One Deck Only?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 29 Nov 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

witchywoman	29 Nov 2001
I know there are a huge number of collectors on this forum and I've got a bit of a question for you all. I've been using the Mythic deck now for about 5 years and I love it. Recently I've been interested in looking at other decks to expand my knowledge. I purchased the Legend Arthurian deck, and the Robin Wood deck. All they have really done is make me realise just how much I love my Mythic deck and how 'bonded' I am to it. I know there are no rules or anything about using multiple decks or just one, but I'm interested to hear if anyone knows people who use just one deck and always have. Also how beneficial you think it is to work with different decks? I've found the Robin Wood deck as given me some useful insights into meanings but I can't imagine myself reading with it. And do you use one deck for a while and then change to another, or use whichever feels right for you at the time? Thanks. ww

Logiatrix	29 Nov 2001
w.w., i used to bounce around from one favorite deck to another, often favoring as many as ten or twelve decks at a time ("i can't decide--i love them ALL"!) now i find that it's better to focus on one "main" deck. i think it even makes my readings better, to have decided to stay focused and bonded to the one set of cards. i also do as you do with the second deck for study and comparison, but not to read with. mine is the rider-waite, but i'm seriously considering the robin wood. like many others here, i also have a favorite divination/oracle deck, which offers a nice change from my tarot deck. :)

Jewel	29 Nov 2001
I am one of those collectors you spoke of *LOL*. I just absolutly love my Tarot decks, all of them! But I work with the Robin Wood primarily, it was a deck that drew me towards it just sitting on a shelf at Barnes & Noble. The other deck I do work with is the Tarot of the Old Path. But the Robin Wood is definetly the primary. To tell you how attached to the deck I am ~giggles~ I moved and the wooden box where I kept my tresured Robin Wood got packed in a box and went to storage!!!!! Well since I dug around and realized I could not gain access to that particular box (go figure) I had to go purchase antoher Robin Wood *LOL*. Now I keep one at my Fiances house and the other with me ~giggles~. On occassion, if I am in a particular mood that identifies with one of my other decks I might pull it out and work with it for a bit, but not as in depth. Well I don't want to bore you anymore ~giggles~ so I will cut this off here. Love & Light,

Kiama	29 Nov 2001
Well, I'm a collector, and have so many great decks which I can work with. However, after a while of hopping from one deck to the other, I realised that I can only really have one deck: Robin Wood. The thing is, I can still read really effectively with most of my others... Kiama

cj	29 Nov 2001
witchywoman I have about 15 decks (my latest is the Osho Zen). I am one of those people who use a few decks at a time. For my daily card I pull 2 or 3 cards from 2 decks - my Universal Waite and 1 other deck. I keep my decks in bags and just grab 1. Works for me..do what works for you, but try your new ones once in a while - just for another opinion (try repeating the spread with another deck and see what you get). cj

scorpio	30 Nov 2001
i collect and have an unknow number of decks. but last year the pressure tank exploded in my basement soaking a number of things including my pocket rider waite. so i took it to work and tossed it in my locker. it is dirty, wilted, and of course the deck i read the best with. i dont know if its because i use it the most or what but its so shaggy its embarrassing!

Kimon	30 Nov 2001
Hello, I have between 60 and 70 decks, but since more than 15 years I am working just with one Thoth deck. I feel it is sort of my sacred one and am very comfortable with this. Greetings, Kimon

Jewel	30 Nov 2001
Quote: scorpio (30 Nov, 2001 15:31): i collect and have an unknow number of decks. but last year the pressure tank exploded in my basement soaking a number of things including my pocket rider waite. so i took it to work and tossed it in my locker. it is dirty, wilted, and of course the deck i read the best with. i dont know if its because i use it the most or what but its so shaggy its embarrassing! Sounds like it is time to put your treasured deck into a special box and keep close to you and use it for yourself, but also time to purchase a new one for use with poeple you read for :)

scorpio	30 Nov 2001
thanks for the suggestion jewel i will look for a box for those cards. im kinda testing now with the diamond tarot i got a couple of weeks ago the readings have been good but im going to give it time and i may get another pocket waite - i do like smaller size cards. but i dont have any tarot boxes so that would make that deck special - thanks!!!!

Jewel	30 Nov 2001
Quote: scorpio (01 Dec, 2001 03:16): thanks for the suggestion jewel i will look for a box for those cards. im kinda testing now with the diamond tarot i got a couple of weeks ago the readings have been good but im going to give it time and i may get another pocket waite - i do like smaller size cards. but i dont have any tarot boxes so that would make that deck special - thanks!!!! You are most welcome! I have one of my Robin Wood Tarots in a small treasure chest looking box, it has an ancient feel to it ~giggles~. I have the deck wrapped in a silk scarf that has purple green and gold in it and I sprinkled some Rosemary in the bottom of the box. It is the only deck I have in a special box, and to me it represents how special the deck is to me. Good luck with everything.

Kalin	30 Nov 2001
Same situation, same deck--I'm far and away most comfortable using my first deck, which is the Mythic, and likewise feel bonded to it. I did switch a couple of times--once, when I wanted to learn a Waite deck, and then to learn the Arthurian Legend deck. I liked working with both of them quite a lot and yet still have been back with my Mythic for a long, long time. Funny your post should turn up because lately I've had the urge to learn/work with another deck, but was having trouble letting go of the Mythic. Just today I started something new. I've wanted to try some of the spells in Janina Renee's book for a while, and since I'm so attached to the Mythic it felt right to use it for the spell work. For daily study on tarot spreads I'm going to use my Chinese deck, and will re-evaluate at the end of December (at which point I'll probably go back to using the Mythic for daily tarot study...LOL). Kalin

EveAnna	30 Nov 2001
I usually stick with my Rider Waite but, for a change, like using my other decks the Diamond, Astro tarot and Thoth. I think its because I'm more comfortable with the scenes on the Rider Waite and the Diamond, which is a R/W clone. The Thoth is a new deck purchased a couple of days ago and I'm still working my way through it :)

Osher	01 Dec 2001
Personally, I mostly use my first pack, the Tarot of the Old Path, however, where space is limited I use my half size RW. Sometimes I like to use the Rohrig, but it is a huge pack (but beautiful) and needs a large table. I use the others sometimes though, to give them an airing mostly, but also to give me a change too.

witchywoman	02 Dec 2001
Hi all, Thanks for your thoughts about using multiple decks, very helpful. Metaz, I purchased the Robin Wood deck as a second deck and am currently using it to study and for comparison. I've found it excellent for this and can see that over time I'll continue to grow more and more fond of it. I have found that some of the cards have given me a real insight into the meanings. I notice that many people list this deck as their favourite and I can totally understand why. My only reservation.... so many blondes. No offence to the blondes out there of course, but as I'm not blonde it's a bit unusal compared to my very brunette Mythic deck. cj, Thanks for your advice about the readings. I'll try what you suggested about doing the spread from a different deck, funny as I've been thinking about trying this for awhile now. Kalin, Glad to hear someone else is so fond of the Mythic deck. I think as it is so strongly linked to the myths it is always going to be difficult not to think of them when you look at cards in other decks. Not that this is a bad thing as I just love the deck and the myths. OK, so I've probably rambled on enough for the time being. Thanks again for everyones input. ww

Freddie	02 Dec 2001
I was collecting for awhile there and I had about 16 decks. I don't know exactly how it happened, but I can only read with two decks now. I am totally smitten with "Tarot classic" and I'll always read with my first love "Swiss 1JJ". Besides the Grimaud "Marseilles" ( I can read with that one, but it's too thick to shuffle, great deck I think) and "R/W" I have for study, the rest of them are pretty much useless to me. Even the new "Ancient Italian Tarots" I have just sits in a drawer, unused. The only deck I'd like to have now is one that I cannot find. A deluxe finer art type of "Marseilles" deck with a different "Hanging Man" and "Devil" (Claude burdel style?) than in the traditional pack. Freddie

The One Deck Only? thread was originally posted on 29 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.