Recommendations please!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Sep 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

moonkitty	04 Sep 2001
Hello! I'm new to tarot (and new to here as well). I have been trying to decide on a tarot deck. I love the artwork of the shapeshifter deck & the fairie oracle, but the shapeshifter doesn't seem good for a beginner, and the fairie isn't a actually a tarot(?). I also love the artwork of Susan Seddon Boulet. Is there a good tarot deck for beginners with artwork similar to these? Thanks!

Kiama	04 Sep 2001
The Shapeshifert deck was painted by Lisa Hunt. Another deck painted by Lisa is the Celtic Dragon Tarot.. both with DJ Conway. Another deck good for beginners with beautiful artwork is teh Robin Wood, and Nijel Jacskon Tarot. Hope this helps. Kiama

Rhiannon	04 Sep 2001
I also recommend the Robin Wood, especially for a beginner. The artwork is beautiful and vibrant, the faces are friendly and the usually scary cards (death, devil) aren't all that scary here. The symbolism is so rich that even my 7 year old daughter new what the cards meant. Good luck! Rhiannon :)

joya250	04 Sep 2001
hi moonkitty. :) welcome. I "third" the reccomendation on the Robin Wood deck. I also reccommend the basic Rider Waite... or even the Universal Rider Waite (same pictures, just a little more lively).... I'm currently in-between "beginner stage" and whatever the next stage is (haha) .... and I found myself starting the buy all kinds of tarot decks in my excitement before I really got a chance, or took the time, to "master" one of them. So, to begin with, I would suggest the more traditional decks. That way you can learn the basics and then branch out from there. I own the Rider Waite, Robin Wood, Voyager Tarot, Daughters of the Moon Tarot, Vertigo Tarot, Fantastical Tarot, and the Rohrig Tarot. ..... and out of all those, I can only read with the first two! ahh, sorry to ramble. good luck!

Elphaba	04 Sep 2001
I would really go with a deck that speaks to you personally. When I went and bought my first tarot deck I had looked at every picture I could find on this site and others and kept a list of the ones that I was interested in. I ended up with the Celtic Wisdom Tarot...not a 'beginners deck' but I worked through that stage and I'm doing pretty well. Tarot requires the use of a special part of the mind and for me, that part only wakes up when confronted with gorgeous artwork. You need to find a deck that stimulates your intuitive, psychic self. So if a voice inside you is saying 'I love, love, neeeed the Shapeshifter deck' well I'd say that's as good a choice as any :).

truthsayer	04 Sep 2001
for beginners, i recommend the hudes and mary hanson roberts deck. i do agree that the celtic wisdom is gorgeous even if a bit advanced. i love it.

jmd	05 Sep 2001
And now for something totally different... Don't hesitate to look at some of the really old traditional type decks, such as the Tarot Classic (US Games) and the Marseilles deck (various versions, of which the most beautiful and most recent is the Camoin Marseilles deck, redesigned in 1998). To look at their Major Arcana cards, check their web site at: http://www.camoin.com/tarot_en/regarder_tmt/voir_tmt.htm The Waite decks and their derivatives, though often artistically very beautiful, have generally followed the Golden Dawn's reversal of Strength and Justice (because of presumed astrological correlations). Apart from any posted recommendations, follow your own inspiration, and enjoy whichever deck appeals. You can always get others later...

moonkitty	09 Sep 2001
Hello again! I just wanted to thank everyone for all of the suggestions! I finally decided to go w/the Robin Wood deck. I figure I should start w/something basic before I try to decipher something so complex as the shapeshifter or fairies. But I will move onto those, I'm sure! I have a really good feeling about this board & hope to talk to everyone when I start practicing (at least, as much as school allows !) -Moonkitty

The Recommendations please! thread was originally posted on 04 Sep 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.