Oraculed Tarot

[Falcor]

Or is it Taroted Oracle?

There are many decks on the market today that go too far away from being tarot as we know it. Usually those are very creative(bye bye classic) and they require a different system of understanding(reading with it) based on deck's theme and creator's definitions/ideas.

Medicine Woman tarot and Chrystalis tarot are example of what I mean. I am sure that many of you have such a type of deck and maybe even more then one. Do you see it as Oracle? As Tarot? As something in between?

Does the deck(as a different system) clicks with you or more frustrates you and you just put it away?

 

[Alta]

I enjoy a deck that makes me re-think a card from an unusual direction as long as it expands the meaning and doesn't come up with a meaning that is so radically different that I cannot make it fit my usual number/element model. All the cards have a broad range of meaning but if every card can mean anything, then there is a no meaning, it is an oracle with its own system.

 

[gregory]

On the whole, I can handle decks that have 56 minors and 22 majors - or even a few extras, or an extra suit. I can almost always get those to fit what I know (leaving aside that I read weird, of course ) And if it has a real system, I am prepared to give it a shot anyway.

But things like Osho Zen I CANNOT see as Tarot. It just... - no.

 

[danieljuk]

Perhaps we are too set in our labels or definitions to make them fit groupings, I mean obviously AT is a forum and has to have defined sections and tarot decks are oracles which follow a tarot structure. But outside of that we can just get a deck for what it is! Unless we really want a definite traditional structure, I like the pushing of boundaries.

I think the Osho Zen is the best example of the closest to being a grey area between the two. Gregory is totally right about it and the issue with it is that the suit system, courts and majors are so messy! The structure is hard to work out because it's loose. It's much easier to use it as an oracle and just use each card individually for what it is but the author / creator based it on tarot. She defined it as tarot and AT classes it as tarot (with a study group in that area and everything). Ultimately it's so close to being an oracle because it doesn't have the tarot structure implemented well and that is the only bit I don't like about the deck because you are supposed to understand if the card is Major or Minor, what suit, if it's a court card but in reality they all merge to be the same (apart from Swords / Clouds where every card is negative). She didn't really have an understanding of the places in a 78 card traditional structure. But that is an issue with a deck, if a deck creator wants to really push the boundaries on the traditional tarot system I am all for it! You've got to add something to a successful traditional structure though when creating that.

 

[DesertDream]

I like decks that push the boundery lines and I do agree the decks oracle and tarot lines can be fuzzed a bit nowadays. But I agree with Alta, I mean tarot should still have difineable lines that make it a tarot but welcome a deck different from the norm. Chysalis drives me crazy though! And I see Mary El as different but would love to have it even though its very Tarot like still. But every artist has their own different take on it and I think if there is at least 78 cards -22 majors-56 pips at the very basics.... then tecniqal wise its a tarot, no matter how far it strays because i mean no one has a monopoly on how Tarot "should" look like. Its a skeleton that takes the forms of all different types of "flesh" the creator gives it. It is one of the things i love most bout tarot.....but I still dont like Chrysalis

 

[rylla]

I enjoy a deck that makes me re-think a card from an unusual direction as long as it expands the meaning and doesn't come up with a meaning that is so radically different that I cannot make it fit my usual number/element model. All the cards have a broad range of meaning but if every card can mean anything, then there is a no meaning, it is an oracle with its own system.

Ditto.