Tarot vs. Oracle: What's the Difference?
Many folks at the beginning of their intuitive journey come across tarot decks, oracle decks, and spreads that use both, and get confused about what they need to get started.
The truth is that it will vary from person to person, depending on what your needs are and what your personal reading style is.
Tarot
A standard tarot deck has 78 cards, of which 22 are major arcana, numbered from 0-21. These cards follow the Fool’s Journey, discovering various aspects of the human condition and our role within the cosmos. The remaining minor arcana is split into four suits: wands, pentacles, cups, and swords, each representing different energies. These cards range from Ace to King just like a deck of playing cards. In fact, the original tarot decks were playing cards, an ancestor of bridge.
While each tarot deck might rename the suits (blossoms instead of cups, coins instead of pentacles), the structure remains the same. Each card has a traditional meaning that typically stays the same between decks, even if the imagery changes.
Tarot cards are used as a tool for reflection and meditation and help us to gain clarity around specific issues, empower us to take action in our lives, and plan for the future.
Oracle
Oracle cards are more fluid and follow whatever system the creator sets for them. The imagery can be based on anything – herbal medicine, energies of the night, rootwork, psychology – and often, the cards embody larger concepts than an individual tarot card. Where a tarot reading may have 10 or more cards per spread, an oracle reading with more than 3 cards may prove to be overwhelming because oracle cards are often more thematic.
Oracle cards may be used on their own or alongside tarot to gain further clarity. They serve as a mirror, reflecting deep truths and bringing up archetypal wisdom to enhance consciousness.
Using Tarot and Oracle Together
Tarot and oracle cards are similar in that they both use archetypal imagery to invite the viewer to explore their inner worlds in new ways. Each tool can be used to find guidance and wisdom and connect with our intuition. Using them together is a great way to find greater depth in a reading. Here are my favorite ways to use tarot and oracle cards together:
At the beginning of a tarot reading, pull an oracle card to set the overall tone for the spread. This is especially helpful for general readings where you’re not asking a specific question to the cards, since it frames the reading toward a specific theme. Consider the energy of the oracle card. Can you find that energy elsewhere in the tarot cards you’ve pulled?
If you’re stuck on the meaning of the overall tarot reading, try pulling an oracle card to gain further clarity. Again, note the energy of the oracle card and see how that’s represented in the reading as a whole.
Which one should I start with?
I typically recommend beginning with tarot if you’re the kind of person who needs a framework to bounce off of, but some folks find the structure too limiting in the beginning. Ultimately, feel free to choose the deck that speaks most to you, whether it’s tarot or oracle, and allow your curiosity to carry you.
A few of my favorite tarot and oracle decks
The Smith-Waite Tarot Deck is an old standby, with classic imagery first illustrated in 1909 by Pamela Smith. This is the deck that I started with, and a great one to begin learning the system with.
The Pagan Otherworlds Tarot, the Supra Oracle, and all other decks put out by Uusi Design Studio, are among the most magical decks I’ve ever seen. Hand-painted and lettered, this deck has a special ethereal quality to it that truly transports you to an-otherworld.
The Materia Medica Oracle Deck is a 36-card oracle deck that illustrates the magic and medicine of plants. A 60-page guidebook shares herbal preparations, medicinal actions, magical uses, and examples of spreads to use with the cards. This deck is great for daily single card pulls to focus your intention and provide structure for your day.