Decks for spells and magic..

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Aug 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Tarot_Cupcake	17 Aug 2002
What decks do people here find best for spells and magic in general? How do you use them?

Starfish	17 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Tarot_Cupcake What decks do people here find best for spells and magic in general? How do you use them? I have just begun to use my Tarot decks in spellwork and found Tarot Spells by Janina Renee a valuable tool. I don't have a particular deck that I use just yet - I'm sure that will come in time, the more I do the spellwork; whichever deck seems to work best will be the one I stick with. A friend of mine uses her Thoth deck exclusively for spellwork. :TJUDG Starfish

Keslynn	17 Aug 2002
I have never used my tarot decks for spellcasting. Not yet at least. I am hoping to try some of the visualizations and things soon. As Starfish recommended, Janina Renee's Tarot Spells is a great book. Her book is illustrated with the Robin Wood deck which a lot of people seem to like for spellwork. Another book I've seen around is called Tarot Spellcaster. I didn't catch the name of the author but I think it got a fairly good review on Tarot Passages (www.tarotpassages.com). Check out the book(s), find out what you like and go from there. As I recall, Renee has a good little section on how to write your own tarot spells. As for the deck to use, I think a lot of people use Robin Wood. Use whichever deck speaks most to you. However, some authors recommend that you leave out the cards you've used for a spell so you might want to pick a deck that you don't use for daily readings. Or have 2 copies of a favored deck. ;) :) Kes

Tarot_Cupcake	17 Aug 2002
Found a good source on "do it yourself" spell layouts: http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/PT/MM.html But curious to what decks seem to work best for most people? Which seem to be more powerful as far as imagery and actual spell-working? I looked through the two spell books at B&N, but still am unsure of what I need to look for in a deck to work with. Is the imagery more important as far as what it means to you, or are those decks specifically labeled "magical decks" the ones I should be choosing amongst?

Starfish	17 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Tarot_Cupcake Found a good source on "do it yourself" spell layouts: http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/PT/MM.html But curious to what decks seem to work best for most people? Which seem to be more powerful as far as imagery and actual spell-working? I looked through the two spell books at B&N, but still am unsure of what I need to look for in a deck to work with. Is the imagery more important as far as what it means to you, or are those decks specifically labeled "magical decks" the ones I should be choosing amongst? Thanks for providing that link :) I do find that I gravitate to my Robin Wood for spellwork. I think the pagan-flavored imagery lends itself well to spellwork. I personally feel the card imagery is the determining factor for spell deck selection. :TJUDG Starfish

Violet Gargoyle	17 Aug 2002
I haven't used the decks for actual spellwork, but the Enchanted Tarot does include a spell for each card in its companion book.

Tarot_Cupcake	17 Aug 2002
This might sound like a really stupid question....but what is there about a deck to make it be considered a "Pagan" deck?

jema	17 Aug 2002
i would pick any deck that clearly shows the meaning of the cards. i would perhaps not use a deck that were too abstract or too small. the deck i most often used for spells have been the Herbal Tarot. it is a simple deck and since i work a lot with herbal magick it is a perfect fit. but i haven't been doing any tarot spells for quite some time now and who knows what deck i will pick next time. i like to use a cheerful deck! large cards, easy to understand, good colours. world spirit could be a good one for me the next time... my tarot spells have always been very simple. i have two kinds. one for herbal magick where i add healing herbs in a bowl, salt in a circle around the bowl, write small notes with names of things or people i need to be healed, i make my invokation and seal the notes with a drop of oil i mixed before, add it in the bowl, pick out a few cards - like temperance, the star, 6 of disks, empress according to need and place those around the bowl. leave it for a few days. or i do very simple stuff - like i do a reading and just change the cards around to make it appear as if the things i wish for have already come to pass. i like to say that i make "happy" spreads and i make statements like "i live happy in my new home and i am attrackting just the kind of warm and generous friends i need in my life" or something like it. leave it out on the table, write a happy gairytale about you and the events you want to come to pass, add crystals to the spread, herbs, light a candle or just let it be.

Lee	17 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Tarot_Cupcake This might sound like a really stupid question....but what is there about a deck to make it be considered a "Pagan" deck? There are no stupid questions! :) In my opinion, a Pagan deck would be one where the author/artist went out of their way to put Pagan-oriented symbols in the cards, to a greater or lesser extent. Robin Wood or the Witches Tarot would be examples of highly Pagan decks, whereas the Wheel of Change deck is more subtly Pagan. But I think these distinctions can be somewhat artificial. I'm sure there are many Pagans who use decks which aren't identified as specifically Pagan, and I'm sure there are many non-Pagans who like "Pagan" decks. -- Lee

emily2otters	17 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by jema or i do very simple stuff - like i do a reading and just change the cards around to make it appear as if the things i wish for have already come to pass. i LOVE this! though probably considered too small for some, i like to use the tarot nova (paschkis) for spellwork. it's about three inches square, and the images are very clear and very simple, with bold colors. i also sometimes use plain old rider waite. :) oracle decks are great: faerie's oracle, medicine cards, and soul cards have all been handy tools for me. lots of folks use angel cards and goddess oracle. my approach to spellwork with cards is to sort through the deck and pull out all the cards that express visually what i want to manifest. then i try to narrow it down to 3-5 cards, and arrange them in a line that's both visually pleasing and symbolically meaningful. it helps to have the cards on either end be figures facing toward the center... if one of the figures is holding out some object (the hermit's lantern, a page with his pentacle, etc.), i pay attention to which card the object is being "offered" to. then i get settled and pray like hell.

RedWood	17 Aug 2002
I have only done one spell and used the Hanson-Roberts deck..Just because it is a rider waite clone..

Jewel	19 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Tarot_Cupcake This might sound like a really stupid question....but what is there about a deck to make it be considered a "Pagan" deck? I think Lee answered your question very well so I will simply add a few more decks that to me have a pagan feel (I am pagan and like both pagan and non-pagan decks alike) - Tarot of the Old Path - Robin Wood - Witches Tarot (Ellen Cannon Reed version) - Sacred Circle - Cosmic Tribe - Barbara Walker - Pagan 2000 - Wicca Tarot Many Celtic decks have a pagan feel to them as well. LoScarabeo is coming out with a new pagan deck which looks like it will be very interesting, and in modern times. Hope this list helps expand on your original question.

Strega	25 Aug 2002
I recommend those decks in Jewel's list. I use the Witches Tarot with the spells I wrote myself... or inspired by the Tarot Spellcaster (a book by Terry Donaldson).

the hermit	25 Aug 2002
The main reason that I (and many others I know) use Tarot cards in spells is for the symbols and images. These help me focus on my goals. I have Janina Renee's book and enjoyed it but don't really use it. It showed me the thought process (it's one of those "now why didn't I think of that" sort of things) and now I "make up" my own as necessary using various cards as I see fit. Now, to answer your question... I use any deck that has imagery that suits the spell. I've even mixed cards to get the symbology I'm looking for. I've used Rider Waite decks and currently use the Universal Waite (like the coloring that Hanson-Roberts used to make it a better deck) I also use the Robin Wood, Old Path, Witches, Hanson-Roberts and any other deck that can help me focus.

Liliana	25 Aug 2002
I havent used any yet, but a lot of Robert Places decks could be used. Since Im Christian in my magick, Im sure Tarot of the Saints or his Angel tarot would work great to bring saint or angel energies into the work. And Alchemical has to do with alchemy, a magick of change, so I bet itd work too. Winged Spirit is another deck with "angel" figures that would work well :THP

Maan	25 Aug 2002
I usally use the robin wood for spell work but sometimes i use the mythic. I'm mostly familiar with the greek pantheon so that's the one i use in spell work :) O Liliana do you have the angels tarot!! That one is on the top of my wish list!! How does it read? I really really want it....i have developed new rules for myself when i want an other tarot deck...i firts print out all the pic's i can find online and stick tme to my fridge they must at least hang there for three weeks and if i still like the deck i allow myself to order it ( if my bankaccount is up to the callange ;) )...well this deck is up there for at least three weeks.......:D

blue_fusion	25 Aug 2002
i hear the voodoo tarot (not sure if that's the exact name) can be used for some pretty powerful spells. i've only used tarot for communing with the dead, but i have friends who use it in casting spells, specifically, the elemental aspects of the cards. :)

Tarot_Cupcake	25 Aug 2002
blue_fusion20, How do you use your cards to communicate with the dead? What deck do you use?

divinerguy	25 Aug 2002
I'd go with the Rider-Waite, or the Cosmic. Theme decks might affect what you're trying to accomplish.

Laurel	25 Aug 2002
I've been in the room and witnessed someone use the New Orlean's vodoo deck for spell work. I've used the symbols and images off a number of Golden Dawn derrivitive decks for meditation and energy work, though not spells per se. Laurel

blue_fusion	25 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Tarot_Cupcake blue_fusion20, How do you use your cards to communicate with the dead? What deck do you use? when i did try this, i used the rider-waite. but i believe that any deck can be used, as long as the diviner's intentions are clear. What i did back then (i think i posted this on a thread here, somewhere) was like when i normally read the cards, except that i focused the questions towards the specific spirit i wanted to contact. there were times it didn't work though. and i haven't tried it for some time now. :)

Liliana	25 Aug 2002
No I dont have the angel deck, should of bought it last year when i saw it for 10 *grumble* :THP

Maan	25 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Liliana No I dont have the angel deck, should of bought it last year when i saw it for 10 *grumble* :THP Ooo poor thing!!! Its awful realising that you should have bought something isn't it? When i think of all the OOP decks i left in the store cause i did not know there where OOP i almost have to cry :(

DollChica	25 Aug 2002
I got an e-mail from Anna Franklin a few months ago and she said that she and the co-author of The Sacred Circle tarot are considering writing another book for that deck and that some spell-work would probably be included.

Major Tom	27 Aug 2002
I think that any deck can be used for spellwork. To me, it's important the imagery in the deck 'speaks loudly' - in other words - that I have some sort of connection with the images in the cards. I've been using the BOTA deck that I coloured myself for spellwork. I believe the act of colouring provided me a personal connection with the deck and therefore the deck 'works' better for me. Sometimes I've used cards from several decks for spellwork - choosing the individual cards according to my personal feelings about them. (Also because I only coloured the major arcana of the BOTA). One of the reasons I've started Major Tom's tarot was so I'd have a deck with powerful imagery with a close personal connection for spellwork. (Somehow I suspect the connection will also exist for those who appear in the deck) })

catlin	27 Aug 2002
I use either the Robinb Wood, Fairy Wicca or the World Spirit for spellwork, it really depends on my mood. I also do create spells for myself, in fact I note them down in my "Lesser Grimoire of Light and Shadow" (The Grand Grimoire of Light and Shadow contains more theoretical texts, Wicca poetry, etc).

The Decks for spells and magic.. thread was originally posted on 17 Aug 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.