Oracle Cards

In a review I read about Oracle cards, I came across a sentence that said "Don't knock on it because it's an oracle deck and not a tarot deck" or something like that. I was wondering... why would an oracle deck be knocked on? Is it because it's left the Tarot tradition?

scheherazade said:

I was wondering... why would an oracle deck be knocked on? Is it because it's left the Tarot tradition?

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Good question, I have three oracle decks and feel that sometimes they are looked on as lightweight cousins of tarot and not to be taken seriously. Several of them have more specialized themes, and yes, some of them do seem to grasp at straws to make connection and meaning, but so do some tarot decks.

If you enjoy a subject and feel an oracle taps into your insight and enjoyment more, then it doesn't really matter who knocks it.

Was there a particular oracle deck you liked but were hesitant to buy because a review knocked it? If not, what oracle deck do you own or wish for? I'm just interested in what people like in oracles. I recently bought the Faeries Oracle by Brian Froud and never in a million years though I would be interested in such a thing, but I very much like the art and the spirit of the deck. I also have the Druid Animal Oracle and the Sacred Geometry Oracle (the one by Francene Hart NOT the one by John Greer.)

Deck reviewers are like book critics and art critics, they bring their own bias to what they say about a deck. It's always good to read more than one review for that reason, and to look at the cards yourself.

I have the Fairy Ring Oracle, which is actually quite similar to traditional Tarot, save for the fact that in place of Major Arcana cards, there are eight season cards. It is somewhat different in reading, though. Could you tell me what you can about it?

scheherazade said:

I have the Fairy Ring Oracle, which is actually quite similar to traditional Tarot, save for the fact that in place of Major Arcana cards, there are eight season cards. It is somewhat different in reading, though. Could you tell me what you can about it?

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You might want to post the question in the study forum for the Faeries Oracle, and also look through the threads there. A number of people use the Fairy Ring, or use it concurrently with the Faeries Oracle and are knowledgeable about it.

scheherazade said:

"Don't knock on it because it's an oracle deck and not a tarot deck" or something like that.

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Perhaps they meant to say something like, “Don’t knock it because it’s an…”

Meaning in the American vernacular, not to insult it, or judge it harshly against another…

Soul Cards (which is one type of Oracle Deck) are wonderful, but very different from Tarot, and purchasing a deck with Tarot in mind, can lead to problems.

I have never heard of knocking on a deck, with the exception of in card playing as a sign by the eldest hand that the deck stands pat and should be deal sans cut.

Free reading with fairy ring...and Quest

...and Sacred Circle. I noticed that Scherazade (my spelling may be off-long name) posted about the Sacred Circle and went to check the free webtarot reading. I noticed that they also have Quest Tarot, a new photomontage deck, also in their free readings---link below:

http://www.webtarot.org/

Oracle decks are so individual...but the Sacred Circle and the Fairy Ring feel similar because it is the same designers.
Anyway, hope that helps the curious to try before they buy...the Fairy Ring is also included, so at least one can get a taste of sample meanings and images.
Best wishes,
Mari H.

scheherazade said:

I have the Fairy Ring Oracle, which is actually quite similar to traditional Tarot, save for the fact that in place of Major Arcana cards, there are eight season cards. It is somewhat different in reading, though. Could you tell me what you can about it?

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Hi Scheherazade, great questions! I think it is quite interesting how we differentiate between tarot and other decks by calling the other decks oracles ... although, if I am not mistaken Tarot is a form of oracle ~shakes head~ anyway .. the difference is in the structure (22 Majors, 56 mintors usually) and number of cards.

As for your Fairy Ring Oracle, I also own this deck and I love reading with this deck. I find there is a freedom outside of the tarot structure although I am a tarot-holic at heart. I have found the Fairy Ring easy to read with and very blunt (which I like in a deck). I do keep its use strictly to reading though.

We have several threads that go into detail about both the Faeries Oracle by Froud and the Fairy Ring Oracle here in this forum. I would post the links for you but don't know how ... sorry. I just bumped one of the threads up for you. If you have any specific question please feel free to ask it. There are several of us that use the Fairy Ring.

I've found your advice very useful, by the way. Mind that I'm always going to ask this forum about a deck before I buy.

i've moved the portion of this thread discussing the quest tarot, to the tarot deck forum under the new thread title 'quest tarot'.

bright blessings,
zorya
moderator, divination

I use the Healing with the Angels oracle deck and although I love it as much as my favourite tarot deck I've never laid a spread with it - I don't have to.
When I'm shuffling I always get cards that leap out and these are the ones that I read. I shuffle until one comes out, sometimes more than one and then I read those, it takes less than a minute for a card to come out. Its not very often I get leapers with my tarot decks so it was a shock when I first started using this deck and had these cards throwing themselves out lol.
And yet these cards are very good card stock and easy to shuffle - I think some of the oracle decks can be just as informative and helpful as a tarot deck, I know the Healing with the Angels one is.