Need help in choosing oracle deck(s)

Hi. I'm new to all this. I've been reading tarot cards for a few months now and wish to have something else to help me with some of my readings. After going through this forum, I found that people sometimes use oracle cards to supplement tarot readings.

I am already planning to buy a Lenormand deck, but the one I have my eye on comes out in a few months, so I won't be able to use it now. I also want at least one oracle deck, which isn't a Lenormand one, but I'm having trouble choosing one.

Oracle decks are very unstructured compared to tarot and Lenormand decks, so I'm not quite sure which one would suit me.

Could you please give me some recommendations and tell me why you think that / those deck(s) would be a good choice?

I am not completely sure what I'm looking for, but I personally prefer a more "supernatural" theme or an animal theme. Not vampires or zombies though. I prefer bold pictures since they tend to stand out more, which would help me see better (my eyesight isn't the greatest). But, as long as the art is good, I don't mind lighter colours.

There are few oracle decks I like- I have bought and sold/given away many.

Given your preferences, I would recommend Madame Endora's Fortune Cards. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/madame-endora/index.shtml

These have been around for a while, 10ish years??? I think. Regardless- the imagery is pretty neat, bold colors, a very WELL balanced mix of alternative backgrounds in the images to include Celtic, Egyptian, etc.

Most importantly- it reads VERY well. The readings are straightforward and accurate. My problem with most oracle decks is that they are either ambiguous/flighty and/or you need the book in one hand to know the meanings of the cards until you have memorized the deck, only to find you have to memorize again since each has their own system (outside of lenormands of course).

This deck is intuitive with meanings on the card that lead you deeper, match well, but do not restrict- if that makes any sense.

Great card stock, stands up well, inexpensive, reads like a dream and accurate with beautiful and colorful imagery- there really is no downside to me on this one.

Another oracle deck is the Wisdom of Avalon- but that is more a pastel colored deck, with a single theme. But again- accurate and very easy to read (my personal favorite really)- so if the theme is up your alley, you will definitely enjoy this one as well! http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/wisdom-of-avalon/

Animal Wise Tarot

The Madame Endora's Fortune Cards seems really interesting. Too bad it's not really available on amazon.ca. The cheapest price was around $73 for some reason. I'm not spending that much for a single deck.

Has anyone here heard of the Animal Wise Tarot?

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/animal-wise/

Do you think that it could work as an oracle deck?

It's very different from other tarot deck in that all the pictures consists of a single photo of an animal per card. I'm not sure I can look at the photos and automatically think of tarot meanings. And I've found oracle cards with animals as a theme online, but I didn't really like the back of the cards.

If you like the Ted Andrews deck, did you know there is an oracle by him in a similar vein?

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/nature-speak-oracle/

?

Looking at the deck you already use and your stated preferences, here's a couple of other suggestions:

The Celtic Oracle
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/celtic-oracle-matthews/

combines both animal and spiritual imgages - but is Celtic in background.


Wolf Song cards
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/wolf-song/

may work better for you as I see you're in canada?


Druid Animal Oracle
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/druid-animal-oracle/

great artwork but again a Northern Europe selection and background so may not gell with you.

Enjoy your search
Pathwalker

Nature Speak Oracle

The Nature Speak Oracle seems really nice, but when I looked at the pictures, I don't get as much feel to them. It's probably because of the plants though. I've never really been interested in the meaning of plants, so it's harder for me to have a feel of what the plant photos say.

Landscapes / sceneries and animals are easier to read. Landscapes, because it just draws your thoughts out rather easily, especially if the photo's good. Animals, because in society, there are many references / implications to what animals and insects mean. Such as, snakes indicated temptation (Biblically) or growth / renewal (they shed) and butterflies usually mean transformation.

I'll love to get the Nature Speak Oracle if it weren't for the flower and tree cards.

I'm not really that connected or knowledgeable about the Celtic culture or beliefs, so I don't think I'd be able to connect to the Celtic Oracle.

The Wolf Song deck seems really nice. Love the pictures. But it costs $50 for a used deck on amazon.ca just for the cards. With the books, the price goes up into the $200's. And the local bookstore isn't well stocked when it comes to tarot and oracle decks. Not to mention, I still haven't been able to find a store for wicca, pagan, or occult things.

As for the Druid Animal Oracle, I'll definitely set it aside in my "to decide" list. I still want to take a look at other decks before making a solid decision. I don't have the money to spend on several decks.

Thank you for all the suggestions, PathWalker.

You might enjoy Nature's Wisdom Oracle:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/nature-wisdom-oracle/
Another possibility might be Way of the Horse:
http://rowantarot.blogspot.com/2013/01/deck-review-way-of-horse-by-linda_20.html
http://roswila-tarot.blogspot.com/2007/09/way-of-horse-review-of-new-non-tarot.html

I think one of the most important things about oracle decks (besides finding art or symbols that resonate with you personally) is having a book or booklet that is informative. I've had quite a few oracles over the years that had great artwork, but I felt I needed a New Age dictionary to interpret the meanings.

ETA: Just thought of another animal one you might like: Medicine Cards
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/medicine-cards/

Nature's Wisdom by Mindy Lightfoot is a gorg deck and is easy to use.

I know you said no vampires, but how about the Oracle of Shadows & Light for something a bit darker. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/oracle-shadows-light/

Or there is the Oracle of the Shapeshifters. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/shapeshifters-oracle/

Something vibrant.

I saw Nature's Wisdom Oracle before, but I can't really connect to the pictures of plants. When I see a pineapple, the only thing that comes up in my mind is eating pineapples. And maybe a warm area since that's where they grow. And the Feather accompanied with Soar? Well, whenever I think of a feather, I don't think of a bird, which I associate with Soar. To me, feathers are soft and gentle, not soaring.

Way of the Horse seems really nice. I like the pictures. It could be good to collect. But I don't like how some pictures are landscape while others are portrait. I prefer them one way or the other, not both. Plus, I've never been connected to horses.

I'll put Medicine Cards on my "to decide" list. I like the theme and the imagery, but I don't like the back of the cards.

Yeah, I had my eye on the Oracle of Shadows and Light and the Oracle of the Shapeshifters for a while, but then I researched a bit on them. The only relatively inexpensive one I could buy is the US version, which is fine with me. But then I found a thread which talked about how thin the cards were in comparison to the Australian Version.

I really like the theme of both decks. I was thinking of buying both to supplement each other. Unfortunately, I'm just not as taken to the big-eyed imagery. But, yes, both oracle decks are also on my "to decide" list.