My Tips For Creating an Oracle Deck

I have created and published more than two dozen oracle decks, tarot decks, affirmation decks and books and that doesn’t even include the decks I’ve created for myself and never sold. I probably have another dozen or so concept decks in various stages that I will either come back to at some point or just felt they didn’t align. What I’m saying is that I have A LOT of experience when it comes to creating publications. That’s probably why so many have sought me out over the years to ask for my expertise.

I’ve worked with several other creators, helping them to conceptualize and refine their projects or to offer my general advise about being a deck creator, marketing their work and any other tips I can offer. This past week, a friend of mine asked to speak with me about his deck concepts. My publisher had reached out to him about doing a deck and while he had a lot of ideas, nothing seemed to truly stick. I was happy to help as always but our conversation really got me thinking about what’s important when embarking on an oracle creator journey.

This article is for exactly that. So many people want to create an oracle or tarot and I think that’s amazing. Everyone has something to say and a project that could be worthwhile but I do think there are some things to consider when going into making a deck. Maybe one day I’ll offer my consultation services for real but for now, here are a few things I think you’d need to know before creating a deck either for personal use or for publication.

What Kind of Deck Do You Need?

The easiest way to create a deck is by focusing on what you need. Don’t worry about whether or not it has mainstream potential or if it sounds profound, at least not in the beginning. What are you looking for that you can’t find in any other deck? If you’re looking for it then trust me, someone else is looking for it too. Making a deck marketable is important if you’re intending to sell your deck but part of that is realizing there are thousands of decks to choose from and much of them are saying the exact same thing. Focusing on your own needs that aren’t being addressed by what’s currently available, already makes you stand out and that in itself makes it marketable.

Say Something New

I never want to create any publication unless I can bring some kind of new voice or energy to the project. In addition to creating decks, I also review them. I put up a new tarot or oracle deck review every Friday and I can honestly say, 90% of them are exactly the same. They all have cards for protection, cleansing, ancestors, spiritual connection, intuition and claiming your power. That was fine 5-10 years ago when the market wasn’t so full but now I find every deck to have the same 44 cards just with different names and images. I find myself really bored with that and I’ve talked to a lot of people who feel the same. I’m not saying you need to create some brand new tarot system or write some complicated oracle but before you add a card to the list, ask yourself if you’ve read a variation of this card in several other oracles? If so, then consider something else. Keep in mind, there are a lot of beginners still but there are also a lot of practitioners who are 5-10 years deep in their practice or more and looking for something beyond just beginner tools. You could very well be the person to fill that void.

Don’t Be So Rigid

I have never, not once, worked on a project that ended the way it started. You have an idea at the beginning but then things evolve or change entirely. Sometimes I’ll write something only to delete the whole thing. Did I like it? Yes, a lot of time I did but it didn’t serve the project in the best way. Being a creator means creating and destroying. Sometimes you have to let things go to let other things live. Outline your deck and get a good sense of what you want to create but then give yourself room to grow within that. Let patterns form either in your imagery or writing or both. Continue to look for inspiration and being openminded to new ideas. If I had been too rigid in my ideas, you would not have the Seasons of the Witch Tarots or even the Witch’s Apothecary. You don’t have to get it right or perfect on day one.

Seek Unusual Inspiration

Don’t just look at other decks for inspiration. When I create something, I look at all kinds of things. Sometimes I go into physical stores and not just witch stores. I may go to Pottery Barn and then to a vintage shop and then a liquor store (alcohol bottle branding is one of my favorite sources of inspiration). For the seasonal decks, I looked at A LOT of food photography, cottage core imagery and earthy home design. So think outside of the box. Whatever your theme is, it shows up in the world in more than just a deck. If you deck is about feminine energy then go to places where a lot of women are. Study art books on the feminine form, study powerful women of history, study the women in your own life. If your deck is about your culture then think about things that are specific to your culture outside of mysticism. Are there tools, art styles, foods, animals indigenous to only that region, specific shapes or designs that are unique to your culture. You may not think they work for an oracle but you’ll be surprised how well they can slot in with some intention.

Work With Your Deck

Make a temp deck to work with. I write my card names on index cards along with the keywords and use them like I would any other oracle. That gives me the chance to work with them organically to see how cards appear in a reading and if it makes sense. I use them in spreads to see how cards connect with each other or if they contradict to wildly. I also lay them out on a table so that I can see what feels repetitive or what feels out of place. Get the deck out of your head and off the computer screen and work with it in person. That will tell you help you to refine your deck immensely.

Now I have so many other tips about lots of things. Handling publishing, marketing, taking photos of decks, writing the guidebook, working with artists and more. If this is something you’re interested in then please let me know. Feel free to leave a comment below or email me to hello@spiritelement.co telling exactly what kind of deck or book creation questions you have or what kind of creation content you’d like to see.