I’m not one to try and sell unnecessary, expensive accessories just to make a buck. I believe that just as folk singers only need “3 chords and the truth to get by“, a card reader needs one deck, a good book (and/or intuition), and perhaps some life experience, to read Oracle cards (reminder: Tarot is just one sub-set of Oracle cards). On the other hand, having a few decks with different artwork and books with various thoughts on the cards may help. And not to discount the benefits of decades of studying- the cards, people, the world…
Pulling cards ‘at random’ works for some folks while others prefer using a Spread- a diagram with meanings or subjects for cards pulled in specific order. I tend to use a Spread (whether an ‘old standard’ or custom-designed on the spot) with the option to pull additional ‘clarifier’ cards. I don’t use a ‘spread cloth’ as the ones I’ve tried seem to catch on things or breezes. Having a diagram to lay Cards out, printed on good cardstock, can help keep cards where they belong, but diagramming for standard Tarot-size (2.75″x4.75″) cards can be unwieldy above a few cards.
Are There Smaller Card Sizes?
Yes there are. Many Tarot/Oracle decks have very detailed artwork that looks great on standard size cards-or larger. But artists have been producing miniature versions of pretty much every subject in an amazing array of materials. I’ve seen miniature Tarot decks that seem as much a gimmick as anything, but I’ve also seen Tarot/ Oracle decks in portable sizes that are fully functional. Shown here is the Lo Scarabeo Radiant Wise Spirit miniature deck. The cards are 50mmx81mm (1.97″x3.19″) and you can see plenty of detail. Click on image to see a larger version.
Some folks use traditional playing cards (Poker or Bridge sizes) as Oracle decks, and the vast majority of leNormand decks I’ve seen are smaller than standard Tarot cards. Poker deck cards are 2.5″x3.5″ while official Bridge card specifications are 2.25″x3.5″. The US standard business card is 2.0″x3.5″. All of these sizes are quite usable for Oracle decks- easy for printers to find pre-made dies to cut clean rounded card corners and standard tuck boxes.
The Gamecrafter Mint Tin Decks
Our Print on Demand partner TheGamecrafter has offered custom decks designed to fit a metal ‘mint tin’ container (maximum 55 cards) since 2019. Last year they added a Tall Mint Tin container that can hold up to 90 cards- enough for a full Tarot deck, plus extra cards or literature. Those cards are 2.05″x3.43″.
I’ve yet to find more than a couple of complete Tarot decks in a Tall Metal Tin in the Gamecrafter’s website but I’m hopeful more will be published. A quick scan of their marketplace turned up almost 3 dozen LeNormand or other Oracles as Mint Tin decks.
I know from my own Mint Tin Oracle decks the size is quite useful. And the metal tin in lieu of a cardboard tuck or hook box is much better for decks that are well-used. Having larger diameter die-cut corners (to match the tin) hasn’t impaired my ability to shuffle them.
Digital Gryphon Tarot/ Oracle Spread Mats(for Mint Tin decks)
So, all of that is to explain why I’ve designed and published the Digital Gryphon Tarot/ Oracle Spread Mats (for Mint Tin decks):A pair of 11″x17″ durable card stock mats. Placed together the fronts create a 6×7 grid to lay out Tarot/ Oracle card readings. Place vertical or horizontal, as matches the deck you use. And there’s enough room to do a leNormand Grand Tableau (6×6).
The reverse sides illustrate a number of spread patterns used in the accompanying 15 page spreads collection- a free .pdf download after purchase.
These mats are designed specifically for ‘Mint Tin cards’ with the larger diameter die-cut corners. Those cards are 2.05″x3.43″. You might find theGamecrafter ‘Domino cards’ (1.75″x3.5″) or ‘Business cards’ (2″x3.5″) will work as well (not a guarantee). The mats are produced on the 320gsm black-core stock used for decks; with UV coating for durability and they fold for easy storage or portability.
Additional Images (will open in a new window/tab):
Digital Gryphon Tarot/ Oracle Spread Mats(for Poker Size Decks)
When I was using decks from TheGamecrafter for my GunclePost mailings, I bought a number on Poker or Bridge size cards. Searching “poker” in TGC’s Tarot category brought up over 230 results. I’ve not reviewed all of them; there may be duplicates or the word Poker in their description so that’s a soft number. Searching “bridge” returned over 50 results.
So it made sense to design the Digital Gryphon Tarot/ Oracle Spread Mats (for Poker size decks) as well. This is another pair of 11″x17″ durable card stock mats. Placed together the fronts create a 6×6 grid to lay out Tarot/ Oracle card readings; enough room to do a leNormand Grand Tableau (6×6). Place vertical or horizontal, as matches the deck you use.
The reverse sides illustrate a number of spread patterns used in the accompanying 15 page collection of spreads (a free .pdf download after purchase).
These are designed specifically for decks of Poker size cards. Official Bridge size cards are 2.25″x3.5″ so should work as well (see close-up image below).
The mats are produced on the 320gsm black-core stock used for decks; with UV coating for durability and they fold for easy storage or portability. The downloadable .pdf contains about 3 dozen spreads; some original and others collected over my decades of reading cards.
This image (links to a larger version) is a close-up of the Poker Reading Mats- the decks shown are the 1st edtion Bright Tarot (Poker size) and the Inner Landscape Oracle (Bridge size). Neither deck is my creation, both are available from TheGamecrafter.com Note that after the production cost and marketing fees I net about US$2 per set- this isn’t about profit.
The reverse of each set illustrates some of my favourite spreads, contained in the downloadable .pdf. That .pdf contains about 3 dozen spreads; some original and others collected over my decades of reading cards. This image links to a larger version.
Coming Early in 2026: Digital Gryphon Oracle Reading Board
Looking for something a bit sturdier? The Reading Board is an 18×27 inch game board which folds down to 9×9 inches. The core is 60pt chipboard (this is what most table top game boards are made of) covered with matte finish paper on the front and plain black backing on the back. These are designed specifically for decks of ‘Mint Tin cards’ with exaggerated diameter die-cut corners, and will have a 7×7 grid.