My Folklore vs Classic Tarot Testing Day
Alright, so folks, I got this idea kicking around my head for weeks. Everybody talks Rider-Waite this, Marseille that, but what about these folkloric decks popping up everywhere? They look different, feel different… but how different are they really in practice? I figured screw it, I’m testing this myself. Grabbed my worn-out Rider-Waite-Smith – that’s my classic workhorse – and snagged a deck called “Oak & Acorn Folkways.” Heard good things, pictures looked like old woodcuts or something. Time to get messy.
First things first, just dumped both decks out on my slightly sticky coffee table. Felt weird holding them together. The classic deck? Slippery, crisp images, colors kinda bold. The Oak & Acorn? Thicker cardstock, rougher finish, pictures felt… simpler, maybe older? Like staring at an old quilt versus a bright magazine cover. Interesting start.
Okay, here’s what I actually did with them:
- Started Simple: Said out loud “Show me energy for the week.” Super basic single card pull, right? Classic deck: Three of Wands pops out – dude staring at ships, ambition, looking ahead. Makes sense. Folk deck: Pulled a card called “The Gardener,” showed someone planting seeds. Still forward-looking, but… earthier? Less ‘big business,’ more ‘tend your patch.’ Different flavor, same core idea.
- Tried a Spread: Got ambitious. Laid out a simple three-card Past/Present/Future for the same damn question. Classic deck? Past was Seven of Swords (sneaky shit), Present was The Magician (taking control), Future was Ten of Cups (happy family vibes). Classic storyline: Messy past, getting your act together, happy ending. Folk deck? Past showed “The Fox” (cleverness, maybe trickery?), Present was “The Forge” (hard work, shaping something), Future was “The Harvest Table” (community, abundance). Again. Same damn direction – overcoming trouble through effort for a good outcome – but completely different pictures telling it. The Forge instead of the Magician? Big tonal shift!
- Stared at the Pictures Like an Idiot: Honestly, spent way too long just comparing the Swords suit. Classic swords are shiny, pointy, dangerous. Folk deck swords? Looked like beaten old tools – scythes, pruning knives. Less ‘mental stabbing,’ more ‘using your tools carefully.’ Cups were the real trip. Classic cups are fancy chalices. Folk deck cups? Looked like damn wooden bowls and jugs. Made me think of my grandma’s kitchen instead of some fancy banquet. Totally changes the feeling of a “happy cup” card!
- Tried Reading a Buddy’s Question: Picked a willing victim… er, friend. Asked for advice on a tough work decision. Classic deck gives him the Knight of Pentacles – slow, steady, reliable effort. Folk deck pulls “The Stone Mason” – patient, careful building, laying things strong. Again! Practically twins in meaning, wearing totally different costumes.
By the end of the afternoon, coffee cold, table covered in cards, here’s the simple takeaway I got slapping me in the face:
It’s NOT About Different Meanings!
- Core ideas? Pretty much the damn same. Ambition, love, conflict, mystery… it’s all there.
- The HUGE difference is the clothes they wear. Folk decks ditch the castles and bishops and knights. They swap in farmers, crafters, animals, everyday tools, stuff from old stories around the fire.
- This changes the flavor massively! Classic feels symbolic, almost theatrical sometimes. Folk feels grounded, practical, whispering about old ways and the land. Less stage play, more kitchen gossip.
- Makes it way easier to picture yourself in the folk deck scenes if your life ain’t full of jesters and chariots.
So yeah. Would I grab a folk deck for deep kabbalistic diving? Nah. But for reading about everyday worries, relationships, finding your footing? Damn, the Oak & Acorn felt like talking to a wise neighbor over the fence instead of consulting a dusty textbook. Turns out the pictures really do talk differently, even when the message underneath sings the same damn tune. Gotta admit, I’m keeping that chunky folk deck right next to the old Rider-Waite now. Different tools, same toolbox.
