Reading non Waite "Clone" decks

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Mar 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

sk429	23 Mar 2002
Hello everybody. I am still new to tarot so please bear with me! Most of my tarot knowledge comes from the books or the web sites based on Rider-Waite deck. Can I still read any of "non Rider-Waite clone" tarot decks with my tarot knowledge which is heavily based on Rider-Waite deck? If I cannot, do I need to spend as much time as I did to grasp Rider-Waite deck for each new tarot deck? Thanks in advance.

Luned	23 Mar 2002
Tarot is a visual medium - in theory, the meanings will be right there in the cards, and if you let your intuition tell you what the cards mean you won't have a problem. That said, a lot of non-RWS clone decks will come with their own book explaining their "system" and you will get added shades of meaning and understanding by investing some time studying the creator's intentions. For example, they might use particular symbols or colours to indicate something, and you won't necessarily pick that up by simply looking at the cards. Lastly, the Comparative Tarot method (there is a Yahoo group about this) encourages you to lay out a spread using two or more decks (ie do the spread, then once you have interpreted it, select the equivalent cards from a second deck), the logic being that this will usually give you some insights that you didn't get from the first deck. This is a good way of getting to know a new deck, using your "comfort deck" or RWS clone, with your unfamiliar deck.

jmd	23 Mar 2002
Although there are differences between each Tarot deck, it is their commonality which makes them each Tarot. The work you have put into understanding the Waite deck will therefore become useful for whichever deck you choose to work with. If you haven't already, check out Thirteen's posts in Tarot Basics. Though not everyone may agree on every single point, it will surely add to your background knowledge, from which you can then move along your own path. (If you cannot see any threads, just select to view from the beginning, rather than the last 30 days... this option will be at the bottom right past the last thread you can see.)

kayne	23 Mar 2002
It is not a matter of starting again, rather building on the knowledge you already have :) Looking at a new deck is like looking at a familiar idea from a whole new perspective... Enjoy exploring new decks!

truthsayer	24 Mar 2002
i think one of the things i like best about tarot is how i can easily gain new concepts on symbolism that i've been studying over 25 years every time i look at a new deck and learn more about the artist/author's ideas about the concept of each card. i love studying archetypes and doing this has become a favorite pastime. these days i spend more time studying and soaking in unconscious messages from imagery than i do reading the cards. it doesn't matter if it's a RWS clone or non RWS clone. you can learn so much about the human mind and heart just from studying multiple tarot decks. it really boils down to what you enjoy most about tarot. reading or studying. the most important thing is to keep tarot fresh, amazing and fun! tarot should be enjoyed not seen as a chore to learn. tarot is a life journey of understanding yourself and others--not a destination to divining fortunes. how much time you spend studying the RWS is up to you. i use it as a stand by when i need a deck i can read clearly w/o being influenced too much by the personality of the author.

The Reading non Waite "Clone" decks thread was originally posted on 23 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.