i have a ?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Prometheus712	21 Jun 2002
Hey, I haven't done anything with tarot... but i want to get into it. i was wondering what deck i should use? Would Sacred Circle be a good one to start with? -Dale

jmd	21 Jun 2002
By all meands, Prometheus712, if you like the Sacred Circle deck, then do get it and enjoy slowly getting to know it. You'll get many preferences mentioned on this Forum, and some will also say that certain decks are 'better' for beginners. The reason this deck is at times said not to be for beginners seems to be threefold: Most books use the Waite for illustrative purposes (this is not, in my opinion, sufficient reason to get a Waite to start, and I would personally prefer a Marseilles - as some of you already well know!); The Major Arcana illustrations on this deck do not follow standard iconographic representation - this may very well lead to confusions; Apparently, the accompanying book is either unclear or at times difficult. You may wish to also read the two Aeclectic Reviews. Again, I would recommend that you get it if you feel drawn to it, irrespective of what I have said above.

Thirteen	21 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Prometheus712 Hey, I haven't done anything with tarot... but i want to get into it. i was wondering what deck i should use? Would Sacred Circle be a good one to start with? jmd covered the good points. Sacred Circle is a lovely deck and one of my favorites--but I don't know if it's the best to learn on. One of the reasons is that if you use any book OTHER than the one provided with the deck (and even that one's a little confusing), you'll be very confused because cards are "mixed up." For example, in Sacred Circle, the "Magician" card is called "The Druid" and it's #5, not #1. #1 is the High Priest which is clearly the "Hierophant" card in most decks. You see the problem. And it gets even more confusing later in the main archana when you find certain cards typical of most decks (and books on tarot) are completely missing. Like "Temperance." Meanwhile, certain cards are there that aren't in any other tarot deck, like "The Web." Call it an idiocyncratic deck, it emphasizes it's specality (Celtic Paganism). Not telling you not to get it, mind, just to consider whether you really want to use it to LEARN on. Once you get into tarot, you might want to go onto other decks, and it might be better to learn on one that opens up more decks to you. You learn on Sacred Circle, you pretty much know Sacred Circle. You learn on Robin Wood, you now know a lot of other decks as well and can easily go onto Sacred Circle from there. A better LEARNING deck would be Robin Wood (which also has lots of pagan symbolism if you like that) or Hanson-Roberts. Tarot can be confusing and difficult for some beginners. No need to make it any harder on yourself. On the other hand, if Sacred Circle motivates you to learn, that certainly undercuts any arguments to the contrary.

Greenelin	21 Jun 2002
You know, the good (or bad, depending) old Rider-Waite comes in so many sizes and types, some quite cheap, that that's always a good place to start. It's the standard. If you can, do buy the Sacred Circle, but do your basic learning with a common deck, and then you can adapt to the Sacred Circle more easily. If you begin with that deck, it will be your default "way of thinking," and that will cause you lots of problems if you find another deck you like on down the road.

MystiqueMoonlight	22 Jun 2002
Great you want to learn the Tarot.......WHY? If you can answer this question then you will find the deck which is right for you. Good luck and if you're serious stick around, this is a beautiful community of readers at all levels here and they will certainly be available to you along your journey. Let us know what you decided upon. :)

Emily	22 Jun 2002
Slightly off topic but - I've just been looking at the scans and I wonder why I've never noticed this deck before. I feel something from the few cards scanned, just like I did with the Spiral - I can feel deck research coming on. I think this would be an ideal deck to learn with Prometheus712 :D Just edited to say:- I've also just noticed that its a book and deck set so you'll have a reference book to use with it.

Keslynn	22 Jun 2002
I don't have my copy of the Sacred Circle yet - c'mon postal service!!! *lol* Although the deck is very beautiful from the scans I've seen, like the others, I would recommend that you start with something else and then branch out. My recommendation would be to start out with a Rider-Waite based deck (Hanson-Roberts, Universal Waite, Morgan-Greer, Robin Wood, etc). There are so many RW based decks out there, you shouldn't have a problem finding at least one that speaks to you. The problem is finding more than one and becoming a tarotholic, but that's a tale for another time. ;) Check out reviews and pictures on Aeclectic and see what feels best to you. I would also recommend the book 78 Degrees of Wisdom or checking out Joan Bunning's online course at www.learntarot.com. It's totally free though you can also buy her lessons and exercises in book form. Let us know what you decide. :) Kes

Prometheus712	22 Jun 2002
Hey, Thanks for all your help, guys! I've decided on Celtic Dragon Tarot :) I'm going to pick it up tomorrow! I can't wait! Thanks again for the support!

Angel Star	22 Jun 2002
I own the Celtic Dragon set and it is beautiful and I feel quite appropriate for a beginner. The only qualm I have is I did not care for the book that goes with the deck as far as the meanings of the cards. Some are very negative and some are just so short as to the meaning. The thing I do like about the accompanying book is the card description is probably more suitable to learn from and the spells in the back of the book are great! This is a very nice deck. I do agree with an earlier post about getting 78 degrees of Wisdom. I just received it and its quite good and I am only like on the 2nd chapter. Have fun with the Celtic Dragon deck it is a very good deck. :)

Phoenix	22 Jun 2002
A really good deck for beginners is the Renaissance Tarot(since renamed the Secret Tarots) by Jane Lyle. It comes as a deck and book set, and is really good to learn on. The book is well written, and the cards are amazing. In fact, this is still one of my most favorite reading decks.

Zhritza	23 Jun 2002
I also really recommend the Secret/Renaissance to start out with tarot. Its book is extremely helpful; all the symbolism in the cards is explained clearly, and the imagery will burn itself on your brain easily, which is what you will need. Of course, if you want a more thematic beginning deck, there's always the Halloween!... okay, I'll try to contain myself about that. :D

mondk	23 Jun 2002
The reason I ask is because when I was just starting out, nobody referred any deck to me and I was very clueless as to where exactly to start. I figured most decks were alike, so I bought the first deck I came across because it had a book with it: The Dragon tarot, even though I really was drawn to the Witches'. The Dragon was difficult to me and the book was even more confusing. I just decided to interpret the cards based on how they made me "feel" thus using my own interpretation. My best readings come from not using the books that come with them at all. My advice is to buy the deck you are drawn to and don't put too much stock into the book meanings...use your gut instincts instead...they've never steered me wrong anyway!!! :-) Blessings, Michelle

Angel Star	23 Jun 2002
I think everyone gave some good input for how to pick a deck when your first starting. I wish I had more information but I was all on my own. Sometimes the books do make a big difference especially when your learning. Its good to use your intuition but sometimes its hard to know especially when first starting if its right or not. This kind of confidence gets built upon and in time you trust it more and more. When first starting alot of beginners need some kind of blue print and I feel there is nothing wrong with that. I have been reading for 4 years and I will still refer to books if necessary. There are times that a card will just not make sense to me intuitively. Take care all.

The i have a ? thread was originally posted on 21 Jun 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.