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Tarot and Oracle Cards
Should I buy my own deck or wait for someone to gift one to me? -Radha
It depends on what spiritual tradition you follow; some require you to wait for someone to gift your first deck to you. But I have a lot of Aquarian energy in my chart and I love to disrupt systems of belief. I say, if we have to wait for someone else to take action on something we want to do in our own lives, we’ll be waiting forever. The power is yours! Take matters into your own hands and purchase your own deck. However, if you want to wait for someone to gift you a deck, how about a little nudge? For example, I have a friend who waited for her grandmother to hand down her deck; if you are in a similar situation, maybe ask abuelita to hook it up!
How do I know which deck should be my first? – Diane
Many feel it’s important for you to be drawn to a deck of cards, as if it’s calling you to buy it. If you are able to go to a store and “feel” out the cards, see if any deck “speaks” to you. However I know this might be harder with Covid restrictions. You can also “feel” decks out online by viewing their descriptions, and pictures of the cards. Don’t worry though if you don’t feel drawn to a particular deck or don’t have a ‘sense’ about a certain deck. If this is the case, I recommend starting out with a Tarot deck with traditional major arcana cards, and minor arcana suits (swords, cups, wands, pentacles). There are so many to choose from, so start with a design you find pleasing.
Someone gifted me a deck but I don’t really connect with it. Should I purchase my own deck? – Maria
Absolutely! First off, if in your spiritual tradition it is common to be gifted a deck, I would first talk to the person who gifted you the deck and let them know how you feel about it. It could be that the energy in the deck has to be cleared. Who knows? That person may just gift you another deck. However, if you feel strongly about choosing your own deck, go for it. This is all about your own experience with the cards you work with.
How do you choose Oracle cards? I want to start incorporating them into my practice, but there’s so many different decks, I don’t know where to start – Bianca
I love Oracle cards because I find them to be more “fun” than traditional Tarot decks. The meaning of Tarot cards are mostly standard, whereas for Oracle cards, the meanings are created according to the vision of whoever created them. So essentially each Oracle card deck is unique in meaning. When choosing an Oracle card deck, have fun with the process. I honestly go by whichever design attracts me. As well, another advantage of Oracle cards is that you can get them by category or genre. For example, I have purchased different decks related to health and healing, for clients who need more insight on their well-being. To start, pick a deck with a general theme in a design that speaks to you. I’m sure there will be many decks you’ll love, so just create a wishlist and go building your collection purchase by purchase. One of my favorite deck creators is Colette Baron-Reid, if you’d like a recommendation on where to start looking.