🔮 Which Deck Is Calling You? Tarot, Oracle & Intuitive Reading

Recently someone asked me how to choose a tarot or oracle deck and what helpful tools they could use when beginning their own card-reading practice. It made me think back to when I first discovered tarot and how much of my own journey has been about learning to trust what I see, feel and trust my intuition rather than simply following a set of rules. So I wanted to share some of the things I've learned along the way, including the difference between tarot and oracle cards, how I choose a deck, how I connect with my cards and a few simple tools you can use to start developing your own intuitive practice.

What Is Tarot?

Tarot has a structured system of 78 cards, with traditional meanings, archetypes and themes that can be explored in different situations. The cards can represent life lessons, challenges, relationships, decisions, opportunities and patterns that may be showing up in your life. I also believe the imagery itself can communicate something beyond the traditional meaning, because sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. You might know the traditional meaning of a card but notice one small detail in the artwork that suddenly feels incredibly relevant to your situation.

What Is an Oracle Deck?

Oracle cards are different from tarot because they don't follow one universal structure or number of cards. Each oracle deck can have its own theme, artwork, messages and approach, which could include animals, nature, archetypes, spirituality, emotions or personal development. This can make oracle cards feel more open and accessible for people who want to work intuitively rather than following a traditional system. There is no need to choose between tarot and oracle because both can become valuable tools for reflection and self-discovery.

Choosing Your First Deck

I remember walking into a spiritual store somewhere in Melbourne and choosing my first two decks, The Love Tarot and the Animal Spirit Oracle. What really drew me in was the stunning colours, artwork and visuals, because I connected with the imagery before I even understood the cards. 

While I have a lot of respect for the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck, I didn't really resonate with some of the vivid imagery at the time, such as a sword stabbing through a heart. For me choosing a deck was about finding artwork that sparked something within me and made me want to pick up the cards and explore.

Learning Tarot

The Love Tarot sparked my interest in learning more about tarot and how cards could be used for reflection and intuition. People told me I should learn the Rider-Waite-Smith deck first, study each card and keep a journal recording what I saw over time. While I understand why this method works for many people, it didn't feel comfortable for me because it felt more like rote learning than something intuitive and guided. I wanted to develop my own relationship with the cards and allow the imagery, my intuition and the situation to guide what I saw.

Trusting the Deck That Calls You

I now have around ten decks, which are a mixture of tarot and oracle cards and I don't use all of them all the time. For the past few months I've been using my Sacred Forest deck, even though it had been sitting on my shelf for about two years. Sometimes I think a deck can simply be there until the right moment when you feel drawn towards it. I also have friends who have the Lemurian card deck and whenever I see them, that's usually the first deck I want to play with because something about it draws me in.

Clearing the Cards

I have a little ritual that I use when working with my own or someone else's deck, where I knock three times on the front and three times on the back of the cards. For me this is a way of clearing other people's energy from the deck and bringing my own intention into the reading. 

You don't have to use this method and you might prefer shuffling, holding the cards, setting an intention or simply taking a few breaths before beginning. The important thing is finding a ritual that feels meaningful and helps you feel connected to your reading.

Tarot and Myths

There are so many rules and traditions surrounding tarot and oracle cards and some of these ideas have been passed down for generations. One belief is that you shouldn't use another person's cards, but personally I don't see a problem with using someone else's deck as long as I clear it and set my own intention. Another belief is that tarot or oracle cards should only ever be gifted, which is an idea I've only recently become aware of. Personally if I see a deck that I love and the imagery speaks to me, I'm going to buy it because I know I'm much more likely to connect with and actually use it.

🪄 Card Spread : My Signature Triple “I” Abundance Method

When I read cards I like to keep things simple and focus on what is happening in the person's current situation. My signature Triple I Abundance Method uses a three-card spread to explore the present moment through Intention, Intuition and Integration. Rather than immediately trying to predict the future I use the cards to explore what is happening, listen to intuition and notice what may be underneath the surface. Each Card asks for 3 reflection questions. I invite you to use which one(s) are relevant to you in your current situation and want to explore. 

🃏 Card One : Intention

Intention: Asks us to look at what is happening right now and become clear about what we are bringing into the situation. This card helps create a starting point before we move deeper into the reading. It can reveal your current focus, desires, beliefs or the energy surrounding the situation. Ask yourself: What am I currently focused on? What do I want to understand or create? What intention am I bringing into this situation?

🔮 Card Two : Intuition

Intuition: Invites us to move beyond what we already know and listen to what the card is showing us beneath the surface. Look at the imagery, colours, symbols and emotions that immediately stand out to you before reaching for the traditional meaning. This is where you can become curious about what your inner knowing may be trying to communicate. Ask yourself: What is my intuition telling me? What am I noticing that I may have overlooked? What is beneath the surface of this situation?

✨ Card Three : Integration

Integration is about taking what you have discovered and bringing it into your life in a meaningful way. Rather than asking the cards to decide your future for you, this card helps you consider what you can do with the insight you've received. It turns reflection into a possible action, choice or new perspective. Ask yourself: What am I being invited to understand? What can I do with this insight? What is my next step?

Choosing Your Deck

When you're choosing a tarot or oracle deck, my biggest advice is not to overthink it and instead pay attention to what catches your attention. Look at the artwork, colours and imagery and notice which deck makes you want to pick it up and explore it. You don't have to choose the deck that everyone tells you is the best one, and you don't have to know every card's meaning before you begin. Choose the deck that makes you curious, because that curiosity may be the beginning of your own relationship with the cards.

The Cards Are the Tool

For me tarot isn't about simply memorising what somebody else has decided a card means and repeating that meaning back to someone. I believe you can learn the traditional meanings while also developing your own relationship with the imagery, your intuition and the story unfolding in front of you. The cards are a tool that can help you see something from another perspective, ask a question you hadn't considered or bring attention to something you already knew deep down.

✨Remember the cards are the tool but you are the one interpreting the message ✨