Im new.....

Just a quick question....what is the difference between Oracle and Tarot cards??

My Mom has both and she has been using Healing with the fairies oracle cards to assist me.

Thanks....and im excited to be here

Welcome Skeptic. Tarot cards generally have 78 cards to them, which include 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. Oracle decks can be any number of cards. A very popular deck of cards that falls into the oracle deck collection are playing cards--and you can learn about using them to read fortunes here on A.T. also. Once in awhile, you will find a tarot deck that has 79 cards in them, and generally the extra card is 'blank' for you, the owner to assign a meaning to it. However, oracle cards can also have this as well.

glad to see you here, and I hope you'll continue to come on here to learn and share your findings in tarot and oracle reading!

To add to what Celticnoodle said:

TAROT: 78 cards, broken down into 22 Major Arcana cards, and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The minors are further divided into four suits pentacles, wands, swords cups (suit names may vary somewhat but these are the most common). Each suit has Ace through 10 and four court cards page, knight, queen, king (again some variation is seen in the naming of the courts, but this is one of the most common). Each suit has an elemental correspondence: cups=water; wands=fire (or air); swords=air (or fire); pentacles=earth. Again there is some variation in elemental correspondence depending on the deck, but those are the most common. Tarot is a type of oracle, as playing cards can also be as noted by Celticnoodle.

ORACLES: Oracle decks as broken down on this web site, are divination decks that are not tarot. They come in many many variations and each is unique in number of cards, theme, structure, and how to use them. I find them easier to learn as they are typically less complicated.

Both tarot and oracles can be used in divination, and I don't believe one to be better than the other, it comes down to a matter of personal preferance. Personally I love studying tarot, so I tend to lean more towards tarot, but I have some oracles I absolutly love using. Hope this helps answer your question.

Thanks for the input!!! I am still learning about the whole process and have been very surprised and glad about the responses to my questions.

Thanks a bunch and i look forward to participating on these forums.

I'm also interested in oracles. I understand the structural difference between tarot and oracles.

What other differences are there, though. Like in the nature or character of readings? Or is the difference between oracle and tarot the same differences between tarot decks?

Do you reach for oracles for certain types of questions and tarot for others?

Also, in another thread someone mentioned the issue of memorizing meanings. Are oracles useful enough to warrant learning a new system?

Okay. That's enough for now.

GypsyHeart said:

What other differences are there, though. Like in the nature or character of readings? Or is the difference between oracle and tarot the same differences between tarot decks?

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Personally that is really the only difference I see between them. The Tarot is in essence a more intricate oracle, which has many layers or meaning. The more you know about tarot and some of the esoteric elements (elemental correspondence, numerology, astrology, etc) the more depth you can add to your readings though you do not have dig that deep to use tarot effectively if you don't want to. If you love to study though, the things you can discover studying tarot are endless and amazing and when you transfer those things into a reading it is pretty neat. Just remember, tarot is a type or classification of oracle.

GypsyHeart said:

Do you reach for oracles for certain types of questions and tarot for others?

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Not really, just depends on what I feel like using. Both can answer questions. Many oracle decks are themed, which can limit the types of questions you use them for, but many are very versitile and can deal with any questions just as tarot does. It all comes down to personal preference.

GypsyHeart said:

Also, in another thread someone mentioned the issue of memorizing meanings. Are oracles useful enough to warrant learning a new system?

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I don't subscribe to memorizing meanings. Book meanings are someone's opnion based on their experience, but as you become familiar with an oracle or tarot deck you will have your own thoughts to add to those, and may even disagree with some of what they determine the meaning to be. I find written meanings to be great guides. The problem I find with memorizing meanings is that meanings are given to you on a card by card basis, not in the context of a spread or combination of cards where the cards influence one and other. So I look at the given meanings as a guide to inherent characteristics of a particular card, and then based on what is in a spread with them realized their meaning can and probalby will shift based on the influences around it.

Many of the oracles are quite easy to learn to use, and personally I like variety so for me personally I think they are definelty useful enough to warrant learning. But again this is a personal preference thing.

Thank you, Jewel.

That all makes sense. I've only played with oracles a little and usually pawing through the book looking up the meanings.

Oracles might be a nice exercise for me to stretch my intuition and imagination. Sometimes I fear I'm in a rut with tarot...even with new decks. Maybe a little quality time with some oracles and no books might jump start the ol' imagination.

Maybe it'll be a bit like eating a sorbet between courses...making everything all that much better.

GypsyHeart, you are more than welcome.

There are tons of neat oracles out there. My most favorite is the Faeries Oracle by Brian Froud, and I have been using it for about 7 years or so. If want something really different than tarot, like faeries, and want something different but easy and fun to use this is a great one. The book that comes with it is fabulous, and if you start by doing the exercises in the book it you can gain confidence with it pretty easily. We also have a long time study group for this deck where you can find and get all kinds answers. This deck is definelty not for everyone, but it is unique and an adventure Excellent intuitive deck.

I also like the Fairy Ring, and that is one that I personally find about as intuitive as a doornail. If you took my book away, you might as well take my deck too *LOL*. However, I do the spread analize card by card, then read through it all and summarize it all and it gives incredibly direct and useful readings.

The Victorian Flower Oracle is another one I really like, and I know nothing about flower meanings *LOL*. The more I use this deck the more intuitive it gets.

I am currently exploring all kinds of animal type oracles. Again I do not know a whole lot about animal symbolism, but I find it interesting. I still paw through the books when I use these oracles (and probably will for some time), read what they say, put it into context with question, and add anything else I see.

Oracles are fun, and are a shift from tarot which like you said, can be very refreshing for those of us that are more tarot inclined. Just explore some of the deck threads in this section of AT and I am sure you will find the perfect oracle(s) for you. Do let me know when you get one, I would be interesting to learn which one you are playing with