​You’ve got the spark. The concept is alive. Now it’s time to give your deck a skeleton—something to shape all that magic into a tangible, intuitive tool.

This part of the process is where a lot of creators either get stuck or go wild (sometimes both). Because choosing the right structure and style for your deck isn’t just about design—it’s about deciding how your deck will speak, what kind of reader it’s for, and what kind of experience it will offer.

In this second part of the Deck Creation Series, we’ll walk through how to:
• Choose between tarot, oracle, or Lenormand (or blend them!)
• Decide how many cards your deck will have
• Map out suits, archetypes, or categories
• Clarify the visual and emotional tone of your artwork and messages

Think of this as blueprint energy. You don’t have to have every card figured out yet—but this is the part where you start building the world your deck will live in.

Before you start designing card backs or brainstorming keywords, it’s important to decide what kind of system your deck will follow—or if it follows one at all.

There’s no one “right” way to build a deck, but choosing a foundational structure early on will help guide everything else, from artwork to card meanings to how your deck gets used. Let’s break down your main options:

​🔮 Tarot

This is the classic 78-card system you’re probably already familiar with.
• 22 Major Arcana (big archetypes like The Fool, Death, The Star)
• 56 Minor Arcana (4 suits × 14 cards, including Court Cards)
• Deeply symbolic, layered, and built on centuries of tradition

Pros: Built-in structure, tons of inspiration to draw from, great for psychological/spiritual storytelling
Cons: Can feel creatively limiting if you don’t vibe with the traditional framework

Tarot is a great fit if you love archetypes, want a ready-made skeleton to build from, or you’re creating something for readers who are already familiar with tarot’s system.

🌙 Oracle

Completely freeform. You get to decide:

• How many cards
• What they’re called
• Whether or not there are themes, suits, or categories

Oracle decks are wide open—ideal if you’re channeling specific energies (like plant spirits, affirmations, deities, shadow work prompts, etc.) or if you want to speak in your own language, not tarot’s.

Pros: Full creative freedom, emotionally driven, beginner-friendly
Cons: Requires more decision-making upfront since there’s no default structure

Oracle is perfect if you’re creating something personal, intuitive, or designed for gentle guidance and reflection.

🕵️ Lenormand

A structured system—but with a whole different energy than tarot.

• Always 36 cards, each with a fixed, symbolic image (Clover, Letter, Snake, etc.)
• Used for literal, practical readings more than psychological deep dives
• Cards are meant to be read in combination, often using full-table spreads

Pros: Clear, quick readings; fixed structure without tarot’s baggage; fun for storytelling
Cons: Less room for creative reinterpretation (if you stick to tradition); not as well-known as tarot
​
Lenormand is for you if you love clarity, pattern-based reading, or you’re intrigued by divination that’s more predictive and punchy.

Once you’ve chosen your system—tarot, oracle, Lenormand, or a hybrid—it’s time to decide how many cards your deck will have and how they’ll be organized. Traditional tarot gives you 78 cards to work with, Lenormand has 36, and oracle decks are totally open-ended (though most fall between 40 and 60 cards). You can also build in your own structure—like suits, themes, or archetype groupings—to add coherence and make writing the deck easier. Think: elements, emotions, astrology, or personal cycles.

Ask yourself: Do you want each card to stand alone, or do you want them to flow in a sequence or system? Will your deck tell a story? Have categories? Use repetition? There’s no one right way to build a deck—but having a consistent structure will make your creative process smoother and your deck easier to use once it’s in someone else’s hands.

With your structure in place and your style coming into focus, now it’s time to start creating the heart of your deck: the cards themselves.

You don’t have to start with a full list of 44 or 78 or however many cards you’ve planned. You just need a few strong, clear concepts to begin building momentum. Think of this step like sketching in a journal—not finalizing. This is where you explore the energy of the deck and how you want it to speak.

🌀 Begin With What’s Already Alive
Ask yourself:

• What are 3–5 card ideas that are already living in your head or heart?
• Is there a core energy, archetype, or emotion your deck must include?
• What card feels like the “voice” of the whole deck?

Write those down first. Give them a name. Give them a vibe. Don’t worry about perfection—just start getting your ideas out of your head and onto paper (or screen).

​🗣️ Decide How Your Deck Speaks
Each deck has a unique voice. Is yours…

• Direct or poetic?
• Keyword-based or full-text messages?
• Affirmation-driven?
• Narrative and symbolic?
  
  

Figure out if you want each card to say something simple and punchy (e.g., “Let Go”) or offer deeper insight (e.g., “You’re holding onto a version of your life that no longer fits. This is your permission to release it.”)

✍️ Tip: Try Writing a Few Sample Cards
Choose 3–4 concept cards from your list and write out:
• A title or label
• A short message or interpretation
• (Optional) Keywords, symbols, or illustration notes

This not only gets you in the flow—it also helps you test how your deck’s style and voice feel in action.

You don’t need to be a professional designer or spreadsheet wizard to make a deck—but a few tools can seriously help you stay organized, especially once your ideas start multiplying.

Here are some favorites from indie deck creators (myself included):

​📋 Digital Planning Tools
Use these to map out your structure, track card progress, and collect ideas:

• Google Sheets / Excel: Perfect for building your card list, assigning numbers, categories, keywords, and tracking status (e.g., written, sketched, complete).
• Notion or Trello: Visual tools to organize your card ideas, themes, art notes, and guidebook text in one place.
• Airtable: A great combo of spreadsheet + database if you want to get fancy (especially good if you’re managing a team or collaborating with an artist).

🎨 Creative + Visual Tools

• Pinterest or Milanote: Great for moodboarding your color palette, style inspiration, symbolic references, and possible visual motifs.
• Canva or Procreate: For testing layouts, drafting card fronts, or creating a prototype—even if you’re not doing the final design yourself.
• Blank DIY Decks (Etsy or Amazon): Print-and-draw decks let you play with the physical shape of your project before it’s “real.” This can unlock surprising clarity.

​🗂️ Keep Everything in One Place
No matter what tools you use, the goal is the same: make it easy to track your ideas, spot gaps, and keep your momentum going. A simple folder system (digital or physical) with sections for structure, card drafts, artwork references, and voice/style notes will save you tons of time later.

Creating a deck is both art and architecture. The structure and style you choose now don’t have to be perfect—they just have to be intentional. The clearer your foundation, the easier it’ll be to bring your vision to life later without second-guessing every step.

You don’t need all the answers yet. Just enough structure to guide you forward, and enough freedom to let your creativity breathe. Whether you’re working with traditional tarot, a chaotic-beautiful oracle, or something entirely your own, your deck should feel like a conversation between your intuition and the people you want to serve.

🔮 Up Next:
Part 3 – The Best Tools & Resources for Indie Deck Creators: We’ll cover everything from where to find illustrators, how to test your prototypes, design platforms that won’t break your brain, and software that makes guidebook writing way less overwhelming.