to open up. But just as the crab must shed its outgrown shell as it matures, you may need to let go of something that is not working. Observe, reflect, and be aware of your shadow, drawing upon the Medicine of the scurrying Land Crab to assist you.

Land Crab photograph, J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida, USA.

Back of Card
Chaos Medicine Card

Chaos Medicine Card

You are on a mission to gather the soul parts that have become separated from you. These fragments detached during times of great stress and trauma. Iguana is a wise teacher, helping you to understand that the instinctive reptilian brain protected you during that intensity. This small and ancient region of the brain responds quickly to stress in order to keep us safe. Iguana is not driven by language or thinking. Its actions are automatic and immediate which can cause a feeling of being out of control. In order for your soul to be restored to wholeness, a constellation of forces will come together, dismantling the old paradigm. Right now, as the chaos arises, know that it needed to happen, and it will quickly pass.

Iguana photograph, Florida, USA.

Back of Card
Against The Current Medicine Card

Against The Current Medicine Card

You find yourself struggling against a torrent of resistance. This power, the work of external beings or internal demons, relentlessly opposes your progress. How will you ever overcome it? Koi fish are a symbol of hope, worldly ambition, and progress. Koi delivers to you the capacity to move swiftly against the current, arriving upstream against seemingly insurmountable odds. Try not to be distracted or deterred; this is not the time to give up or turn back. According to legend, if Koi swimming the Yellow River succeeds in climbing the falls at the Dragon Gate, it will be transformed into a dragon. Your determination and strong sense of purpose facing these difficult circumstances will carry you. Insist on wisdom and miracles, and you will receive them. Have faith.

Koi photograph, Key West, Florida, USA.

Back of Card
Contrast & Equilibrium Medicine Card

Contrast & Equilibrium Medicine Card

Two wild Zebras appear before you. The mother grazes to nourish herself, and her foal follows her, waiting to nurse. The patterns formed by the Zebra’s stripes are unique like fingerprints, reminding you to honor the singular set of qualities that only you have to offer. The sharp contrasts of light and dark symbolize the possibility that opposing characteristics can coexist in one being. You do not have to choose one extreme or the other; you can hold both, and it is plain for anyone to see how beautiful you are as you achieve this equilibrium. And still you can be wild and refuse to be tamed. Draw upon this quality to sustain you now as you glory in the blaze of your apparent contradictions.

Zebra photograph, California Coast Highway near San Simeon, USA.

SHUFFLE
FLIP ALL CARDS
Medicine Card Reading step1

Prepare Together

Each person takes turns holding and shuffling the cards. Feel free to ask the cards a question or set an intention for the reading.

Medicine Card Reading step2

Select the Cards

Choose the cards together. Fan them out in front of you.

Medicine Card Reading step3

Discuss Feelings

Discuss how each card makes each of you feel. Look for messages about how you might bring more closeness and better communication into your bond.

Medicine Card Reading step4

Reflect Before Consulting the Booklet

Take enough time to feel the energy and guidance of the card(s) as a couple. When you do look up a card, stay open to receiving alternative perspectives and interpretations.

This process can help you gain insights and improve your connection.

Group Reading

Create a meaningful and insightful group card reading experience with these steps

Back of Card
Against The Current Medicine Card

Against The Current Medicine Card

You find yourself struggling against a torrent of resistance. This power, the work of external beings or internal demons, relentlessly opposes your progress. How will you ever overcome it? Koi fish are a symbol of hope, worldly ambition, and progress. Koi delivers to you the capacity to move swiftly against the current, arriving upstream against seemingly insurmountable odds. Try not to be distracted or deterred; this is not the time to give up or turn back. According to legend, if Koi swimming the Yellow River succeeds in climbing the falls at the Dragon Gate, it will be transformed into a dragon. Your determination and strong sense of purpose facing these difficult circumstances will carry you. Insist on wisdom and miracles, and you will receive them. Have faith.

Koi photograph, Key West, Florida, USA.

Back of Card
Anticipation Medicine Card

Anticipation Medicine Card

You are experiencing the calm within a storm. The howling winds swirl and hiss eagerly, and yet you remain centered. You are anticipating the fruits of your labors, remaining serene as you wait for what comes next. Like the Caracara perched on top of a cactus, you have a perfect view of all that surrounds you. Stay awake and vigilant: an opportunity is about to present itself. You may have a healthy urge to reach out to others now, but be careful not to overdo it and get too pushy. Remaining tranquil, rest assured that what you seek is seeking you. Wait and watch for it to enter your field of vision. You will know when it arrives, and then you will claim it.

Crested Caracara photograph, La Paz, Baja California Sur.

Back of Card
Agility Medicine Card

Agility Medicine Card

Fear flashes through your body, and in this moment you are quite alone. You may long for the presence of a being that cares for you. Your heart is calling for healing and abundance, but at this time you must simply travel the path of transformation. The Hare leaps into your life full of ingenuity and vitality. Hare people are sensitive, artistic, and expert at avoiding threats. This card calls upon you to review what is most important to you and act quickly to protect it. Pay close attention, remain aware of your spiritual reserves: which will help you most in this moment? What you require will appear as it is needed. Your mind may question this as fear arises, but your heart knows the truth, and your quick feet will carry you in the direction of new life.

Hare photograph, Wallpack Center, New Jersey, USA.

Back of Card
Gathered Medicine Card

Gathered Medicine Card

Three bluebirds appear: a father, mother beside him, and their chick flying overhead. Like musical notes, there is a harmony to this arrangement. These colorful beings call upon you to give yourself up to the beauty that surrounds you. In the pursuit of joy and happiness, spend time in the natural world that Spirit has given us. You may be at the beginning of a new chapter, evolving into a fresh existence, or you may be at a turning point that is more challenging. If you are in the darkness at this time, the gathering of Bluebirds is an indication that things will be brighter soon. They may be the messengers of an Angel or of loved ones who are communicating their support from another realm. Call upon those who have your back, both here and on the other side, through prayer, meditation, and the power of intention. They will answer.

Western Bluebird photographs, Berkeley, California, USA.

Back of Card
Star Seeds Medicine Card

Star Seeds Medicine Card

Stars shine brightly in the night sky, and a rainbow fills the atmosphere in a dreamlike mist. This light comes from the same energy you are made of. You may have remembrances of being a part of one of these stars – or perhaps part of a star in another galaxy altogether. Sometimes you long for this other place that you could also call home, because the world you live in can often be so uncomfortable. The Star Seeds remind you that you are one with the powers that created you. Your mind can detect the familiar essence of loved ones who have shared a faraway home with you. Some of them may have joined you here on Earth, while others remain in another dimension. If you are able, get outside to see the night sky where you are. Tune into your gifts and those of your tribe in other lifetimes and know that you are one with all beings.

Rainbow Sky photograph, Brookings, Oregon, USA.

SHUFFLE
FLIP ALL CARDS
Medicine Card Reading step1

Prepare the Altar Space

Set up an altar space in the middle of your group circle. Shuffle and spread the cards on this altar.

Medicine Card Reading step2

Distribute Numbered Slips

Pass out slips of paper in a basket, each numbered according to the number of people present. Have each person pick a slip of paper with a number.

Medicine Card Reading step3

Choose Cards in Order

Go around the circle in numerical order and have each person intuitively choose a card.

Medicine Card Reading step4

Share Impressions

Each person shares the card they received with the group, along with any impressions they have from the card.

Medicine Card Reading step5

Read the Message or Journey Together

Read the message from the booklet or embark on a drumming or medicine journey together.

Medicine Card Reading step6

Group Discussion

Take time for each person in the group to share their thoughts about each card.

Medicine Card Reading step7

Reflect on the Booklet Messages

After the journey, stay open to hearing the messages from the booklet about the cards drawn.

This ritual fosters connection and collective insight, enhancing the group's shared experience.

Medicine Cards Review
The first thing you notice about this deck is the infusion of vitality in each of the 54 cards. The layers, colors, shapes, lines, and forms in the compositions are organic and spontaneous -- truly reminiscent of the natural world they embody and represent. The compositions on the card fronts are an interesting balance between abstract and concrete imagery. And, they are arranged so that the reader's eye is drawn to each aspect individually; while still being able to take in the entire card. I like layers as an artist, but I specifically benefit from them as a card-reader. Layers give a deck more multi-dimensional applications and accessibility. …….I have worked with these cards for about a week, and each time I pick up the deck, something new emerges. Something I did not see before makes itself known.
Indie Deck Review
I find these cards to be very grounding and supportive for me when I need to center myself and receive a deeper message. They call me into the present moment. I've worked with many decks in my life and these cards are much deeper, carefully channeled and potent. Literally, the medicine of the messages are palpable. I bought 5 decks to give as gifts and the recipients loved them too. There is a difference between a highly manufactured and contrived product and something that is carefully curated from heart and spirit. This deck feels like true wisdom, hand crafted and written by a seasoned wisdom-keeper. I highly recommend these cards for your heart and soul or for the support of others.
Wendy De Rosa
The School for Intuitive Studies
The Sacred Journey Medicine Cards are filled to the brim with layers and dimensions — not just compositionally, but energetically as well. This is the first collage deck that I have ever worked with. And, I LOVE IT!
Indie Deck Review
These lovingly illustrated cards are a joy to behold. A thoughtfully written book full of insights and gems of wisdom accompanies them. I have enjoyed perusing them myself and sharing them with my friends. Buy a set for yourself and more to gift to those you love.
Matthew Alan Kane
This is an exquisite medicine deck that is both evocative and provocative. We used it at our Women’s Journey Circle and everyone present received a huge gift of wisdom, insight and inspiration
Valerie Carpenter
The Vestibule Center for Sound Living
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Sacred Journey Medicine Cards