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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
Learn to divine the wisdom of the cards with this beginner-friendly reference
Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies gives you the tools and expertise you need to become the savvy card reader you've always wanted to be. Inside, you'll find complete information on the meanings of the 78 tarot cards as well as insights into working with oracle card decks of all kinds. You'll also explore tarot's shift from a playing card game to a deeply engaging tool for fortune telling, psychological reflection and creativity boosting. If you're brand new to card reading, never fear! This book offers a step-by-step guide for understanding your deck, nailing the basics, and divining for yourself and others. With fun and easy to use exercises for interpreting the cards, you'll be able to do it blindfolded! Okay, not blindfolded, but definitely with ease. With this fun Dummies guide, you'll become a master soothsayer in no time.
- Discover the three schools of tarot—Marseilles, Rider-Waite-Smith, and Thoth—and the many varieties of oracles
- Get clear explanations of basic card spreads and how to interpret them for yourself and others
- See examples of how to intuitively connect cards to real-life situations and intentions
- Refine your card reading skills and learn new techniques
This unintimidating Dummies guide belongs in the arcane libraries of beginning mystics and regular people curious about tarot and oracle cards.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Tarot and Oracle Reading
Chapter 1: Introducing Tarot and Oracle Card Reading
Defining Some Key Terms
Recognizing the Unique Gifts of Tarot and Oracle Cards
Serving Diverse Definitions of Divination
Choosing Your Deck(s)
Chapter 2: Tapping into (Just Enough) Tarot History
Dispensing with the Myths
Exploring Tarot’s Roots
“Discovering” Tarot’s Secret Wisdom
Rebirthing Tarot for the Modern Age
Chapter 3: Touring the Tarot
Understanding Tarot’s Structure
Recognizing the Three Big Schools of Tarot
Chapter 4: Becoming a Reader
Knowing Yourself Is the Key to Success
Tackling Troublesome Topics
Practicing Is the Other Key to Success
Part 2: Mastering Card Reading Basics
Chapter 5: Shaping Your Practice
Caring for Your Deck
Creating a Liminal Experience
Divining for Others
Chapter 6: Nailing the Mechanics of a Reading
Forming Useful Questions
Mapping a Spread
Shuffling the Cards
Drawing and Laying Out the Cards
Chapter 7: Selecting a Tarot Spread
Understanding the Benefit of Using Spreads
Fiddling with Fun-Size Spreads
Wielding the Workhorse Spreads
Designing Your Own Spreads
Part 3: Exploring What Tarot Cards Mean
Chapter 8: Making Connections
Working with the Equation of Meaning
Your Question
The Card’s Position
Official Meanings
Your Intuition
Deciphering the Pips
Chapter 9: Doing Tarot Readings Step-by-Step
Reading in a Nutshell
Sample Reading 1: Predicting with Tarot
Sample Reading 2: Guidance Reading
Sample Reading 3: Hybrid Approach with Reversals
Chapter 10: A Treasury of Tarot Card Meanings
Unlocking the Cards’ Meanings
0 — The Fool
I — The Magician
II — The High Priestess
III — The Empress
IV — The Emperor
V — The Hierophant
VI — The Lovers
VII — The Chariot
VIII — Strength
IX — The Hermit
X — Wheel of Fortune
XI — Justice
XII — The Hanged Man
XIII — Death
XIV — Temperance
XV — The Devil
XVI — The Tower
XVII — The Star
XVIII — The Moon
XIX — The Sun
XX — Judgement
XXI — The World
Ace of Wands
Two of Wands
Three of Wands
Four of Wands
Five of Wands
Six of Wands
Seven of Wands
Eight of Wands
Nine of Wands
Ten of Wands
Page of Wands
Knight of Wands
Queen of Wands
King of Wands
Ace of Swords
Two of Swords
Three of Swords
Four of Swords
Five of Swords
Six of Swords
Seven of Swords
Eight of Swords
Nine of Swords
Ten of Swords
Page of Swords
Knight of Swords
Queen of Swords
King of Swords
Ace of Cups
Two of Cups
Three of Cups
Four of Cups
Five of Cups
Six of Cups
Seven of Cups
Eight of Cups
Nine of Cups
Ten of Cups
Page of Cups
Knight of Cups
Queen of Cups
King of Cups
Ace of Pentacles
Two of Pentacles
Three of Pentacles
Four of Pentacles
Five of Pentacles
Six of Pentacles
Seven of Pentacles
Eight of Pentacles
Nine of Pentacles
Ten of Pentacles
Page of Pentacles
Knight of Pentacles
Queen of Pentacles
King of Pentacles
Part 4: Embracing Oracle Cards
Chapter 11: Approaching Oracle Systems
Meeting the Mysterious Oracle Cards
Appreciating the Approachability
Selecting Your Oracle Deck(s)
Creating an Oracle Card Library
Getting Comfortable Working with Oracle Cards
Chapter 12: Divining with Oracle Cards
Doing Your First Oracle Reading
Cultivating an Oracular Mindset
Finding Unexpected Ways to Work with Oracle Cards
Creating Your Own Oracle Cards
Chapter 13: Selecting an Oracle Spread
Maximizing Your One-Card Pulls
Exploring New Layouts
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 14: (More Than) Ten Behaviors That Limit New Readers
Expecting Clairvoyance
Heeding Unhelpful Taboos
Giving Your Deck Human Feelings
Disqualifying the Reading
Overreading a Card
Not Engaging with the Querent
Engaging with Unkind Skeptics
Reading without a Spread
Turning to Others for Answers Too Quickly
Buying Too Many Decks Right Away
Growing Too Fast
Going It Alone
Chapter 15: Ten Lessons I Learned at the Table
If You Read It, They Will Come
They’ll Ask You Anything
Stay Nimble
You Can’t Control What People Hear
All Your Knowledge Comes into Play
Some People Have Tarot Trauma
They’ll Show You Things You’ve Never Seen Before
Sometimes, They Just Want to Talk to Someone
Your Readings Have Value
It’s Very Rewarding
Index
About the Author
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 3
TABLE 3-1 The Suits and Their Elements
Chapter 5
TABLE 5-1 Stones Commonly Used in Tarot Readings
TABLE 5-2 The Rogues’ Gallery
List of Illustrations
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: The Four of Cups as featured in the RWS.
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: Examining the fives can help to sharpen your intuition.
FIGURE 4-2: These two cards have very different energies.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: The Three-Card spread is a good spread to start with.
FIGURE 7-2: The Foresight and Action spread.
FIGURE 7-3: Evaluate two paths with the Crossroads spread.
FIGURE 7-4: The Relationship spread is good for — surprise! — exploring relatio...
FIGURE 7-5: The Hero’s Journey spread can help you navigate a new undertaking.
FIGURE 7-6: The Horseshoe spread offers predictions and action.
FIGURE 7-7: Use the Year Ahead spread to help you map out the coming year.
FIGURE 7-8: Explore your spiritual energy with the Seven Chakras spread.
FIGURE 7-9: Seek advice from all corners of the tarot through the Wisdom of the...
FIGURE 7-10: The Celtic Cross looks intimidating, but you can use it! Just prac...
FIGURE 7-11: I made my own SWOT analysis tarot spread.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: The Eight of Wands is about fast movement, momentum, and enthusiasm...
FIGURE 8-2: Use one card to interpret a four-card spread.
FIGURE 8-3: The Four of Cups depicted in very different styles.
FIGURE 8-4: Swords and batons together designate active energy.
FIGURE 8-5: A spread showing batons, cups, and coins together.
FIGURE 8-6: Cups cards in this spread can indicate waning romance.
FIGURE 8-7: This reading flows from right to left, following the Knight’s lead.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Use the Foresight and Action spread for this activity.
FIGURE 9-2: The Eight of Pentacles, Three of Cups, Page of Cups, and Ace of Swo...
FIGURE 9-3: The Do’s and Don’ts spread is simple and straightforward.
FIGURE 9-4: The Queen of Pentacles, the Fool, and the Chariot in the Do’s and D...
FIGURE 9-5: Give the Celtic Cross spread a try; you may like it!
FIGURE 9-6: Take a few minutes to look at the cards and consider your reactions...
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13-1: Explore your whole self with the Body, Mind, and Spirit spread.
FIGURE 13-2: The Heart to Heart spread is ideal for exploring all types of rela...
FIGURE 13-3: The Do’s and Don’ts spread — simple but effective.
FIGURE 13-4: Take a 360-degree view of a subject with the Dialectical Reasoning...
FIGURE 13-5: Tap into the elements with the Messages from the Four Directions s...
FIGURE 13-6: Reflect on personal transformation with the Metamorphosis spread.
FIGURE 13-7: Use the Sacred Gifts spread to recognize your unique gifts.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Begin Reading
Index
About the Author
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Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies®
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Introduction
When considering the future and wondering what decisions they should make, people have tried quite a few things: gazing at the stars, tracing the lines of their palms, and peering closely at sheep’s livers (yikes). However, one of the most beautiful and versatile methods for asking questions is the reading of cards.
Not too long ago, the only places you’d see tarot cards were horror movies, where they’d predict the hero’s imminent demise, or late-night TV commercials, where they promised to reveal the identity of your one true love. And you never saw oracle cards at all! But today, the art of reading the cards is widely embraced by people around the world who appreciate their universal wisdom and amazing artwork.
Card reading doesn’t necessarily require you to believe in fate, destiny, or even the ability to make predictions about the future at all. A growing number of readers appreciate the cards’ function as a psychological tool to assist in creative thinking. But for those who do want to explore their mystical side, the cards can be an ideal partner for sharpening your intuition and communing with the divine.
I’ve read tarot and oracle cards for nearly 30 years. They’ve opened my eyes to worlds of possibilities and made me very popular at parties. I’m excited to share the techniques I’ve learned with new readers of all ages and backgrounds.
About This Book
Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies introduces you to the art of, well, reading tarot and oracle cards! It gives you lots of simple, fun exercises to try with your deck(s). I include many skills that experienced readers employ to go beyond the basic information and techniques used behind the scenes when designing new decks. Above all, my aim is to make this esoteric (obscure) art accessible to anyone interested in beginning their journey as a reader.
You can read the chapters in any order and jump around the text as you please. To make your life easier as you master the art of card reading, I’ve divided the book into five parts:
Part 1
: Getting Started with Tarot and Oracle Reading:
This part gives you the lay of the land, with some fascinating history (but not too much), an overview of the tarot’s structure and traditions, and some considerations for new readers.
Part 2
: Mastering Card Reading Basics:
Discover how to prepare for a reading, techniques for taking the cards further, and the ins and outs of spreads.
Part 3
: Exploring What Tarot Cards Mean:
This part is your resource for traditional card meanings and techniques to discover your own associations for the cards.
Part 4
: Embracing Oracle Cards:
In this part, you explore the rapidly evolving world of oracle cards and find ways to take your readings further.
Part 5
: The Part of Tens:
I finish with insights I’ve gleaned from three decades as a reader.
The card illustrations in this book come from high-quality scans of the very first printing of the Rider-Waite Tarot (today, usually referred to as the Rider-Waite-Smith or RWS), specifically a Pam A (the first of four printings of the original edition). This deck, originally published in 1909, has become something of a sacred text for readers and is the basis for most decks on the market today. But you have thousands of decks to choose from for your practice.
Note: A tarot card can describe a person of any gender. A calculating man may be a Queen of Swords, for example, and an adventurous woman may be a Knight of Wands. When describing the figures who appear on a card, however, I use she and he as it applies. When I refer to the real person the card describes, I say they. That person can be the querent (whether you’re reading for yourself or for another person) or someone in the querent’s life.
Foolish Assumptions
I’ve written this book with a few assumptions in mind:
You’re interested in reading tarot and oracle cards for yourself and possibly others.
You’re looking for a guide that’s accessible, straightforward, and interactive and that doesn’t require you to already be familiar with any esoteric symbolism or concepts.
You own a deck (or several) or are on the verge of acquiring one. You do need your own deck to try out all the exercises in the book.
You may or may not have done some readings already. Regardless, I start from the beginning and run through all the basics, taking you step-by-step through the process of performing readings.
You’re looking forward to having fun! Card reading is a safe and exciting experience available to everyone.
I make zero assumptions about your personal beliefs with regard to fate, destiny, free will, fortune-telling, or what you may refer to as “the divine.” Card readers hold a wide spectrum of beliefs, from those who use the cards to make predictions to those who prefer to see their decks as tools for exploring their psyches. Readers of all viewpoints can use the techniques I describe in this book.
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout this book, icons in the margins highlight certain types of valuable information that call out for your attention. Here are the icons I use and a brief description of each:
This icon marks suggestions and shortcuts that you can use to make your reading experience easier.
Remember icons highlight information that’s especially important for you to hang onto for the future.
This icon points to hands-on exercises for you to try with (or sometimes without) your cards.
Warnings tell you to watch out! They flag important information that will keep you from getting yourself into trouble.
Beyond the Book
In addition to the abundance of information and guidance related to tarot and oracle card reading that I provide in this book, you can find even more help and info online. Check out this book’s online Cheat Sheet: Just go to www.dummies.com and search for “Tarot and Oracle Card Reading For Dummies Cheat Sheet.”
Where to Go from Here
Card reading is a fairly nonlinear practice, and you can explore the chapters in this book in any order. But if you’re the type who likes to start from square one, then you can begin with an overview of the practice of card reading in Chapter 1 and then go straight to Chapter 2 to travel back in time for some history.
If you’ve done a reading and need further insights into what the cards are trying to tell you, head to Chapter 10 for an extensive overview of the meaning of each tarot card. Stick an extra bookmark in this chapter, as it’s probably the one you’ll return to most often.
If you’d prefer to start by going deeper with your oracle cards, this book begins to focus on them in depth in Chapter 11.
If you’re itching to get going and play with your cards in new ways, scan through the book for the “It’s in the cards” icon and you’ll find plenty of fun exercises to try. You should also check out the collection of tarot card spreads in Chapter 7 and oracle card spreads in Chapter 13, which provide new layouts for you to sample.
Wherever you’re at in your journey as a card reader, just remember to be patient with yourself. Like any undertaking, this requires time and practice for you to master. Fortunately, it’s a whole lot of fun at every stage of the journey.
Part 1
Getting Started with Tarot and Oracle Reading
IN THIS PART …
Receive an overview of card reading’s many forms and benefits and select your first deck.
Chart tarot’s history from inventive playing card game in Renaissance Italy to one of the most beloved divinatory tools in the world.
Dive deep into tarot’s structure and the nature of its five suits. Match numbers and court personalities with elemental correspondences in readings.
Reflect on your journey as a reader. Think through your goals and how to meet them, navigate ethical dilemmas, and explore techniques that will expand your skills.
Chapter 1
Introducing Tarot and Oracle Card Reading
IN THIS CHAPTER
Describing terminology
Understanding the special value of card reading
Considering diverse perspectives on divination
Finding the right deck(s) to work with
In this chapter, I help you start your journey as a card reader at the very beginning with a quick discussion of terminology, a broad look at different viewpoints on card reading, and a few thoughts about which decks you may want to read with.
Defining Some Key Terms
For an exploration like this one, let me begin with a few definitions:
Cartomancy: To give it its proper name, the technical term for card reading is cartomancy. Carto refers to cards, and the suffix -mancy means “divination by means of.” For example, necromancy originally referred to divination by summoning the spirits of the dead (trust me, stick to the cards). As a person who reads cards, you are now a cartomancer. It’s official!
Note: Cartomancy sounds very dignified, and you should feel free to use it, but through most of this book I stick to the more common term card reading to refer to using both tarot and oracle cards.
Querent:
Querent
is a fancy term used mainly by card readers and lawyers today. Of course, card readers are far more trustworthy. The querent is the person asking for a reading. If you’re reading for yourself, you’re the querent.
Tarot cards:
A
tarot deck
consists of 78 cards separated into five suits, most commonly the Major Arcana (or trumps), wands, swords, cups, and pentacles. It was originally a card game developed in Italy in the 1400s (and is still played today). In the 1700s, occultists began to use the deck for divination. I briefly explore the complexity of tarot history in
Chapter 2
.
Oracle cards:
Oracle cards
are a broader category of deck specifically designed for use in divination and personal reflection. These decks have no set number of cards, and most of them are centered on a specific theme — for example, angels, animals, deities, and so on. Head to
Chapter 11
for more on various types of oracle decks. Most of these decks include the word
oracle
in their title.
Recognizing the Unique Gifts of Tarot and Oracle Cards
What has kept people enchanted with card reading for more than two centuries? All systems have something to offer, but I think card reading has a few unique characteristics that have helped it grow exponentially in popularity.
Shuffling the fates
Cartomancy falls into a category of divination called sortilege, which means the answer is given by randomly selecting one or more items from a group. This idea suggests a view of the future that isn’t set in stone. Your reading isn’t a calculation; it’s a shifting series of scenes that change their story each time you lay out the cards. One question naturally brings another to the surface, and you can layer a new reading onto the first.
Sparking your imagination
The first readers looked at the traditional images of the tarot playing cards and saw the secrets of the universe encoded within them. Their initial theories have proven to be untrue (I get to it in Chapter 2), but that’s not important. What’s important is the way the images spoke to them and got the wheels of their minds turning.
The cards have sets of traditional meanings, but the real magic happens when your sense of intuition comes into play and those meanings take on a new life as you see your own world reflected back to you. You’ll discover new, personal meanings in the cards that the author and artist never imagined.
Telling stories
The cards are incredibly user-friendly. For more than 100 years, deck creators have found new and exciting ways to convey their ideas through beautiful and thought-provoking artwork. Card reading is filled with incredible mysteries and complexities, but at its core it’s about finding the thread of your story in the pictures. Your brain is wired for narrative, which is why you can look up at a billboard and immediately understand the story the advertiser wants you to see.
Ready to start playing with the cards? This technique — which allows you to tell a story with the cards — is one that I return to a few times throughout this book (and it’s also a great way to become familiar with your cards):
Shuffle your deck and lay out one card.
If you don’t have a deck yet, for this exercise just turn to a random page in Chapter 10 and use the image you find there.
Look at the card and start telling the story that comes to your mind based on what you see in the card’s imagery.
This step works best if you say the story out loud or write it down. Don’t worry about the “correct” meanings; just begin with “Once upon a time, there was a …” and say what you see in the scene.
After you’ve told the first card’s story to your satisfaction, lay down a card next to it and continue the story.
Place a third card and bring the tale to its conclusion.
If at any point you get stuck, pick a single object, animal, or other symbol on the card to focus on. Describe why that’s important to the story and you’ll be back on track.
Notice what surprised you about this experience. Perhaps small details in one card took on new significance when you saw a later card. Maybe you felt like some part of this story was really about what’s going on in your own life. You just read a “three-card spread!” You’ll find an exploration of that spread and others in Chapter 7.
Serving Diverse Definitions of Divination
Many definitions of divination insist on using the phrase supernatural means, but I define divination as “asking the universe a question and receiving an intelligible response.”
This broader idea of divination fits better with the varied types of readings you can perform with the cards. In Chapter 4 you explore your personal worldview and how your ideas about the existence or nonexistence of divine beings will shape your practice. Here, I look at the range of ways you can seek answers with your cards.
Predicting outcomes
This is the fortune-telling side of the cards. In this mode, they answer the question “What happens next?”
This aspect of divination has been an essential pursuit for humanity since ancient times because
Uncertainty is stressful.
Decision-making can be crippling.
Having an idea about what’s coming allows you to make choices in the here and now to prepare yourself.
Many people won’t touch the cards because they’re afraid to receive bad news, but forewarned is forearmed. Contained within every disappointing reading are directions for the best choices you can make. If it’s going to rain tomorrow, try to find an umbrella.
Exploring your psyche
In this practice, the cards form a map of your life and your inner self for you to contemplate. They mirror the struggles and challenges you face and point to opportunities for healing and growth.
You’ll find yourself responding to readings with new questions like these:
In what ways am I like this warrior on horseback?
What’s in the cup I’m trying so hard to reach?
How can I wash away the pain of the past like this woman at a pool of water?
This sort of card reading relies more on your intuitive response to the images than the traditional meanings and keywords. However, those traditional meanings can be important because they help you push past personal biases that are ingrained in your worldview.
Kickstarting creativity
Here, the cards serve you as a symbol-rich brainstorming tool that helps you open yourself to new pathways of possibility. If you ever find yourself creatively blocked, the cards will help you by asking
What will bring more balance to this story?
What part of this project needs to die to give it new life and freedom?
How can I reclaim my throne?
This method of divination has been popular with artists, writers, and musicians looking to find new pathways, but increasingly engineers, project managers, marketers, and role-playing gamers are turning to the cards as a font of inspiration.
Pondering the mysteries
Philosophers, spiritual teachers, and mystics find a trove of inner wisdom in the images of the cards. Using this method, sometimes called wisdom reading, diviners wrestle with topics that have eternally confounded humanity. Weighty issues you can consider with the cards include the following:
What is the soul?
How do I find union with the divine?
What’s the purpose of life?
To be very clear: This method is intended to explore your answers to these questions and not to imagine you’ve uncovered the answers to them.
Choosing Your Deck(s)
All you need to get started as a reader is a deck of cards, a flat surface, and a healthy dose of curiosity. But which deck should you get?
When I started reading tarot in the mid-’90s, I remember my local game store had perhaps five or six different options to choose from. Today, readers are blessed with thousands of decks, from beloved classics to new releases by major publishers and indie creators alike. This wealth of options creates its own set of issues and a potential stumbling block for new readers.
Despite what you may have heard, you can purchase your own deck. I cover this myth in Chapter 5 but know that it’s baseless; the deck you purchase will work just as well as one that’s been gifted to you.
My formula for any new tarot reader is to start with two decks (I explain each in the upcoming sections):
The Rider-Waite-Smith
The deck you find most visually appealing
Considering the classic
If there’s one deck every reader should have in their collection, it’s the Rider-Waite-Smith (or RWS). Throughout this book, I use a reproduction of an RWS deck originally published in 1909 (as noted in the Introduction).
The RWS serves as the foundation for just about every deck in the English-speaking world. It’s been beloved by readers for more than 100 years, and its images have stood the test of time for good reason.
Its artist, Pamela Colman Smith, was renowned for her work as an illustrator and a stage designer for the theater. Her clear and straightforward linework makes the details and rich symbolism easy to decipher. You can read more about the RWS deck in Chapter 2.
Because of this deck’s pervasiveness, two tarot readers discussing the meaning of the Six of Swords likely will both picture Smith’s image of a shrouded figure rowing a boat with upright swords in it — even if neither of the readers uses the RWS as their primary deck.
You don’t have to own a copy of the RWS, but you want to be aware of its images. If the deck’s artwork doesn’t quite do it for you, the good news is that most decks in the tradition let you know they’re Rider-Waite-Smith-based (usually on their back cover).
Responding to the art
One of the clearest indicators of whether you can work with a deck is the impact the imagery has on you. Card art comes in myriad styles and mediums, from realistic to fantastical to surreal. If you find a deck drab, boring, or otherwise off-putting, it will be a struggle to read. Here are some artistic concepts to think about:
Themes: Most modern tarot and oracle decks are designed around a single theme. The sky is the limit here; you can find decks based on nature, magical and spiritual traditions, mythological creatures, and much more. If humans aren’t your thing, you may prefer one of the many animal decks on the market. Many readers love cat-themed decks in particular but you can find decks featuring animals of all kinds.
If you’re curious about a particular type of deck, quickly searching online for “[theme] tarot” will soon lead you to what’s available.
To explore potential decks more fully, look for videos online where reviewers flip through each card in the deck. Your local metaphysical bookstore is likely to have samples of each of its decks for you to look through, too.
Diversity:
Modern decks have come a long way in terms of representation, with the cards better showcasing humanity in its infinite variety. Many modern decks feature people of various races, body types, genders, and sexualities.
Scenes:
For most intuitive tarot practices, you want to choose a deck with scenes on every card. Decks without scenes, called
pip decks,
show simple arrangements of suit symbols on the cards. This setup has become increasingly common with media tie-in decks based on popular films and television series. I offer guidance for reading pip decks in
Chapter 8
, but you’ll get much more mileage from this book with scenic decks.
Pop-culture tie-ins:
Decks based on popular films, movies, and games are a quickly growing trend for both tarot and oracles. These decks can make learning the cards easier for beginning readers whose prior knowledge of the characters and story lines help them make connections with the meanings. Many of these decks have non-scenic minors, or
pip cards
(see
Chapter 8
).
Observing oracle decks
Unlike tarot, oracle cards don’t have a single foundational deck on which the rest are based. Many of these decks are similar enough that they blend well with one another, but each one contains its own unique structure.
I explore the world of oracle cards more fully in Chapter 11, but for starters I advise you to choose a single deck whose theme and artwork are inspiring to you.
Growing your collection
With such variety available and the influence of social media videos in which collectors show off their latest acquisitions, you may be tempted to run out and buy a boatload of decks to play with.
Your skill with the cards will grow more quickly if you become intimately familiar with just one or two decks at the beginning. This approach allows you to encounter the same characters in all sorts of different spreads and exercises, training your intuitive muscles to recognize certain patterns and combinations. Start small; your deck library will increase in time.
