Difference between Tarot and Oracle

[Pagan X]

Some publishers use the term "Tarot" on packages of cards because, heck, it's cards, it tells fortunes, must be Tarot. So you get things like "Runic Tarot" and "I Ching Tarot".

I think "Oracle" is also driven by marketing, to get away from "Tarot" which has an occult connotation. Hence, Angel Oracle, Fairy Oracle, Archangel Oracle, yad yada. Those can be placed in religious bookstores that might not carry Tarots.

"Oracle" sounds classier than "fortunetelling", but people really use them for the same thing. Fortunetelling, poor mere fortunetelling, has a bad rap these days.

One Example of The Power Of Labeling is (follow this carefully) is the deck put out by Llewllyn as "The Rune Oracle". As it is a deck of cards, they could have called it a "Rune Tarot", but what they did wind up doing is changing the name, and the box color, calling it "Witches Runes"

It is still cards. It is still the Elder Futhark. It is, in fact, a rather nice deck of Rune Cards. It is not especially Witchy or Wiccan.

 

[Papageno]

Some publishers use the term "Tarot" on packages of cards because, heck, it's cards, it tells fortunes, must be Tarot. So you get things like "Runic Tarot" and "I Ching Tarot".

being something of a purist, I hate those decks. if it's runes they'd better be etched in small stones and I-Ching is best facilitated by way of yarrow stalks.
IMHO

I think "Oracle" is also driven by marketing, to get away from "Tarot" which has an occult connotation. Hence, Angel Oracle, Fairy Oracle, Archangel Oracle, yad yada. Those can be placed in religious bookstores that might not carry Tarots.

I had no idea oracles were sold in religious stores, wow.
no offense meant to anybody here but there seems to be a conflict of interest since divination is frowned upon by The Church.

"Oracle" sounds classier than "fortunetelling", but people really use them for the same thing. Fortunetelling, poor mere fortunetelling, has a bad rap these days.

One Example of The Power Of Labeling is (follow this carefully) is the deck put out by Llewllyn as "The Rune Oracle". As it is a deck of cards, they could have called it a "Rune Tarot", but what they did wind up doing is changing the name, and the box color, calling it "Witches Runes"

It is still cards. It is still the Elder Futhark. It is, in fact, a rather nice deck of Rune Cards. It is not especially Witchy or Wiccan.

there's a cultural thing going on with that. fortunetelling is widely used and accepted almost everywhere in the world except America because of it's Puritan roots. In Italy there are a huge number of TV channels devoted to nothing but Miss Cleo type personalities.

In Asia and Africa, going to the fortune teller is like grocery shopping.
Important business deals and marriages all hinge on astrological influences etc.
I can't sepak for the mid east but I do recall someone posting a small NY Times article about the popularity of fortune telling in Iran, with a picture of a young woman seated with the Morgan Greer and playing cards spread out before her and the client.

In these countries fortune telling per se does not have a bad rep, just individual fortune tellers.