The difference between Tarot and Oracle Cards.

When it comes to getting a card reading, the client is first faced with choosing between a Tarot or an Oracle card reading.

The answer is: It depends.

Both sets of cards are a conduit to your higher self that is waiting to advise and inform you on the events happening in your life. Both decks gain information from the same energies but they translate it in different ways. Each reader will use the deck that calls to them on a subconscious level and sometimes will use more than one deck in a reading.

The difference comes in the ways the decks are structured and the directness of the cards. Tarot cards have a very traditional structure and a set of rules that they are all constructed around. They can have different themes but the same general ideas in each deck. A Tarot deck usually has around 78 cards, some decks have more, and some have less, but there is a traditional structure to the deck and meaning of each card that is common across all decks no matter who designed them. A Tarot Deck can provide direct meanings and answers.

Oracle cards are more free-flowing and can be built around the artists/readers preferences. They have no set number of cards, they can have as few as twelve or as many as 100 or any number at all (The deck I use has 54 cards). Oracle is less structured and allows the reader the freedom to tap into their intuition on a deeper level. Oracle card advice tends to be very empowering and straightforward. Oracle is useful in gaining advice on what you need or how to handle events in your life.

Both decks deal with the exact same archetypal energies of the Universe, so no matter what deck is used, Tarot or Oracle, the same answers are available to you just in a different tone. Think of it like two chairs that are different in style, but identical in function. Tarot can be compared to those very fancy but less comfortable chairs while Oracle are like a comfy chair that is also pretty in style.

For many people what makes the difference is not what cards are used, but how well did you connect with the person doing the reading? A skilled reader will make you feel comfortable and at home, no matter what the cards have to say to you. They will be able to deliver good or bad news with equal compassion and love. A skilled reader will never make you feel rushed or on a clock, instead they will allow you the time and space to find the answers you have come seeking.