Categories of cards for the purpose of divination

[jaygon]

In some instances, I have read that Cartomancy refers (in general) to the use of cards for the purpose of divination. This presumably includes all categories of decks which are used for this particular purpose ; Tarot, Lenormand, Oracle, Playing Cards, Kipper etc. etc.

 

In other instances, it is stated that Cartomancy refers solely to the use of Playing Cards for the purpose of divination.

 

There is a similar crossover in the language which refers to Oracle Cards. Again, in some instances the term Oracle Cards refers solely to the less rigidly-structured system of picture-themed cards (Angel, Mermaid, Fairy, Unicorn, Energy, Cosmos etc. etc.) which are independently authored and accompanied by a guidebook. By contrast, Lenormand. Kipper, Bohemian, and Sibilla are often classed as 'Oracle Decks'.

 

SKAT, Le Petit Etteilla, Le Petit Cartomancien, Bohemian Witch etc. are sometimes classified as cartomancy decks and other times as oracle decks.

 

I wondered if there are definitive categories for each of the divination decks?

Edited July 16, 2021 by jaygon

[Decan]

Divination with cards isn’t considered as a science, and often even considered bad, unfortunately, so things aren’t that strict regarding categories.

[katrinka]

6 hours ago, jaygon said:

In some instances, I have read that Cartomancy refers (in general) to the use of cards for the purpose of divination. This presumably includes all categories of decks which are used for this particular purpose ; Tarot, Lenormand, Oracle, Playing Cards, Kipper etc. etc.

 

In other instances, it is stated that Cartomancy refers solely to the use of Playing Cards for the purpose of divination.

 

I can clear that up right now. 🍏
Merriam-Webster defines "cartomancy" as "fortune-telling by means of playing cards."

But you have to remember that the Tarot IS a deck of playing cards. So are Lenormand and other Sibilla-type decks (decks with PC insets) - virtually everything, with the possible exception of Kippers and Bohemian cards (and those pesty "oracle" cards.) And since those don't have their own word, we're obliged to call them "cartomancy" decks.

Besides, "cartomancer" is generally defined as "a fortuneteller who uses cards" without specifying what kind of cards. So there you have it.
 

6 hours ago, jaygon said:

There is a similar crossover in the language which refers to Oracle Cards. Again, in some instances the term Oracle Cards refers solely to the less rigidly-structured system of picture-themed cards (Angel, Mermaid, Fairy, Unicorn, Energy, Cosmos etc. etc.) which are independently authored and accompanied by a guidebook.

 

Those would more correctly be termed "affirmation cards."
"Oracle" is generally defined as a person who acts as an oracle, but I did find this:
"an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry." While "priest", "priestess", "shrine", and "god" aren't applicable to those cards, "ambiguous or obscure" certainly is. Those things are full of non-answers. 😁
But all joking aside, it's not a correct use of "oracle."
 

6 hours ago, jaygon said:

By contrast, Lenormand. Kipper, Bohemian, and Sibilla are often classed as 'Oracle Decks'.

 

SKAT, Le Petit Etteilla, Le Petit Cartomancien, Bohemian Witch etc. are sometimes classified as cartomancy decks and other times as oracle decks.

 

Perchance people are too lazy to type "non-Tarot."
I'd go with "cartomancy decks", for reasons stated earlier.
 

6 hours ago, jaygon said:

I wondered if there are definitive categories for each of the divination decks?

Nope.
But hopefully the folks at Oxford will visit this thread next time they're updating.

 

[katrinka]

1 hour ago, Decan said:

Divination with cards isn’t considered as a science, and often even considered bad, unfortunately, so things aren’t that strict regarding categories.

Maybe we'd get more respect if more of us made the effort to use words correctly, lol.

[jaygon]

32 minutes ago, katrinka said:

 

I can clear that up right now. 🍏
Merriam-Webster defines "cartomancy" as "fortune-telling by means of playing cards."

But you have to remember that the Tarot IS a deck of playing cards. So are Lenormand and other Sibilla-type decks (decks with PC insets) - virtually everything, with the possible exception of Kippers and Bohemian cards (and those pesty "oracle" cards.) And since those don't have their own word, we're obliged to call them "cartomancy" decks.

Besides, "cartomancer" is generally defined as "a fortuneteller who uses cards" without specifying what kind of cards. So there you have it. 

 

This is a great point. I don’t know a great deal about the origins of the Kipper deck or the family of Bohemian decks, but I wonder did they derive in any way from a playing card deck, possibly a piquet deck? 

[katrinka]

The number of cards points to piquet.
I have no idea if they were directly inspired by piquet, or by piquet-inspired cartomancy decks. But piquet is an obvious influence.

[Guest]

There appears to be a link between common games and cards used for divination.

 

The Petit Lenormand appears to be linked to Tapp and Jass. The GoH could be used to play these games. 
 

In contrast, the popularity of the 32 cards meant these were widely used for fortune telling. 

 

Cards such as the Kipperkarten and the Zigeuner seems to have grown out of the Sibilla style cards. 
 

Some people do refer to divination as science because in the early modern period astrology and alchemy were considered (an occult) science. These were taught at universities before the expulsion.
 

But the definition of science is now quite different to 16th century Europe.
 

Divination is better seen as an Arte or Folk Practice. 

[devin]

18 hours ago, timtoldrum said:

There appears to be a link between common games and cards used for divination.

 

And so there should be. After all, in times past, the outcome of games, be they of skill or chance, were seen as showing the will of the divine. As Johan Huizinga, the Dutch historian, wrote: "The practice of telling fortunes by cards is rooted deep in our past, in a tradition far older than the cards themselves."

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, devin said:

 

And so there should be. After all, in times past, the outcome of games, be they of skill or chance, were seen as showing the will of the divine. As Johan Huizinga, the Dutch historian, wrote: "The practice of telling fortunes by cards is rooted deep in our past, in a tradition far older than the cards themselves."

I agree 100%