Discovering Cartomancy

Discovering Cartomancy


    If you’re new to Tarot cards, discovering that there are also Lenormand and Oracle decks may make it all way too confusing. Here’s what you need to know to distinguish these three different decks.


You may already know that Tarot contains 78 cards, and this deck is divided into 22 symbolic images, which carry myriad meanings, and 56 cards grouped into four suits: Pentacles, Cups, Wands and Swords. When using these cards to address a person’s life story, one needs to not just study the cards but also interpret them. Because Tarot requires study, there is a greater sense of rigidity to them compared with Oracle and Lenormand cards. Some people, however, may be unnecessarily put off by Tarot, which is such a large deck, where each card has a meaning that must be studied. 


A Lenormand deck consists of three dozen cards that are less open to interpretation compared with Tarot. Rather, the meanings of Lenormand cards are more succinct, straightforward and easy to use. The cards carry symbols that can, when strung together, form a basic meaning and paint a vivid picture. This deck, in essence, is much less about spiritual aims — as Tarot is — and more about practicality. Whatever symbols come up in the spread, it’s up to the reader to interpret the meaning based on the context. So, for example, the Anchor can mean not able to adapt to a situation or it could refer to a sense of stability. It depends on the context of the reading. 


Oracle decks are perhaps the most popular of the three forms of cartomancy, because, among the reasons, they don’t require study and are, therefore, more accessible. Also, each of the cards comes with keywords that can make it easier for newbies to use. There is no set number of cards in a deck: there could be just a dozen cards or some ten dozen or anything in between. Oracle is quite flexible and fluid, whereby each deck is different from the other in terms of its themes and art and, therefore, the system and vocabulary of the deck.

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