A lot of people who know tarot cards will also have a strong interest in oracle cards. Oracle cards make us feel that they come from the guidance of heaven's cosmic energy with exquisite patterns and beautiful words.

However, after starting with oracle cards, we will find that it is difficult to master the oracle cards with inertial thinking of tarot cards. This is because the oracle card has many characteristics that are distinct from tarot cards. And these differences are worth exploring.

We will tell the differences between oracle cards and tarot cards from the aspects of their structures, meanings, divination and space and time.

Structure Difference

Tarot Cards

The current standard tarot cards are composed of 78 cards, which are divided into 22 big cards and 56 small cards. This division standard has been recognized in the circle of Tarot.

There are 80 tarot cards in some versions, that is because some of them are advertising cards or empty cards specially designed by designers, but the structure of 78 cards is often fixed.

In addition to the fixed card numbers, its cards are also divided into big cards, small cards, scepter group, sword group, holy grail group, star coin group, number card, character card, etc. Plus that, different versions of tarot cards will also see cards with the same name, such as fool, magician, Scepter 1 and so on. This shows that the tarot is a card with a fixed standard and structure.

Oracle Cards

Generally speaking, oracle cards with different themes will have different numbers of cards, including 44, 50, 49, etc. The specific number of cards in the whole deck depends on its creator. Some oracle cards also have a numerical serial number, but this serial number is often meaningless, just for marking (while the numerical serial number on tarot cards has a spiritual number)

In addition to the above, it is difficult to find cards with the same name in different decks of oracle card. Even if there are the same name, we will find that their meanings are very different.

Therefore, the oracle card has no fixed standard and structure, and each deck of cards is unique, so we need to learn and master each deck of cards separately.

Meaning Difference

Tarot Cards

Tarot is a rigorous and rational discipline. It is mentioned in the classic tarot learning book “Tarot Sunflower Classic” that the meaning of tarot card is divided into: core card meaning, common card meaning and personal card meaning.

Core meaning and common meaning are the most fundamental meaning of tarot cards. Basically, there will be no difference due to different versions of cards. We can learn from many classic meaning books.

Personal card meaning is the card meaning summarized by Tarot diviners according to their long-term practice. It is more expansive and practical, but it also has personal style.

Personal card meaning will not affect our learning of tarot cards. At the beginning, we can learn and master the basic meaning of tarot cards through relevant books and courses.

Oracle Cards

However, the study of oracle card is a lot more casual and personal. The oracle card we start with will be accompanied by a card meaning manual, which is written by the card creator based on his original design.

But the creator's card meaning is not equal to your meaning of using this card. Different use directions can determine the meaning of the oracle card you choose.

If you want to meditate, you can go on smoothly without using its card meaning.

If you want to use the card as a life guide, you can directly use the contents of the card meaning manual.

If you want to divine for others, the interpretation of the meaning of the card is very important. You need to analyze its correspondence in the real situation from multiple aspects, such as the card surface pattern, card name, oracle sentence, card meaning manual, etc., that is, you should learn to realize the seemingly ethereal spiritual oracle information.

Because different oracle cards are created by different creators, the meaning of each card needs to be learned separately, which can not be reused. It is difficult to adapt all oracle cards with standardized meaning books, which can not be realized basically.

Although there are many kinds of oracle cards, we could choose the cards we need to learn.

Divination Difference

Tarot Cards

The divination of tarot cards is biased towards objective facts and logic. People who play tarot cards should know that it is very convenient to use tarot cards to predict the future. However, when asked whether he or she loves me, it is difficult to give a clear answer because the question is too subjective and emotional.

Tarot cards are rational and critical. The number 2 female Pope symbolizes the differentiation of duality, the number 14 moderation presents the communication of duality, and the number 21 world shows the integration of duality. In fact, the whole 20 big cards (except the number 0 fool) are changing between division and integration, which leads us to see both the good and bad sides in each card.

So we can see that Tarot has its own duality, which is difficult to give a very definite final answer, and always has the content after the turning point.

Oracle Cards

The oracle card makes up for the defect of tarot divination to some extent. The message of the Oracle card comes from the universe, so it is spiritual. We can link it through the body, heart and spirit levels.

We can roughly believe that the oracle card itself is a perceptual cosmic energy. In the Oracle card, we can see sentences of soul chicken soup style, which can always iron our hearts. This shows that the oracle message understands our inner world and is connecting with our hearts.

The Oracle card is very good at subjective divination. It can always give accurate answers to subjective emotional questions such as "what does he feel about me", "does he really like me" and "what does he think about this matter". It can even judge the depth of feelings. It is deep love or a little favor.

In The End

Now, knowing the above differences, I think you can distinguish between tarot cards and oracle cards. Of course, if you can combine them, you will get amazing results.  

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