If you were on a deserted island...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Aug 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

destinyawaitsme	16 Aug 2001
Ok, this is a broad question, but I was wondering What is your favorite deck? You know, If you were on a deserted island and you would have to take one deck with you...which one would you take? I know...it's so hard to choose. I have the Zerner Farber...who is like home to me...but always have the tempting Buckland Romani on the shelf begging me to shuffle. Then there's the Crowley Thoth...which I don't even own, but I've seen the artwork and it's electrifying...so it's definately on my list.

.dc	16 Aug 2001
Top 5 All Time Favorite Desert Island Tarot Decks, random order 1. Vertigo (hands down the best) 2. The Phantasmorgasmic Theater Deck 3. The Faerie Oracle by Fround 4. Merry Day Tarot 5. The one i wanna design but haven't gotten my act together YET. (okay this is cheating but I do have two styles in mind for a design) Top 5 All Time Desert Island Tarot Books, random order 1. Tarot for Yourself 2. Tarot Games 3. The lwb for the decks 4. Tarot and the Tree of Life 5. Tarot Spells Top Five... ah, hell, i is tired. Thanks for this question tho... i likey these things. OF course if i were ever to really be stuck anywhere. my cd's would all be in MP3 format, all my books on a eBook thingy and well, we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we. blessed be, .dc

nexyjo	16 Aug 2001
hmmmm, i'm not sure i'd have much of a use for a tarot deck on a deserted island. i'll take a solar powered rechargable flashlight first... :) i'd take my robin wood deck, though i'm really getting to love the tarot of the cloisters... luv and light, nexy

Mojo	16 Aug 2001
No doubt about it, my #1 deck is the Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot. This deck was meant to be mine. I had a reading done for me at a party about 10 years ago and the reader used this deck and for some reason I was just drawn to it. It's not the best artwork in the world, but it just called out to me. It took me maybe three years to even find the name of the deck (this was pre-internet if you can remember that far back!), and another 6 years to actually get my hands on it. It had come up on e-bay several times, but I was always outbid at the end with the final cost going as high as $75 - 100. And then I fell across it at a small metaphysics shop I've been in a million times in Seattle and they sold it to me at the published price. So like I said, it was MEANT to be mine! This deck is brutally honest and never fails to surprise me. I use it for better than 95% of the readings I do. It goes with me everywhere I go.

Kiama	16 Aug 2001
How about a Tarot deck which is edible, just in case I starve to death? (Kiama runs to Tarot cupboard, pulls out all her decks and starts nibbling the corners of the cards, trying to determine which deck is the tastiest.) Or a deck whichis massively huge and waterproof and does not mind being turned into a raft... Okay, seriously now: Robin Wood. Straight up. Each card is an old friend to me, but would probably end it's days as firewood for a lonely, cold, castaway... Kiama

Rhiannon	16 Aug 2001
A really REALLY BIG one! I'd use it to do a very large spread so that the search and rescue team could see it from the air. I just hope the helicopter pilot is a reader.... Rhiannon :)

arizonagirl	16 Aug 2001
The Elvis Tarot that's been suggested in "Firelite Fortune Teller" in Talking Tarot section of forum. Actually, the Robin Wood deck - absolutely.

EveAnna	16 Aug 2001
I'd have to take my Rider Waite and my playing cards that I use for reading with - then if I got really bored I could make card houses with the playing cards :)

Apona	16 Aug 2001
I'd take my Medeival Scapini Tarot or the russian tarot of St Petersburg.

StarShine	16 Aug 2001
I simply would not be able to go to the island. I don't have a real problem with the decks. I would have to take both my Goddess Tarot and my Robin Wood. The problem would be that I would simply refuse to go with out my book shelf full of reference books (Tarot, Runes, and other asst. Metaphysical Stuff), Stephen King, and Dean Koontz. I would also refuse to leave my candles, incense and mood music. Of course I would have to have my Mary Kay so that I would be a pretty corpse.......... Ah hell, I guess I would be Ginger. Wouldn't make a good Gilligan. One outfit...EEEEWWWWW! :-D

Kimon	17 Aug 2001
Hi, I probably would do it as StarShine, or I would go with one deck I would then think was the wrong choice. After all, being on that famous lonely island, after some month I would throw any tarot deck away and try to learn to read the clouds, the wind and the sea. That is even without island my aim. Greetings, Kimon

magnwa	18 Aug 2001
I'd take the Robin Wood, a good supply of pencils, and a lot of journals :) If I ran out of things to read for, I'd just start reading for people I made up. Heck.. some of my best stories have come from just drawing five cards, and weaving it into a story :) The tarot is a beautiful, beautiful thing :) Magnwa

truthsayer	19 Aug 2001
all right, i have been thinking about this one for days and still can't come up w/ an answer. first off, if i'm going to be stranded on a deserted island, i plan to have a few survival items like matches, a tent, emergency rations, water sterilization pills or at least a pot to sterilize water, a knife, etc. then i figure i wouldn't really have time to choose so i hope it's one of the following: 1) the rohrig 2) legend arthurian 3) the shining tribe/woman 4) celtic wisdom 5) art nouveau 6) haindl deck + it's book 7) tarot of spirit + it's book 8) robin wood 9) gendron 10) fairy wicca i'd rather have my bamboo chest filled w/ them all and a books plus lots of paper and pens... i'm not as good as tom hanks was in castaway but then i don't want to have daily chats w/ a ball named wilson either... :p

SafireMyst	21 Aug 2001
I would have to say a big "ditto" to StarShines post. I always knew I had a long lost sister somewhere. I'm a Koontz fan too. I'm sure I would really like Stephen King if I took the time to read him. (My birthday is the same as his so I would have to like his work.) Love Robin Wood.. it's my comfortable favorite. Number two choice would be The Rohrig deck. It's big enough to float on!

KyrieSummer	22 Aug 2001
I would have to take my Voyager Tarot. Maybe the Mythic Tarot as well. But how about I forget about the deserted island and make is a coastal private retreat, with a full pantry and plenty of wood for the fire?

KyrieSummer	22 Aug 2001
Oh, and books. Lots and lots of books of all kinds, history, romance, philosophy, and more books!

Marion	22 Aug 2001
The comment about 'Castaway' and Tom Hanks' long conversations with Wilson made me think that after four years on a desert island, you would be talking to your cards on a fairly personal basis! That made me think I would want some friendly looking cards! At first I had thought I would take the Osho Zen deck, but after the 'Castaway' comment I started to think.... hummmm, four years with that awful Queen of Clouds? or the four of Rainbows or 6 of clouds? Nope, no way. So, I vote for Robin Woods deck if that would be my only companion. The solar powered battery flashlight and a sturdy knife sound good too, :)

Logiatrix	22 Aug 2001
i'd have to take my renaissance tarot. it's currently the only tarot i'm working with, and the first in a long time that continually interests me! i'd also need my angel cards (by doreen virtue), and my soul cards. ditto on the books--lotsa books--and writing materials, including my laptop! :)

Temperance	22 Aug 2001
Just one? I'd have to take the old Hoi Polloi that's been in the family since I was ten. It's reliable and I know it so well. But these days I'm using my Zerner-Farber almost exclusively.

Maan	23 Aug 2001
I would say my Hanson Roberts deck. But my brand new Spiral tarot is very appealing. Maan

Melvis	24 Aug 2001
Right now my relatively new Aquarian Tarot is my 'comfort deck' that I always turn to first. I also think that, since the Court Cards in this deck are all done as 'close-ups', I'd have plenty of people to talk to on that island! Peace, Melvis

DangerKitty	25 Aug 2001
I would have to take my Voyager, my Shapeshifter, and my Rohrig. And ditto to the chest full of supplies comments. :)

The If you were on a deserted island... thread was originally posted on 16 Aug 2001 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.