Cerulean
What I like about oracles such as LeNormand....
is that the Playing Cards, similar to tarot minors, can seem to represent 'real life' concerns, fashions, fads. Sometimes I fancy that playing cards and minors sometimes seem more immediate...The majors and 22 arcana themes--which might be more related or symbolic of grander themes in my playbook or curious head.
Forgive the lollygagging of ideas and my jumping from bit to bit...
Say around 1914...Grimaud published...more oracles than tarot that I know about:
...the Parlor Sybil - 52 cards
...Book of Destiny/Jeu des Destiny - 32 cards
, one blank
...Ancient Destiny (Fate) - 32 cards
...Petit Cartomancy (LeNormand) - 36 cards
...Petit Oracle des Dames - 42 cards
...Grand LeNormand - 54 cards
(52, 2 consultant)-aka Astro Tarot
...Palmistry - 56 cards
...Petit Etteilla - 33 cards
...Grand Etteilla Tarot - 78 cards
...and one or two others I need to remember on my mental list and a salesman sample book circa 1914...
The House of Grimaud from Paris all bought, carried, or published the above decks circa 1900 and 1914 at one point... and the interplay of titles and meanings among the 'minors and oracles' as they aligned to playing cards seem very similar. Although the numbering and correspondence of the oracle cards to playing card suits are not always the same.
A card meaning that means 'Present' for example was positive in the decks that I could check, from the Book of Fate/Destiny, to the Parlor Sybil to the Grand Etteilla....and would have similar meaning, even if there is difference in the suit/symbol representation or assignment.
I'm still researching these historical oracles...but the address I have circa the 1914 oracles...is B.P. Grimaud, Chartier Marteau & Boudin, 54 Rue de Lancry 54, Paris; the oracles above and an "Italian Tarot" by Grimaud is part of their stock. The Grand Etteilla and perhaps the Grand LeNormand that Grimaud has is circa 1850-1890; a form of the Book of Fate/Destiny with similar titles to the 1914 one...I might have found in an auction catalog where some of the cards of the Book of Fate/Destiny might be go back to 1805-10.
In truth, tarot over time seems to have encompassed and bundled the folkloric proverbs and foibles, wisdoms and wisecracks (some of the gentle or satirical illustrations in playing card tarot/tarocks/historical patterns) in it's themes...and to me the playing cards and many period and modern oracles can be shown as irresistable examples of the the immediate fashions and fads of the times!
Cerulean
is that the Playing Cards, similar to tarot minors, can seem to represent 'real life' concerns, fashions, fads. Sometimes I fancy that playing cards and minors sometimes seem more immediate...The majors and 22 arcana themes--which might be more related or symbolic of grander themes in my playbook or curious head.
Forgive the lollygagging of ideas and my jumping from bit to bit...
Say around 1914...Grimaud published...more oracles than tarot that I know about:
...the Parlor Sybil - 52 cards
...Book of Destiny/Jeu des Destiny - 32 cards
, one blank
...Ancient Destiny (Fate) - 32 cards
...Petit Cartomancy (LeNormand) - 36 cards
...Petit Oracle des Dames - 42 cards
...Grand LeNormand - 54 cards
(52, 2 consultant)-aka Astro Tarot
...Palmistry - 56 cards
...Petit Etteilla - 33 cards
...Grand Etteilla Tarot - 78 cards
...and one or two others I need to remember on my mental list and a salesman sample book circa 1914...
The House of Grimaud from Paris all bought, carried, or published the above decks circa 1900 and 1914 at one point... and the interplay of titles and meanings among the 'minors and oracles' as they aligned to playing cards seem very similar. Although the numbering and correspondence of the oracle cards to playing card suits are not always the same.
A card meaning that means 'Present' for example was positive in the decks that I could check, from the Book of Fate/Destiny, to the Parlor Sybil to the Grand Etteilla....and would have similar meaning, even if there is difference in the suit/symbol representation or assignment.
I'm still researching these historical oracles...but the address I have circa the 1914 oracles...is B.P. Grimaud, Chartier Marteau & Boudin, 54 Rue de Lancry 54, Paris; the oracles above and an "Italian Tarot" by Grimaud is part of their stock. The Grand Etteilla and perhaps the Grand LeNormand that Grimaud has is circa 1850-1890; a form of the Book of Fate/Destiny with similar titles to the 1914 one...I might have found in an auction catalog where some of the cards of the Book of Fate/Destiny might be go back to 1805-10.
In truth, tarot over time seems to have encompassed and bundled the folkloric proverbs and foibles, wisdoms and wisecracks (some of the gentle or satirical illustrations in playing card tarot/tarocks/historical patterns) in it's themes...and to me the playing cards and many period and modern oracles can be shown as irresistable examples of the the immediate fashions and fads of the times!
Cerulean
), and they can read brilliantly regardless of their deck type. As Ange pointed out, the reduced chance of getting something 'wrong', does have a certain appeal. 