Tarot vs Oracle(?)

[Hania.FTD]

So I've tried learning Tarot cards, their meanings, etc, and for me they haven't stuck. Tried having a paper copy of meanings as I'm doing my own readings, and for me, it doesn't make sense/doesn't work with what I'm asking (according to the meaning).

Yet I find a Oracle deck that looks interesting enough, buy it, flip through all of the cards and give them a good look with my heart open (not looking at the pamphlet at first), and for some reason I pick up on them rather well. After reading the pamphlet enclosed, most of what I felt while looking at each card was what I felt like it ought to mean (with rare exception).

Am I weird for "bonding" better with Oracle decks, or do I just need to spend more time with Tarot to make it work? Anyone else have the same "issue", or is this just a preference?

Thanks!

[tealily]

Different courses for different horses?

The way you describe working with Oracle decks feels like how I (currently) work with my Tarot decks. Although I should probably insert some sort of 'well, regardless of which you pick, the choice of deck can really make a difference..." reference in here too.

Accuracy-wise, they appear to be about the same (case study: the tarot/oracle practice thread a lovely raging example of how people are drawn towards different decks/spreads/whatever) so whatever floats your boat :)

[Hania.FTD]

Thanks tealily, I was wanting to learn Tarot because whichever deck you pick up (illustration wise) they are constant and you can talk about them with whomever also uses a Tarot deck, and the meaning stays "the same", but it's not quite so with Oracle cards. It's sometimes hard to find people who happen to have the same deck because each of us are drawn to different oracle decks.

I picked up my first Oracle deck (surprisingly enough in my college bookstore) and liked it enough that I started doing it in secret, as both my parents and the Christian background I had strictly forbade the use of it. For a while I used it, then didn't feel the need, and one day I pitched the deck because my parents almost found it. I really wish I remembered what it was called/where to get a copy of it again, because that deck *really* spoke to me.

After I got rid of my first oracle deck, I've had a hard time bonding with a new deck pre-opening of the box, but I finally found one that I like enough, and I'm also in the process of making my own modeled after an online game I play. I've still got to do a lot of work on it, but I'm looking forward to having the cards printed and using them.

[tealily]

ahhh you know who we need? Pisces Moon. Let's all huddle quietly and think her name over and over...

(although there are several other dual-readers on this forum and I'm sure hearing from any of them would be very useful for you )

Hey Presto!!!!!!! Here I am.

I'll post my full repose in a little while (it'll be quite long) and hopefully helpful.
Just letting you know I've seen the post and acknowledging I've read it

[FairyCrystal]

Could be that your medium is oracle cards, not Tarot, but since you connect so easily to cards, I'm inclined to think you can easily work with Tarot too.
I think you somehow shut down your intuition with the Tarot, because you feel you now have to stick to the default interpretations, whereas with oracle cards you allow yourself full freedom of interpretation.

First you indeed have to find a deck that appeals to you. And then you do the exact same thing you do with the oracle cards. You go through each and every one of them, which will take time as there's 78, lol. And you write down whatever you feel for each card. So you create your own Tarot guide.
If you then start doing small readings, daycards to start with. At the end of the day, see if what you wrote down was right, if not, what did the card mean for that day?
By doing that, you will get more insight into the interpretations of a card.
Do 3 card readings, nothing too complicated yet. First you gotta open yourself up to the cards, and doing these 1 and 3 card readings for a while (at least a month of daycards), will pay off.

Consult both your own guide as well as other books for interpretations but don't let either limit you. I use them to trigger my intuition. So when I skim/read through them, I'm not looking to find the exact right answer in there - although that can happen as well. But usually the descriptions trigger my intuition, causing the right answer to come up.

In a way it's about letting go, yet still sticking to the original interpretation, but in a very broad sense of it.
That sounds contradictory I suppose. Take the Death card as an example. If you think: "Oh, I'm going to die!!" you shut down. Intuition gone. Reading down the drain. Shake it off, forget about that limiting thought, and really look at the picture. Intuit. What does it tell you in this situation?
Can be anything from changing jobs, ending a relationship, to -as a daycard- your car breaking down and having to walk all the way home. (Daycards are seldom as drastic as cards in a larger reading, that's why doing daycards can be so broadening to the Tarot mind!)

So don't force yourself to stick to default interpretations, allow your intuition to roam free! Basically that's what it (all cards) should do: trigger and guide what you already know.

I use both tarot and oracle cards, finding each are good for different types of readings.

Most people who prefer oracles say they feel it is more 'free style' than tarot and feel they can let their intuition go when interpreting the imagery. Most, although not all, Oracle decks are unstructured , and have no set system. They can however be limited by their theme. There are decks for love, spirituality, goddesses and gods even crystal energy, with varying artistic styles. So a person can find a deck that 'speaks' to them (all this means is that they find the images trigger thoughts and feelings).

Tarot however has its set structure, the Majors, the Court cards and the Minors, each pertaining to different things. We are taught, at the beginning that Cups are about 'love', Pentacles about 'money' etc etc. Court cards we are led to believe are supposed to represent people, and this is where the difficulty, people have with tarot, lies.
It also has cards that people see as negative, (Death, The Devil, 3 and 10 of Swords) however, these cards show our insecurities and fears as human beings. Life is not all goodness and there are things in life that have a negative impact on us or that we fear. Oracles (and some tarort decks) avoid a lot of this, but we still end up having to face them anyway.

The best way to get to grips with tarot is to find a deck whose imagery/artwork really speaks to you. The Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck has the most study books available, however there are hundreds of RWS style decks on the market with much better artwork that can be a first deck.

Tarot is, itself, an oracle. It is not an ancient, mystical entity that leads to the answers of the mystery of the universe. It does not get 'possessed by negative entities', and it is not something that needs to be treated as some sacred treasure. It is pieces of card with pictures printed on it and usually manufactured in its thousands.
It will not make you 'psychic' or give you the ability to converse with the deceased. It is a tool, just like an oracle deck, that allows you to tap into that quiet voice inside, the one we call the higher self, the Divine self, the goddess, the god, angels, intuition, collective unconscious (call it what you like, call it Bert if you want) it is the exact same thing under different names.
Right rant over.
The issue with tarot, as opposed to oracle, is, beginners feel confined by what they read in the companion book aka, LWB. We have 78 cards, and are given approx 78 meanings/ keywords in the book. Now the fun bit. .......... every card is adaptable to every question asked, as long as it is kept within a specifc parameter.

Hypothetical question from, let's say, a friend called Bob, . Oooh I'm off to Fred s party on Friday, tell me what's going to happen.
You pull the 4 of Cups from the RWS. Ok it could be one of many things for example,
Fred s party is so boring you end up falling asleep.
You have too much to drink and feel ill
You were so busy feeling awkward that you missed that really hot girl offering you a drink.

Not one mention of love or emotions

Or you pull Queen of Wands
It could be Fred 's wife, she always knows how to put on a great party.
It could be telling you, that you are going to be the centre of attention with your excellent social skills and warm personality.
It may be that hot girl with the drinks, flirting shamelessly with you all night

This could be another person, it may be Bob.

Just like an oracle, the tarot is wide open where interpretations go.

If you are determined to learn tarot, honestly approach it as an oracle deck. Use the images to show you what is happening, use the question to guide you into how the cards fit.

Start a tarot journal writing down what each card says to you. I have one for every deck I own (and we're talking in excess of 30 decks). Some of my journals are into volume 3 full of thoughts about each cards, how it shows up in regard to a question.
Start with the Minors 1 through to 10, then when you feel you have some understanding of them, go into the court cards. Eventually go onto the Majors. It takes time (it's an ongoing learning process)
It does take time and effort to learn tarot, oracles are pretty much an instant 'hit' but can be an excellent jumping off point to start your tarot journey. Flexing the intuitive muscle makes it stronger.

I don't know if you do a daily draw with your oracle, I would suggest pulling a tarot card at the end of each day asking ' tell me something about my day' and looking to see if anything clicks with the cards you pull and any instance where it might ring a bell with daily events. AND WRITE IT DOWN!!!!!! I can't emphasise this enough, keep notes, they all add up into your very own tarot book.

[FairyCrystal]

You tell the same thing I did, in different words :)
Great minds? LOL
I still keep adding stuff to my journal. It's like an eternal journey and discovery, isn't it!

@FairyCrystal

Haha yeah, I was probably typing my response at the same time as you were posting. Synchronicity at its best

[Hania.FTD]

Thanks for the advice you guys! :) I'll have to look and see if I can find a deck that I like the artwork for.

I'm wondering if I should make my own/personalize it so that way it "speaks" more to me, or if I should just get over it and buy one that I like fair enough to keep up with.