5 Amazing Oracle Decks to Use For Magic and Divination
5 Amazing Oracle Decks to Use for Witchcraft and Divination
When I first learned about oracle cards, I was skeptical. I loved using tarot cards, and I loved that tradition behind them. Almost every deck of tarot cards no matter who made them has seventy-eight cards, four suits, and twenty-one Major Arcana cards. It’s a trusted system for magic and divination that has stood the test of time.
Oracle cards, on the other hand, can have any amount of cards and can be organized in a million different ways. Some oracle decks use suits, some use images, and some use messages. There are no rules or guidelines when it comes to oracle cards. I had a lot of resistance to this idea at first. How could these cards be magical? They’re too modern and there was too much variety between the individual systems. How could my intuition or my higher power be speaking through these cards?
A couple years ago, I bought my first oracle deck. It was the Animal Spirit deck. One of my friends introduced me to it, and I fell in love with the drawings and the written interpretations of the cards. Who doesn’t love animals?
The messages resonated deeply with me, and gave me a more in-depth picture of what my current energy was. It didn’t matter if the deck hadn’t been created a hundred years ago. I now believe that my intuition and higher power can speak through anything. It can be through oracle cards, songs on the radio, or a stranger on the street. Oracle cards are just another channel for the universe to communicate with me and to guide me.
I began exploring my spirituality through a variety of oracle decks. It quickly became a regular part of my daily magical practice. The more I worked with oracle cards, the more I realized what kind of magic and divination questions were best suited to the different decks. Some decks were best for showing me what I needed to energetically heal. Other decks gave me insight into what projects I should pursue. Some decks were perfect to use as incantations or to place on my altar for spellwork.
If you’re new to oracle cards or you’re looking for new ways to use them in your spiritual practice, here are my five favorite decks to use for divination and magic.
The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle Deck
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This is a 63-card deck featuring animals that are organized by the elements—earth, water, fire, and water. It comes with a 208 page hand-lettered guidebook that includes spreads, personal stories from the artist’s life, and suggestions for how to use the deck.
How to use this oracle deck for magic:
This deck is excellent to use for calling in the quarters. Because each animal is grouped by element, you have all kinds of options when it comes to choosing cards to represent the four element.
Each element is associated with a direction.
North = Earth
West = Water
South = Fire
East = Air
Once you’ve picked four animals that you resonate with (or that best support your intention), place the corresponding card on your altar as you call on that element. For example, you could place the Bear oracle card (representing earth) on the north position on your altar as you energetically or verbally invite earth to your magical practice. You can do this in any way you like. You don’t have to use flowery language or rhymes. You can simply say, “I call on the power of the earth to the north. Join me at my altar tonight.”
I like to go around the circle in a counterclockwise direction (to mimic the direction of the earth’s rotation). Go the opposite way when you are dismissing the elements. When you dismiss an element, you can say something like this: “Thank you, earth to the north, for co-creating with me. You may go if you wish.”
How to use this Oracle Deck for divination:
This is my go-to deck when I’d like to identify my energy for the day. It’s a great way to start the day because even if you’re feeling a bit out of balance, the guidebook provides suggestions for how to move back into alignment. I also use this deck to identify the energy of my friends or loved ones. It’s a great way to connect to others and resolve conflicts.
Animal Spirit Oracle One-Card Questions:
-What is my energy today?
-What is the energy of this lunar cycle?
-What is my lover’s energy today?
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The Wild Offering Oracle Deck
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This is a 52-card messages deck. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the messages of this deck guide you to examine your blocks and false beliefs that could be creating resistance in your spells and rituals.
How to use this oracle deck for magic:
This deck is a powerful tool for when you’re doing shadow work. If you’re new to shadow work, it’s basically the practice of discovering and releasing limiting beliefs that you hold in your subconscious. It’s an important practice to do if you are finding that your spells aren’t manifesting as quickly or in the way that you intend.
If you’re using this deck for witchcraft, you can select a card that addresses your magical intention and create a banishing ritual around it. For example, if you’re performing a money spell, you can pick the “abundance” oracle card from this deck. Read the message on the card as you burn a black candle. As the black candle burns down, so will your money blocks. It might be helpful to journal about any thoughts, images, fears, or symbols that appear in your mind when you read the message on the card.
After you’ve taken the time to perform that shadow work and released some resistance, your vibration will likely be more aligned with your desire. This will allow your money spell to manifest faster.
Shadow work is especially effective during the waning moon phase.
How to use this oracle deck for divination:
There are a few shadow work-based questions that I routinely ask this deck. Think of this deck as a “trouble-shooting” deck. If you don’t feel balanced or you’d like to release some unwanted energy, you can ask this deck for guidance on what your need to release to feel better. You can also ask why certain intentions aren’t manifesting in the way you desire. This deck will pinpoint areas to focus on in your next shadow work session.
The Wild Offering Oracle One-Card Questions:
-Why do I feel out of alignment right now?
-What do I need to heal today?
-What is creating resistance to my desire?
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The Mystical Shaman Oracle Deck
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This 64-card deck uses symbols found in folklore, spirituality, and legends from cultures all over the world. The guidebook that goes with this deck includes information for each card about the symbol, an upright meaning, and a reverse meaning for the card (referred to as “the medicine”).
How to use the oracle deck for magic:
Light a purple candle and draw cards with this deck to speak to your intuition or spirit guides. Keep a journal nearby to jot down the first impressions you receive from the imagery, the card meaning, or anything else that comes to might. This is a great deck to use for the full moon. I also like to use this deck to receive additional messages while I’m scrying with a mirror or performing a candle-gazing meditation.
How to use This Oracle deck for divination:
I enjoy using this deck for identifying the energy I’m moving into or leaving behind. The dual meanings of the cards are helpful for pinpointing the benefits and the warnings that come along with that particular energy.
The Mystical Shaman Oracle Deck One-Card Questions:
-What energy has led me to this point?
-What energy am I moving into?
-What message do I need to hear from my intuition or spirit guides today?
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The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards
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This 54-card deck contains a wide variety of magical places and characters to bring you powerful messages. The illustrations are detailed and colorful—perfect for intuitive reading. I’ve personally found this deck to be especially useful for decision-making.
How to use This oracle deck for magic:
Use this deck to pick a card that contains the energy you’d like to experience once your desire has manifested. Use that card on your altar and visualize yourself as a character in the scene. Get lost in the joyful thoughts and feelings that you experience as you interact with the imagery of this card in your mind’s eye. Allow this visualization to power your magic.
How to use it for divination:
When you are faced with a decision, make a list of all the possible choices. Then draw a card for each choice, asking, “What can I experience to experience if I chose this option?”. Pay close attention to your feelings as you reveal the answers to these choices. If you feel sad or disappointed when you draw a card that deters you from a specific choice, ask yourself why. Maybe that uncomfortable reaction to a card is the way your intuition intends to get to you choose that option regardless of what the cards say. Use your emotions to guide you as you work with the cards while making decisions. If you trust your intuition, you’ll always be making the decision that will lead to your highest good.
The Enchanted Map Oracle Deck One-Card Questions:
-What energy should I explore to move me closer to my desire?
-What can I expect to experience if I choose this option?
-How will I grow after I make this decision?
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The Modern Goddess Oracle Deck
This is the oracle deck I created, and I made it because I wanted a way to use all kinds of awesome magical tools even if I didn’t have the time, space or money to create a “traditional” altar. This is a 77-card deck with watercolor illustrations. Each card contains a sabbat, elements, energy, or magical tool that you can use for witchcraft or divination. The guidebook that comes along with this deck is a whopping 290 pages. It contains card meanings as well as spells to perform with the cards.
How to use THis Oracle DecK for magic:
Use this deck to call in the quarters, perform candle magic, create a sabbat-themed altar, and really any kind of spell you can dream up. The altar cloth can serve as an altar, the 77-card deck is your traveling magical “toolbox”, and the guidebook is like a starter grimoire, containing everything you need to know to get started as a witch or oracle-card reader.
Spread out your cloth, and arrange the cards face-down in any shape you’d like to create on your altar. Then in the center, place one-five cards that communicate or support your spell or magical meditation.
How to use this oracle deck for divination:
You can ask this deck what kind of magic you need to perform today or what kind of energy you need to call into your life. Meditate on the card’s meaning, or perform the ritual that goes along with the card. This is also a great deck for guidance on how to achieve goals or solve problems.
This deck is excellent to use during the new moon and the waxing moon.
The Modern Goddess Oracle Deck One-Card Questions:
-What kind of magic do I need today?
-What needs to happen to move me closer to my desires?
-How can I fully step into my power today?
Thanks so much for reading, and let me know if you have any questions!
Have a magical day,
Julie xx