Definitions

For people unfamiliar with oracles, tarot, and spirituality a lot of the words I and others use to talk about it will be new and unknown. So on this page, I've added a bunch of definitions to help you understand what I'm talking about. If there are words that you see me use on this blog but don't understand let me know and I'll try to add them.

Oracle A medium or tool through which prophecy can be sought. Crystal balls, tarot cards, Lenormand cards, rune stones, scrying mirrors, and so on are all types of oracles. The person using the tool can also be classed as an oracle

Divination

The practice of using a tool, such as tarot cards, to seek information and knowledge through supernatural means.

Telling someone’s fortune, reading their future, are examples of divination.

Diviner

The person or practitioner using the divination method.

Querent

The person for whom the divination is taking place, the one asking the question. The diviner and querent can be the same person.

Cartomancy

Divination using cards.

Oracle cards

Cards used for the purpose of divination, generally referring to those that do not belong to any specific reading system.

Tarot cards

A specific cartomancy system. Tarot consists of the major arcana which begins at the Fool and ends at the World, it also has the minor arcana which has four suits of fourteen cards each, usually named wands, pentacles, swords, and cups.

Lenormand cards 

A specific cartomancy system. Lenormand consists of 36 cards that are read in relation to each other.

Kipper

A specific cartomancy system. Kipper consists of 36 cards that are read in relation to each other.

Cleromancy

Divination through the casting of lots, such as the rolling of dice, runes, or bones.

Many words used in this blog may be unfamiliar to you so I have compiled a list that will, hopefully, make understanding my readings easier. If there are any words I use that don't make sense to you feel free to comment and I'll see if I can add them.

Rune

A language writing alphabet.

Runestone

A type of cleromancy using runes written on or carved into small, smooth stones. They can be made from any material but wood and stones are common. A set of runestones is traditionally made up of 24 symbols, but other systems may include more. Some systems also include a blank rune.

Scrying

Scrying can refer to a large number of different divination methods or can simply be the word used to describe the act of divining on someone or something. Often people will use the word to specifically refer to divination by way of seeing images in crystal balls, black mirrors, moonlit ponds and so on.

Upright

Tarot cards read so that the words and images are upright.

Reversed (rx)

Tarot cards read so that the words and image are upside down. Not all tarot cards are meant to be read this way, not all diviners incorporate rx cards in their readings.

LDR

Long distance reading. Divination performed on behalf of someone else but not in their presence. At one time this was a very unusual way of reading for someone but now it’s often the preferred method.

Spread

The layout of a cartomancy reading. Tarot incorporates many and varied spreads.