Similarities in your tarot decks

Do you have similarities that run throughout your (most used/favorite) decks? What have they taught you about your 'tarot vision' or self?

For instance, I have noticed most of my decks have 'The Universe' cards instead of The World. This is significant to me as I believe in no specific ruling God but the collective conscious/unconscious/subconscious etc. And reincarnation. So I say things like "I think the Universe is urging me to be more bold"etc.

I have also noticed that the decks I end up using do not have a hierophant-looking High Priestess. I need her either naked and wild or, if dressed and on the more refined side, then to be in/around her element of water and fresh vegetation or with a symbolic seductive fruit. The moon must be real and not just a glyph above her head.

I've noticed that I like my pages female and it helps me differentiate between the page/Knight energy.

I have gotten decks that do not use the Pope/church as HIEROPHANT which I find appropriate as there are many types of established religions and not every Taurus is a Catholic ;-) (actually taureans can be very devoted pagans as they connection t to the earth..)

Those are some examples I can think of now.

These are not things that were consciously picked out by me when I bought the decks, however I can now see how they fit my views on things and how they bring my beliefs to.my attention and expand them.

Any similar experiences?

The first thing that comes to mind for me is color -- specifically, use of bright colors. And clean lines (as opposed to swirly/stylised art).

Also, surprisingly (I never thought about it before), many of my favorite & most used decks have black backgrounds & black borders.

Hmmm,

Well all my decks have scenic pips. I read mainly through the card images so I need that. I have a very rare few that has less detailed imagery on the Minors but I need something to work with. I did not realize this before becoming a reader, but I tend to be a very visual person and that is why I gravitated to this style of reading.

All the decks I have have rather complex imagery, the more depth and complexity the more the cards can say to me. For the same reason as stated above.

I do have a lot of original Taort decks that are quite unique. I love those as I love a deck that makes me think in new ways But I can read with a traditional Tarot too. The original ones are always my favourites though. I do like to challenge my way of thinking and I always want to learn and keep growing inside. A good original deck makes you see life and the world in new ways. And that just feels good.

I don't tend to like a lot of religious symbolism that tries to tie a deck down to one religion.
I defintiely do not have any decks like that. Basically as the religion it tries to tie it down to is not mine and really Tarot ought to be a spiritual thing that is accessable to everyone, not just to connect to one group and not another.

I like positive upbeat decks only. Nothing dark or scary or gruesome. I want helpful positive answers from my decks so that is the kind of decks I gravitate to. Any deck of course can tell you if something is wrong, but the way things are told counts too. It is part of my life view that I want to be a force for good and do good in the world around me. I don't just want to tell people what is going to happen, but also how to make the best of what it is that will happen.

I also prefer real drawn artwork to photographic decks, with my one exception: The Voyager. For some reasin, even though it is not my type of deck artwork, the deck reads very well for me, I guess I really admire good artwork, paintings...I do love art museums in real life too.

And I love decks that have a touch of the spiritual in them, angels in the images.... as that lets me talk about that in my answer. And, well, the spiritual is a large part of life to me, even when we are unaware of it.


Babs

Annabelle said:

The first thing that comes to mind for me is color -- specifically, use of bright colors. And clean lines (as opposed to swirly/stylised art).

Click to expand...

I am the same, most of my decks have bold, riotous colours. I do not do soft, swirly decks. Put Tarot of the Sidhe alongside the Shadowscape to see the kind of YES/NO I mean here.

Also, my decks are full of people. I don't tend toward decks with animals or whatever in them.

The majority of my decks have a traditional tarot structure and keep their traditional names. I have become annoyed by decks that change the names of the majors and suits, though there are several of those in my collection.

About a third of my decks are unillustrated pips. I find I like having both illustrated and unillustrated, because sometimes I find illustrations limiting.

All of my decks have scenic Pips, too - because I did a lot of readings for others and people like to look at the cards - so seeing a man plowing a field or a woman dancing means more to them and their understanding than a card with 3 swords, 4 wands, 5 cups, etc. I think it is also because the Querent can understand where we are coming from and not just pulling these interpretations out of our butts.

I dislike pastel decks, or artsy/whispy ones. Almost all my decks are RWS clones.