new to Tarot cards

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Mar 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Rocksolid	08 Mar 2002
I was woundering if anybody can give me more info. I have never done any readings, but I have always found this sort of thing very interesting. Can anybody fill me in on Tarot cards. Are there evil decks and happy decks. I am a gentil person who beleives in the power of positive thought. In 2001 I lost many relatives and it was a bad year. I was thinking it might be interesting to learn how to do a reading and see what it says about my future. I know nothing about all of the different types of decks, so somebody fill me in. I also do not know where to buy them.

tempestfire	17 Mar 2002
Hello Rocksolid, I was just going through the forums and saw your post. I am by no means any kind of authority on the subject, however, I have been trying to teach myself tarot for a few months now. You can get the cards at most of the bigger chain book stores. You can also purchase decks through Acclectic Tarot. It is my understanding that proceeds from ones purchased through Acclectic help maintain the forums. If you check out the home page here- you should find a link to reviews/ and a place to view various cards. (Awesome place to start). They also have the study groups forums. I know some of the cards come with books. Hope this helps you out. tempestfire

Dragonfly	21 Mar 2002
Hi there just happen to see your message. I agree one of the best places to start is Aeclectic there are so many decks that you can look at and get a feel for. As for your question on good or bad deck I don't think there any you should pick out a deck that speaks to you. Take your time and have fun thats part of the process. Good Luck

Original Destiny	21 Mar 2002
Hi , you are at the best place to buy cards... buy them from this site...I suggest you browse the card site then check out this forum for peoples opinions on decks... My personal view is that you get a Rider Waite deck...it's a classic... most of the packs are based on this deck...It's a good starter

Jewel	22 Mar 2002
Hi Rocksolid What an exciting time, picking out your first deck :) There was a time I would have recommended that you start with a Raider Waite deck as it is the one featured in many of the good Tarot books. What I would recommend to you now instead is for you to browse the decks as suggested in the earlier posts, jot down the decks you like and ask questions about them here at the Forum. These Forums are blessed with a lot of knowledgeable members, we all work with different decks. Three decks that are considered to be traditional and/or classic are: 1) The Raider Waite - the minor arcana are illustrated which makes them easier to learn from) 2) The Marseille (JMD please provide some insight into this deck as you are the expert on it *LOL*) - which has "pips" (sort of like traditional playing cards but with Tarot suits) instead of full illustrations. 3) The Thoth deck - I would not recommend this deck for beginner, but I do know several people who started with it and love it. It also has pips in the minor arcana. There are a variety of popular Raider Waite clone decks. What this means: 1) They either use the drawings but are colored differently such as the Universal Waite (I prefer this deck to the original Raider Waite) 2) Or they are patterned after this deck, have illustrated minors, and follow the numbering and correspondences very closely. Some of the popular decks in this category include: Robin Wood (one of my favorites), the New Palladini, and a host of other decks. There are some decks which are "lighter" or gentler than others such as the Connolly deck, which is sometimes criticized for its imagery being to gentle and too Christian ... Anyway, just look up a few decks, see what you like and we are here to help share our opinions on the decks and how easy/hard they might be to learn from. I would also suggest that you consider getting some books on the subject. Two that I highly recommend are Tarot for Yourself by Mary Greer (this is a workbook with exercises) and 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollock. We look forward to your future posts, and know that we are here to learn with you.

jmd	22 Mar 2002
I agree with Jewel that we are certainly all here to learn with each other, and our own foibles can at times get in our own way... I'll strive to avoid the label of 'expert', however, as this would be the quickest way for me to show my ignorance... I have also been taught to be cautious, and in this case, not by a brother, but by my father's secretary: when I was a teenager (some 30 years ago), she had on her desk a card which read: 'expert' : df 'ex' means 'has been', and a 'spert' (or spurt) is a drip under pressure... With regards to the Marseilles, I do prefer it, and I do also think that it is a fine deck, whether one is a beginner or quite advanced. That the pips are just that, pips, without further adornment from scenes, can for some make the deck appear more complex, for others simplify it. Let me explain what I mean. If one just sees, for example, six cups, as opposed to an illustration, it may be more difficult for the beginner to even have an idea as to what this may be referring to. On the other hand, very early a disciplined Imaginative faculty begins to develop, partly disciplined by the act of investigating the meanings of the suit of cups, together with developing a sense for the combination of six things. With regards to the Major Arcana, the Marseilles provides, from the beginning, the traditional numbering, modified on the Waite, and returned to on the Thoth. Having said this, I would agree that, for one's early decks, by all means look through the vast range available, and choose a deck towards which you are drawn. Whether the books you have use a particular deck for illustrative purposes should not radically alter what you can get from the deck itself.

The new to Tarot cards thread was originally posted on 08 Mar 2002 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.