Interested in getting into divination with cards, but not sure where to start? Whether you want straight forward answers, a deep look into a situation, or a loving message for the week ahead, there’s a deck out there for you. I will go over the most common types of decks so you will be able to choose what you’re looking for with confidence. Whether it be tarot cards, oracle decks, or lenormand, there’s a system out there to meet everyone’s needs.
What are Tarot Cards?
The most common types of tarot decks are based on the traditional Rider Waite system which contains 78 cards. Each deck consists of two main parts; the major arcana and the minor arcana. The major arcana is usually thought to represent big life changes and lessons, while the minor arcana is more commonly about every day life. The minor arcana can then be broken down further into the 4 suits, as well as the court cards, which represent either yourself or other people in your life.
Tarot can be used in a variety of ways, including divination, therapy, working through difficult times, and even for making hard decisions. While tarot can definitely be great for divination, it won’t necessarily give you a specific answer as far at what’s coming. It is best utilized for reading the overall energy of situation. That doesn’t mean tarot can’t be specific at times, especially with the right reader, but it’s not a guarantee. It’s up to the reader to determine how the cards are interacting with each other to find specific information. Each card can have a variety of meanings that change depending on what’s surrounding it.
The best things to ask a tarot deck are open ended questions rather than questions looking for yes or no answers. This is because the tarot doesn’t have yes or no cards, but instead consists of stories and situations we can all relate to. Tarot is great for getting a deep look into any situation, helping you figure out exactly how you feel about something, and seeing how outside people are influencing a situation. It’s also great for figuring out what direction you’re going by reading the current energy of a situation. This is why tarot outcomes can be changed. If you don’t like the answer to how something in your life is going to turn out, change your energy. Change the energy and you change the outcome.
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Popular Tarot Decks:
What are Oracle Cards?
Oracle cards differ from the tarot because they don’t have a set system or set amount of cards. There are oracle decks out there for just about any purpose. This includes self care, angel messages, self esteem, and even animal spirit messages.
Oracle cards don’t have a set system, therefore they don’t have set meanings. Oracle creators options are truly limitless. Some decks have their card meanings printed on the card itself, while others come with a guidebook.
Oracle decks can be used for divination, but they’re best used for advice. For instance, if I need a self esteem boost I love to reach for an oracle deck for advice for the day, where as I’d reach for a tarot deck for the energy of the day. An oracle is typically made up of all positive or neutral cards, unlike the tarot which has cards that can be perceived as negative mixed in too.
Another great way to use oracle cards is to pull one card at the end of a tarot reading. I love using the two together, because I feel like oracle cards are great at summing up the overall tarot reading and giving and extra layer of advice.
Popular Oracle Decks:
- Oracle With Attitude (great if you don’t mind cursing)
- The Spirit Animal Oracle
- Sacred Rebels Oracle
- Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle
What are Lenormand Cards?
Lenormand decks consist of 36 cards. Unlike the tarot where the meanings are somewhat up for interpretation, lenormand cards have set keywords. The keywords also change depending on the cards around it, and you can’t get a good lenormand reading by just drawing one card. Since you read the cards kind of like you’d read a sentence, you don’t want to do a one card lenormand reading like you can with tarot.
My favorite thing about the lenormand is how straight forward and blunt it is. You can get very specific answers from a lenormand reading, and they are surprisingly accurate as you get better at figuring out how the cards work together. It can be tricky to learn, but there are a ton of recourses online to help you get the hang of it, and many YouTube videos about how card combinations can be interpreted. Intuition is still needed with lenormand cards, but it’s definitely more logical than tarot cards. So if you feel like you need something more logical and straight forward than tarot, then lenormand might be the deck for you.
Popular Lenormand Decks:
Of all the different types of cards, tarot has always been my personal favorite because of how relatable each card can be. With that said, they can also be blunt at times when you need something more encouraging. That’s when oracle cards come in handy. They can also be vague when you just want something very straight forward. For instance, when you’re trying to find your keys and don’t remember where you put them. That’s when lenormand might be a better idea. Regardless of which you choose, they are all rewarding and help you strengthen your intuition.
What is your favorite type of divination card? Share with us in the comments.
Written By: Flora Green @heart_of_a_witch
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