Tarot or Oracle?

I propably sound like a complete Newbie...But
I would Like to know what is the difference between oracle cards tarot cards.
Oracle: No major- minor arcana.
Tarot:major - minor arcana
Is that it, or there is other differences?
Thanks
mm

Tarot cards have set means that most decks follow.
Tarot decks always have 78 cards(some decks may have a extra card or two)
With Oracle cards, each deck follows its own rules.

Unknownspirit said:

Tarot decks always have 78 cards (some decks may have a extra card or two)

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The Minchiate Tarot has 97 cards, 41 trumps instead of 22 major arcane.

KK

Really... well then tarot has "at least" 78 cards.

Unknownspirit said:

Really... well then tarot has "at least" 78 cards.

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Hi and thank you!
then what about some decks with only 22 Majors? they are still Tarot? right?
thanks
Mm
still little confused...

Moon mind said:

Hi and thank you!
then what about some decks with only 22 Majors? they are still Tarot? right?
thanks
Mm

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Yes, they're still tarot - that would be a Major's only deck.

Most complete tarot deck have a Major and a Minor Arcana and the Minor arcana is divided into 4 suits.
Oracle decks tend to have no set structure.

kilts_knave said:

The Minchiate Tarot has 97 cards, 41 trumps instead of 22 major arcane.

KK

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I don't think the Minchiate Tarot actually qualifies as a tarot, so the name is actually deceiving. It is a Minchiate deck, not true tarot. But they are very closely related.

truelighth said:

I don't think the Minchiate Tarot actually qualifies as a tarot

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Actually, it is, because the majors are synonymous with "classical" majors and have the same meanings. There are the classical 4 suits that are read identically. The extra zodiac and elements are not oracle cards, and the added ecclesiastical virtues are merely an extension of the 78 tarot. Sometimes I take cards out and read with just the 78, too, and I don't change my reading style when I read with my Minchiate, either.

The modern game of Tarot only uses 62 cards, is that right? And I believe the game of minchiate is played very similarly.

Take this analogy: If you are playing solitaire that uses 2 decks instead of just one, or you are playing canasta with 4 decks and all but four "10's" removed -aren't you still playing with a standard deck?

KK

Ok, that makes sense. I can be mistaken of course. I just thought that officially the Minchiate didn't qualify as a real tarot, just like the Mantegna is not a real Tarot. Dunno where I got that idea from really.

I had that question when I started the Minchiate Reading Exchange -and Solandia allowed it as "tarot" even though some consider it not to be. I think the litmus test are the 4 standard suits and the major arcana as "separate" from those. Compared to other oracle decks out there (and some "tarot" decks out there -you know, the ones with stones as pentacles, and knives as swords, etc.), the minchiate is very much a tarot, IMHumbleO. I didn't think this way at first until I started actually using it as all the extra cards were quite intimidating.