Tarot and Oracle are two different forms of card divination that both act as a tool to connect to a higher source.
Both cards have useful interpretations that can help ones self find answers to questions that are for the spiritual world. If you are looking for advice on where to go next in your career or what to do about a specific relationship, try asking a card reader on where to take your next steps.
With both tarot and oracle cards, they are only used as tools. It is the readers job to interpret the cards and deliver the message. It is not recommended that you read on yourself with either form of divination. This is because the message will not be clear due to biases and sub conscious thoughts. If you do decide to read on yourself nothing bad will happen other than possibly making yourself more anxious due to incorrect messages.
The good news is anyone can learn to read both tarot and oracle! It just takes a lot of practice and research. Overtime it will become easier to tune in to spirit and interpret the messages from the cards.
While both techniques are similar they are not the same. Tarot is more traditional compared to oracle and has been around for a much longer time. A standard tarot deck will always come with 78 cards. There are 22 major arcana cards that tend to refer to big life events, people, or major themes. There are also 56 minor arcana cards that help give more details relating to the bigger theme of the reading.
An oracle deck has the freedom to be any amount of cards with any phrases, words, or meanings attached to the art work. One oracle deck could be 35 cards, with phrases relating to career situations. Where as another deck, could be 56 cards that all represent completely different themes.
How to choose: Tarot, Oracle, or Both?
If you are new to tarot and oracle divination and are deciding which deck you should buy first, you need to look at your wants and needs.
What are your goals with the cards? My personal reason, is to connect to a higher source while also helping others. I love the feeling to getting closer to spirit while also helping to bring peace on earth, one person at a time. My passion is much deeper than the cards itself. For me I just happened to find Tarot first.
This is a personal opinion but starting with tarot helped me become a stronger reader. I think having an understanding of the history of tarot helps with learning how to interpret the cards themselves. Since each tarot card has a traditional meaning behind the card, you can use that meaning and expand on it with intuition. The more you practice on others the stronger your intuition will become.
I also recommend when you are first starting out buying one deck at a time. That can be either a tarot or oracle deck, there is no wrong answer. Focusing on your very first deck and taking the time to understand it, will help you once you decide to begin growing your collection of cards.
Oracle Cards are sometimes easier to understand compared to tarot because there is typically an image with a related phrase or meaning written on the card. Whereas tarot is typically just the picture with the card title.
Before you read for someone else I highly encourage understanding Tarot and the history first. When you are giving someone life advice it has the power to influence once’s decisions. This is why it is important to understand what you are doing and give honest and open communication with your clients. Also give disclaimers, tarot readings are helpful and fun but should be used responsibly.
The History of Tarot
Tarot originally derives from Italy in the 15th century. The cards we know today first started as a playing game called Trionfi. This was a 70-card game that eventual added in “the fool” character in the 16th century.
Mymodernnet.com has a great article that explains the history of tarot and specifically the game of Trionfi.
The game later evolved in to tarot in France and was viewed as a form of fortune-telling in 1750. The people of France then began to assign the cards divine meanings by 1780. The first deck, with all 78 cards, was created by Alliette in 1789. This deck was separated into the traditional way we know today, with 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards.
The 22 major arcana cards each represent the big trends in the questioners life. They can often times represent people, themes, spiritual matters, and big changes.
The 56 minor arcana cards are split into 4 elements. The swords represent air, wands with fire, cups with water, and lastly pentacles with earth. These four elements help us better understand the details on feelings, actions, material goods, and creativity during a reading. Each of the 4 suits also include a page (Earth), knight (air), queen (water), and king (fire). They can also represent people, age or key themes in a tarot reading.
The History of Oracle
Oracle is first traced back in the 19th century. This is much more recent than Tarot. It was only popular in Europe and more recently came to America and England. Marie Anne Adelaide Le Normand (1772-1843) was the first women known to create an oracle deck and was born in Normandy but moved to Paris in 1786. She was a very famous fortune teller in Europe and used a variety of divination methods.
Robertmplacetarot.com has an excellent article talking about the fascinating history of Marie Anne Adelaide Le Normand. He also went into great details about how oracle and tarot made its way to the United States.
The word oracle was symbolic of God “The one” who predicts future. People have always used oracle as a way to connect with god just like tarot. Even though oracle did not become popular until the 19th century, it is still just as accurate as tarot and can be very helpful.
How to Read Oracle and Tarot
Both types of divination can be read the same way with different types of spreads. A spread is a template for the reading you are performing and can help assist the reader break down specific situations.
To prepare yourself for a reading you should first decide on the question you are wanting answered. Once you have a question you may pick a spread or choose to go without one and then I suggest starting with a meditation. Before any reading you should always say a prayer of protection as well as call out to speak with your higher source.
I also recommend giving your tarot or oracle deck a cleanse and a shuffle before you begin asking your question. You need to clear away your deck of old energies, to help provide the most accurate answer possible.
Some of my favorite spreads to use are three card spreads. This is simply three cards that get pulled after a shuffle and get laid out in a specific order, explaining specific details of a bigger question.
- Past, Present, Future
- Mind, Body, Spirit
- Investment, Result, Income
- Situation, Problem, Solution
- Continue, Stop, Start
- What do I think, What do I feel, What should I do
- Strengths, Weaknesses, How to use them
- Positives, Negatives, Advice
There are so many possibilities and spread options, that use more/less cards than the three card spread. The more cards you use in a spread, the more detail you will receive from a higher source. However note, that one card should and can provide enough detail to provide some answers. Also no amount of cards will ever be able to give every single detail of a situation. The psychic reader might have abilities beyond the cards, but you cannot expect the cards to do all the work. It is the readers job to interpret the message using intuition.
Summary
Over time and with practice, reading tarot and oracle will become easier. Anyone has the power within them to become a reader and if you are interested in learning, don’t let anything stop you! They are both very similar but not the same and each have their unique characteristics.
If you are looking for a deck with more tradition and traditional meanings then I recommend looking into tarot. Oracle is also amazing for more detailed questions and is a newer for of card divination. It can be a lot of fun learning as well.
While they are slightly different, both forms of divination are amazing and help provide honest and accurate answers to those who need them. Tarot and oracle can provide a lot of hope when people are struggling and they are amazing tools to connect to a higher source and grow your psychic abilities.