Oracle Cards
By Barbara Catalano
Oracle cards can be traced back to the 19th century France. Madame Marie Adelaide Lenormand supposedly designed the first deck.
Madame Lenormand was born in 1772 and died 1843 at age 75. She was a French book seller, necromancer, fortune teller, and cartomancer.
Being orphaned at age 5, she was placed in a convent of the Benedictine nuns where she started her prediction. She was moved from convent to convent until age 18. Being famous during the Napoleonic era, she was also very often arrested for fortune telling.
Marie has a long list of published books. All in French.
When she died, she had no immediate family except for a nephew who was in the Army. Being a devout Catholic he burned all of her occult paraphernalia but walked off with her fortune of 500,000 Francs. Which is worth $18,713,061.08 today.
The deck of cards with her name, Petit Lenormand, did not appear until 2 years after her death. It included a collection of 5 books. Several publishers used her name. They were all from foreign countries i.e., Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland, but never France.
It is modeled on a deck of cards published in 1799 called Das Spiel der Hoffnung. The Game of Hope. It is a game of chance designed by Johann Kasperov Herschel. The game was laid out in a grid of 6x6. It had extensive rules to play by and included cards with arrows, coffins, ships, et…
The difference between Oracle and Tarot cards is that Oracle cards are a bit freer flowing. Tarot also have certain rules set and the majority have 78 cards in a deck. Oracle card decks can be any number of cards and content. Each set of cards will have its own energy and meaning. They are said to hold a larger energy. They cover the whole picture of what is happening around you in your life while Tarot is more detailed.
When you purchase your deck, you should do an Interview Spread. This will introduce you to the energy and purpose of this one deck. While shuffling you deck thin of the intention of the pull you are going to be doing. I find it easier to connect with a calm relaxing space and time. Candlelight, if possible, with burning sage. The more open you are the more you will receive.
JOURNAL. Always write down your thoughts and feelings. You could also go back and compare with the guidebook if you have one.
An Oracle card can be pulled before a Tarot reading to set an intention or after to reinforce the interpretation.
The Spreads
Interview Spread:
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Share with me about your energy.
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What are your strengths?
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What will you teach me?
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What do you ask of me?
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How can I best work with you?
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What is the outcome of working together?
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What else do you feel I should know about you?
