Meet Cathy, who's lived most everywhere,
From Zanzibar to Berkeley Square*
But Patty's only seen the sights
A girl can see from Brooklyn Heights -
What a crazy pair!
But they're cousins,
Identical cousins all the way.
One pair of matching bookends,
Different as night and day.
Where Cathy adores a minuet,
The Ballets Russe, and crepe suzette,
Our Patty loves to rock and roll,
A hot dog makes her lose control -
What a wild duet!
Still, they're cousins,
Identical cousins and you'll find,
They laugh alike, they walk alike,
At times they even talk alike -
You can lose your mind,
When cousins are two of a kind.
Since my mind is firmly set on 60s Universal Time, no matter the time zone, my references are quite often older than I am. Or at least older than a Twist 'n Turn Barbie (there. There's another 6UT reference for ya). So when I was met with a particular situation this past weekend while doing a tarot reading event, my mind went to Patty Duke,
Educate yourself if you need to, oh sweet baby milennials, but Patty Duke, child star extraordinaire, had her own TV show wherein she portrayed Cathy and Patty, a pair of identical cousins who are as different as a peanut butter cup and a Stoli. The theme song is the ultimate Mid-Mod earworm and Ms. Duke's performance was delightful.
Oh, but the particular situation. Ah, yes ...
At this event, a querent admitted she had never had a tarot reading before, but "had a friend read her oracle cards for me, so I guess that's the same thing???", her voice roving upwards in a mix of confusion, innocence, and embarrassment. Since I was only giving mini readings, I really didn't have the time to go into a diatribe about the differences and similarities of the two divinatory tools. I will do so here:
THEY ARE NOT THE SAME. NOPE. JUST STOP THAT!
Tarot cards are oracle cards, but oracle cards are NOT tarot cards. They're divination tools that are easy-to-use, portable, and engaging - and they're in card form. But like Patty and Cathy, that's where the similarities end.
Tarot cards: The thumbnail sketch of their origins is sketchy, but may very well date back to 14th century Italy, where the mystical teachings were hunted down by the church, so practitioners of the occult fashioned a deck of cards that contained all the mysteries. No one would suspect such magick inside a simple deck of playing cards, right? The tarot has 78 cards, comprised of 22 major arcana (the major life lessons, rich with archetypal imagery), and 56 minor arcana cards (I often refer to these as the day-to-day lessons).
Now, your tarot cards can come in all sorts of themes, from Baroque cats (Yes, dressed in nifty Baroque ensembles, velvety and ornate) to Bowie (also dressed in Baroque ensembles, velvety and ornate, but more glittery). But they should, IMO, follow the classic Rider-Waite-Smith format and archetypal imagery. I utilize the imagery heavily when I read, and also use it in my coaching (when requested). Yes, there's the Thoth tarot and a couple other decks that veer away from RWS. Those actually give me a headache. No, I mean an actual headache. The imagery doesn't resonate with me, doesn't connect with my third eye, and confuses my spirit guides to no end. Follow the imagery that contains the wisdom of the universe. Follow the keys to self discovery the tarot is so richly prepared to yield. (yep, that sounds so New Agey, but it's fitting so I'm sticking to it). Follow that.
That's it, in a nutshell. That's tarot.
Oracle cards: That would be all the other decks that aren't tarot. The tip off: a tarot deck should have 78 cards (although some have a few more when the deck creator decides to add some additional cards. The Psychic Tarot, for instance, adds chakra cards. But otherwise, they're solidly tarot). Oracle cards might have 36 cards. 50 cards. 44 cards. Whatever number of cards. But they don't follow the major arcana/minor arcana/78 card format of the true tarot.
(Important Note: When I see a listing on Amazon for a tarot deck and it doesn't fall in line with that criteria, I want to get in my car, drive to wherever the deck was made, get out of my car, walk up to the deck creator's door, knock on the door, the door opens by the person who created the deck. I then slap them for calling the deck a tarot deck, get back in my car, and drive home, whistling a happy, contented tune).
So, yes, oracle decks are lovely and can be very helpful in giving you insight into questions, situations in life, rough spots to overcome, much like the tarot does, However, you won't find the same imagery that contains all the wisdom of the universe as it is contained in a tarot deck. In an oracle deck, depending upon the theme, you may glean wisdom from the angels, dogs, flowers - the list goes on ad infinitum. I have a few favorites, including my tried-and-true Medicine Cards, the powerful Ascended Masters Oracle Cards, and Crystals: The Stone Deck, which is exquisitely beautiful and also very informative if you're looking to learn more about crystals and their energies. Are these decks magickal, brimming with awesome vibrations, and wonderful tools for self transformation? Absolutely. Are they tarot? Nope.
What have we learned here? That dancing the minuet can work for some folk. And so can hot dogs and rock 'n roll. But don't cross the streams. Because they're similar-yet-VERY different. Embrace the differences, learn and grow from both modalities, but don't assume they're the same. Otherwise, Patty Duke ends up with one humdinger of a migraine, not knowing who she is. And we don't want that.
