Tarot and Oracle Cards

Let me start by saying I am not a professional card reader and I only ever do readings for myself, so this is my personal experience with tarot and oracle cards.

I have been using oracle cards for about ten years, and tarot for less than half that time.

When I first became interested in using cards, I used them solely for prediction - will this happen, when will this happen, and so on. But I quickly came to understand they are much more than that.

Now I mainly use them for guidance and clarity and as a way of connecting with my intuition, and I'll often pull at least three cards at a time for a more in-depth reading.

I have amassed quite a collection of decks over the years. Some I use regularly, some I only use three or four times a year. Like pulling the cards themselves, picking a deck to use is purely intuitive.

I love collecting cards with different themes, especially dragons and star beings. I also have angel cards, and those featuring witches, goddesses, ascended masters and time travel. I particularly love decks that are colourful and packed with symbolism.

My current favourites are Galactic Star Tarot, Goddesses Gods and Guardians, and Witches of the Craft. (Please see full details of these decks below.)

Not coming from a spiritual background at all, I had to find my own way in terms of my spirituality. It took quite a bit of research and some trial and error. (I'm not just talking about cards here, but everything that I use for healing and personal growth - I will write about some of this in future posts.)

Coming from a background where something like tarot would never be openly discussed and would actually be considered evil, this stayed with me for probably longer than it should have.

That's why I started using oracle cards first. They seemed gentler, easier and not at all scary. As well as the learned fear that tarot was in some way wrong, I had the preconceived notion that it was complicated and there were so many rules - all of which I now know to be nonsense.

Another thing that spoiled tarot for me for quite a while was a reading that I had done for me that proved so spectacularly inaccurate, it was bordering on offensive. It was during a challenging period of my life and I was looking for answers. I learnt the hard way that looking to others for answers does me no favours. I prefer to do readings for myself these days.

So, I focused on oracle cards and took my time with them. Once I was comfortable using them, I took the plunge and tried tarot. My first tarot deck was Angel Wisdom Tarot, which I found to be a great introduction, uplifting with more modern imagery.

It took me a while to buy the classic Rider Waite Smith deck, but once I started using it, I loved it. I still can't remember the meanings of all the cards, but that's OK. I now know there is no right or wrong way to read tarot (or oracle cards) and whatever message you intuitively get is right for you.

There are lots of beginner's tarot books around if you need a helping hand. I like Tarot Made Easy by Kim Arnold.

Depending on how much time I have or whether I need clarity on something big, I will use either a combination of oracle and tarot decks or two oracle decks together. And I don't use them every day. I believe they are there to help, not become some kind of crutch.

I see oracle cards as sweet, positive friends who give subtle hints and gently point the way forward. Tarot cards are more like no-nonsense friends who give honest advice without sugarcoating it. Sometimes you need a mug of hot chocolate and a hug, sometimes you need a boot up the backside.

But whatever you need, and whatever you decide to do, is ultimately up to you. Tarot and oracle cards are for guidance, and nothing is set in stone. And please don't worry if you're shuffling the cards correctly. I have small hands and a shuffling technique that is, to put it politely, basic, and I still manage to get wonderfully insightful readings.

Featured decks

Galactic Star Tarot by Alexandra Hanly and Pamela Chen. Artwork by Kseniia Boko.

Angel Wisdom Tarot by Radleigh Valentine. Artwork by Dan Craig.

Goddesses, Gods and Guardians Oracle Cards by Sophie Bashford. Artwork by Hillary Wilson.

Witches of the Craft Oracle Cards by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free and Flavia Kate Peters. Designed by Kate Osborne.

Rider Waite Smith Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite. Illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith.

What are your favourite tarot and oracle cards? Do you have a preference - tarot or oracle? Let me know by leaving a comment.