View Full Version : Poll: Your Desert Island Deck
Le_Corsair
08-07-2003, 10:42
I know this subject has come up before, but I haven't seen a poll attached to it before. Besides, with all the new members, maybe it is time to revisit the subject.
The premise: You are stranded on a "tropic desert isle" but no Gilligan, Professor, Mary Anne or Ginger. All by yourself. Sufficient food and drink for all your needs for a long time. Which deck would you by good fortune have slipped into a pocket before your arrival at the island, or which deck would wash up in a waterproof container?
Broad categories are named in the poll, you can get specific in the posts.
For me: Tarot of Prague!
Bob :THERM
:CL :OL :SL :WL
Sorry I'm boring.
Just most comfortable with that deck.
Woof
divinerguy
08-07-2003, 11:00
If I had one deck, it would be the old reliable - the Rider Waite. I started with it, and it has stood the test of time.
While not the prettiest or the deepest or an other superlative you might imagine, it is nonetheless the standard against which all other decks are measured.
wavebreaker
08-07-2003, 11:03
Has to be a Rider Waite clone, that's the only type of deck I've worked with up until now.
Maybe if one of the others would wash up with a good introductory book, I could use the time to learn how to work with it... ;)
Jeannette
08-07-2003, 11:06
Arrrgh! Only one?!!!? I'd probably slit my wrists!...
<*sigh*>... Oh, well. If I can only have one, then it better be a Thoth-friendly deck. I'd probably pick the Rohrig over Crowley's own deck, but either ought to suffice.
-- Jeannette
http://www.tarotgarden.com
I'll be taking my Cosmic Tribe :D I would also take the Thoth, but if I can only have one .... then the CT is it for me!
fairyhedgehog
08-07-2003, 12:10
I can't do it!
What happens when I need a change?
Shall I take my trusty Hanson-Roberts or will I be bored with it? But it does read so easily...
Or my Whimsical? It's full of fairy tales so every picture can conjure up an entire story. But no real darkness in it.
Or my Ancestral Path? Such depth but some of it isn't at all clear to me. Would I enjoy the challenge or need the comfort of an easier deck?
OK, today I pick Whimsical. But don't be surprised if I come back and edit this post. Again. And again :)
Little Baron
08-07-2003, 13:14
Do amazon deliver to desert islands???
I would usually say that I would like a Rider Waite cloan; possibly take my Universal Waite.
For a desert island though, I don't think that would be appropriate for me. It would probably be the Cosmic Tribe. As I don't know it as well as the others, it would give me the opportunity to spend my time getting properly aquainted.
Yaboot
Cerulean
08-07-2003, 13:18
But I'm waiting on the LS Charles VI reproduction...if it's what I'm looking for, this and Gareth Knight's two books might be my an absolute favorite for a long time. But that is 2004.
But if it was this year and I needed to be away from Tarot a year, it would be Kat Black's Golden Tarot. Then again, if it was waiting for me at home, I would haunt the rescue spot.
WolfSpirit
08-07-2003, 14:18
Tough question, but I will bring the tarot of the spirit with me; I need some quiet time to study this deck and I think it will fit in with the outdoors. There is a lot of depth in this deck, and I think it will not bore me.
Other decks I had considered:
greenwood - also a deck that will do nicely in the natural environment of a desert island, but I would be too frightened I'd damage it - the deck is oop and hard to get.
swedish witch - a deck I find easy to read with, and it would give me something to smile about (may be the only thing that does out there !)
SherryZoned
08-07-2003, 22:26
Right now..At this moment.
Tarot 2000-The Pagan Tarot
truthsayer
08-07-2003, 22:39
if i have to choose one deck, what if i take one card from my 78 favorite decks? })
the rider transformational legend HR fey child rohrig animal vision wheel of spirit templar thoth deck? ;)
okay! guess it'll be some variant of the rws. LOL
callahwj
08-07-2003, 22:41
for me it would have to be the deepest possible deck, to keep me thinking and stimulate my intuition in new directions. I picked thoth
-Bill
SingingTarot
08-07-2003, 23:07
Oh gosh! That is impossible!
I know I am going to change my mind a million times, but right now, I think I would pick the Osh-Zen. It is such a funny, insightful deck!
But just watch, I am going to come back and change my mind.
Alice
Rusty Neon
09-07-2003, 00:25
For that desert isle, I'd probably go for the classic 20th century deck -- a 1971 Rider deck.
However, I can't help thinking about having a second deck along too --- the LS Tarot of the Origins -- a good theme deck for primitive living. And it might give me some survival tips as well. :)
WolfSpirit
09-07-2003, 01:18
gee, is noone going to take miss cleo's power tarot to the desert island ? that really surprises me :laugh:
Rusty Neon
09-07-2003, 01:28
Originally posted by WolfSpirit
gee, is noone going to take miss cleo's power tarot to the desert island ? that really surprises me :laugh:
That Miss Cleo turban WOULD provide good protection against that hot desert island sun.
I was going to go with a RWS clone... but thought it over. I decided, if I were going to be all alone on this desert island I'd better go with something else. I figured the Röhrig would fit the bill... preferably the one I keep hoping they will publish... the European release of the pictures with the English wording on it. That way I'd have a deep and meaningful Tarot deck and, with the pictures, wouldn't feel quite so alone. :D
Cosmic Tribe for me. It is a very rich and deep deck, so I would have lots to see and study and meditate on (still). Perhaps I could replace the book that comes with it with the upcoming book by Lon Milo Duquette about the Thoth deck. That way, I can compare the two without cheating outright and bringing 2 decks....;)
The Cosmic Tribe makes me feel happy and strong. :)
I think it will cheer me up when I start feeling lonely!
Le_Corsair
09-07-2003, 07:56
C'mon, people, at least vote in the poll if you don't want to reply to the post!
Bob :THERM
:CL :WL :OL :SL
Silverlotus
09-07-2003, 09:03
I picked a RWS clone. The Robin Wood Tarot would be my deck of choice. I think there is enough symbolism in it to keep me busy for a while, but at the same time I won't be frustrated by not having a book to help out. :)
baba-prague
09-07-2003, 10:32
Oh come on, you can't ask anyone who has just brought out a deck which deck they would choose LOL!
I have a story and memory for every card in the Tarot of Prague so there would be no contest.
However, if you disqualify decks that we have designed ourselves (perish the thought, how could you be so cruel?) then I would take the deck by Pierre de Lasenic. It is a Wirth-type and - of course - would at least remind me of Prague as it was designed here in 1938. It is also (as Diana will confirm) very deep and very beautiful. It would offer a lot to keep me thinking and learning.
My faithful old Marseille Grimaud - plain and simple (but only deceptively so). I will never get tired of it, because it doesn't have any fluff on it that would end up boring me.
i would like to take two decks, thoth and hadars marseille.
but if i can only take one, its the hadar over the thoth........
who thought i would ever say that, thoth is my main reading deck.
the visconti
without the illustrated pips to slant the interpretation, it's a good 'any situation' kind of deck.
(le corsair, there are probably a lot of people who just can't bear to choose just one, lol )
Macavity
09-07-2003, 18:50
Barrett's Ancient Egyptian. Might have a few tips on dealing with sand? :laugh: In retrospect, probably shouldn't have pushed the "other" button, but rather Thoth-clone? Oops! ;)
Macav.
Khatruman
09-07-2003, 19:41
....And that's because I am all alone!!! It is a very introspective and meditative deck and that's what I would be using it for.
Now, if Ginger and Maryann were there... it would be the Cassanova Tarot })
Miss CLEO???!!! awwww, that was a JOKE!!!! :P
Originally posted by Le_Corsair
C'mon, people, at least vote in the poll if you don't want to reply to the post!
Bob :THERM
:CL :WL :OL :SL
All Right!!! All Right!!!
Ummm, ummm, I'm thinking..........., ummm,
Ancestral Path, no,no... Osho Zen, no Universal Waite
No, no, no, ummm....
Thoth, because I don't own it, have never even looked at one, and It would keep my curious mind busy for quite some time. Besides, after reading about the Camel in The Forest of Souls, by Rachel Pollack, I am itching to get one.
Can I bring a book too???
Blue Override
09-07-2003, 21:34
The Thoth. My first deck, my most consistent deck (well, I'm more consistent in interpreting it) and even after 3 years of use, I still learn something new about it regularly.
Le_Corsair
09-07-2003, 21:44
311 people viewed it, and only 28 bothered to vote/reply? Geez, people too lazy to click a button, I tell ya.....(leaves to sulk, muttering to himself...)
:TDEAT :TDEAT :TDEAT :TDEAT :TDEAT :TDEAT :TDEAT :TDEAT
Blue Override
09-07-2003, 21:56
I love you, oh sweet swashbuckling pollmaker. . .don't sulk!
Jeannette
09-07-2003, 21:58
Originally posted by Le_Corsair
311 people viewed it, and only 28 bothered to vote/reply? Geez, people too lazy to click a button, I tell ya.....(leaves to sulk, muttering to himself...)
The view count counts hits, not individuals. It could be the same 28 of us accessing this thread over and over and over...
...and over and over and over and...
Okay, well... maybe there's more than 28 of us looking. But I probably count for at least 11 of those hits all by myself.
-- Jeannette
http://www.tarotgarden.com
(P.S. - Vote!) ;)
Originally posted by baba-prague
However, if you disqualify decks that we have designed ourselves (perish the thought, how could you be so cruel?) then I would take the deck by Pierre de Lasenic. It is a Wirth-type and - of course - would at least remind me of Prague as it was designed here in 1938. It is also (as Diana will confirm) very deep and very beautiful. It would offer a lot to keep me thinking and learning.
Baba-Prague do you know of any links where we could see this deck? I googled it but did not find pictures. I am very curious after what you said above, especialy since you describe it as a Wirth-type deck.
Myrrha
Ack...that's hard. I guess my Hudes deck because it's my main reading deck. But alas, my poor Spiral deck would have to remain on the mainland...
Cocobird55
09-07-2003, 22:41
The Gendron. It's been my favorite deck for quite a while...
Sue
Hudes and Mountain Dream are close followers.
Chronata
10-07-2003, 17:09
Ah boring me...and my ol' trusty RWS deck...
But then again, after 20 something years, I'm still seeing new things in it!
...Oh, and I would have my Celestial Wisdom cards too, so they can yell at me when I'm being too lazy to pick up the coconuts...
hey, you said we could only have ONE tarot...ya didn't say anything about Oracle decks!
divinerguy
10-07-2003, 17:47
Hey Chronata, since you're from Wisconsin, maybe you could make your own deck for the desert island.
Waht do you think of these suit names?
Swords=Packers
Coins=Cheese
Wands=Bratwurst
Pentacles=Beer
Chronata
10-07-2003, 18:07
Originally posted by divinerguy
Hey Chronata, since you're from Wisconsin, maybe you could make your own deck for the desert island.
Waht do you think of these suit names?
Swords=Packers
Coins=Cheese
Wands=Bratwurst
Pentacles=Beer
Heh. the cheese/ brat/beer deck is pretty funny...having it on a desert isle, however, would just make me hungry ... and a little homesick!
galadrial
10-07-2003, 20:17
I'd take my Templar deck. I didn't have to think about that too long since a friend recently asked me which deck I'd grab if the house were on fire, so I'd already thought this through:-)
baba-prague
11-07-2003, 05:43
Dear Myrhh,
Yes, there is a link that shows the black and white version of the Lasenic here:
http://www.volny.cz/minormajor/06tarotlasenic.htm
It is now only available in colour and from a rather odd and un-customer friendly publisher here in Prague. We called them up because we would like to maybe offer this deck as an unusual and historic "extra" on our site, but they more or less told us to go away! They are a very serious publisher of new editions of classic Czech texts on magic, and I think they were wary of the fact that we are not Czech. We have another avenue to pursue so fingers crossed.
Meantime I have one and I am holding on to one other that someone here on Aeclectic asked me to keep for him some time back. So at least I can take mine to the desert island!
By the way - Pierre de Lasenic himself died after being caught in a sandstorm in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, where he was doing research. I think that is an even more romantic end than a desert island.
Le_Corsair
11-07-2003, 07:45
Originally posted by Chronata
hey, you said we could only have ONE tarot...ya didn't say anything about Oracle decks!
Actually, I only said you could have one DECK! So ixnay on the collection of oracle decks! And shame on you for your legalistic parsing of words!
Bob :THERM
:OL :WL :CL :SL
I`d take Thoth even though my main reading deck at the moment is the Glastonbury. Thoth would really give me something to study - Could I take a book as well?
Love and light
Crystalmynx xx
NiftyKracker
11-07-2003, 11:00
Though fate would most likely keep this deck far from the shores of my island, I would want the Knapp-Hall tarot... sadly, I do not own it, and though I walk the Continental United States with millions of others, I have not been able to find one.
The majors are fashioned after the work of Levi, Papus and Wirth (all pre-Golden Dawn esotericists). It is my hope that the influence of such misguided characters as MacGregor Mathers and Alistair Crowley was not allowed to seep into Hall's work. Perhaps Manly P. Hall was as wary of those men as I am? But enough with the speculation.
I believe the Mandalas on every one of the Majors would keep my mind engaged until my natural demise, and the images of the court cards for at least another forty years after that. I could serve multiple life sentences with this deck.
soiitaire
11-07-2003, 18:20
Oh my! I can only pick one...
Closing eyes and picking one deck out of the below:
either Herzer's Illuminated (it's nice and wipeable) think of all that sand...
or the Cosmic Tribe
or the William Blake
or the Rohrig
or Victoria Regina
or Arnell Ando's Hero's Journey (also wipeable)
or Paula Gibby's Blue Rose (also wipeable)...
can I also bring a sponge?
soiitaire aka brig..
Osho Zen, its tone and spirit would help somewhat against going mad. "Hey stop thinking about your troubles!"
Thoth, no doubt about it. it's the ONLY one i wouldn't get bored with.
it'll take the rest of this life and half the next to plumb the enormous depths of this deck anyway, so why not on a desert island? fewer distractions!
I am most comfortable with my Hanson-Roberts or my Universal Waite deck, which is why I would bring my Thoth deck. I'm thinking that if I have lots of time then I could get more out of something I don't know as well (more to learn), Ruby7
Originally posted by baba-prague
Yes, there is a link that shows the black and white version of the Lasenic here:
http://www.volny.cz/minormajor/06tarotlasenic.htm
Thank you for the link baba-prague. It is a lovely deck, I feel more of an emotional response to these images than to the Wirth images but miss some of the symbolism from Wirth, especially my little friend who lives under the Priestess's chair!
Myrrha
lunalafey
18-07-2003, 11:27
I don't have many decks, so choosing should be simple right?
NOT....
do I take my very first deck that I had for YEARS before ever seeing another deck
do I take my second deck because I know it so well & even though I say I have no favorite....{I think this is the one}
then there is the 3rd deck, but that's a divination deck, not tarot.
do I take one of my newer decks just because it's new and it would be different.
hmmm
my first deck is natural & earthy, like a deserted island, my third deck, even more fitting for the enviroment
my second is more romantic, might make me miss home too much, but I love it so!
hmmm
maybe I should throw them into a hat & just blindly pick one
oh dear.....
what has this place done to me!!??
I only had 3 decks!! I could have claimed the big one & smuggled in the 2 other little decks.......but NOOooo. Now I have 9 decks.....
oh well, it's ALL or nothing! then I'd have to just make one while I'm there.
The Moon-Garden was the first deck I chose out of a catalouge and ordered.I have always felt very comfortable with it,and it reads like R-W,and includes much of the R-W symbols,as well as it´s own magic and beauty.I think that,for me,it would be a very readable,and happy, deck to bring along.
On the other hand I read so well with The Fey Tarot now,and the cards are so personal and friendly...Alright,I´ll take them to that lonely island...
I think I would take either the Thoth or The Tarot of the Spirit which is a Thoth clone but I'd also have to take its book :) - if there wasn't space for a book then I'd take the Universal Waite. :)
punchinella
24-07-2003, 01:48
--Right now, at this point in time, I would definitely take Haindl. (I've just done an incredible reading with it . . . Llewellyn's 'Hexefus' spread . . . death in the karma position!! --great stuff!) Of course, Rachel Pollack's book goes too since I haven't had time to learn the deck yet (a large part of the reason I'm choosing it--??) --But no, I think that if I were never rescued Haindl could probably carry me right through to the bitter end . . . it's so . . . SPIRITUAL . . . & everything else is there as well (runes . . . I Ching . . . very important to me . . . )
Yes, I would miss certain images from 'easy' decks (de Angelis strength & temperance, for example) but those images are pretty much burned into my brain already . . . & on a desert island, I'll certainly have time for meditation/recall . . .
P.
I know many think of it as so gimicky, but it reads so well. Who could look at the lovers card and not remember a hundred movies where SHE holds her breath trying to decide if HE should be invited in. Lots of other tie-ins of course.
But since I'm not going to that desert isle, I'll just have to decide which dozen or so fit in that bag I cary to class and a few other places.
Yes it's way past time I updated my deck collection on that maybe long forgotten thread.
PS HI I'm back but I may not spend so much time here each week. :)
Hummm.... voting seems to have stopped.
HearthCricket
28-10-2006, 17:35
This is tough. I would say either my BBC cats or my Victorian Romantic. (The Gold Edition would look lovely glimmering in the moonlight, reflecting off the sea....) If I could sneak in another, it would be the Gilded.
I will pick the Victorian Romantic, Gold Edition. :)
greycats
29-10-2006, 01:27
Ok, not Miss Cleo's.
If I shuffled them altogether, could I take the other 3? No?
Ok, regretfully, not Thoth.
A RWS with TdM printed on the backs? I'm surprised I haven't seen this, actually. Maybe I should get it done; you never can tell.
I guess I'd take the TdM. More room for the imagination. ;)
I found this thread searching for a thread that might tell me what everyone else's favorite RWS clone is. It seems to be the Universal Waite? If I were stuck on an island, alone I'd want to have LS Universal Tarot. Its the best deck I own for personal readings.
Goodness me, back in 2002 I said I'd take Thoth; I don't think I've used the Thoth deck since then :).
I'd certainly take a RWS deck with me these days.
I found this thread searching for a thread that might tell me what everyone else's favorite RWS clone is. It seems to be the Universal Waite? If I were stuck on an island, alone I'd want to have LS Universal Tarot. Its the best deck I own for personal readings.
Great find, Olivia! I would really have a tough time deciding on a single deck to bring to live on an island. That said, and unless one views the Tarot of Prague as a RWS clone, I would NOT be packing my bag with one! :laugh:
Thinking about what I would bring, though, I'll bet the upcoming Gaian Tarot would be a fitting choice for use on an island! :) :love:
Chronata
17-11-2009, 16:12
Oh wow! This is an ancient thread!
I miss some of these people. :(
Nowadays I would have to say "other"
Miss Cleo rates a special place in the poll, while so many other far more significant and appealing decks don't? What mirror have I stepped through?
I'm going "other" as well.
And it doesn't even have a category for the Visconti decks amongst the historicals - hurumph! <pulls on big, curmudgeonly boots, stamps away>
zan_chan
17-11-2009, 17:16
Nisaba, I think you should create a new, better poll. Something timeless, for the ages. Make us proud ;-)
<cackle> No way. Then someone else will come along, hooting at significant decks that I had chosen to leave out of the mix ...
Morwenna
17-11-2009, 18:54
Well, as general as it is, I'd have to say RWS-clone (allowing for the discussion on another thread about what actually constitutes a "clone"), which prevents me from having to immediately choose among my 3 workhorses! :D
WingspreadPhoenix
17-11-2009, 22:04
Of course I'd have my Manga Tarot xD But I don't know how safe/clean it would be on a deserted island, so I'm not sure if it would be a good idea... D:
Morgane_49
17-11-2009, 23:12
It would have to be 'other' for me, as well.
I'd go with the Deviant Moon!
I guess I'd take the Thoth (plus reading material for the deck). I don't particularly like the deck, but at least I could do some study.
After all, if you're on a desert island who would you be reading for? The odd palm tree and crab?
After all, if you're on a desert island who would you be reading for? The odd palm tree and crab?
:bugeyed:
Brilliant! Now I won't be worried by the lack of clients!
zan_chan
18-11-2009, 03:29
Because of my IDS, I'm supposed to take the Haindl with me wherever I go just now, desert island or otherwise. But it seems like kind of a waste to bring a deck that's nothing but desert to a desert island.
Considering the above, maybe I would bring the Tarot of Prague with me, to be reminded that cities do, in fact, exist somewhere out there.