Oracle decks, unlike tarot, can have any number of cards. The number is dependent upon the deck’s creator. This means oracle decks can have anywhere from 10 to 100 cards. Most commonly you’ll find around 52 cards in a standard oracle deck.
While all tarot decks operate off of the same structure, oracle decks each have a unique system that has been created by the author of the deck. This means you’ll need to learn how each oracle deck’s system works. However, because oracle decks rely heavily on intuition, the use of oracle decks seems to be more intuitive even with a deck you’ve never used before.
Here’s a brief overview of the card numbers by deck type:
- Oracle Deck – any number of cards
- Tarot Deck – 78 cards (22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana)
- Lenormand Deck – 36 cards
How Many Cards Do Tarot Decks Have?
Tarot decks have 78 cards, made up of 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana. All tarot decks operate on the same system (unlike oracle decks).
With tarot decks the 22 major arcana are ordered from 1 to 20 as follows:
- The Fool
- The Magician
- The High Priestess
- The Empress
- The Emperor
- The Hierophant
- The Lovers
- The Chariot
- Strength
- The Hermit
- Wheel of Fortune
- Justice
- The Hanged Man
- Death
- Temperance
- The Devil
- The Tower
- The Star
- The Moon
- The Sun
- Judgment
The minor arcana are divided into four suits. The four suits in a tarot deck’s minor arcana are usually called:
- Wands
- Cups
- Swords
- Pentacles
Each minor arcana is made up of 10 pip cards and four face cards.
How Many Cards Does A Lenormand Deck Have?
Lenormand decks generally have 36 cards with some fluctuation.
Additional Oracle Deck Resources
Check out our other resources to learn more about oracle decks.
- What Should I Ask Oracle Cards?
- Can You Read Your Own Oracle Cards?
- Should I Get Tarot or Oracle Cards?
Let us know your deck preferences in the comments below. Oracle only? Tarot all the way? We want to know!
