MoonGypsy
Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot by Poppy Palin. 
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Tarot Decks that "feel" more like oracles
sapienza
Celtic Wisdom.
I know there are more. I think 'theme' decks are often more oracle-like because the theme dominates rather than the traditional tarot structure.
I know there are more. I think 'theme' decks are often more oracle-like because the theme dominates rather than the traditional tarot structure.
Emily
The Animal Wise by Ted Andrews.
Carla
Basically, any tarot deck which I fail to understand must be an Oracle...
(I wonder if others have the same criteria?)
Any deck that has so many "extras" that you need to have the book to interpret the reading.
I totally agree. If I cannot understand a deck as a tarot, it's an oracle. Might as well do as AJ does, and just hack off the borders and titles and just go by the pictures.
Also agree, if you have to keep using the book to see how the card is supposed to relate to its traditional meaning...it doesn't. It's an oracle.
greatdane
Reading your comments, I am going yes, yes, that's true, yes. Carla, you talked about having to refer to a book to see how it correlates to it's traditional meanings, not tarot, I agree. If you need a separate decoder.... Sapienza, theme decks, so true. Many of these decks seem much more about the designer's artwork and theme than about tarot....so oracle to me if the traditional meaning isn't much in evidence. Penthasilia, I agree with the extras. And yes, if Le Fanu doesn't get it as tarot, it's likely I won't either!
BodhiSeed
If I were to ever buy the Mary El, I'm sure I would use it more as an oracle than a tarot.
Bhavana
I agree with much of what is said here, esp. the Wildwood and the Silicon Dawn - the latter of which I sometimes find pretty useless for either - still haven't quite figured that one out. I'd like to add the Wheel of Change. Some may not agree - and truth is, I use this deck as both and oracle and a tarot - but feel that most times it is just too busy, and the the author's intent too different from traditional tarot. I like it, though.
I also use the Animals Devine as an oracle - when I bother to use it at all.
I also use the Animals Devine as an oracle - when I bother to use it at all.
greatdane
Question Please
For those of you who do see some tarot decks as oracles, what is the "tipping point" to make that call? Is it a combination of factors like renaming suits and cards that don't seem to have a traditional meaning? For me, I'll use the Wildwood as an example, ok I was fine with the renaming of suits, not hard to figure out (although really, why do so many designers feel a need to go from the traditional pents/coins, wands/stakes/batons, etc). But looking at the ten of arrows, which I equate with ten of swords, I went, I'm sorry, what? OK OK, I know it's based on the Wheel of the Year, which is just another reason I went, this is going to be an oracle for me. I wonder if some designers stick with the rough number of cards and roughtly similar suits, just so they can call it tarot over oracle because....? It would sell easier? I am trying to figure out why some designers who really wish to do something different from any traditional form of tarot (RWS, Thoth, Marseilles), still want to call it tarot.
For those of you who do see some tarot decks as oracles, what is the "tipping point" to make that call? Is it a combination of factors like renaming suits and cards that don't seem to have a traditional meaning? For me, I'll use the Wildwood as an example, ok I was fine with the renaming of suits, not hard to figure out (although really, why do so many designers feel a need to go from the traditional pents/coins, wands/stakes/batons, etc). But looking at the ten of arrows, which I equate with ten of swords, I went, I'm sorry, what? OK OK, I know it's based on the Wheel of the Year, which is just another reason I went, this is going to be an oracle for me. I wonder if some designers stick with the rough number of cards and roughtly similar suits, just so they can call it tarot over oracle because....? It would sell easier? I am trying to figure out why some designers who really wish to do something different from any traditional form of tarot (RWS, Thoth, Marseilles), still want to call it tarot.
Bhavana
I think a lot of the designers stray from the traditional because they want their deck to be different, special....but for me, it's a turnoff. I can't be bothered having to look something up every third or fourth card. The Wildwood was a huge disappointment, I was expecting so much from it....but other than a few tries, it never comes out of it's box. Most of the human characters in it are butt-ugly, too.
greatdane
Ah, the Wildwood. Well, Bhavana, I am still reading through the book as it doesn't resonate as tarot with me. I think it may wind up being a kind of "tarocle" or a meditation deck. I haven't given up on reading with it, but no way can I read with it like my other tarot decks. Even though Psycards is not a tarot deck, it felt more like tarot than the Wildwood did. I agree some designers seem to be looking for a new "hook" for their deck to get peeps to buy it. It is more of a RUN FROM than RUN TO ploy as far as my tarot spendng dollars go. I enjoy seeing new artwork and wish more designers would stick to letting their art speak for itself rather than trying to set up a whole new system to read it with. If they wish to veer greatly from standard tarot systems with their deck, I wish they would just call it an oracle, forgot the suits and number of cards and do something truly different. But maybe it's because just using the word "tarot" sells better than calling something an oracle, so they use the suit names, etc?
