My love of Oracle cards started from a really early age; I always had a very strong reaction to methods of divination. With Tarot cards, fortune telling, palm reading and psychic readings both exciting me and terrifying me.
I grew up in a house that these divination tools were both honoured and given much power (but very much mis-understood) and yes they were almost feared as well. This is how my relationship with Tarot and the other Psychic Senses (‘The Clairs’) were for a really long time. I was both thrilled and excited, and as an empath I felt overwhelmed - dealing with so much energy in my body and not understanding how to release it and disconnect. This led me to give these tools too much power, that combined with my knowing from many past lives where I have used these tools led to way too much fear to move forward with my love of these divination tools.
Fast forward to much later in life where I have laid to rest my fears and been working with Oracle cards for many years. Oracle cards like Tarot are tools for us to tap into our intuitive senses.
As tools, the divination cards, both Tarot and Oracle are filled with imagery that allows our third eye to awaken in a sense - the cards allow me to see differently. My guides are able to open me up to different messages while I am viewing the cards. I am drawn to specific aspects in a certain Oracle card that then once I follow that thread, it opens up to something else. It is like a trail of psychic breadcrumbs. Allowing my spirit guides to take me on a journey that is sparked by the Oracle cards. I don’t read tarot cards nor do tarot card readings, preferring the open spaciousness of Oracle decks. While there are many similarities when working with Oracle cards and Tarot cards I personally at this time enjoy the imagery of the oracle decks I choose to use. This of course may change over time so I am going to leave that open to all possibilities.
Now that I am done rambling, I am going to get down to my top 5 favourite oracle card decks and why...
What do I love.
Where do I start? There is a magic to this oracle deck.
I have the beautifully boxed version that shines with the almost magical energy of the animals within. Kim’s beautifully illustrated mostly black and white images with the occasional splash of symbolic colour are each a beautiful expression of the animals that spoke or came to her during the creation of the deck. They are wild and untamed in their energies. The artworks depict the spirit animals or animal spirit of 63 sometimes mythical creatures. There are 5 almost suits to this oracle deck like a tarot deck in a sense (like her Wild Unknown Tarot deck) that create a place for the animals to reside; the 5 elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Spirit.
Within a reading (Intuitive reading, Oracle reading or Tarot Reading)
Kim's uniquely inspired imagery allows you to find a connection point to each Animal spirit, to understand the energies that they work with and are here to teach us about.
In a reading, these oracle cards allow you to dive headfirst into connecting to the overriding collective spirit of each animal. The line work (graphic imagery) leads us directly back to the artist’s hand and with that link we are taken on a journey with the creator of this oracle deck together with the animal spirits that are energetically connected.
Personally I find these cards really easy to connect with, the guidebook is short and clear for each animal. The quality and size of these cards are similar to a tarot card and not as big as most oracle cards. That is really handy for shuffling and placement in private readings as well as pick a card readings.
What do I love...
Colette Baron-Reid is a seasoned professional Spiritual Intuitive and Oracle card reader, creator amongst many other things.
I have many of Colette’s decks - Wisdom of Avalon Oracle cards are my favourites just by a wisker! There are so many to love and they are hard to resist buying by the bucket load - there are so many others of Colette’s that I could easily list – like Wisdom of the Oracle Divination Cards, The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards and The Spirit Animal Oracle ( you will see all of these very well used in my pick a card reading videos on Youtube).
This 52-card divination deck speaks to us the spiritual realms of Avalon; the legendary home of King Arthur. This is a mystical magical space and time that was steeped in Pagan and Druidic cultures, goddesses, beliefs of myths and legends along with magical creatures. This oracle card deck contains them all. We have the deck divided into four main sections with The Messengers of Avalon, The animal guides of Avalon, The guides of Faery and the sacred journey markers all in full-colour. The backs of the deck allow us to be transported to the times of Avalon with the golden chalice, moon and stars.
This oracle deck is a standard (often used) size for oracle decks, is easy to use and layout in any spread – also easy to shuffle. The imagery allows you to connect to the subtle realms of Avalon and the many guides, messengers, animals or markers from the deck, without being overly instructional in nature. I find the images to convey a simplicity of message while at the same time staying open for other messages to come through. To assist you with your readings there is also a title on each card followed by statements or words and card numbers all assisting you the oracle reader.
Personally, I find these cards easy to connect with. I am not sure if that is my love of Avalon, Ancient Britain, as well as the Celtic and Druidic energies. I find that there is a great mixture in the structure of this oracle deck that allows for a multitude of reading possibilities to be explored.
What do I love...
These amazing cards connect to the energy of the Dreamtime – the ‘ancient spirit and nature of Australia’ within the culture and traditions of indigenous Australians. The dreaming for Laura Bowen is a place of shared culture, family and lore. Her beautiful artworks depict stories from Laura’s ancestors and the land she and her family are connected to. The shared remembrances and the connection to the spirit of every aspect of the land and its inhabitants (insects, birds, trees, mountains, places even the sky above). These images talk to us of different times and places, connect into the sacred lore and energy of the culture of indigenous Australian’s and the wide brown land Australia.
Within a reading (Intuitive reading, Oracle reading or Tarot Reading)
Laura’s brightly coloured artworks fill each card and resonate with movement and a vibrational spiritual energy. Used in a reading, these oracle cards allow you to connect at a core level to ancient guidance and wisdom with colour and pattern really taking centre stage. They are the standard size for oracle decks. The imagery lends itself to beautiful storytelling in a reading as well as really easy connections to be read between cards.
Personally I feel the movement and lines of creation in these oracle cards that almost bypass what is depicted and take me to another place altogether. It is almost as if they transport me to another time, place and space – perhaps to the dreamtime? I connect deeply with these cards on many levels as wonderful divination tools to bring through higher guidance.
What do I love...
Everything, These 36 cards come in a beautiful box with a magnificently detailed large sized guidebook. Everything about this oracle deck takes you back to the time of the Druidic traditions, the font, the border of the cards the detailed and descriptive illustrations by Will Worthington. The highly detailed botanic artworks combined with the guidebook’s historical information, spiritual meanings and reference for each card upright and reversed; gives much scope for the reader to use in an oracle card reading. The Druidic tradition is centred around nature and her cycles and this Druid plant oracle is filled with herb and plant lore based on ancient and contemporary knowledge for healing and health and wellbeing.
Within a reading (Intuitive reading, Oracle reading or Tarot Reading)
These oracle cards invite nature into every reading that you use them in. The size of the cards is a little larger than normal and this gives the imagery a bigger canvas to shine on. Each illustration offers the main plant and the magical or healing properties within it as well as multiple other reference points to make deeper connections with.
Personally, I find these cards completely take me to another time and place and easily help me connect to ancient times, places, past lives as healer and someone who was very connected and comfortable with plants and nature. It allows nature and her knowledge and healing qualities to come into readings like a fresh light breeze. I love using them and they have a strong sense of reverence for me.
What do I love...
They speak to me! - These cards are brightly illustrated with deeply layered imagery. The oracle cards span deeply spiritual concepts like sacred wisdom, soul journey, devas, etc. to more symbolic and all-encompassing issues such as unconditional love, personal power, This deck covers so many issues in 36 cards. They are very honest and frank representations and titles on each card. Stark has created these cards to support you on your journey. They can become friends assisting you with awareness and insight, and guidance on your path.
Within a reading (Intuitive reading, Oracle reading or Tarot Reading)
These 36 oracle cards are transformative in nature in the sense that you are almost working with the energy inside them each time they are in a reading. At times they can thunder in with bold and commanding energies that will not be ignored. The illustrations are filled with symbols, shapes, colours and hidden elements that you discover while using them. The bright colours ignite and invite response when working with them, are very commanding cards to use in a reading.
For me, I find these cards come in with a bang. I am always finding new aspects to cards that I feel I am familiar with. I find that I read these cards and each time I become open to fresh perspectives coming into my readings. I also find that although there are only 36 cards there is a depth to the deck that allows me to cover a lot of ground in any reading I use these in. I love using them and rely heavily on them for personal readings for myself.
Want to see more? See my Oracle Card Collection video.