You decide to enter that cute little spiritual bookstore, and something beautiful catches your eye. Colours and artwork that feel so alive, inspiring. As you find yourself drawn to one deck, then two, then three! You begin checking the prices and feel a drop in your stomach, this is going to be an expensive hobby. What even is an oracle deck, and how is it different from tarot?
When you’re struggling to decide what you should start with as a beginner reader, this guide is here to help.
Tarot cards and oracle cards both contain vivid imagery that can guide you on your personal path. In this article, you will learn the ins and outs of oracle cards & tarot cards to help you decide what’s best for your unique needs.
Things You Should Know
The idea that you can’t purchase your own tarot and oracle decks, and that they should be given to you, is an outdated myth! In fact, it’s better to pick cards you are personally drawn to, because they will represent something special to you and make it easier for you to use your intuition to discover the meaning of your readings.
Tarot vs. Oracle cards – What is the Difference?
The main difference between tarot and oracle cards is in the structure of the decks. Tarot cards follow a simple formula of 78 cards, with 22 Major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. Different tarot decks will give you a different feeling and energy of the cards, however the basic meanings remain the same across all tarot decks. The tarot is a story and is meant to provide insights for a variety of questions and problems, tarot is a limited structure with unlimited answers. The original Rider Waite decks created the structure for the major / minor arcana and court cards.
Oracle cards do not follow a set structure. There can be any amount of oracle cards in a deck & the meaning from deck to deck is entirely different. Oracle decks instead follow a common theme, for example the Moonology Oracle Deck is based on the moon, whereas an Animal Spirit Oracle Deck is centred around animals. Oracle cards therefore can sometimes be limited by their theme, for example if you draw an oracle card from a Yoga Deck about something like retirement, the answer you receive may be confusing and difficult to interpret.
What exactly are Oracle cards and why use them?
Oracle cards are creative and visually symbolical cards that provide guidance and insight into your life. The magic of oracle cards is in their creativity and stunning imagery. If you’re drawn to an oracle deck, it likely has a unique message for you. I use oracle cards when I’m requiring guidance that matches well with the theme of the deck or when I’m looking to confirm the answers of a tarot card reading. Tarot and oracle cards can be used together to paint a deeply enriching picture of what is going on in your life.
So, how do I know if I should be using a Tarot deck or an Oracle deck?
You will know what deck you should be using based on your intuition. What decks are you feeling drawn to, do you have an intuitive knowing or a gentle nudge telling you to buy or use a certain deck? If the imagery of a tarot deck or oracle deck causes you to light up with excitement or delights your senses, then you know that is the right deck for you.
Tarot cards have a set structure and Oracle cards are more free flowing
Tarot cards have a specific structure with common meanings across most decks. The set number of cards is rarely changed, and you can apply the same rules to all tarot cards. Only the imagery changes among different tarot cards, so the meanings don’t vary greatly from deck to deck.
Oracle cards are free flowing in nature, there are no specific rules to oracle decks and so it depends on the artist or author what the images represent. You might draw an oracle card during your reading that requires you to rely on the guidebook for divination. Common practice is to refer to the author of your decks for the card meanings.
If you’re new to shuffling cards, you’re inevitably going to wonder about Tarot and Oracle cards. What’s the difference? What’s better for what? What’s right for me?
For open-ended questions with lots of possibilities, tarot cards should be your go to. Tarot cards can be used in a variety of spreads, and the symbols of the cards are meant to go together. When doing tarot readings, you will find the card represents something different depending on the cards surrounding it.
For direct questions and specific, easy to interpret answers, oracle cards tend to be your best bet. Often one oracle card is all you need to find an answer. Oracle decks also have a tendency to be more spiritual in nature so if you are hoping to connect more deeply to guides, animal spirits, crystals etc you can easily find many oracle decks to fit a common theme.
Using Tarot and Oracle Cards Together
As mentioned before, I LOVE to use tarot and oracle cards together. The oracle meaning can provide an extra insight to your tarot cards, giving you a beautiful answer that is truly valuable for your life. Oracle cards can connect the missing pieces of your tarot reading, giving you a deeper truth than just one deck alone. Together they are the ultimate divination tool and can provide such surprising and delightful synchronicity and guidance.
When’m working with a client, the client picks the tarot deck to draw from, and I intuitively pick oracle cards to create a fuller picture of their future.
Can Anybody Read Tarot cards?
Tarot reading is a divination tool that everyone can use. You do not need a professional reader to understand tarot. If you are ready to start tarot reading for yourself, begin with lots of practice. You will find in the near future you are able to draw powerful messages from the cards. The key to divination is simply practice, practice, practice!
Oracles can help you gain a deeper understanding with an in person tarot reading. If you are looking for a reading to uncover messages about your future, go here.
Should beginners start with Oracle or Tarot cards?
If you are a complete beginner, you might find an oracle deck is easier to use, as they can provide straightforward answers and messages that don’t require you to learn the meanings of the cards like tarot does. With tarot, the better you understand each card, the better your readings will become. Tarot cards ask you to dive deep. As you learn tarot, you may find yourself trying to memorize the cards for a time before your readings really start to make sense. A lot of the time, a single card pull from an oracle deck can give you a clear succinct answer, making them a bit easier to use.
Use the cards for intention setting
Setting intentions is a powerful way to get the most out of your tarot cards and oracle cards. Before entering your local shop, spend 1 -2 minutes with your hands rested on your heart and visualize or imagine how you would like your tarot cards or oracle decks to impact your daily life. Then let it go allow your free flowing intuition to guide you to the prefect tarot deck or oracle cards for you.
Recommended Tarot Cards for Beginners
For beginners to tarot, I recommend going to the shop and seeing what tarot card deck or oracle deck you feel drawn to – this is definitely the deck you should use.
However, if you’d like some recommendations The Rider Waite Deck is a great tarot deck to start with as it follows the traditional structure and most professional readers use this deck. There are also many places online to find the free meanings of the cards, including all the major arcana, minor arcana and court cards.
For Oracle cards, I highly recommend the Wild Unknown Archetypes as it is easy to use and absolutely beautiful. Angel cards are perfect if you like soft guidance and want to connect to spiritual guides. If you have a deep love for astrology, an astrology tarot deck may be exactly what you’re looking for.
As a tarot reader, I’ve created oracle cards for beginners with images of gods and kings. This is a great deck for you if you’re looking for straightforward and direct guidance, you can find it here
The Empress Tarot 