Favourite deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 18 Nov 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

jmd	18 Nov 2001
How about listing our favourite deck(s) and (some) of the reasons for this? Mine is definitely the Marseilles. Of the numerous versions available, my two favourites are the oldest (1761 Heron) and the most recent (1998 Camoin deck). It is traditional, one can see how other decks derive from it, and one can also usually judge other decks' accuracies by it. If a deck varies significantly from it, it will probably not maintain a long life AS Tarot (though it may as another deck, eg, Mlle Lenormand deck). Contrary to popular opinion, the pips do in fact show quite a variety of details, though these are not as picture scenes.

Mojo	18 Nov 2001
Hard to say favorite or not, but the decks I read from are: Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot - the best feature of this deck for me is that the backgrounds are rendered in black/white with the central character or figure in color. I think this really creates a dynamic difference for the eye and actually makes me focus on images or symbols that I don't always catch in other decks. This is my primary deck for readings Napo Tarot - This deck is from Argentina and I love the artwork. It is a combination of modern and ancient Spanish and Native Argentinian art forms and the colors are amazing. I usually stay away from decks with keywords on them, but in this case, I can overlook that because the deck just really feels right to me. Tarocco Bizzarro - This is another deck which breaks rules for me - it has pips for the minors instead of full images. However, the artwork is amazing. The art is created by Italy's most popular political cartoonist and it is very similar to traditional Alice in Wonderland cartoons. A great deck to use at parties. Secret Tarots - I don't use this deck for readings for other people because it tends to be rather dark in nature. But when I want further insight into a reading I've done, or if I feel a querent wasn't being completely honest with me, I always recreate the reading using this deck and it really does unlock some of the secrets. This is a wonderful deck for personal meditations. Cosmic Tribe Tarot - There are several threads in these forums about this deck and I agree with all of the great comments about it. It is sexy, daring, and very unique in its ability to delve into really personal issues. The book that accompanies the deck is well written and I love the unique symbolism the creator has come up with - and he uses that symbology consistently throughout the deck.

Freddie	18 Nov 2001
Swiss 1JJ. LOL.... stop laughing now all of you!!!! LOL here myself..... It's the first pack I owned. I nervously (at 18) went into a occult store and the witch that ran/owned it (yes she's a real witch and a sweetheart too) suggested the Swiss pack to me. I've been attached to it since 1983 and I never seem to find a deck to take it's place. I would've picked R/W had I have known anything about Tarot back then. My other fav. is "Ancient Italian Tarots", same thing only prettier. I do still like R/W sometimes, but I'm tired of looking at it everywhere. Freddie

Dee 04	18 Nov 2001
My favorite is Robin Wood in Spanish - I love it, exact same art as the deck with English titles on the cards - I connect more to the Spanish words. Morgan Greer - I love the "orangy" look! Voyager - really taps into my intuition! Soul Cards - very deep readings, beautiful art work!! Thoth - also very profound readings and very accurate.

cj	18 Nov 2001
Hi all, I have quit a few decks but for right now here are my 3 favorites (waiting for number 4). The Gendron Deck - I connect with 99% of the images. the difference between the majors and minors doesn't bother me. The Universal Waite-The images always read true for me and the fine line drawing and colors appeal to me. My New Baby-Osho Zen-Blown away by the images. I have only done 1 true reading and it was on the money - they are guidance cards to me not Tarot. Waiting for the Steel Wizzard to be published. CJ

Jewel	19 Nov 2001
My favorite? ~giggles~ this could take all day *LOL*. I think it depends what I would use the deck for as to which would be my favorite. Okies lets try and summarize this: ALL TIME FAVORITE ALL CATEGORIES: Robin Wood - I have loved this deck since the day I laid eyes on the box at the store 6 or 7 years ago *LOL*. I used to hate the "Wheel of Fortune" card, but as I went through the Goddess Knowledge cards it all clicked ... what Robin used was the Goddess Fortuna for that card and it finally makes sense. I like the fact that the deck remains close to the Raider-Waite but is pretty and has Pagan symbolism. OTHER FAVORITES: Tarot of the Old Path - Again I think it is the Pagan theme that draws me in. This is my second most used deck. Witches Tarot - Pagan theme and qabalistic influence and focus. Thoth - symbolism and qabalah. Cool artwork. Secret Tarot (Lyle) - It is so different than any other deck I have seen that I just love it for being different! Shapeshifter - would love to decoupage some furniture with it ~giggles~, I could never get tired of looking at these ... It is beautiful but not Tarot to me. Love & Light,

Kalin	19 Nov 2001
The Mythic deck is my favorite for a couple of reasons--one is that I am also an astrology student, so the mythology corresponds well to both. The second is that I am a big fan of Liz Greene, who co-authored the deck. I also read with the Universal Waite and Ferguson's Arthurian Legend decks. I also have a few others I'd like to learn to read with. Kalin

Kiama	19 Nov 2001
ROBIN WOOD: The artwork is gorgeous, and the cards are very Pagan, which I find very easy to read. Excellent symbolism, pleasing to the eye. Just feels right. COSMIC TRIBE: Earthy deck, againm very pleasing to the eye. Love the idea of all the unclothed people teaching us to accept who we are and realise that our bodies are really gorgeous things.. Temples in fact to house our spirit. Again, Pagan sybolism, and plenty of it. adds some new twists to cards that really opened my eyes. WORLD SPIRIT: The Minor Arcana are it's strong point, definitely. Great scenes in them which really relate to everyday life so it's easier to read them for somebody. Love the Magician. And the Fool's a woman!!! Something I've never seen dne before! MAJOR ARCANA OF THE GENDRON TAROT: The artwork is gorgeous, and contains so much symbolism and representations of Goddesses from Pagan religions. NIGEL JACKSON TAROT: Takes the renaissance style of art and brings it into the present day, with striking and eye-catching results. Also adds a new, Pythagorean twist to the meaning and enigma behind the Tarot and it's possible history. However, only really speaks if you have some basic grounding in Pythagorean philosophy and Greek Gods.... I have 25 decks, and really like quite a few of them. The ones above are just the ones that I feel capable of writing a bit about. Kiama

EveAnna	19 Nov 2001
Hi Freddie, (slightly off topic :) ) We seem to have met our 1JJ Swiss decks in the same way, I purchased mine in around 1981 from an occult shop on the advice from the lady shop owner. I liked the deck at the time but I too would have bought the Rider Waite if I had known about it so although I get along with the 1JJ Swiss deck my favourite deck is the Original Rider Waite and R/W clones - the Diamond deck being a very close second. :)

Logiatrix	20 Nov 2001
whatta fun question! my favorites have changed over time--i think because i've SLOWLY gotten better at reading, and i've also become more focused as to how i utilize tarot in my life. currently, my main deck is the "visconti-sforza". in fact, this is one with which i have continually found a kinship since i first discovered tarot, and now i use this one almost exclusively. i have discovered that i am quite fond of renaissance-styled decks in general, and i have started to study and especially seek these tarots for my collection. my second deck is the "animal-wise tarot"; my querents seem to relate to these cards very well, and the readings are positive, yet honest. i also use the "healing with angels" and "healing with faeries oracle cards", combined. this one is great for children, and people who might not respond well to tarot cards for whatever reasons (stigma, religion, etc.). in addition to these three, i also keep a "universal waite" deck set aside for study, but not for readings. i like keeping this deck in order, so i can study whole groups of the cards at a time, or find a particular card quickly. only four decks is quite a victory for me, as i previously struggled with finding that PERFECT deck, only to wind up trying to make use of as many as ten decks at a time! the first forty or so decks in my collection represent my search for THE ONE...now, at least i can say i really DO collect tarot (at about eighty decks), and i am finally happy with my favorites... :)

jema	21 Nov 2001
*tarot of the spirit* this is my spiritual deck. i don't really "know" the deck yet but every time i use it (for myself only) i am amazed at the insights i get from just connecting to the images. the book that you can buy with it is really great also. the art is hmmm. special:-) not to everyones liking. but very intuitive. *zerner-farber* this is a tiny tiny deck and that is one reason why i like it so much. it is just there! i have it in a woodenbox sitting on a table by my cosy corner and it is just a few inches away so i use it all the time. plus the art is magical. imagine being able to do that with a needle! the cards are small and seemingly simple yet full of detail. pretty! *Gill* it was Gill or the Spiral. those are both my "working" decks. when i got a reading to do for a client i don't know so well these decks will always work well. i picked the Gill simply because it is also my comparative deck nr 1. i like to do an overlay with it if i am stuck with another deck. Gill has a clear and calm mind of it's own:-)

Kassia	23 Nov 2001
Tarot of the Old Path is my favorite deck - I picked it out when I became seriously interested in the Tarot, I think because it was the one my friend used so I felt drawn to it. It is actually what lead me to become interested in Paganism. I also like the Soul Cards when I'm in the mood for something with a very different feel, more often when I want to use something for creative self-exploration than in a reading for someone else. I use the Herbal Tarot sometimes, because herbalism is another of my interests so it adds another level of information and interest for me, and I'm exploring the Zerner/Farber deck but find I need to "learn" it anew.

catlin	23 Nov 2001
My fav is still the Legend Arthurian deck but I use for my readings the Sacred Circle deck (I never thought that I could connect with a computer generated deck but I like its Celtic background).

Logiatrix	24 Aug 2003
I think it's fun when we re-visit old threads and see if our tastes/perspectives have changed at all. I found this one while doing a search, and I thought it would be fun to see if we still have the same favorite decks. I discovered that, indeed, the Visconti Gold and Animal-Wise are still two of my favorites, and I still use the Angel deck, but not the Faeries...Here is the "old me": Quote: Originally posted by Tauni ...currently, my main deck is the "visconti-sforza". in fact, this is one with which i have continually found a kinship since i first discovered tarot... ...my second deck is the "animal-wise tarot"; my querents seem to relate to these cards very well, and the readings are positive, yet honest... ...i also use the "healing with angels" and "healing with faeries oracle cards"... Well, it was very satisfying to see that I have been somewhat consistent, SOMEWHERE in my little world! Gone are the numerous decks I also mentioned, and now there are newer favorites, of course. ;) Also noteworthy: Kiama no longer has only twenty-five decks, but JMD is still very loyal to those Marseille decks... :D Even if you didn't post a year-and-a-half ago, are you still committed to the same favorite? :)

Marion	24 Aug 2003
Someone bumped an old thread on decks you would 'never ever buy' a while back. And I was laughing to see that I had acquired (one way or another) nearly every deck that I had said that I wouldn't. :D So I guess it is a good thing I didn't post here because I know my favourite deck had changed a couple of times in the last 18 months. I think back than I would have said Robin Wood. And I still like it, but never pull it out anymore. It does however reside in my brain as a reference. Just went through a lengthy Shining Tribe period (and still like it and still sometimes use it), and World Spirit is a constant reference deck (now, not then, in fact I didn't have it). I find I am sort of embarrassed to write down my current fav. It is kind of a silly deck but I really like it. And I am not sure that I may want to hear about it 18 months from now! One thing, I seem to be stuck in the RWS camp. Niether Thoth nor Marseille seem to draw my interest.

Kaz	24 Aug 2003
i didnt post earlier i see. my favorites dont change really: thoth, marseille, crystal tarot. and one of my favorites is the osho zen , but i never seem to use it anymore. maybe i should trade it.

Le_Corsair	24 Aug 2003
Since I got the Psycards, I hardly pay attention to the tarot anymore. They are so intuitive and simple in their archetypes that only little effort is required to understand their meaning. The Tarot of Prague I love. There is something new to discover every time I use the deck. Even the backs of the cards are attractive. Of the readily available decks, I still like the Aquarian (with German titles on mine), the New Palladini, the Universal Waite, the Universal by de Angelis. For Marseilles styles, I like my Fournier deck. Bob :THERM

firemaiden	24 Aug 2003
Thanks for bumping up this thread, Tauni! I never saw it. I don't know what my favorite deck is, because it changes everyday! I am soooooooooooooo fickle! Now I'll say something hilarious that will blow your mind: my favorite this summer has been the Universal Rider Waite. How boring! you must all be saying. No, really, I just bought it. My first deck was the Thoth. I never wanted to own the RWS, so I bought 24 other decks first. Then I finally decided I needed to own my copy of this thing everyone else refers to, so I broke down and bought it, and.... I really love it! hahahahah. I love the colors, the detail is so evocative and rich, giving lots to mine for. I have been really enjoying rediscovering the Secret Tarots - Tarocchi degli Segreti with fellow aeclecticians Zagone and Spoonbender in our long thread. Then of course, I am really into the Margarete Petersen tarot, but it would be more fun if there were more people to share this with. Waaaaaaaaaaaanh. I love all my decks. :) But if I wanted to really do a serious reading for someone, I would probably use the Spiral or the RWS.

Cerulean	24 Aug 2003
I only list working decks... 1. Italian--Dotti. It has all the Di Gumppenberg delicacy of the previous century's design, the odd Victorian romantic copperplate and modern speculation of what Yeats did with his tarot deck--this was his choice--and Annie Horniman's reading to fund his productions...stuff of dreams. 2. Historical-Visconti, maybe, until the Lo Scarabeo Charles VI is coming out?. Dummett, Kaplan and others agree or disagree about it, it's a pretty series of minatures with even little mysteries about its sun, moon and stars. I 'come home' to this deck. I'm hoping the Charles VI will be the historical reproduction that I can merge with historical poetry. 4. Aquatic Tarot for free online readings, Mermaids for others...Others in this category: 1972 Rider Waite, Giant Waite and Diamond Tarot--where the Rider Waite is in mirrors. Nice 20th century classics. Online, I always choose the Aquatic tarot whenever checking out free tarot readings at Facade and the former Annikin Divination website.

Mimers	24 Aug 2003
This is very funny. I just began reading Tarot a year ago and all I had was the Universal Rider Waite. This is still to me the most amazing deck. I will always love it and always be able to read with it. All of my card meditations and all my meanings are based on my interpretations of the URW. Here is the catch, on the same day Firemaiden purchased her first RW deck, I purchased my first Thoth deck. I know this because we were shopping together that day. I have to say, I love the Thoth and had an affinity towards it right away. It is so vibrant and rich. Not at all dark and moody (at least not to me) like I had heard described. I use it a lot now. Third is the Ancestral Path Tarot. It is another deck that I just clicked with right away. It is that simple. The beautiful artwork and outstanding book are both an added plus. Just an amazing fact. I started reading cards a little over a year ago and had only 2 decks. Universal Rider Waite and the Hanson Roberts. Now I have 29. And it's all of your faults. You all made me a taroholic! I will definitely be owning one more in Oct. The Golden Tarot by Kat Black. I would sure like to get the Merryday Tarot too, and.....

truthsayer	24 Aug 2003
my fav decks right now are my zerner farber and my hanson-roberts. i'm some what surprized that i haven't chosen a more exotic deck but these decks are easy to handle, gentle and feminine.

Chronata	24 Aug 2003
This is a fun thread! I am sure that if I had been here earlier to post, some of the answers would be the same, and some would definately be different. I love my Rider Waite Smith. It has treated me so much better than I have treated it! (the last public readings I did were during a rain storm, and now some cards are spotty! {LOL}) I adore my Hanson Roberts, and have since the first time I held it in my hands. Now that it is gone, and I have my tiny little replacement one, I am growing to love that one as well.(it fits in the wee little pouch I call a purse!) And I am very fond of my Aquarian deck. I forget about it sometimes, with all the others I collect, and all the others I use. This is the first deck I had that merited it's very own box. Recently I took it out again and noticed how really beautiful it is.

WolfSpirit	25 Aug 2003
*Merryday tarot* When I first saw this deck I knew I wanted to have it, but I thought it was very difficult to find. Some of the cards just clicked with me, it has a world of its own and is very familiar to me at the same time. *Animal Wise* The deck concentrates more on what you can do yourself rather than what is happening to you, and this has always appealed to me most in tarot. The book with this deck is very good. *Tarot of the Spirit* a deck that brings out the intuitive. The minors are very good. And the book with this deck is great as well. This was one of my first decks, but I traded it away then because it was too different for me. Now I am a bit more experienced I am so glad to have it back. *Ancestral Path* This is my latest deck so maybe this deck still has to prove itself ;) but I like it a lot. This deck can just get my imagination going. It is multicultural like the merryday, but the merryday has more fantasy elements and I would call the AP more "earthy".

Scorpion	25 Aug 2003
I didn't contribute to this first time around, so here's my top three:- 1. Ancient Egyptian: For me, this is virtually the perfect deck. It evokes a time and place I've been fascinated by ever since I can remember. The Majors are truly awesome depictions of the deities and the Minors bring the everyday aspects to life. I swear these cards come alive and draw me in! 2. Haindl: So far I've not got much further than drooling over the scenes. My father-figure was an uncle who was also a very eccentric artist. He taught me to look at things in a different way. The fact that you can often see the canvas in the Haindl transports me back to his studio: I can almost smell the turps, feel the time and effort put into the paintings. Now that I have both books I am looking forward to settling down to seriously study this deck as soon as time permits. 3. Bosch: Probably influenced again by my artist uncle. Although I don't remember specifically discussing Bosch with him, I was exposed to many different types of artwork as I grew up. In addition, I find this deck so useful for getting straight to the point where a "troubled mind" is involved: it doesn't mess around! That said, I've got several trades on the way, including the Quest and the Ananda, both of which I fell in love with on sight, so I may have to review this very quickly indeed!

full deck	25 Aug 2003
As of now, my first choice is: "Tarocco Di Marsiglia" 1810 - Swiss from Meneghello It is a Marseilles deck that is friendly and shuffles well and has an interesting color palette. This one has read very well indeed for me. Tarot of the Third Millennium - Le Scarabeo This deck has lovely, artistic majors, nice color, shuffles and reads well. I am fascinated at the authors rendering of the majors ("The Lover" is quite unique). Jacques Viéville Tarot - Heron The artwork is very nice, the colors are nice despite the messy application of color through stencils (?), nice finish, handles well. I have been using this more for meditation practices and study, though this is a deviation from what is regarded as *the* Marseilles pattern. Visually, it is easier for me to project most of these images.

Maan	25 Aug 2003
The two decks i use the most are my beloved phantasmagoric theater tarot and the cosmic tribe tarot. Others i use are the fey, spiral, parrott, ancestral path and the fradella Love Maan

Sulis	25 Aug 2003
Here are my favorite 3 of the moment: 1. Pocket Rider-Waite - I love the size of it. It's the only Rider-Waite deck I own. I resisted this deck for ages because I thought that I didn't like the artwork but now I've got it it just seems so familiar and it's small enough to go everywhere with me. It's the deck I use most. 2. World Spirit - This is the first deck I really clicked with and has been a favorite for the last year. I love the colours and the imagery. I love the black borders as well ( I'm a bit fussy with card borders). I find this deck very easy to read, it's my comfort deck - when I can't connect with my other decks I go back to World Spirit. 3. Glastonbury - I love the colours in this deck, I also love the way it mixes Arthurian myth and legend with modern day Glastonbury. One thing that I don't like about this deck is the super glossy finish to the cards which makes them feel a bit plasticy. If I could go for 4 I'd have Thoth in there as well - I have phases with Thoth, haven't used it for a while though so I can't really put it in my top 3. Love and light Crystalmynx xx

galadrial	25 Aug 2003
I've gotten some very cool decks lately, the Phantasmagoric Theater, Swedish Witch, Fradella Adventure, and others, but I still have two definate favorites: Templar and Margarete Petersen: both of these decks seem to kick my left brain right out and go deep into the unconcious. I started to use the Margarete Petersen too much and I started getting prescient dreams and found it hard to concentrate on daily tasks- it was hard to feel that I was completely "here" sometimes. Cool, in a way, though I cut back on how much I used it! The Templar always speaks to me on many levels and gives deep, memorable readings.

Emily	25 Aug 2003
I think my favourites at the moment are:- The Universal Waite, I love the colouring of this deck and it was on my wishlist for a long time, its a very familiar deck after using the Original Rider Waite. Also favourites are the Ancient Italian and the Classical tarots, I think the Majors are very expressive, I like the old fashioned appeal of the decks especially the Ancient Italian, although the way the Classic tarot has been re-produced is very pretty and I like the challenge of reading with pip cards instead of illustrated minors. The Thoth is another favourite but one that has been put on the backburner for the time being.

Trogon	26 Aug 2003
Tauni!! Thanks for resurrecting this ancient thread! ;) This is a fun one... My favorites... hmmm... so many to choose from (a dozen I think - talk about feeling like the poor-red-headed-step-child). The Rider-Waite-Smith (ugly backs and all). This was the first Tarot deck that I was able to really connect with and it is still a favorite. The Röhrig Tarot. This was my first Thoth-based deck and one which has given me great readings right out of the box. The art work is what really grabbed me with this deck orginally though... it had such a modern and totally different "feel" to it than my RWS. After those two it's a toss-up between several others. The Haindl, which has artwork that appeals to me and seems to be giving me very good readings, but I haven't done many with it yet. The Spiral, which has some real new takes on the old RWS imagery. The Victoria Regina, I love those old engravings and it has been, for some reason, a challenge to get to "know" this deck. Well... those are some of my thoughts anyway...

Summerdream	26 Aug 2003
This is an interesting thread. If I had to pick only 2 at the moment they would be: Buckland Romani Ancestral Path I've owned those 2 for over a year and they still captivate me. Momof3girls

isthmus nekoi	26 Aug 2003
I would say Vertigo, but having probs reading w/V right now. So.... I'd have to say Thoth b/c it's never offended when I swear during meditations on a question. Plus Thoth loves to delve right into topics like sex and death, meet them head on. Granted I only have 3 decks. (only!!).... Ever since I've been looking over this forum, this state has become increasingly difficult to maintain!

anjocoxo	27 Aug 2003
I only have a few decks, but my fav are Robin Wood, Hanson-Roberts and Goddess Tarot. And I'm planing to buy the Golden Tarot, the Bosh and a few others... Anjo

Lupe	14 Sep 2003
I have searched throgh various decks and finally decided to use the R/Waite. At first I could see into the cards, although as time passes, I feel that I can no longer get a feeling for them. It seems as if I'm looking at them and not in them. I have been drawn to the thoth deck due to the highly symbolistic artistry. I am wondering if as you evolve through one deck of the tarot, is it possible that you may have to get another deck that suites you better to continue evolving?

truthsayer	15 Sep 2003
i have so many favorite decks(possibly all of them!) that this is a difficult question. i think i'd have to say my hanson roberts, neferteri and my 3 german decks. hanson roberts for readability. the others for sheer beauty.

Logiatrix	15 Sep 2003
My favorites: Visconti Gold Animal-Wise Royal Fez Moroccan Zerner-Farber Peace, Tauni

The Favourite deck thread was originally posted on 18 Nov 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.