Angel cards are some of my favorite! They are a specific type of oracle cards that are designed to connect individuals with the guidance, support, and messages from the angelic realm. There’s many decks out there with different styles of artwork and number of cards. Choosing a deck really comes down to the art and words you resonate with most.
Angel cards are a great way to get the day started (or end it), and to just remind yourself that you’re supported at all times. Below I’ve outlined how you can use angel cards, the most popular decks, and the difference between angel cards and tarot cards. I know many people get confused between the two and often think they are the same thing, and while they do have some similarities they are used for different purposes and structured differently.
A Guide to Angel Cards
Angel card decks
Angel card decks typically consist of a set of cards, each featuring an angelic image along with a message or affirmation. The cards may have different themes, such as love, healing, abundance, or protection, allowing for specific guidance in various areas of life.
Connecting with angelic energies
Angel cards are great for establishing a connection with angelic energies and receiving their guidance and wisdom. Angels are believed to be celestial beings of light who serve as messengers and helpers in the spiritual realm.
Angel card readings
To do a reading, you can select one or more cards from the deck and interpret their messages. Use your intuition, the imagery on the cards, and the guidebook to make sense of the meaning of the cards.
Themes and messages
Angel cards typically convey messages of love, healing, support, encouragement, and divine guidance. The messages can provide comfort, inspire positive actions, offer solutions to challenges, or highlight areas in need of attention or growth.
Angel card spreads
Similar to other types of oracle cards, angel cards can be used in various spreads or layouts to gain deeper insights or explore specific aspects of life. Popular spreads include the single card draw for daily guidance, the three-card spread for past, present, and future insights, and the Celtic Cross spread for a comprehensive reading.
The messages received through angel cards are positive, loving, and supportive in nature. They are meant to inspire and guide you, and offer a sense of comfort, reassurance, and connection with the angelic realm.
Angel card decks
Below we take a look at some of the best angel card decks out there. I’ve made a note under some of my personal favorites, but generally all of them are amazing to use! You’ll see I’ve listed quite a few decks by Doreen Virtue. She is perhaps the most well-known author of angel card books and cards, and has created many different types of angel decks.
So! Let’s take a look.
Archangel Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue
This deck focuses on archangels, providing messages and guidance from these powerful celestial beings. The deck has 45 cards and beautiful art of 15 archangels. The messages on each card, in my opinion, are even more beautiful than the art itself! There is also an excellent guidebook with a ton of great spreads to help you do readings. I would say overall, it’s a great deck for discovering yourself as it encourages you to pay attention to how moon cycles affect your mood, energy, and manifestations.
Easy reading: Shuffle the deck, hold the cards to your heart, ask a question, and pick one out!
Angel Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine
I am in love with this deck and it’s definitely one of my favorites! It combines angelic guidance with the traditional symbolism of tarot, and is rich with symbolism and imagery like angels, archangels, unicorns, fairies, and mermaids. The deck has 78 cards, the same as a traditional tarot deck. The images and words used though are more gentle, for example, whereas you get the word “Devil” in a tarot deck, here it’s been replaced with “Ego”. The Major Arcana part, which consists of 22 cards out of the 78, and typically represents universal human experiences, like challenging authority, falling in love, and even unexpected bad news, corresponds to a specific archangel in this deck.
A few examples:
Justice – Archangel Raguel
The Sun – Archangel Uriel
The Hermit – Archangel Raziel
The Wheel – Archangel Michael
The Chariot – Archangel Metatron
Life Experience – Archangel Chamuel
Strength – Archangel Azrael
Unicorns, dragons, and fairies represent some of the other sets in traditional tarot like the “Wand” set and ‘Sword”.
Overall, this deck strikes the perfect balance between an angel, oracle and tarot deck and it’s perfect for those wanting to learn tarot, which can often be quite difficult. It makes for a great intro to different spiritual realms with its use of angels and other nature elementals. The cards also have phrases that help guide you, so it’s really one of the best decks when it comes to images, words, and symbolism!
Messages from Your Angels Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue
These cards are designed to help you connect with your guardian angels and receive their messages, although I’d say I have mixed feelings about this deck. I do like it, but I can’t say it’s my top-rated Doreen Virtue deck.
The deck has 44 cards and each card comes with a short message. The booklet comes with a more comprehensive explanation of each card, and I love that there is also a “Yes” card and a “No” card. I’d say this deck is ideal for both beginners and more advanced card readers. Apparently, Doreen Virtue based the cards upon her actual angel readings, using the most commonly asked questions and angelic answers.
The cards themselves are really fun to hold and shuffle, they are very big and sturdy with a cool gloss over. Overall, I feel like they are good and probably better used in conjunction with other decks.
The Angel Tarot by Jayne Wallace
This deck combines the wisdom of angels with the structure of tarot cards. It has 78 angel-inspired cards that deliver daily messages and predictions directly from the celestial realm, connecting you with heavenly wisdom. It’s great for hope, guidance, love, insight, strength, or healing.
The accompanying guidebook provides six distinct card layouts to guide your readings, ranging from the classic three-card Angels of Time spread to the Angel Wings spread, designed specifically for manifesting your deepest desires.
The guidebook also provides in-depth card interpretations, explaining the symbolism and significance of each card. Perhaps my favorite aspect is that each card is accompanied by an angelic affirmation, so it feels very supportive every time you draw a card.
Jayne Wallace is perhaps one of the most renowned clairvoyants out there, and she’s worked with celebrities like Kardashian, Janice Dickinson, and Kylie Jenner.
Overall, this deck is excellent for those looking for a more “pro” and “serious” angel tarot deck. If you really want to master tarot and not only oracle cards, this is the deck!
Guardian Angel Tarot Cards by Radleigh Valentine
Created by one of Doreen Virtue’s former collaborators, this deck offers guidance and inspiration from guardian angels. This deck has 78 cards and a guidebook. It’s pretty much in line with the meanings of original tarot cards, but conveyed in a more gentle way than traditional tarot. What I really love about are the simple keywords on the cards, which makes it pretty easy to pick up the meaning if you’re a beginner.
The art is perhaps not totally my favorite style of art, but the images are very soft and inviting, and rich with symbolism.
Angel Prayers Oracle Cards by Kyle Gray
Kyle Gray is known for communicating with the angelic realms, and this 44 angel oracle card deck taps into the wisdom and healing of the angels. I love that each card comes with a powerful affirmative prayer. I think this deck is more suited to picking out one card at a time and really meditating on the message, rather than doing spreads with multiple cards.
Sixteen of the 44 cards represent one of the major Archangels. Kyle Gray refers to these Archangels as the “managers of Heaven.” If you pick one or more Archangels in a reading, it shows you’re being extra supported and guided!
Example Angel Prayers Oracle Cards:
Thank you Universe and Angels for the blessings in my life
Thank you Raphael for sharing your divine light upon my healthy body
Thank you Angels for inspiring me to be more like you
The Angel Therapy Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue
This deck is definitely on the pricier end, but these are the perfect angel cards for therapeutic guidance from the angels for healing and well-being. It’s a great companion for both beginners and seasoned divination card enthusiasts. The deck is designed to connect with our guardian angels and archangels, with a special focus on Michael and Raphael.
The cards and guidebook weave together essential messages about your life’s purpose, relationships, manifestations, and more. All the cards are exquisitely painted with angels, each carrying a unique message. The deck is suitable for anyone from any age group or level of experience with card readings.
I love the art on this deck and my favorite part is probably the golden borders around each card – makes for a truly magical and mystical feel!
The Angel Wisdom Tarot by Radleigh Valentine
This 78-card deck is fairly new, it was released in 2020 and it combines traditional tarot imagery with angelic wisdom to offer insights and guidance. For those well-versed in traditional tarot, the Angel Wisdom Tarot will be easy to understand, but it also brings fresh elements to explore.
I have heard some people complain about the quality of the cards because they do feel very dry and sticky to shuffle, and the edges start to wear off pretty quickly. So for some, this might be a deal breaker. The guidebook, on the other hand, is massive and extremely detailed, probably one of the most detailed guidebooks I’ve seen with an angel deck.
Guardian Angel Reading Cards by Debbie Malone
This deck combines tarot symbolism with angelic messages for intuitive readings. The deck has 36 illustrated cards with really beautiful, detailed artwork of guardian angels, it really portrays an “ethereal” vibe. Each card is accompanied by a positive affirmation, making it the ideal deck to just do a quick reading or an in-depth one.
As Debbie says “No issue is ever too big or too small for the angels to contend with,” and this deck definitely portrays that support and presence of our angels surrounding us at all times.
Angels of Abundance Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue and Grant Virtue
Another favorite deck of mine! Focusing on the theme of abundance, these cards offer guidance on prosperity and manifesting your desires. The deck has 44 cards and a guidebook to help you use the cards to identify, heal and remove any blockages on your path to abundance.
I feel like the glittery, colorful artwork and insightful messages really help to activate the feel of abundance and blessings, which are your Divine birthright but we often tend to forget that! The cards are very firm with a gloss over, making it easy to shuffle. They are great to use in addition to other oracle cards or on their own if you want to do a quick reading and just pick one out.
The Difference Between Tarot and Angel Cards
The Origins
Tarot Cards: Tarot cards have a long and rich history that can be traced back to 15th-century Italy. Originally used as playing cards, they evolved into a divination tool. Tarot decks typically consist of 78 cards, which are divided into two main categories: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. Each card in the Tarot deck represents an archetype or aspect of life, and the combinations tell a story or offer insights into one’s circumstances.
Angel Cards: In contrast, Angel Cards are a more recent addition to the divination world. These cards are specifically designed to connect with angelic and spiritual realms. Angel Cards are often associated with providing messages of guidance and support from the angelic realm. The symbolism in Angel Cards is simpler and less structured compared to Tarot.
Symbolism and Structure
Tarot Cards: Tarot cards are known for their intricate symbolism and structured layouts. The imagery in Tarot cards is rich and diverse, often portraying complex scenes, figures, and symbols. Each card in a Tarot deck has a well-defined meaning and can be interpreted both independently and in combination with other cards. The cards also have reverse meanings, adding to the depth of interpretation.
Angel Cards: Angel Cards, on the other hand, usually feature simpler and more direct imagery. They typically depict angels or angelic symbols, and the messages they convey are often clear and uplifting. Angel Cards are designed to offer straightforward advice and guidance.
The Reading Process
Tarot Cards: Tarot readings often involve complex spreads, with each card’s position and combination holding specific meanings. Interpretation requires a deep understanding of symbolism and the ability to weave together a narrative that addresses the question or issue at hand. Tarot readings can be highly detailed and may delve into the past, present, and future.
Angel Cards: Angel Card readings are generally simpler and more focused. These readings are particularly well-suited for those seeking quick, inspirational messages and insights. The guidance offered by Angel Cards is usually concise and easy to understand.
Both Tarot and Angel Cards are great for insights and guidance, it all comes down to personal preference and what you feel more drawn to, or both!
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