My Own Private Oracle

In my spiritual community in Minneapolis in the 2000s, I learned about the joys and helpfulness of divination tools. My very favorite oracle is the online oracle created by my spiritual teacher in Minneapolis, Lynn Woodland, called The Community Oracle. (https://lynnwoodland.com/the-community-oracle/) It is comprised of 3×5 cards with intuitive messages composed during her workshops by participants, including me, so it is extra meaningful when I get one in my own handwriting!  

About 8 years ago I intuitively created my own private oracle. It is basically a Yes/No oracle, though often it manifests with little slips of paper in which I write various statements or scenarios to see whether they are true or not (depending on which side they land). This oracle of mine is something that has been a secret until this week, something that I wasn’t sure whether it was genius or psychosis lol. But last weekend I was guided to begin sharing about it.  

I do often get important and true information from my oracle, but even if it is total crap and just random chance, it takes me through a psychospiritual journey of considering various perspectives and possibilities that is really valuable. 

For instance, if there’s a scenario in my life and I feel like I have good insight into what’s going on, I will ask if I am correct. If I get a Yes, it feels reassuring that my intuition is right on track—because often my oracle will affirm for me a truth that is not apparently obvious in the situation, even one that contradicts my read of the situation from my everyday mind. If I get a No, it will stop me in my tracks and cause me to question my assumptions. “Huh, I thought I knew what was going on.”

Then another possible explanation will come to me and I’ll ask about that. If I get a Yes, I’m filled with surprise and curiosity. “Well, if that’s true, what are the implications of that?” And it changes my whole worldview in ways that open me up beyond my habitual limited perceptions.

No’s prompt me to dig deeper: if what I was assuming to be true isn’t actually true, then what else could it be? And I’ll ask about another scenario. If I get a Yes, I will feel humbled—”Oh! That’s what’s going on! Not what I thought at all!” And if I get a No, I have to go even deeper to find other possible options—”huh, if it’s not either of those explanations, what else could it be??” With each step, I’m prompted to consider perspectives I hadn’t been considering, which really opens up my thinking generally. And it reminds me not to be too overconfident in my apparent perceptions and interpretations.

Sometimes if I say “Well, it can’t possibly be this” and then I get a Yes, I will feel a charge of electricity from my paradigm totally being shattered, usually accompanied by some giddiness or elation.

My oracle helps me put puzzle pieces together: “if this is true and this is true, but this is not, what should I ask about now?” And so slowly a picture will begin to emerge, usually different from what I was expecting. The process is nourishing because it is an extended conversation with my guides, one that grows trust in their presence and their counsel. Their responses often feel comforting and reassuring, but they can just as easily feel humbling and bracing when—like any good spiritual teacher—they tell me a truth I don’t want to hear.

Seeing my emotional reactions to various scenarios and possible truths reveals to me my own often hidden preferences. And with every scenario visited, it helps me to identify and work with the various aversions and passions aroused by the situation.

And the process helps me plan for an appropriate course of action. While I know that all my information could be totally wrong, I feel grounded in the moment because I’ve already gone through so many potential possibilities that there are few I haven’t processed already. It definitely helps me have more empathy for people when I have deeply pondered what might be going on for them, so it causes me to be kinder and gentler in my approach to people.

My oracle often helps me to weather a storm, holding onto faith in something that I can’t yet see (and I’m inclined to believe that my faith has something to do with it being made manifest—though it’s obviously not a tool to try to control reality!).

Sometimes my oracle will lead me to believe something in the moment that isn’t actually true and even this is incredibly valuable. Believing it in that moment takes me through a whole healing process that usually turns out to be a crucial step in the unfolding of things. For instance, if my heart is closed to someone, my oracle may affirm statements or scenarios that demonstrate their vulnerability, causing me to soften my perspective and open my heart. In this way, my oracle can have a bit of Coyote trickster energy lol.  

I will often consult my oracle before sending communications, especially if it is something that I am worried about communicating. My oracle will give me feedback on the content, whether I have landed on what feels right to send. And it will also give me feedback on the timing of the communication. Sometimes the content can be exactly right, but it is not the right time for the other person to receive it. Sometimes the content can be just right, but it’s not the time to send it because I haven’t fully energetically aligned with the message and so there is internal work for me to do before I’m ready to send it. 

I think I will ask my oracle about whether this blog is ready to publish. 😊