All 53 cards of the French Oracle Belline, from Destiny to the Blue Card, explained with examples about relationships, work and money.
Five cards from across the deck, to give you a feel for its colourful pictures, from a large key to scenes of water and fire. Tap a card to see it larger.
The Oracle Belline is a French deck of 53 cards. Its story starts in the 1800s with a Paris card reader known as Edmond, whose hand-painted oracle passed, after his death, to the clairvoyant Marcel Belline. Belline published it in the 1960s through Grimaud, a long-established French maker of playing cards, and it has been one of France's favourite oracle decks ever since.
The structure is simple once you see it. Three master cards stand above everything: Destiny and the two Stars, one for a man and one for a woman. Then come seven families of seven cards, 49 cards in all, named after the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Ancient astrologers called these seven the planets; modern astronomy calls the Sun a star and the Moon a moon, but the old grouping stuck. A final unnumbered card, the Blue Card, stands apart and closes the deck.
Each planet gives its family a flavour. Sun cards are bright and confident, Moon cards are about feelings and change, Mercury cards deal with money, news and wits, Venus with love and pleasure, Mars with conflict and energy, Jupiter with support and luck, and Saturn with time, limits and patience.
Showing every card in deck order.
The three cards that frame every question: Destiny and the two Stars.
These cards explore beginnings, progress and recognition. For a work question, I might use them to discuss what you want to develop and how to make your contribution better understood.
These cards explore feelings, home and changing circumstances. You might consider what helps you feel settled when a move or a new routine changes daily life.
These cards concern messages, exchanges, work and money. I use their individual meanings to explore practical matters, such as information you need before agreeing to a purchase.
These cards explore affection, pleasure, family and friendship. A reading might prompt you to consider how you spend time with people you care about or make room for an activity you enjoy.
These cards explore disagreements, effort and impulsive reactions. For example, you might consider what needs discussing before a small frustration becomes a repeated argument.
These cards explore support, learning and opportunities. I might ask what help is available, who you could learn from or which opportunity you want to investigate.
These cards explore waiting, limits and persistence. You might use a reading to distinguish what you can act on now from something that needs more time or help.
This card has a blue centre and no printed number. I list it as 53 and use it to encourage reflection before acting, for example taking time to understand a decision rather than rushing an answer.
Edition: Oracle Belline, current Grimaud-pattern edition (53 cards), as photographed by Oracle Belline
Author or publisher: Oracle Belline (oracle-de-belline.com)
Held by: Wikimedia Commons
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Changes: Cropped from the 53-card composite to a single card and converted to WebP. No other changes.
Card images from the published 53-card Oracle Belline.