I’ve been reading with regular playing cards for years before getting into tarot. The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the structure.
Tarot has that fixed 78-card system with Major and Minor Arcana. Oracle decks can have any number of cards with whatever themes the creator wants. Playing cards actually map pretty well onto the Minor Arcana (hearts=cups, diamonds=pentacles, etc.), which made learning tarot easier for me.
Oracle cards are different, though. I picked up a moonology oracle deck recently, and you can read more intuitively since you’re not bound by traditional meanings. Though sometimes I miss the depth and connected symbolism that comes with tarot’s established structure.
I guess tarot is like learning a language with grammar rules, oracle is like free-form poetry, and playing cards fall somewhere in between.
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I think your playing card background might give you a unique perspective here.
The oracle vs tarot debate comes up constantly. In fact, you’ll probably see plenty of other threads on it (if they’re not all contained in to one).
Both have their place. Neither is better or worse than the other. I wouldn’t put a lot of stock in anyone who tells you that one is right and the other is wrong. You can have a preference but they’re both great and most of the best readers I know will work with both happily.
The others are open to it, their style just prefers one or the other.
Tarot’s 78-card system gives you this incredible framework. Once you know it, you can pick up any deck and read. There are so many RWS clones out there and the symbolism builds on itself, especially in the Major Arcana where each card represents stages of growth.
It’s got many, many years of readers behind it and lots of documented advice on every combination and type of reading. You can draw from the wealth of other readers in the past using the exact same cards because they haven’t changed.
Oracle decks though… they let creators explore specific themes deeply. I have a shadow work oracle that goes places traditional tarot just doesn’t touch. And moonology decks like yours work brilliantly for timing and manifestation work.
Playing cards are actually how tarot started before all the esoteric symbolism got layered on. Some of the best readers I know still use a regular deck of cards. The court cards work the same way, and you already know the suits map perfectly.
Personally (and this is just me).
I tend to grab tarot for complex situations where I need that structured narrative, and oracle when I want direct guidance or I’m working with a specific energy.
You could absolutely do that the other way around.
Oracle decks are cool and all, but the traditional 78-card setup has been around since the 1400s. I’ve been pulling one Minor Arcana card daily lately. Just spending some time with it and thinking about the suits and their connections to tarot history.
I used regular playing cards before tarot, so I get where you’re coming from.
Tarot’s got 78 cards in a set structure, 22 Major Arcana that playing cards don’t have, and 56 Minor Arcana that share history with our regular deck. The structure’s been around for centuries now. What’s different about tarot is that the framework stays consistent. Playing cards work fine for readings, but tarot has those archetypal meanings everyone recognizes.
The Tower is The Tower, you know? Individual readers add their own interpretations, but the core stays the same.
Oracle decks, though, each creator just makes up whatever they want. For better or for worse.
Different number of cards, different meanings, different everything. People sometimes group Lenormand with oracle cards but that’s wrong. Lenormand has 36 specific cards and traditional reading methods. Takes actual practice to get good at it. They’re all card systems but they work completely differently.
I like mixing tarot with oracle cards sometimes. Pull your tarot for the core reading, then grab an oracle card if you want another perspective on it. The oracle cards tend to be more straightforward which can help when the tarot feels too abstract.
Been using the same tarot deck for 15 years. The main difference is that tarot has a set structure - always 78 cards, always the same breakdown. 22 major arcana, 56 minor arcana in 4 suits.
Oracle decks are whatever the creator wants them to be. Could be 30 cards, could be 100, no standard system at all. Once you learn tarot, you can pick up any deck and read with it since they all follow the same template (usually based on Rider Waite Smith).
With oracle decks, you’re starting fresh each time. I prefer having one deck I know really well. Mine’s pretty beat up at this point, but that’s part of it. The cards are soft, edges worn down, and I can read them without thinking too hard about meanings. There’s nothing wrong with oracle decks if that’s your thing. Plenty of people collect them. I just found it easier to focus on one system with centuries of material to study.
Tarot cards have been around for centuries, maintaining a specific framework of 78 cards, each with traditional names and symbolism. While artists can put their own spin on the imagery, they generally follow these established patterns. Tarot readings also follow well-known methods, like the Celtic Cross spread and the meaning of reversed cards. Picking up a tarot deck connects you to a rich history of shared understanding.
Oracle doesn’t have this history or structure. That doesn’t mean it isn’t as good or that it isn’t useful… but it doesn’t have centuries of other readers who have come before you and worked with the cards.
The lack of structure in oracle decks can be a pain. You basically have to learn a whole new language every time you get a new deck. I remember switching from my first oracle deck to my second one and being completely confused. The meanings were nothing alike and I kept mixing them up for weeks.
Has anyone else noticed oracle decks are harder to shuffle than tarot? My angel deck is really thick and glossy so I keep dropping cards. My regular tarot deck shuffles way easier.
I’ve been using both and noticed oracle and tarot do different things in readings.
With oracle you pull a card and it’s pretty much a complete thought or message right there. Tarot is more about combining cards to see the bigger picture. You probably wouldn’t use a bunch of oracle decks together since each one has its own vibe.
But tarot spreads are built for multiple cards working together. Took me a while to figure out why oracle + tarot readings felt strange at first. They’re just meant to be used in different ways I guess.
Oracle cards are great for daily pulls I usually grab 1-3 cards in the morning for a quick bit of inspiration.
They’re pretty straightforward and don’t require much interpretation. Tarot goes deeper. It’s better for when you’re facing big decisions or need more detailed guidance about what’s going on in your life. Each card has layers of meaning that can shed light on different aspects of your situation. What I like about tarot is that sometimes the cards bring up things you weren’t even thinking about. Not always what you want to hear, but often what you need to consider.
Even though oracle decks are supposed to be all flexible and whatever, I still end up creating mental patterns with them. Like with the moon phases, I automatically start connecting them and making my own little system. I feel like I’m only getting part of the story compared to the Tarot.
I’ve been collecting different decks and one thing that stood out, tarot always has 78 cards. Like that Tolkien quote about deciding what to do with the time we’re given, except with tarot you get exactly 78 cards to work with. Oracle decks don’t follow any rules though. You might get 44 angel cards in one deck or 52 plant cards in another. Each creator just builds whatever they feel like. It’s nice having both options. Some days I want tarot’s structure, other days I grab an oracle deck instead. Depends on the reading really.
My friend got a new oracle deck and we tried it out yesterday - only 44 cards in the whole thing. Kind of threw me off since I’m used to tarot’s 78. Still worked fine for the reading. Oracle decks don’t have all that structure like tarot does with the Major Arcana and the Fool’s experience. Different vibe but the messages came through clearly enough.