I love that feeling of getting a brand new oracle deck and leafing through all the cards to find my favourite illustrations and affirmations. Picking a new oracle deck can be a bit overwhelming though, there’s so many to choose from and all of them have different themes, different amount of cards, some have words, some are purely illustrations, the list is endless.
Choosing the best oracle deck for you doesn’t have to be complicated though and there are a couple of bullet points you can tick off to make sure you’re getting the right deck for your needs.
What themes, topics or subjects connect with you on a subconscious level? Do you feel drawn towards flowers, animals, the moon, esoteric concepts and spiritual ideas? This will be your starting point and help you find an oracle deck that will really connect with the parts of you that you need to unearth.
What do you want to use your oracle cards for? Is it for one card daily check-ins? Do you want the cards to help you with your spiritual development or do you want to use them solely for divination purposes?
Are you looking for oracle cards that have been created by your favourite author, illustrator or spiritual influencer? You may have really resonated with someone’s ideas around spirituality or other aspects of esotericism, in which case their oracle cards could be a good shout for you.
To help you see how you can start to research the best oracle decks to buy, here are a few examples using my personal favourite oracle decks.
Choosing the right oracle deck for you
Below, I’ve picked out a few of the oracle decks we have over in the Self-Care Emporium shop and broken down the descriptions of the decks so you can see what kinds of things you might want to consider when buying your decks. Plus, it’s really helpful for when you are trying to buy online, as you can’t hold the deck in your hand and really explore its energy in person.
Moonology Oracle Deck by Yasmin Boland
Perfect for moon lovers, astrology nerds and people looking for divine guidance from lunar energy. Simple, easy to use and versatile so it can be used for large spreads, to set intentions for various moon phases or daily card pulls.
The Fox Tarot Self-Care Oracle Deck
Perfect for those that want to get serious about their self-care. This deck has quite a few cards, so it can be used for either full spreads or daily card pulls, as each card has a very clear self-care message and detailed illustration.
The Sacred Self-Care Oracle Deck
This is another self-care oracle deck, however, it offers more practical suggestions for self-care. It’s less about exploring your inner world and more about taking care of your mind and body as one entity. It’s designed more for one card daily pulls.
Work Your Light Oracle Deck
Created by much-loved light worker Rebecca Campbell, the Work Your Light oracle deck is ideal for small spreads and daily pulls. This deck is aimed at those that want to use oracle cards for spiritual growth and exploration. As is Rebecca’s other deck, the Starseed Oracle.
As you can see, the theme, number of oracle cards in a deck and illustrations all have a part to play when it comes to how you can use the deck. That’s why it’s always a good idea to think about what you want the deck to do for you before you head out there and spend your cash. Oracle cards are a tool, so we have to know why we need the tool first before we can decide which is the best for the job.
To check out all of these oracle decks in the shop, click the button below and have a browse! Plus, if you’re still not sure which oracle deck is best for you, then you are free to drop me an email or get in touch over on my social channels.
We’ve already had a look at how oracle and tarot cards are different, but now we’re about to jump into the world of combining the two! Yes, that’s right, you can use oracle cards AND tarot cards at the same time for a detailed and intuitive reading.
There are a few different ways to do this, but to start you off, I wanted to introduce you to my personal favourites and beginner-friendly ways of using oracle cards with tarot.
One of the main reasons to add an oracle card to your tarot reading is to offer an extra level of detail and understanding. Oracle cards are messages from the universe on what we need to know. Each card is filled with a unique narrative that can really help you to figure out the tarot a lot easier.
Some people will mix in a few oracle cards with their tarot cards, however, I prefer to use just one oracle card in my readings, to give it more influence and meaning. The more oracle cards in a spread, the more diluted the messages are… in my experience anyway!
The perfect way to start using your oracle cards with your tarot cards is by following along with one of my workshops or workbooks
We talked a lot about how oracle cards work in my previous blog post (see below), so I won’t go into too much detail about that here, but I will reiterate that oracle cards hold a lot more detail and story than that of tarot cards. I find that tarot cards work best when they are paired with each other to create a narrative. Oracle cards can do that all by themselves, hence why you often get fewer oracle cards in a deck than you do tarot cards.
When it comes to readings, adding in an oracle card can provide a more rounded universal message than the tarot. If you’re finding it hard to put all the tarot cards together, adding an oracle card can help give you context and bind everything together.
You can of course do this just using the tarot by picking out a shadow or light card, but using oracle cards is a lot more fun and beginner friendly.
Oracle cards with tarot spreads
I’ve created two little spreads for you to get you on the road to using oracle cards with tarot. Both use just one oracle card as a signifier card, helping to provide more detail and narrative to your readings.
Oracle Wisdom
The Oracle Wisdom spread uses five tarot cards and one oracle card. In this spread, the oracle card is here as the message that binds all the tarot cards together. For example:
Oracle deck: Work Your Light Oracle Deck. Buy the deck here >>> Shop Now
In the above reading, we’ve got the following cards in the following positions:
Past – Eight of Cups
Present – Ten of Cups
Bridge – Six of Pentacles
Future – Page of Swords
Block – Four of Swords
Oracle – Birthing a New Age: Birthing new creations. Dreaming a new world into being.
If we got these cards in a general reading I would say that we’ve come from a place where we’ve had to make a big decision to walk away from something that we were emotionally invested in. It might have been a project that just didn’t work or maybe even a relationship.
In the present, we now feel more emotionally fulfilled because of this decision, walking away from what was no longer serving us, has helped us to reach a place where we feel happier, more supported and more optimistic for the future. We’ve managed to get to this point by asking those around us for help and accepting what we received.
In the future, we are aiming for a lot more mental clarity around what it is that we need in our lives to make us happy. We may be in a good place right now, but it’s only temporary and we need to start planning for the future and how we can maintain this positivity. The way we can get to that point is by taking some time out, revelling in this 10 of Cups energy for a while and allowing ideas and thoughts to come to us naturally.
The Oracle Card helps by telling us that this process is going to be a big turning point in your life. It’s going to put you on a completely new path than what you were expecting and that decision you made to walk away from where you were, was one that was always meant to happen. Taking this 4 of Swords time to just allow yourself to figure things out in your own time, will help you to really delve into your subconscious and uncover deeply rooted dreams and goals that you’ve been suppressing.
The addition of the Oracle Card gives us that extra level of comfort and universal support, showing us that the path we are taking is one that was meant to be and written in our destiny. It helps to uncover even more detail from the cards as you move along.
Divine Guidance
The Divine Guidance spread uses the oracle card in a slightly different way, giving you a present narrative to which all the other cards revolve around. Let’s have a look at it in action:
Oracle deck: Work Your Light Oracle Deck. Buy the deck here >>> Shop Now
In this example, we have the following cards in a general reading:
Oracle – Get Grounded: Empaths, Highly Sensitives. Connect with Nature.
This spread gives us more information about what’s going on internally. It’s less about your circumstance and more about your emotional and spiritual wellbeing. In the middle of the spread we have the Oracle Card, which tells us to get back to nature and find a way to ground yourself right now. You are feeling overwhelmed by both your own emotions and those around you. In order to improve your state of wellbeing, you need to figure out a way to feel more in control and gain a more grounded mindset about where you are right now.
The conscious card of the 9 of Pentacles tells us that we are thinking a lot about our material world right now, how much money we have, or how much money we lack. This can also be about wanting material possessions that you can’t justify buying or you simply can’t afford. You think that having these things will make you happier, and so the lack of them is making you miserable.
In your subconscious, there is a deep need to be able to see things for how they are. You want to be able to get rid of this constant material thinking and start using your brain power for more intellectual things like planning your future and thinking about the important things in life.
This is all coming from a place of comparison, the 3 of Cups has us thinking about how happy others are with what they have and how we want to be like them. We are watching as these people celebrate all they have, this can be caused by comparing our own lives on social media. This comparison is causing us to live in this daydream where we have all we desire and when we get hit with a dose of reality, we come crashing down.
The future promises that we will be able to grab a hold of these wayward emotions, but that the grounding energy from the oracle card is what we need in order to get to that point. We need to stop the comparison and practice gratitude for what we have, in order to see things in a clearer light.
The oracle card in this spread allows us to link each of the tarot cards back to one singular point. For the above reading its about grounding. We can link each card to this subject of grounding and how it will support or unblock the tarot card’s energy.
Using oracle cards in your tarot spreads doesn’t have to be confusing, keep the amount of cards you use to a minimum and you’ll find it a lot easier to get to grips with this form of divination!
Use your Oralce Cards like a pro with these three easy and beginner friendly Oracle Card spreads.
If you've been thinking about diving into the world of Oracle Cards but not sure where to start then this is the blog for you. I'll show you three simple ways to start using your Oracle Cards so you can start to benefit from the amazing, universal wisdom of the cards.
Oracle cards are like tarot cards less detailed sibling. They have their own power and energy that is different to the more traditional tarot cards, but they are perfect if you’re are a mega busy person or just looking for more generalised advice and guidance.
With tarot, you are really drilling down into the nitty gritty of the subconscious and it’s a very personal journey for each individual. Oracle cards are more about helping you see the bigger picture and giving you shots of wisdom and guidance, that could help you focus and set intention.
People often feel like they have to fall into one camp or the other, an Oracle Card user or a Tarot fanatic. I always encourage beginners to experiment with both. Which one is best for the job depends on the job at hand.
I like to think of oracle cards as a daily divination tool and tarot cards for more long term planning. If you’ve grabbed yourself an oracle deck recently, then here are three different ways you could start experimenting with your oracle cards.
One Card Daily Oracle Card Readings
One of the most common ways to use oracle decks, especially for complete divination beginners, is a one card pull.
Using the cards in this way gives you a focus for the day and tells you what the universe wants you to know that day. You can do these readings as often as you like, so it doesn’t have to be every day. It could be that you only draw a card when you’re in need of some spiritual and emotional support or guidance.
How to do a one card pull
Grab your oracle deck and give the cards a good shuffle. I always aim for the magic number of three, three good shuffles and your cards should be ready to go.
Next, split your deck into three equal piles and spend a few seconds seeing if you feel a pull towards any pile in particular.
Whichever pile you feel drawn to, grab that pile and fan the cards out in front of you. Again, tap into any pulls you feel towards any of the cards in front of you. Whichever you feel most drawn to is your card for that day.
*If you’re in a rush, you can simply shuffle and pick from either the top or bottom of your deck for a quick hit of guidance.
Moving Forward Two Card Oracle Card Spread
One of the things that the oracle cards are best at, is delivering clear and concise messages from the universe. These messages are not just what we need to know to move forward, they can also tell us what we need to leave behind. As we move forward in life, we can only carry so much, so we have to let go of the things weighing us down to take on what promises to propel us forward.
This spread tells you what the universe needs you to let go of and leave in the past and what you should focus on to move forward, healthily and positively.
How to do this two-card Oracle spread
Just like last time, give your deck a good shuffle and split it into three equal piles.
Fan out your cards from your chosen pile, and don’t forget to really tap into that intuitive pull and guidance.
Next, ask the cards “What is moving out of the way?” and choose whichever card you feel drawn to the most.
Ask the cards “What is coming into view?” and again, choose the card that you feel the strongest pull towards.
Whatever card one is telling you is what is currently on its way out of your life. This could be a mindset, a general theme or something more specific to you. Card two is what card one is making room for.
Release And Focus Three Card Oracle Card Spread
We can combine the first two oracle spreads in order to create a well-rounded and effective oracle spread. This three-card spread helps us to receive the main message the universe wants us to know and work on. It then goes on to tell us what we have to release in order to reach that goal and what we need to remember or focus on, in order to fully embrace this universal message.
How to do this spread
Like we’ve done for the others, shuffle and split your deck into three piles. Intuitively choose the pile you are most drawn to.
Fan out your chosen pile and ask the cards “What message does the universe have for me?” and choose your card for position one.
Next, ask the cards “What do I need to release?” and choose your second card.
Finally, ask the cards “What do I need to focus on?” and choose your third card.
The message from the universe card gives us an anchor. This is so when you approach the “What needs to be released” card you’re not as defensive and you’re more open to the reasoning behind why it needs to be released and the goodness that it will offer you.
What Oracle Cards to Choose?
There are lots of oracle cards to choose from and it depends on how much experience you have with them, which will determine the ones that are best for you. Remember to also think about which illustrations connect with you the most. Art speaks to us and can connect with our emotions better than any other medium, so the illustrations of your oracle cards are very important.
I really love the oracle decks created by Rebecca Campbell and artist Danielle Noel. These cards are not only beautifully illustrated, containing a huge amount of divine feminine energy, but also have a way of helping you visualise and process your subconscious thoughts.
The messages on these oracle cards are also very detailed and easy to understand and really help to deliver those universal messages to our conscious minds. The same can be said for decks like the Moonology deck by Yasmin Boland. It depends on what themes you are drawn to and what you want to use your Oracle Cards for.
If you’re looking for more guidance on using your Oracle Cards in a more practical and hands-on way, make sure to grab one of my ‘Tarot For…’ workbooks, all of which can be used with either Tarot or Oracle cards.
You want to get yourself a tarot deck, but you’ve also heard about oracle cards, so which one should you go for?
Although the two are very similar, there are some key distinctions between oracle decks and tarot cards that you’ll need to take into consideration when choosing your new deck.
Are you a beginner to divination?
As much as I love tarot decks, I have to agree that oracle cards are easier to read for the beginner. Unlike tarot, oracle decks generally have less cards. I say generally because oracle cards don’t have to stick to a set number like tarot does, the decks can contain however many cards the creator wants.
Less cards, means less meanings to memorise.
For beginners, less cards may seem more manageable than being faced with 78 different cards and their many meanings.
Something that also helps with reading oracle cards, is that they usually have their messages printed on the cards. These messages usually serve as affirmations or advice, they aren’t as cryptic as the messages of the tarot, so they lend themselves nicely to simple one-card readings.
One of the most daunting things for tarot newbies is memorising all 78 meanings of each card of the tarot deck. Not to mention, those meanings can change and shift depending on the other cards in the spread. Oracle card readings help to bypass that and give people a softer introduction to readings.
What do you want to gain from your readings?
This is a biggie, because the different types of divination decks offer different outcomes. With tarot decks, you will receive a detailed and personal reading, depending on the tarot reader, it can also be extremely personal.
Oracle cards are more generalised, they are limited in how much detail they can give you and actually work best when they are giving you guidance rather than telling your fortune or reflecting your subconscious.
I like to have a few tarot AND oracle decks, it means I can pick the deck that best suits what I need then and there. For example, I may wake up and think ‘What should I focus on today?’ so I’ll grab a card from my Moonology oracle deck. However, I like to do a tarot reading for myself every weekend to help check-in, reflect on what I’ve worked through, take note of where I am and plan for where I’m going.
How much time do you have to spend on your readings?
There’s no doubt about it, tarot readings take more time than oracle readings, but they are also a lot more flexible in what you can do with them. You can pull any number of cards you like, but they work best with three or more.
Oracle decks, because of how much easier they are to read, can be a much quicker option. If you’re a busy person, then oracle cards may be the best for your daily divination. If you’re a complete beginner and feel intimidated by tarot cards, then again, oracle cards may be your gateway divination tool.
So which ones should you choose?
Tarot Cards: Best for those who feel like they need all the details, that want to really delve into divination and be able to fully connect with their subconscious and inner selves.
Oracle Cards: Best for absolute spiritual beginners who just want a simple and easy way to give themselves goals or affirmations for the day, week, month or year.
