Second Time Around .. PLEASE READ!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Mar 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

New2Tarot	03 Mar 2002
Hey guys, Alright, so.. I was disappointed with my Celtic Wisdom purchase. Hmm. I guess maybe poor research on my behalf? But I think it sucks that you can't browse an entire deck before you buy it. And all of the internet sites only feature a few images. The art is awesome, but the cards are huge and the changes throw me off too much. Maybe I'll return/exchange it if I can.. or maybe I'll be keeping it. Maybe when I'm better at reading the cards and understanding them, I'll get more out of the Celtic Wisdom deck?? I doubt I'll be able to return/exchange anyway. But, there are other decks I would like to pick up and I thought this time around I'd try and get as much feedback as possible. So, if you're reading this -- COMMENT! Give me your two cents if you can. Here are the decks I'm considering, comment on as many of them as you can, your experiences with them, learning curves, readability, useability .. even card backs if you can! Also, how ACCURATE are readings with these decks? 1. Morgan-Greer Tarot 2. The Secret Tarots 3. Pythagorean Tarot 4. Haindl Tarot Help me make informed decisions about these decks, as I want to acquire all of them sooner or later. But, the decks are pretty pricey... Morgan Greer is only $23, while the Pythagorean is $65. What I want to avoid is making another disappointing purchase where I can't use the deck actively.. like the Celtic Wisdom deck is nice but it's not useable for me. It's just going to collect dust until I am able to learn to use it.. Thanks! New2Tarot

rostie	04 Mar 2002
i'll have the secrets tarot. it's very beautifull but i can't say much about it because i just bought it last week, but it seems very useble for a beginner (like i am). on the section: tarot cards there was a topic about it last week. about the rest, i would advice you to ask this question again on the section 'tarot cards'. they are specialized about this questions and you will have more feed back. (just a suggestion). with love, sara.

Kiama	04 Mar 2002
I recently wrote a review of the Pythagorean Tarot for Aeclectic, which you can find if you go to the homepage of Aeclectic, and click on the featured deck, which is the Pythagorean. But briefly, this deck does make some quite big changes to the Major Arcana. It changes the numbering system to Pythagorean numerology, so the Major Arcana are a bit mixed up. So, I think, Temperence is number 9 or something! But the artwork is very nice, and the Court ards are excellent: Very readable. The Minor Arcana aren't illustrated, but do have meaning engrained into them in the way the pips are set out. If you are looking for a traditional deck, this isn't the one to get, and it quite difficult to learn with too, cuz of its difference from most other decks. But, I really like this deck, and can read quite well with it. Morgan Greer: very traditional. But maybe the artwork is a bit too drab for some people. This is just a matter of personal preference though. I can read with it well, but there's nothing really special about it which makes you go, WOW! I LOVE this deck! Haindl: This is not one of my favourites! I think this is the one which really disappointed me when I got it home. I am not too keen on the artwork, and the imagery is a bit too muddled for me. It kinda creeps me out, but then, I'm more into Robin Wood/Hnson Roberts/Celtic Dragon artwork in decks than the Haidl style. Again, just personal preference. As to Secret Tarots, I haven't got clue! But I hope what I've written has helped you! Kiama

Mojo	04 Mar 2002
I can't believe there are occult bookstores out there who are selling tarot cards without keeping sample decks you can look at. I wouldn't buy from a place like that, even if it meant I had to drive to another town to buy. Next time you're in there, you should tell them that, too. Tarot Cards are such a personal thing and just getting recommendations from someone is still bound to leave you somewhat disappointed. You have to be able to handle the cards for yourself to see if a deck is right. Example, I absolutely love the Secret Tarots (if you're referring to the Lo Scarabeo Secret Tarots), but I would never ever recommend them for a beginner, or even for doing regular readings for people. The deck can be downright dark and scary at times. Getting opinions are great, but you have to find a place where you can actually put your hands on the decks you want to buy. The only decks I buy sight unseen are the collectable decks, and those I usually buy from Alidastore in Italy.

Geenius at Wrok	04 Mar 2002
Quote: New2Tarot (04 Mar, 2002 13:16): Here are the decks I'm considering, comment on as many of them as you can, your experiences with them, learning curves, readability, useability .. even card backs if you can! Also, how ACCURATE are readings with these decks? It would seem to me that accuracy, if it can even be quantified at all, is not a function of the deck. (Can you just imagine the sales pitch? "Use TAROT ENIGMATIQUE—30 percent more accurate than this other leading tarot deck!") Your concern about being able to browse decks is legit, though. I've been to a couple of stores that have assembled sample books. You still don't get to see the whole deck at once, but seeing a few sample cards firsthand is still a considerable improvement over seeing a few sample cards scanned on a computer screen.

New2Tarot	04 Mar 2002
The occult bookstore I go to is the only one anywhere near me, and it's a half hour away.. so there isn't much choice as to where I can go to see decks first hand.. Later, New2Tarot

Scorpion	04 Mar 2002
Hi, New2Tarot! If you go to www.tarot.com, you can view the entire Haindl and Morgan-Greer decks -double-clicking on a particular image will enlarge it. Unfortunately, the other decks you mention aren't featured, but it's a start! I've got the Haindl, although I haven't worked with it yet. It has a very dreamy quality, which I love. Even the eyes on the back are mesmerising. It's quite long and thin - I sort of want it to be wider, for some reason! So far, I've only been able to get hold of volume 1 of the accompanying book, which just covers the Majors. As for accuracy, I believe that the cards are merely tools to allow us to connect with the subconscious and would say I get my most accurate readings from the decks I "gel" with. When reading for others, I tend to take three or four decks with me for the client to choose from - I know I can work with all of them and the choice just helps the client feel that bit more comfortable. Geenius - great idea: where can I buy it?! I wish I could find stores where they let you handle/see decks. The only one I know of has one or two opened decks out of thirty or forty, a small local shop has some catalogues just showing majors and Borders has nothing but the packs on the bookshelves. I have several friends rooting through my collection so they don't make some of the same mistakes as I have!

purplelady	08 Mar 2002
Spend some Time typing "Tarot deck reviews"into various search engines. I've got quite the collection of review sites With Pictures saved in my favorites! There is even one site I Think its www.tarot.com , where you can see Every card of a selection of u.s. game decks. Personally , I don't feel I have to see Every card from a deck before buying it. I usually can get a good feel for it after seeing several deck reviews with pictures. I think every deck is going to have at least one card you may not like. I expect that I may not love every single card of a given deck , but like the deck a lot overall.

The Second Time Around .. PLEASE READ! thread was originally posted on 03 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.