New to Oracles

Some new Oracle decks caught my eye last week in the "What's New at Aeclectic" email and so I started having a look at the Oracle decks on Aeclectic. I don't own any (only Tarot). How are Oracle decks different from Tarot decks? How are they used differently?

Welcome to Oracles Labhrain . The decks are used much like Tarot but there's no big system with years of history, each is free to use its own system or none, and you are free to use their meanings or ignore them completely and make up your own from just looking at the cards .

I used ONLY tarot for 10 years. But last year I was drawn to an oracle deck and bam! Now I love oracles too lol.

The difference, might depend on who you ask… But the biggest difference is probably the lack of a ”system” in oracle decks. Tarot is always 78 cards, major arcana, minor arcana, court cards, aces… You don’t ”have to” learn how the courts are different from the minors etc when using an oracle deck. Some of them have their own system though, and come with meaty guidebooks. But I know a lot of people ignore the guidebooks with oracles, they’re kind of more intuitive. You look at the cards and let your intuition guide you.

For me personally oracle decks feel more spiritually oriented (well, at least the ones I have). I don’t often ask ”practical” questions, and I love doing daily draws with oracles asking what I should focus on that day. Tarot can have a more practical use also. I sometimes feel like oracles can be too fluffy, too affirmative and positive, but I try to find decks that also include darker cards… If I really need an honest, straight-forward, answer I usually go for tarot.

With Tarot there is the whole structural system, Major cards are more important and a bigger message and Minor cards have a certain number and order or maybe there is court cards. You have to think of the position in tarot and the position in the spread. With Oracles it is really more a free flowing thing, you just look at that card and read the message. Sometimes I think about the numerical order of the Oracle I am reading from but largely I ignore it. Like 2dogs and Citrin said, often also you have a generic meaning for the tarot cards, Oracle cards are completely out of that path.

I am not sure if I have found Tarot or Oracles better for different things yet, I read from them both and you can get great readings from Oracles just like Tarot. I think often people think you can pull one Oracle card but they are so much more than that! You can even read with tarot and an oracle deck and I have had amazing readings that way! Experiment with it and see how it works for you

Thank you!

This is all great information. Thank you all so much for giving me this tutorial. Oracles kind of sound good for times or readings when I might not want to use something as meaty as Tarot, but can you do spreads with Oracles like Tarot or am I not understanding how they work?

Yes, you can do spreads like you do in the Tarot. In fact, many of the guidebooks accompanying the oracle deck will have some to get you started.

As well, you can always pick up a spread from a tarot spread book. Questions don't necessarily change even though the tool used is different.

Cool beans - thanks!

I would get the oracle you want Labhraín and try it out! see how it works for you in different readings! We have an oracle circle every month called ROC and the December one hasn't been started yet but it's run by Fortuna. So if you get your oracle and ever want to join in a reading exchange, you are welcome to join us! The circle uses normal spreads and you can see what good readings they can give