There are lots of indy tarot decks out there, but one of the most significant development of occult tools in modern times is the development of oracle decks. Unlike tarot cards, oracle decks do not have a set structure. The structure is created by the artist. This gives artists and creators the chance to do something that hasn’t been done before.
Want to make an oracle deck about aliens? Go for it. Maybe the cards are organized according to each alien’s superpower.
Want to make an oracle deck about food? Go for it. Maybe the cards will reveal the medicinal healing properties of food and cooking.
The sky’s the limit with oracle decks.
Shadowspeak is my second oracle deck (first was the Creatures of the Moon). I get a lot of questions about how to create your own deck. There’s no one correct way to do things, in fact I am sure everyone has a different process. But here’s a super basic outline of the steps involved, as I’ve experienced them.
1. Create.
Draw. Collage. Explore. Maybe you know what kind of deck you want to create, maybe not. Even if you know what you want to make, I highly suggest that you make many, many drawings (collages, etc) before settling on a “style.” Why, you ask? Because as you create, you learn along the way. Your craft improves. As you get better and as you explore and strengthen your ideas through the act of making, your ideas and styles will start to solidify even further.
2. Write.
Write about the images you’re making. Why are they important? What do they say? If you feel a theme emerging (aliens? food oracle?), take note and do some journaling. If you began the creative process already knowing what deck you want to create, you should have already been doing a ton of writing. Because you are entering the creative phase with a framework, you will want to get clear on how the art follows the framework you’ve already set.
Oh, and I’d also recommend starting to write about card meanings early on. Make notes with each drawing and artwork, and the concept is. Don’t wait to start writing the book until the art is done. If you do I promise you’ll regret it.
3. Research.
What other oracle decks are out there? Are there ones similar to yours? Ones that you love? You’ll want to see how your creation fits within the occult community. You will also want to have a few copies of oracle decks with guidebooks around, because these become invaluable references for understanding how you want to arrange your guidebook. (Yes, you need a guidebook. Don’t expect people to feel connected to a deck that they can’t read about. Also, the guidebook should tell the deck user something about you – what spirit and spark are you sharing with the world? Failing to make that personal connection can really impact the success of your deck).
4. Resources.
You won’t actually use your resources yet, but researching about where to print your deck early on is hugely important. Why? Because some companies might have an offering to print an oracle deck with 54 cards in a certain size (I am thinking of Shuffled Ink in Florida). And so, the format available to you can impact the design of your deck. Here is a blog post that has a ton of wonderful resources about places to print cards, to get you started: https://www.arnellart.com/makenpub.htm
5. Work away.
Writing and creating the art for an oracle deck can take years. On average, it takes me 3-4 years to begin from sketch, creative exploration, to finished project. And I can’t stress enough how important writing is. You will need to be able to tell your deck user why your ideas are important. And you’ll want to give them a structure for reading your deck and imagery. And the intro chapters should be provocative, personal, engaging – stuff you’d want to read. And of course with the writing, card meanings for every card in your deck. Use the library, buy books, and collect reference materials; you need to have some kind of academic or gravitational weight to your ideas. This should come across in your writing. Without gravity, your reader and deck user will float away and have difficulty returning to your work.
6. Work some more.
Seriously, drawing, editing, re-drawing , editing some more— it takes years. Make it good. I hired Jamie Morris (Voice Heart Vision: https://www.voiceheartvision.com/) to edit the writing and concepts for the Creatures of the Moon. I highly recommend working with an editor, especially if this is your first deck.
7. Get prototypes made.
As your project develops, consider getting a prototype made of your cards and box. Then you can pull cards every day and see how the cards work and feel in your hands. They’ll tell you more about what they want to say, too. You can make further edits to your writing and concepts. Work with them before you print them – seriously, it will make your deck a ton better. You can use Game Crafter in WI or MPC in China to get one or two copies made.
8. Lastly, work until it’s done!
And that’s a wrap.
The below is instagram story with some of the creative styles I went through as I worked my way towards the Shadowspeak Oracle. Obviously it’s a bit on the lighter side of things (if I were to write everything out I went through you’d read a book here!).
Happy Oracling to you!
The Shadowspeak Oracle Deck
