The decks you thought you'd love... and didn't

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kellinator	20 Jun 2002
Which decks were you sure you'd love until you actually got them? For me, it was the DeBurgh Celtic. The samples I saw online were pretty, and it sounded like it had what I was looking for... but when I got it, the paintings seemed rough and the cards didn't always match what I think of as their meanings. And on the flip side, which decks did you surprise yourself by loving?

Sam	20 Jun 2002
the vampire. i saw the pics on AT, and absolutely fell in love w/ it. but when i got it, ugh! what a hard deck to read w/! and "on the flip side", I got The Illuminating Tarots deck for $6, even though i had never heard of it before, and now it is one of my most faithful decks! ;)

Liliana	20 Jun 2002
Connolley,I thought Id enjoy the Christian influence but its all sweetness and light sickens me lol No wonder since Ive discovered my deck is Rohrig :THP

amyel	20 Jun 2002
Dante. Still like the artwork, but I know I will never actually even try to work with it. In my mind, the minors are all mixed up and make no sense to me, and I know this would only confuse me in any readings I ever would attempt with it. So I won't.

Phoenix	20 Jun 2002
Osho-Zen. The cards are all screwed up, it is very hard to work with. I thinkI may try and trade it again.

Butterfly	20 Jun 2002
Robin Wood. Looked through it once, didn't touch it again. I can't put my finger on why I didn't like it, but it definitely leaves me cold.

DreamDancer	20 Jun 2002
I had a similar expierence with the DeBurgh. I was so disappointed with it that I actually returned it to the bookstore for a refund. The deck I didn't think I would like but did, is the Rock Art Tarot. I had seen it in the US Games catalog and thought "yuk". Then I came across the deck & book set at Barnes & Noble for $8. Being both a serious bargain shopper & a taroholic I gave it a better look. In person, the colors & artwork on the package seemed more appealing than the catalog images. I bought it. I looked through the book first. The story of how the artist came up with the deck was very interesting & those images just called to me. I opened the deck & loved it!

VGimlet	21 Jun 2002
The Unicorn Deck. I loved unicorns long before they got popular here in the 80's, and became a cute collectible (no offence ment to those who like cute collectibles, but they are *not* me). I knew I had to have that deck as soon as I heard there was one. Much to my dismay, from the moment I looked through the deck it didn't click with me at all, in fact I dislike it very much.

jema	21 Jun 2002
almost all of lo scarabeos decks that i have. they are so very pretty but somehow they feel "shallow" the exception being Bosch (that one is so weird it is actually charming) i still like them i guess - i just don't think i will ever use them for anything else but take out and look at now and then. yet, i cannot stop myself from wanting them. and i am easing up on them.

aeonx	21 Jun 2002
I can answer both questions with the Hanson-Roberts. :D I thought I'd love it after viewing it online, but when I looked through the cards, I noticed how the symbolizm differs from the RW in many places. I saw this as a real problem, and got sooo disappointed. However, I loved the coloring of the deck, so I didn't put it away. Suddenly I noticed that I'd put all my other decks away. :) Now I don't mind the differences, and I only use the HR for my readings. I love it! Isn't that strange? One deck I thought I'd use, but don't at all, is the Morgan-Greer. It just doesn't speak to me. ~aeonx~

catlin	21 Jun 2002
Well, I was pretty disappointed by the DeBurgh, the Spiral tarot and the Native American tarot. I had high expectations on them and when I got them, they did not click with me. The DeBurgh's artwork looks like taken out from a fairy tale book, the Spiral is not Celtic enough and the NA is just ugly. Not to mention my disappointment at seeing the Cannon Reed Witches tarot. At least it has turned into a real "blabbermouth" (at least for me and for ppl who are willing to meet their "shadow").

wavebreaker	21 Jun 2002
Australian Dreamtime. The artwork looked really great online, but the cards look and feel really "cheap" in reality. Haven't even tried reading with them. On the other hand, the Glastonbury was a pleasant surprise for me. I mainly wanted it because it was the first tarot deck I ever saw, but I wasn't sure whether I liked the artwork or not. But when I got it, I really loved it, and it's one of my favourite reading decks at the moment.

Marion	21 Jun 2002
I find my favourites decks shift over time. And very often when I start to do a reading, one of them just calls me and that generally proves to be right. I bought the Chinese deck because someone else here uses it, and I liked the idea. At first I was disappointed because the colours seemed so pale, but the deck is surprisingly strong and I now use it often. Another big surprise for me was the Tarot of Oz. A child's deck you might think. I bought it because I always loved the Oz books and thought it would be a collectible deck only. I use it often now... why, because I know the books so well that the ideas just seem to flow through the cards to me.

Major Tom	21 Jun 2002
For me it was the Scared Circle that proved a disappointment. I really liked the images I'd seen on-line but when I got it I just couldn't get on with how the majors had been changed. So I traded it for a Thoth. })

kayne	21 Jun 2002
I'm with you Pheonix, The Osho Zen was really disappointing for me... I expected to love it and I still think the artwork is amazing... but, like you, the changing of the card names and meanings was just too much I think... and the whole phylosophy behind the cards didn't really work for me... oh well. Still great art work.

Molly	21 Jun 2002
For me, it was Ancestral Path. I read every review I could find on-line and was convinced it was my missing deck. Then I got it in my hands. I still think most of the cards are beautiful, but I absolutely dislike the fool card. ****I have to edit my post here because I originally wrote that I thought it was pompus to put your own face on a card, but I have learned that it is not her face. I have seen some writing on the card that she was showing how tarot card readers all must embark on the fool's journey. It's a nice sentiment and helps me to dislike the card much less... but I still feel overall that the deck does not do "it" for me. I have seen the artist's work on her new deck, the MAAT tarot and she is an incredible artist. I guess I just don't feel the Ancestral deck as powerfully as other's have.

jema	21 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Molly For me, it was Ancestral Path. I read every review I could find on-line and was convinced it was my missing deck. Then I got it in my hands. I still think most of the cards are beautiful, but I absolutely hate the fool card. I think it is pompus to put your own face on a card and it forever marks the deck as hers (like a dog marking territory) and I can never make it "mine" and that annoys me so much that I don't even want it anymore. hi, it is actually the Empress and the High Priestess that is portraits of Julia Cuccia-Watts. or at least that is what i have read on the net. but i might be wrong... anyone else know for sure? (edited) checked it up: http://www.tarotpassages.com/ancest.htm yep, it is her friend Tracey Hoover on the Fool card.

cjtarot	21 Jun 2002
Hi everyone... The deck that I fell in love with on line and hated was the Celtic Dragon. I loved the pictues..but when I opened the deck. I couldnt believe my eyes...all I saw were pretty pictures..no insight at all. PS I don't "work" with my Osho Zen deck. I use it for insight..pull a card, read the book and see if I can work on that quality that day. good reading cj

Bella	21 Jun 2002
The deck that I thought I would love, but really dislike, it the Gendron. I know that it's really popular, but I find the style jarring and the faces distracting. I am just keeping it as part of the collection now, as I can't use it. i also thought that I would like the Secret tarots a lot more than i actually do. the deck art seems flat and doesn't speak to me at all. On the flip side, I thought I wouldn't like the Morgan-Greer, but i get great readings with it. It also took me a while to warm up the artwork on the Gill, but now i think it's great!

Jewel	21 Jun 2002
The deck that most dissapointed me: The Tarot of Wicca. I loved the pagan feel the deck promised, and the artwork looked really nice. When I got it and looked through it I found the images to stern (bitter beer faced *LOL*). Knew I would never work with it so I traded in like new condition. The Gendron was another. I took it in trade twice and traded it twice ... Like the majors but the minors just do nothing for me and I dislike the inconsistency between them. The deck that suprised me: My beloved Cosmic Tribe! I got it as a novelty for it being the first deck to include three Lovers cards. When I opened it I was mesmerized, when I read with it there was no turning back for me. It is my primary and almost exclusivly used deck.

Rhiannon	21 Jun 2002
The most disappointing deck for me so far has been the Celtic Dragon. Like cjtarot, I thought the artwork was beautiful and when I opened it I had absolutely no desire to use it at all. :( Very sad. I hope ccbmac gets along with it better. I also can't use the Fantastical. I love the artwork there and I can read with it if I really try, but I end up comparing the cards to other decks and that is just too complicated for me. I hope cj enjoys it when it arrives for her. I think I was surprised most by my Goddess Oracle. Once I got used to those cards the meanings just became so crystal clear. And they are beautiful too. Rhiannon :)

Molly	21 Jun 2002
<<>> (Regarding previous post on Ancestral Path Tarot) I thank you for giving me that information! The card still bothers me though... I think it is because there is no representation of an archetype. I have seen decks online using photography as the medium, where people have used their friends as models and the cards still looked good because the friends were posed to represent the classic image/archetype. This card wasn't just the Fool with her friends face, it was a totally different concept which does not appeal to me. There were other cards I disliked in the majors as well. I thought the expression on the face of the Star very odd. And the world card is boring to me. But the deck looked so good to me online.

Kyrielle	21 Jun 2002
I found the art in the Witches Tarot to be too slick and polished for my taste. The good part about this deck is that there are some cards with fresh symbolism on them. Someone somewhere on this forum mentioned something about a "teen-witch" feel to this deck, which is what I feel, too. It's kind of pop or gimmicky. I also disliked the art on the Unicorn deck. Unicorns are a great subject, and have been used nicely on individual cards in other decks. I'm surprised someone hasn't published another unicorn-themed deck. I would definitely buy one, if the art was well done. Speaking of decks with cards modeled on the artist's friends, there's the Karma Tarot, which I just did a post on. But I won't talk about that deck here, because it is one of my favorites. It was my surprise deck, I guess. I passed it by several times, but then one day I picked it up and something made me want to take a chance on it -- and wow! --Kyrielle

Emily	21 Jun 2002
I've been pretty lucky with my tarot decks, I only buy the ones that click with me, and usually I put a little bit of research in before I buy them. I don't have that many decks and the ones I do have are pretty 'normal' run of the mill R/W clones lol - Spiral, Diamond, Hanson Roberts, Robin Wood, Rider Waite, Celtic Dragon, I can read with them all (except the Robin Wood, but I'm working that one out :) ) - I have seen decks I wouldn't buy, I don't like collage decks or none traditional ones but then again I don't class myself as a collector, all my decks are used, some of them are very beautiful but they are used :)

WolfSpirit	21 Jun 2002
The deck I found disappointing was one of the first I bought: the Fantastical. I had only used Rider-Waite before, was dying for something else, liked the art work on some of the cards but when I saw all the cards together, I knew this was no deck for me ! I have to say something positive about the DeBurgh though: I do like the deck and I've done readings with it as well, worked fine with me although the pictures on the cards don't show the actual meaning of the card - somehow I connected with the deck. I just buy decks because I like the art work now, and if I can read with them as well it's a bonus. The Faery Wicca is a bit of both: I still like the deck but I can't read with it, it's a tough one ;) Hope to understand it better when i've read the book.

Sorceress_Jade	21 Jun 2002
I bought the Crows Magic deck because I felt like the Universal Waite that I’d learned on just wasn’t working for me. I figured I needed something different. I felt like the people were getting in the way. Crow, as I found for a while, did well on emotions but not physical things. I really love the deck, but the imagery is very unhelpful. I haven’t used it in ages. Adrian I knew was never going to be a good reading deck, which is unfortunate because it too is lovely. Now the funny thing here is that I ended up buying a few decks trying to find the right one. In the end, the Waight deck turned out to be one of my 2 main decks. I’m glad it didn’t get angry or upset when I went in search, just waited patiently at home for me to return to it and lavish it with affection. :D

Violet Gargoyle	21 Jun 2002
St. Petersburg is the one that I got that I hardly can think of using anymore. I like the artwork and the acedemics and choices behund them, and I like Russian History and Lore, but I can never seem to read the deck. The Surprise of the year for me was the Victoria Regina. I got it because of the history and the lore, more of a novelty. And then I read the companion book, and started reading the cards. It's one of my more "comfortable" decks right now.

Lightlike	21 Jun 2002
For me I found the Celtic Dragon to be pretty but not my best deck, it's not as good a reading deck as my others. I also bought the Sacred Circle but never use it anymore because it isn't for me. I like the Osho Zen, I find it to be my best deck for personal readings... I guess the deck can be cryptic but then black and white answers are impossible because there are too many shades of gray...nothing is black and white. I like the philosophy of the Osho Zen, it can answer my questions by asking me new questions. I was also very pleased with the Faeries' Oracle. It shocked/bothered me at first because the images are so dramatically different and unusual (like creatures sitting on other creatures' heads... etc) but they have been my best deck for reading on others.

Starfish	22 Jun 2002
I don't know if disappointed is the right word to describe it for me, but definitely the Witches' Tarot is my most challenging deck for me personally. When I did an initial reading to see what my relationship with the deck would be like, I got the :TDEV Devil card. I waited a day, and tried again and got the :TDEV Devil again! I think I need to cleanse these cards.... I'm laying them out in the sun today atop their new home (a lovely bag from Tarot totes - black with silver celestial pictures on it). My favorite decks so far are Halloween and Whimsical - but I've also been working with them the most the past couple of days. :THERM Starfish

All Is One	22 Jun 2002
I just have to give in and get the "I am ONE" Tarot... I just ordered the N.Jackson, and the Goddess, and the Osho-Zen... (and a few others- but I went over-board, and I don't want to confess until I get calm) I went to the A.T. site to see the cards of the "I am One" for the 50th time, tried to find it on Amazon... no go. Went to Maya Britan's web site... and flipped out. I love her Ashtar painting, and her interviews are amazing. I have screwed up so much in my choice of decks by being analytical (it is NOT a used car purchase) so I have to have it. I may need to continue e-mailing her: she is so ...well~ uh...~ She is. Deck I was most horrified by, and still have mixed feelings about (designed as a joke!) is the Tarot of the Witches (Yep- I do own it) and a few (LOL) others ;)

Phoenix	22 Jun 2002
I didn't like the Witches Tarot too, the Cannon-Reed one.

All Is One	22 Jun 2002
BTW: Reason I finally gave in and bought the Goddess Oracle*** becuz Rhiannon was the first person on this site I "spoke" to she was waiting for that deck and I was waiting for the Art Nouveau, the Greenwood, and the Gendron. She was delighted with hers, I had the K.W. Book of Goddesses open to Isis and displayed, and there I sat with the Art N. and the Gendron as future "figure these out - there is no THUMP!" and only my Thoth that worked, although Greenwood has sharps kicks and serves its uses-( no harsh words for the sweet Robin G. deck ) I sulked all the way back to my Thoth and admitted I was caught. I have high hopes for the Goddess Thanks, Rhia

Zhritza	23 Jun 2002
The Londa Tarot (she did the Crow's Magick deck too) was only the second or third deck I acquired, 7 or 8 years ago. I studied it... uh... studiously, and I found it useful for lighthearted readings. When I took it out recently and tried to use it, I could not for the life of me figure out how I'd made it work for me at all. It's otherworldly in a good way, but the people in it are anorexic, and they're not moving. I supposedly know more about tarot now by a longshot than I did then, but I can't read with it at all now. I traded it for the Morgan Greer which is lovely. On the other side, I bought the Sacred Rose at a yard sale for $1. I was not impressed with it at all; I thought it looked dated and murky. But it was a freaking dollar, so I got it. It is definitely one of my favorites for reading now -- really easy to use, and yet complexly beautiful. I think liking it is part of what started me on my Trippy Decks path.

Maan	23 Jun 2002
For me it was the ancestral path and the tarot of the old path..... The decks that surprised me was the Robin Wood. It got so many postive reviews that i bought is and it is still my main deck

All Is One	23 Jun 2002
Hi Q~ it's nice to hear you again I have been absent and I have lots of excuses, but they are so DULL. Trippy decks? Love that. To me, the ones I call pseudo-taro are the really trippy ones... I can't even list them all. Figured you meant "trippy" as in "sunshine superman" trip out on it... so- kick down some "trippy" ?? I'll give you the key to my Snail, and hence the invitation to the garden~ }) :TQS })

Zhritza	24 Jun 2002
The garden? Actually, y'know, since we're stardust and we're golden, we've got to get ourselves back to that garden. })

Ravenswing	24 Jun 2002
for me it was the gendron. all the images i saw were of the majors. when i got the deck, it seemed like two-- the majors were painted, the minor were photoimages. i have a dificulty with the photoimaging. my lack, not its. LVX steve

Phoenix	24 Jun 2002
Hmmm..I actually LOVE the Londa Tarot and Crows Magick Tarot. The Londa Tarot works great with me. Don't know about the Crows Magick yet, I just acquired it. Molly: I see the fool card like this; everyone here was at that point when we started out with the tarot. We were like the fool of the Ancestral Path Tarot. We all embarked on a new journey when we started with the tarot. That's ust my thoughts.

catwoman	24 Jun 2002
I thought I would love Tarot of a Moon Garden after seeing some of the cards on the website. But when I got it was so airy-fairy and far too pretty that I just couldn't use it. It doesn't show a dark side even on cards like Death and Devil which I think they should.

Zhritza	25 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by catwoman I thought I would love Tarot of a Moon Garden after seeing some of the cards on the website. But when I got it was so airy-fairy and far too pretty that I just couldn't use it. Uh... Are you looking to trade that away, per chance? You'd have plenty of takers... :)

Maan	25 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Qolus Uh... Are you looking to trade that away, per chance? You'd have plenty of takers... :) ME,ME,ME !!!!! For the book that is......:) Qolus can have the deck;)

Molly	28 Jun 2002
Pheonix: Thanks for your post... I really liked your description of the fool card - it made me feel less hostile to the deck!!! *G* I think I'll get it out again and try to make up ;-)

cyan	28 Jun 2002
tarot of the old path. i'd like to hear why maan didn't like it. the reason i don't is all those fleshy faces with the plump, complacent, pursed, little mouths. i don't trust those faces, they look like witch burners to me. And i still like Londa.

Maan	28 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by cyan tarot of the old path. i'd like to hear why maan didn't like it. the reason i don't is all those fleshy faces with the plump, complacent, pursed, little mouths. i don't trust those faces, they look like witch burners to me. And i still like Londa. I did not like it because of the grumpy looking people just like you. And there is to much white...... :(

HudsonGray	28 Jun 2002
I picked up the Terrestrial Tarot because the art I saw online was intrigueing & the deck was for $6 at a half price bookstore......but when I opened it up & saw the cards............. aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! That is one weird deck. I can't devote a whole lot of time to learning it's intricacies & all the renamed cards right now, but have heard it's a powerful deck to read with. It certainly has weird energies in it. But for the moment I'm sticking to one of the more standard decks.

Phoenix	28 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Molly Pheonix: Thanks for your post... I really liked your description of the fool card - it made me feel less hostile to the deck!!! *G* I think I'll get it out again and try to make up ;-) You're welcome! I hope you feel better about this deck, because it is amazing to work with!

Zhritza	29 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by HudsonGray I picked up the Terrestrial Tarot because the art I saw online was intrigueing & the deck was for $6 at a half price bookstore......but when I opened it up & saw the cards............. aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It's in print but not too easy to find, and really, any deck like that is worth it for $6; you can always trade it for something worth $15 or $20...

evergladeswitch	29 Jun 2002
Like a few others here, I found the celtic dragon deck, a huge dissapointment. I slept with it, dedicated it in a dragon ritual and tried really hard to click with it but nothing. The artwork is really nice but doesn't seem to match the interpetations{at least for me anyway} I finally got the Herbal deck after wanting it for a long time and I'm not sure yet. I may use it for health oriented readings as it does give you the herbs and maladies that correspond with the cards. I'm still getting to know it. I like the drawings except for the Devil/Pan card which creeps me out for some reason.

Keslynn	29 Jun 2002
I'm with the others who mentioned Tarot of the Old Path. Those people just look so sinister sometimes. But I think I'll keep trying a little before I sell or trade it. For a long time, I hesitated to start working with the Robin Wood deck. Something wasn't clicking with me for some reason, but one day this past week, it ended up being the deck that went to work with me in my purse. I love it! I've been working with it for a few days now and it might just be my main deck. In fact, I think my Gendron is mad at me because of it. :-(

Lilac	06 Jul 2002
Actually, just from pictures i saw, I didnt like the rider /waite, but after working with it for a while I found its true meaning & it found mine...........we are a great pair togeter. The mythis strikes me as beautiful, but even now I find it hard to read......I prefer to keep it as my 'major only 'set. The Knapp Hall was the most disappointing, didnt resonate to me at all.........still in the cupboard hoping that one day we will find each other

Kaz	09 Jul 2002
robin wood, really weird. it's such an easy deck to read, the art is ok, not great. i had it for some time and i haven't used it after i read with it fot a month. so, out it goes to maan :-) kaz

cyan	09 Jul 2002
the tarot of the old path deck that i did not care for was actually purchased with a friend in mind. as i was unhappy with it, it was with some trepidation that i showed it to her without telling her it was for her. to my relief, she loved it. she kept passing the cards back to me for me to admire and saying there was so much in the deck. about halfway through the deck i told her it was nice that she liked it because it was intended for her. she was thrilled. so it just goes to show you never can tell

Sally Gardens	09 Jul 2002
Kris Waldherr's Goddess deck. The artwork is beautiful, and the Goddesses in the majors are suitable for meditation and display, but the minors just were...blah. I just didn't "connect" with this deck as a spiritual tool, which, being a Goddess deck, is what I had expected. I loved the Star (Inanna), but I think a big framed print of this hanging on my wall would better suit for inspiration and meditation.

VGimlet	12 Jul 2002
I have to now join with those who were unhappy with the Celtic Dragon. I was looking forward to getting this deck, and when I lost my bid on ebay and was very disappointed, Ken surprised me by buying it for me. I was so happy, but then I went through the deck, growing more bummed by the minute. The artwork is just too cute for me. :( I am planning to keep it, and use it in readings for my sister, who loves dragons. But it's just not what I was hoping for.

oriel	12 Jul 2002
The Connelly tarot, and most of the obvious Rider-Waite clones. And the Rider-Waite. On the other hand, when I got the Vampire Tarot I thought I wouldn't be able to read with it. I was wrong! It's the easiest deck for me to read right now. :)

All Is One	12 Jul 2002
My big accident was that when I ordered the Art Nouveau I thought it was the Aquarian Deck- I wanted to replace the late 60's deck I have- that is faded and on Bad card stock... Ordered it, caught the mistake- looked it up- liked the jewel tones, etc... I could not have been more wrong. Call the deck "Some great Majors...Then Ken and Barbie Star in Mattle's latest Soap..." then pick the name of your soap by the minor's melodramatic stances. A few of his majors were good- even great- I think I liked his death and his...well- it has not ben touched for months. Many of his males on the majors feature Ken-like odd buldging crotches and if it were bolder, less- well- 70's disco creepy , the maculinity would feel more honest. Who ever likes this deck- no disrespect intended... but for me- a total loss- (the Mary Hanson- Roberts; given to me... was just in the WRONG hands... )

All Is One	12 Jul 2002
Oriel~ I have wanted the Hertz Fantastical for months...studied the Vampire and may get it- but only had the Fantastical for a week or so...it is great. a dark and accurate reading deck, and the art matches my looks and my persona. May have to get the Vampire too. ~a

oriel	12 Jul 2002
All Is One- I may have to look into the Fantastical Tarot. I've had my Vampire Tarot for only several days and I'm new to reading, so I haven't worked with it very much. However, right after I bought it I showed it to my friend and tried to do a reading for myself in front of her. Surprisingly I hit it off right away with the cards :). I'm not even a fan of vampires. It's funny that the decks I end up working with the most are theme decks whose themes I know very little about. I learned later that Hertz created the Fantastical Tarot too, so I'm going to go look for card images on the 'net now... Oriel

Sally Gardens	13 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by All Is One A few of his majors were good- even great- I think I liked his death and his...well- it has not ben touched for months. Many of his males on the majors feature Ken-like odd buldging crotches Looking at the deck on Tarot.com, I was reminded of a comment in one review that the Hanged Man should be more appropriately titled "The Hung One." :D I've also seen this referred to as the Baywatch deck. It does have very pretty jewel tones - especially for the cups - if only it had used better symbolism instead of "soap operas" for the minors I might want to have it, in spite of the too-pretty people. This deck also isn't really Art Noveau in style - not that I'm an expert on the subject, but I have enough familiarity to see the discrepancy. The Lo Scarabeo Art Noveau is much closer to real Art Noveau, though I ended up selling that deck because I didn't connect with it - but it had nice art and was well done. Still has impossibly gorgeous people :D but they are "period" gorgeous people.

wetsheep1	13 Jul 2002
I'm a very touchy-feely type, so I've never bought a deck I didn't handle first. I have to say that I handled a Crowley deck once and it totally creeped me out. Yecch. The one I use most these days is the Tarot of the Spirit -- the artwork is lovely, for sure, but there's sooooooooo much going on in the cards! Every time I touch it, I learn something new. :) Blessings, -- k

catdoc	13 Jul 2002
The one deck that I have purchased and then found resoundingly disappointing is The Witches Tarot by Cannon Reed. I bought it after seeing some of the more dramatic cards on line. Some of the cards are evocative, but others .......The "muscle man" cards look silly particularly the 8 of pentacles. The Hanged man looks like a wrestler from the WWF. The suits of the court cards distinguished only by color of clothing and seasonal variation in the setting suggest to me that the artist was bored and just wanted to get them finished. I left this deck in its box for months, my first impression was so negative. I got it back out this spring and tried using it for daily draws and did one reading with it. Even reading Ellen Cannon Reeds book did not help me to connect with this deck. It is back in its box. Deb =^..^=

LeoLady	14 Jul 2002
Have to agree absolutely! i have loved dragons for as long as i can remember, and have the Dragon Tarot and Celtic one but apart from the pics being very 'nice' and 'pretty' I didn't click with them at all. Have now bought the Hanson-Roberts deck and am doing ok with it, although I might try the LOTR deck as I love that film and books so much I might find it easier to interpret. Quote: Originally posted by cjtarot Hi everyone... The deck that I fell in love with on line and hated was the Celtic Dragon. I loved the pictues..but when I opened the deck. I couldnt believe my eyes...all I saw were pretty pictures..no insight at all. PS I don't "work" with my Osho Zen deck. I use it for insight..pull a card, read the book and see if I can work on that quality that day. good reading cj

Sally Gardens	14 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by smuttyangel Have to agree absolutely! i have loved dragons for as long as i can remember, and have the Dragon Tarot and Celtic one but apart from the pics being very 'nice' and 'pretty' I didn't click with them at all. Have now bought the Hanson-Roberts deck and am doing ok with it, although I might try the LOTR deck as I love that film and books so much I might find it easier to interpret. From what I've read, the LOTR deck doesn't do a very good job of assigning story characters with the cards - e.g., Gollum is the Fool (??? - I would have chosen Sam Gamgee, or maybe Tom Bombadil, but Sam is the one who truly follows the "Fool's Journey" through the books, the "foolish one" who proves to have a simple wisdom that gets him through all of the trials). Also, the various races of Middle-earth are all depicted more or less the same, and inaccurately (e.g., Hobbits wearing shoes, or having hairless feet when they're barefoot), which is bound to be annoying to anyone who knows the book remotely well. The art might just be an annoyance, but the symbolism could be problematic for trying to read with it. Someone said it's on sale at Barnes and Noble right now, so if you find it at a good price, it's probably worth picking up as a collectible, but I wouldn't hold too much hope for it being a good reading deck.

WolfSpirit	14 Jul 2002
There's lots of Lord of the Rings decks around apparently, there's always several at ebay so I would not pay too much for it ! Quote: From what I've read, the LOTR deck doesn't do a very good job of assigning story characters with the cards - e.g., Gollum is the Fool (??? This is one of the few cards I saw and made me decide against it immediately. Gollum is a fool in the daily sense of the word maybe, but not a tarot-fool !

divinerguy	15 Jul 2002
The Robin Wood and the Witches Tarot (Reed). The RW is just too Ken and Barbieish - not enough negative vibes to be a balanced deck. The Witches Tarot is just a little too much of a theme deck for me. Mainstream decks are easier for me to use, because I like to switch off every 5 readings or so. Divinerguy

midnightmerry	16 Jul 2002
All of my Lo Scarabeo decks! I have three & won't buy another. Three strikes and you're out!! lol The L.S. Celtic deck is just too violent. I also found it really demeaning to the Celts, because the figures in the deck are so grotesque. (I couldn't *believe* what they did to the Empress in this deck!!) The Fairy Tarot is really cute, but some of the images don't click with traditional interpretations. Also, I have their version of the Art Nouveau. Very pretty, but in the end, just an excuse for having pics of naked women. Alot of the images don't jive with the meanings (again). Also, the Connnolley deck. The colors were pretty and all, but they weren't right. Also, once you get past the nice coloring, some of the images fall flat when it comes to the actual meaning of the cards. Also, I HATE when people mess with the Major Arcana. Midnightmerry

Lee	16 Jul 2002
I got the Kanzalar deck in trade, and I was disappointed. This is a deck which actually looks a lot better in scans than in person. Also, the Hoi Polloi, which I also got in trade after lusting after it for a long time. While it's got nice, bright colors, the assignment of colors seems to be quite random with no rhyme or reason behind it. I also found myself disliking the white backgrounds. But I did like the subtle improvements of Pamela Smith's drawings. The New Golden Dawn deck was a disappointment because of the Minors. They've got big icky keywords on them, and the hands which hold the suit markers remind me of hands reaching out of the grave in old E.C. horror comics. The Connolly is a disappointment because I really liked the colors and style, but, like midnightmerry, I can't stand the way Eileen Connolly messed around with the Majors. -- Lee

truelighth	16 Jul 2002
Interesting to see what people like or really dislike. Some of my really disappointing decks when I finally had them in my hands were the Vision Tarot (photographic) and also the Art Nouveau Tarot by Antonella Castelli. The first one.. I dunno.. it just didn't fit. The Art Nouveau is only pretty and has no meanings to me. A nice surprise for me though, was the Gill Tarot. I had postponed getting that deck for a very very long time, because whenever I saw the scans, I didn't really like the art so much. The big eyes and all. But when I finally did get it, I opened it and immediately fell in love. Instant connection. I never expected that from the Gill. Since then I have also gotten the Servants of the Light, only for the majors, who are also made by Elizabeth Josephine Gill. I am still not sure which one I like the most.

Starfish	16 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truelighth A nice surprise for me though, was the Gill Tarot. I had postponed getting that deck for a very very long time, because whenever I saw the scans, I didn't really like the art so much. The big eyes and all. But when I finally did get it, I opened it and immediately fell in love. Instant connection. I never expected that from the Gill. Since then I have also gotten the Servants of the Light, only for the majors, who are also made by Elizabeth Josephine Gill. I am still not sure which one I like the most. Woohoo!!! Another Gill fan (and welcome, truelighth to this wonderful forum). I recently purchased this deck (it's been in my hands less than a month) and absolutely adore it. Wait until Pollux reads your post.... :T4S Starfish

truthsayer	17 Jul 2002
i've had several deck disappointments. 1. the pythagorean-i feel absolutely no connection even tho i loved what i read and saw of it on the net. 2. osho zen--the connections w/ the osho cult (re: the master card) just plain turn me off. 3. sacred circle: the cards just didn't say a word to me. i do like the book as a source of celtic info. 4. celtic dragon-lovely colors and a few nice cards-again no real communication 5. cannon-reed witches tarot-while there are a few lovely cards, the way the courts are done and the men in spandex just turn me flat off. i also don't like all the kabalah references. 6. shapeshifter-lovely deck but i didn't like the extra cards and the cards felt "empty" of meaning to me. 7. sorry folks but i don't like the gill and traded mine off. no inclination to trade back for it either. does this mark me as some kind of tarot-holic traitor? ;) we won't even go there w/ my bad first impression of good decks...

truelighth	17 Jul 2002
Thanks Starfish for the welcome. I have been lurking on the forums for a while and being busy with tarot mailinglists, I usually don't get around to posting something. But this thread just peeked my interest. And yes, the Gill.. don't you love it? I don't know what it is about that deck, but it has just enchanted me. I even done some readings with it before even reading the book.. purely on intuition. Truthsayer, I can't blame you for not liking it. When I saw the scans, I didn't think I would like it either. And after all, we are all different, so different decks appeal to different people.

Faerie Lin	03 Aug 2002
I got the Karma tarot about a week ago, ... lol forgot all about it, 'cause I don't like it lol... hehehe But I played it off so nicely... My hubby asked this while I was looking through the cards.. "So you like them?" and I replied "Oh, these are for you." in a tone that stated "I thought you knew?!?" They're just not for me. Some of the cards look really cool... but most of them to me don't. But my hubby loves it, its totally his style, even though he doesn't read tarot. I think we'll just keep this one safe and unused for collecting purposes only. Oh well, only spent ten bucks on it. Lin

Jenny-Li	03 Aug 2002
Whoah... Here's a thread I've completely missed! It's interesting to see how different we all are when it comes to what decks we like and just don't get along with. I guess it is a good thing there's a lot to choose from out there - even though it does have some "less desirable" side effects on my bankaccount sometimes...! :D The one I got and relized I didn't like was the Mountain Dream Tarot. I stumbled on the Star somewhere and completely fell for it, saw some other pics and thought they were OK. But then I got the deck... And it leaves me completely cold - all cards but the Star...! So now I comfort myself by pretending I bought it as a collection deck, although it wasn't really so...!! :D Jenny :) Edited to add a PS: Actually I'm kinda glad to hear there are others who find the Osho less fabulous than they thought when they ordered it. I have SOO many people around me telling me how they love their Osho decks, but me... Naaah. I can read with it and learn stuff about not letting the "wrong" things get to me etc. But the readings I do with them are cold, intellectual - it's like it doesn't reach inside... Hm. Will give it some more time, but frankly I don't think this is THE one for me...! ;)

purplelady	04 Aug 2002
A deck that I bought and really disliked was the "Dreampower Tarot", it's OOP now and maybe that's a good thing! A Deck that was a slight disapointment- the Celtic Dragon. I don't dislike it but I do find it a little too cute and smiley and pale grey. I also think part of my disapointment with it at the time was that so many reviews I read online all seemed to say it was The greatest thing in tarot ever and it didn't seem to live up to that. I still think it's worth holding onto though. A few decks that I'm actually really impressed with- fantastical, sacred circle, cosmic tribe.

truthsayer	04 Aug 2002
[quote]Originally posted by purplelady A deck that I bought and really disliked was the "Dreampower Tarot", it's OOP now and maybe that's a good thing![/QUOTE now you wouldn't happen to have an interest in trading this deck would you? no need to keep a deck you don't like when i know someone here who'd really like to get her paws on this one...BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!! :D

purplelady	04 Aug 2002
I'm sorry to say , I disliked it SO much that I gave it away years ago, before I'd ever been here much less thought of tarot-a-holism. But I still remember it...............

RedWood	04 Aug 2002
Daughters of the Moon...I saw a few scanned pics and thought it would be really cool..but when the deck got here..No way..put it up for trade within 15 mins..Just not me!

Strega	05 Aug 2002
For me it's the Sacred Circle Tarot. The images looked lovely online. But when I went to the local bookstore and saw the cards... I didn't like it as much. Some of the photographed images doesn't blend well with the computer-generated images.

Sulis	05 Aug 2002
The first deck I bought was The Witches Tarot by Ellen Cannon-Reed, I bought it because of the title really. As a complete tarot beginner it just was too difficult to learn with as the card meanings aren`t really RWS based, didn`t like the court cards either or the air/fire correspondences - very confusing. The next deck I bought was Robin Wood - I`d seen the Devil card and really liked the imagery but when it arrived the artwork did nothing for me and so I had to trade it away. It`s a good job there`s plenty of choice out there, I`ve got the World Spirit which I love now. Blessings Crystalmynx xx

DarkElectric	05 Aug 2002
I thought I'd really love the Bosch tarot...until I got it. I realise that for me, it is strictly a collection deck. I can't relate to the imagery at all, and even though it is based on the work of Bosch, it's a little too 'copied' for me. I also have difficulty relating to the Adrian, and the Lo Scarabeo art nouveau. Pretty, but not able to read with them. And I have the E.C.R Witches tarot. I don't care for it either. Another no go in the reading department. But my greatest recent disapppointment has to be the Ukiyoe Tarot. I love Japanese art, and the majors are good, but the minors make no sense to me at all, and the 2 of coins is a running advert for US Games, which turns me off completely.

Lee	06 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by DarkElectric the 2 of coins is a running advert for US Games, which turns me off completely. There's actually a reason for that. Stuart Kaplan, the owner of USGames, likes to put things in the decks he publishes which echo characteristics of antique decks. It was a standard procedure on antique decks to use the 2 of Coins to advertise the deck's manufacturer. I agree, though, I can see why it would turn people off -- who wants to have the publisher's name thrust in their face when they're trying to do a reading? -- Lee

Molly	06 Aug 2002
Hey truthsayer - sounds like we have the same taste *G*... I thought I would love the Gill deck and once I tried doing readings with it - I just didn't get it. It started giving me the creeps even. (I wasn't creeped out by the Osho Zen, I just found that I never used it. I feel bad keeping decks that are never utilized so I had to trade that away.) But I was really surprised by how strongly I started to dislike the Gill deck.

Minderwiz	06 Aug 2002
The first deck I bought was the Mandala Astrological Tarot, because I was into Astrology. I don't use this deckat all now and found that I couldn't make any progress with it. I have Osho Zen and have found some insights with it but not yet enough to drive me to try it out consistently. Minderwiz

Marie	06 Aug 2002
The thing that turns me off in a deck is when the minors are color coded, like swords all yellow, cups all blue etc. It feels really synthetic to me and I can't get into it. The other thing is when the swords=Fire and the wands=air. There are some exceptions, decks I like in spite of it but basically I don't use them when they have that attribute. :) Marie

toysgirl	27 Aug 2002
There are two decks in which I was most disappointed with the "up close & personal" view. The first was a big surprise: Wendell's Gothic Tarot. It looks absolutely wonderful online. And the concept is intriguing. I really wanted to like it. I don't. But I find some of the collage work sloppy and it irritates me to no end; I can't get past it. I would be interested to hear opinions about her Necromancer deck. The second is Lo Scarabeo's Olympus tarot. I really thought I'd enjoy playing with connections between Greek myth and archetypes. I don't. Again, it's more about the artwork than the concept. It seems shallow and comic-book. I think of the old "He-Man" series when I look at it. :) The best surprises (the Victoria Regina, Corboz's Belmont & Genetti's Wheel of Change) were just so delicious, I have to remind myself not to over-handle them. -Stasia

Shade	28 Aug 2002
I really thought I was going to get into the Barbara Walker Deck and I'd been loking at it for some time. But once I did a few readings with it I started to really get annoyed with her key word decisions. I usually find key words limiting to begin with but hers really got in the way of the cards' interpretations. For example she has the Ace of Swords as "Doom". That just isn't the first word taht comes to mind when i think of that card.

DarkElectric	28 Aug 2002
Wow! I am not familiar with the Barbara Walker deck, but "Doom" sure isn't what I think of when I consider the Ace of Swords either!

Rhiannon	28 Aug 2002
This is not going to make me very popular (LOL) but I really disliked the Spiral. I thought the scans actually looked better than the cards did in person. When I looked through the deck I was very disappointed. The art is just not to my taste at all. I have sent my copy to Pollux and we can wait and see what he thinks! :* R :)

tabbycat	31 Aug 2002
I thought I'd love the Lo Scarabeo Art Nouveau deck, but I don't. :( It's quite fun going through and spotting all the lifts from Mucha, but the women all look too 'modern' for the Art Nouveau style and the artist can't paint men to save her life! I find the King cards really creepy, as they all look as if they're up to something sexually perverted, and the Devil reminds me far too much of the movie poster for 'A Clockwork Orange'. I don't think I'll ever be able to read with it. I also bought the Faeries' Oracle, 'cos I saw scans of the Himself card and really loved it. Turns out that's the only card in the deck that I like - the rest just leave me cold. I love the Victoria Regina deck though - it's brilliant! Oscar Wilde as the Prince of Wands is a great touch. Jilly

The The decks you thought you'd love... and didn't thread was originally posted on 20 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.