Most angel card decks contain a series of single, positive messages or simple, optimistic phrases. Interpreting them is mainly a matter of practice. My first advice with using any sort of divination pack would be ‘pack away the instruction book!’ Real clairvoyants and psychics work from instinct – in theory, it would be possible to use beer mats, but they’re nothing like as nice to shuffle! Preparing to use angel cards With a new pack you’ll want to familiarise yourself with the pictures and phrases on each card...and ‘Oh go on then...read the instruction book or leaflet that comes with the pack if you really have to!’ Make yourself comfortable with shuffling and laying the cards out on the table – get a real feel of your cards. Spend a little time playing with them – doing nothing in particular! Then you’ll want to cleanse your angel cards before you start. It doesn’t matter what words you use but its fun to do something! Saying a Prayer may help you work with the higher realms, and you may want to dedicate their use to your reading to your own special God or Goddess.

Oils and scents Drawing the pack through the smoke of a smudge stick (sage for purification), or holding the pack over scented incense , would be the traditional method of preparing your cards. I like to work with Frankincense (a high ‘vibrational’ oil which is perfect for connecting to the angelic realms). Two or three drops of oil, in an oil burner is a lovely way to create the perfect atmosphere for your reading. Candles Burning candles whilst you do your spiritual work, isn’t just some new age claptrap. Candles have been used for centuries in rituals and magic. Lighting your candle signifies bringing in ‘the light’, or the higher realms. You can blow out your candle at the end of the session to draw your reading to a close. Safekeeping It’s important to keep your angel cards in a special place. The small, single word cards are lovely in an open bowl – even my children pick a card every day as I do this at home. My sister keeps her angel cards in a beautiful gold bowl that she stands next to the telephone...useful for those moments you are waiting for those other messages to come through! The larger cards deserve looking after. You can wrap you cards in a piece of silk or black velvet. If you’re not clever with a needle and thread, you can easily buy lovely little drawstring pouches . If you want to keep your cards free from the energy of others, then you can pack them safely in a little wooden box after each use. Working with Spreads What’s a spread? Usually, cards are laid out in spreads (in patterns on the table). Although you will find lots of different ‘patterns’ in books, there is no right or wrong way to do this and you can easily make up your own. With a spread, each card represents a question or part of an answer – the lay out of the cards helps you to remember which card is for which question!

Three Card Spread A three card spread is a simple way to start. Lay your cards out in a line. The first card signifies your Past (place it furthest away from you), the middle card signifies your present (place the card in the middle) and the third card represents your future. A Six Card Spread Lay out cards as above. Place a second row of cards alongside the first. Each of these second cards can be used to expand on the first card...it might be the card you use to ‘explain’ why things happened the way they did in the past, how they are developing in the present, and as a guide to how to work out the future! Specific Questions Most people want to know about either love, money or work situations, and you can easily work with a single query. As with tarot cards, it is better to use at least three cards – but go ahead and use as many as you want to answer your query. You could make up your own shape spreads with each set of cards indicating certain questions. Cards in the shape of a heart might be used to answer queries about love and so on. How to read the cards Always follow your instincts first. Each card has many meanings and even those which are not included in the booklet or leaflet of the pack. If you pick a card which says LOVE for example and you feel that the person needs to GIVE love then say so. If you feel the card means that their angel or guide is SENDING love, then say that. If you feel more comfortable, say what you think the card means, wait for a reaction (see if it makes sense), then check the meaning in your reference – work quickly and do not spend too long worrying about getting it wrong. Getting it right One final word? Practice, Practice, and more Practice...!