I am and always will be a student of cartomancy. Cartomancy is the practice of divining the future via cards.

I have been studying tarot and its interpretation for about six years now proactively, and am always discovering new symbols and ways the cards will speak to me.

Recently I have purchased myself a deck of oracle cards and they feel completely different to me than tarot cards do. How does oracle differ from tarot? Easy. Tarot cards follow a structure. Typically it is a deck of seventy-eight cards which are divided into the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are then divided into four suits (typically pentacles, swords, cups and wands, though the terms used can vary from deck to deck). Oracle cards, however, follow little to no pattern and have a structure of their own. They don’t follow the traditional tarot organization, and operate by their own rules.

As a little background, the first tarot deck I purchased was The Witch’s Tarot. I bought this deck first because I was right in the beginning of my path as a Wiccan, about eight years ago and I had read that this deck was supposed to be geared towards Wiccans. Now, while I don’t agree with some of the titles to the cards, that deck did help me learn to read a bit and get my foot into the door. Next I purchased the Universal Rider-Waite deck. This is the traditional, go-to deck of anyone who is wanting to learn tarot. The Universal Rider-Waite deck differs from the classic Rider-Waite deck in that the colors and images have been “re-done” and the colors have been made more vivid. The back of the card is also a starry blue and silver in place of the classic crosshatched/plaid-like pattern that the classic Rider-Waite deck sports. This deck got me even deeper into tarot and I was able to connect with the cards really well with this deck. The images were easy to hang meanings on, and I grew a deep bond with that deck. The third deck I purchased is the Shadowscapes deck which I absolutely love. I have loved the work of Stephanie Pui Mun Law for decades and when they announced she had created a tarot deck I was over the moon with excitement. I rushed out and purchased it. I immediately fell in love with the cards and their rich symbolism and beautiful artwork sung to me. This is the only tarot deck I read from to this day. I spent many hours going over each card, learning its symbols and picture, letting it speak its story to me.

As I mentioned above, I recently have acquired an oracle deck, which up until now is something that had never really appealed to me. One of my coven sisters bought the Wisdom of the House of Night oracle deck, which is made to accompany the House of Night young adult book series. While I have not read the House of Night series, the images are still beautiful and the cards spoke to me as I shuffled through my coven sister’s deck. I had seen the deck in my local bookstore a few times and each time I picked it up, turned it over in my hands a few times and considered it. Finally, I purchased it. I cleansed the deck like I would any other and began shuffling the cards. They have a completely different feel than a normal tarot deck and I enjoy the energy of these cards. The readings so far have been accurate and informative and I look forward to the journey we will have together.

Now, you may be asking yourself….How do I know which type of deck to select? It is quite simple. In my opinion, oracle cards are a bit “easier” to master than tarot cards. Oracle cards are way more open to the interpretation of the reader. Tarot cards are highly intuitive and up to the interpretation of the reader as well, of course, but with tarot you have long standing and accepted “meanings” of each card that have been around and been in use for a long time. Oracle cards function on their own. So to any new student of the cards I might suggest an oracle deck just to get used to reading cards and interpreting freely. Then possibly picking up a Rider-Waite deck and getting into tarot which can be a bit more work. Bear in mind, this is all my opinion and observation. What works for me may not work for another.

When it comes to selecting a deck, let the cards do the talking. Choose a deck that speaks to you or has an energy that appeals to you. If you find yourself repeatedly going back to the same deck while shopping over and over again…take that as a possible symbol that those cards might be for you. Choose one that has artwork that you enjoy if you are able to shuffle through an open deck instead of just looking at the packaging and box.

Lastly, after cleansing your new deck, I suggest journaling. Grab a blank notebook or open a new word document on your computer and go through each card. Get to know it. Write your thoughts on it compared to the “traditional” interpretation of that card if you’re using a tarot deck. Write down your feelings about the symbols and images used on each card. Let them speak to you. Then shuffle well, and shuffle again to get them all thorough mixed up (they are going to come packaged in order) and let the fun begin!

Blessed be,

Ivy   ) O (