Recommend A Deck Please

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Sep 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Angel_fire	08 Sep 2002
Hi Everyone Could someone please please recommend a Tarot deck to me that is easy to read. I am still trying to learn most of the meanings of the Rider-Waite Deck and think it would be much easier if the pics on the card interpreted the meanings much easier. I have the Quick & Easy tarot, but I'm not keen on them. Any ideas any one? Love Angel_fire xxx

RedWood	08 Sep 2002
I would say Mythic..My fave deck..it is based on Greek Mythology..The book is awesome...You can see why she chose who for each card..and for me..This made total sense..I got tarot from this deck.. (i know yall are sick of me raving about this deck)

kayne	08 Sep 2002
Hey Angel_fire, welcome to Aeclectic! I just got the Gill Tarot yesterday and I think it would be a good one for people new to tarot to learn with. It has key words on all the cards, including the Court cards and the pictures are clear and easily reflect the meaning of the key word.

Phoenix	08 Sep 2002
Actually, I agree with RedWood!! I just picked up this deck, and am kicking myself that I didn't get it earlier!! If you do not like the Quick and Easy Tarot(which has RW pics on it with interpretations, right???) then why don't you try one of the recoloured Rider Waites? There is the Universal Waite which has been recoloured by Mary Hanson-Roberts(who also created the Hanson-Roberts deck, which is RW based, and a good deck to gegin with). There is the Halloween Tarot which comes with it's own book, and is Rider-Waite based. I also like the Renaissance Tarot(it is now published as the Secret Tarots) by Jane Lyle. There is so mych symbolism in the cards, and Lyle does a great job of interpreting the cards in the deck. Hope this helps!! If you would like a list of good books, then go the Tarot Books and Media forum. There are some great suggestions there!

Strega	08 Sep 2002
Hi Angel_fire, Why don't you choose a deck that appeals most to YOU? Pick one that suits you and calls out to you. :)

truthsayer	08 Sep 2002
the following are decks that are basic enough for a beginner: hanson roberts universal waite mythic beginner's guide to the tarot or the sharman burke caselli deck aquarian morgan greer zerner farber barnes and noble hudes halloween nigel jackson if you want something more exotic but not too complicated try: ancient egyptian tarot of a moon garden robin wood thoth--maybe--is somewhat complicated but is one of the 3 standards--rws, marseilles,thoth

Strega	08 Sep 2002
Okay. Here are a few recommendations: Rider-Waite Robin Wood Tarot Mythic Tarot Ancient Egyptian Tarot Halloween Tarot Ancestral Path Tarot Connolly Tarot Arthurian Tarot Cosmic Tarot Hanson-Roberts Tarot Hope that helps. :)

truthsayer	08 Sep 2002
the only problem i have w/ a beginner choosing a deck not similar to those on my list is that often a deck is chosen that is more complicated than s/he is ready for. the symbols of the chosen deck aren't enough like decks used in books that teach tarot so learning becomes frustrating instead of pleasurable. it's confusing to learn on a deck like the osho zen then try to get into general tarot. there are few similarities b/t the 2 and it's like having to learn all over again. if you've got your heart set on a more attractive but complex deck, please get a rws based deck to compare and contrast against the other deck you chose. i think that would be less confusing. there are too many things that seem old hat to us that doesn't make sense to a beginner. for example, some decks using strength as #8 and #11 justice while others use #8 as justice and #11 strength. another example is how the swords suit represents air in some decks and fire in others. while wands is fire in some and air in others. if you know the hows and whys those things aren't confusing but if you have little experience, those "little things" could turn you off tarot forever and i don't like it when that happens.

jema	08 Sep 2002
hi angel fire. you have come to the right place. we all LOVE to suggest decks:) a bit too much infact. we will dazzle you with so many options that before you finished looking through them all you will have a whishlist as long as an arm. so i will be short here. Spiral tarot by Kay Stevenson.

Sulis	08 Sep 2002
I think that Truthsayer and Strega have given you really good suggestions. Can I add the World Spirit tarot, not exactly a Rider-Waite clone but the images certainly convey the meanings well and the meanings of the cards don`t vary from the RWS deck. The New Palladini is a good Rider-Waite style deck as well. Brightest Blessings Crystalmynx xx

HudsonGray	08 Sep 2002
One of the nicer things about the Robin Wood deck is that the number cards show a lot in the picture as to what the individual cards stand for. You see the picture & can remember the meaning a lot easier than some of the other decks out there. Plus I've seen total beginners use this deck with excellent results--it's very easy to read with.

Landon	08 Sep 2002
I think the best course of action is to look around and find a deck that speaks to you. There are images of many decks here and elsewhere on the Web. Find one that you really want to learn, where the images speak to you. I had an awful time with court cards until I started using the Cosmic Tribe Deck- they seem very easy to read to me in that one. My wife can't read with that deck at all. For her, the court cards opened up with the Victoria Regina, where all of the courts are based on historical people. I'm going to disagree a little with Truthsayer. I think a nontraditional deck can be very helpful to a beginner, provided you go in knowing that you are getting a particular perspective on the Tarot. For example, the Osho Zen was the first deck I was able to read with because I'm a Buddhist and the ideas and images there were more familiar to me. I knew going in that the deck was a bridge between what I already knew and the traditional Tarot. I do study with the Rider-Waite and the Thoth, but both still seem too remote for me to read with. Much less than when I started, though. There may a deck that will be a good bridge between what you already know and Tarot. Look and see. Do read reviews and do a search here if you decide to go with a nontraditional deck- some are great, others are not. Find a deck you love! Landon

Pollux	08 Sep 2002
Since you are still handling RW and meanings, I echo Jema, and say: SPIRAL! it has great artowork, and strikingly awesome courts. Great courts. They are well BEYOND Rider-Waite-Smith, although they keep most of the basic scenes and pictures. I don't recommed Gill, instead, since it has pips, and a bit of qabbalah and experience (at least for the so called "meanings") is needed. New Palladini is nice too, even though it is simply an artistic variation of RWS, and Spiral is much superior. Maybe Glastonbury? I am not sure, I don't have the deck yet. ------- Edited after reading Truthsayer's post ------ Oh, HUDES!!!!! YEs, take HUDES!!! HUDES! You must try to see that one too. I think it's worth it !!!! And Robin Wood and Nigel Jackson are nice ones too... :D P.S. FOR ANYONE - it's time we started to fill some FAQs about new/beginner decks, don't you think?

truthsayer	08 Sep 2002
pollux, glastonbury has symbols so particular to the arthurian legends that someone not familiar w/ those legends might have difficulty w/ it. i almost did recommend it. the cards are very basic and colorful but they have a hidden sophistication that unless you have some arthurian/celtic/pagan background might throw you. it might also be difficult to make the transition to what most basic tarot books say. landon, i only used osho zen as an example b/c it's one i've heard beginners choose b/c it's beautiful. then have difficulty b/c s/he can't relate to it or use popular tarot books in reading it. off the top of my head i can't think of any books other than the osho zen book that goes into how to use it. i didn't mean to imply that all beginners have difficulty w/ it. i'm glad you didn't. i learned on the rws and i'm not a buddhist so i've had difficulty relating to the osho zen. i do agree w/ you that if you have a background in say celtism or buddhism then glastonbury or osho zen wouldn't be a bad choice. if you aren't familiar w/ either example then a more generic deck like hanson roberts or spiral might be more helpful unless there is a deck out there that speaks to your interests or spiritual tradition. in that case, go w/ what feels the most comfortable.

Liliana	08 Sep 2002
I will definately recommends Spiral, if nothing else it will really help with those tricky court cards. Here is a site where you can see the full Spiral deck online as well as a number of others, maybe you'll find one there that speaks to you http://www.tarot.com/store/browse_deck.php Also its my job to recommend after you learn a bit pehaps, the Rohrig. Im the Rohrig Siren heeh, part of the art of every card includes a ripped piece of paper that has different meanings for the card written on it in Englsh and German, and the art is really well done as long as you dont mind breasts with no bodies on few cards. :THP

ihcoyc	08 Sep 2002
I would recommend the Classical Italian deck from Lo Scarabeo, distributed by Llewellyn, to any beginner. This is a pip card deck. But there are keywords --- in 4 languages --- on each card. As a memory aid, these are probably about as good as the RWS pictures, while being less confining or (in case of Swords) less drastic. The imagery on the deck is based soundly on Marseilles, which is where almost all of the esoteric Tarots derive their imagery from. What you learn with such a deck, you can usually take somewhere else when you find one that seems to speak to you directly. If you're just starting out, I would recommend something that stands squarely within the roots of the tradition. If you want to, you can find a more specialised deck later on. The cards are pretty as well as being ultra-traditional.

Cerulean	08 Sep 2002
I first bought the Ukiyoe tarot for myself and my sister because she did not like the Swiss Classic that she bought on sale. We have a Japanese background, so this was a fun choice for us--the booklet was a nice blend of Asian tales and Marseilles information. For myself, next, I bought the Visconti by U.S. Games. and a small book on The Art of the Tarot by Christina Oleson for about five dollars. The Visconti Gold is an interesting classic that began a fascinating study in Renaissance art. I went next to the old Minchiate style from Lo Scarabeo because the Florentine art and astrological symbols looked like fun. Brian Williams at that time was just finishing his Minchiate and that was a great Xmas present for my sis, who liked astrology as well. My favorite Tarot of Marseilles variations are reproductions of di Gumppenberg that I read about on Pasteboard Masquerade by Mark Filpas...Tarot Passages has wonderful varieties and reviews as well. If someone names a deck, sometimes we can find samples of all the cards online...or many sample cards. Maybe we can help if the new buyer names art styles or interests. Mari H.

divinerguy	08 Sep 2002
Go with the Rider-Waite and get a cheat sheet. Pretty soon, you'll get tired of running to the cheat sheet, and by that time, you'll start to get a feel for what the cards are saying.

Jewel	09 Sep 2002
How do you learn best? by reading books? journaling? other? What type of art do you like? The reason I ask this is because for the 1st year I tried to study tarot I came accross a lot of road blocks because I could not find what method of study was the best for me. I read books had a couple of decks but it was not just falling into place for me. Then I learned about journaling. It opened a whole new world for me becuase it allowed me to see how much I DID actually see in the cards. I tried to stick to the Raider Waite deck because it was in most books, but honeslty I just found it ugly I almost lost interest. What helped me learn was a Raider Waite based deck that tied into my interests (Robin Wood) and my journal. I went through the whole deck writting what I saw in each card, what the colors and symbols meant to me, etc ... then I went back to the books I had and compared my insights with the book and added some notes in my journal. That was 8 years and 80+ decks ago *LOL*. I would say that there are 3 primary styles of decks for you to choose from: 1) Raider Waite-Smith (its clones or decks based on it) - full imagery on the minor arcana. 2) Thoth (or thoth based decks such as Cosmic Tribe, Rhorig, Gill) - here you will find justice and strength changed from position as described by truthsayer. The minors are not fully illustrated but have mood setting backgrounds and key words. 3) Marseilles (or Marseilles styled decks) which are the classical decks and have unillustrated minors called pips. If numberology is your thing this could be a good choice for you, and I am sure JMD could recommend some books for you if you choose this avenue. Ultimately you need to find something appealing and that works for you and your learning style. I would also recommend the workbook Tarot for Yourself by Mary Greer, it helped me tremendously as I learn by application. Good luck and I hope you find the tarot journey an enriching one!

Angel_fire	10 Sep 2002
Wow you guys are so wonderful......Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of you help......I have a huge list to start browsing through. My problem is I feel drawn to some decks, I buy them and get them home and have a hard job understanding them.....my recent disapointment was Lord Of The Rings......I waited a long time to get these cards, opened them up and thought..duh, what on earth do these mean. I have been drawn to Mythic and Robin Wood.........I might see how I get on with these two. Thanks again for all you help and this forum is wonderful. Love Angel xxx

Jewel	10 Sep 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Angel_fire I have been drawn to Mythic and Robin Wood.........I might see how I get on with these two. Hi Angel, sorry about your dissapointment with the Lord of the Rings, but I think many of us have been dissapointed by it. The selection of certain characters for the major arcana is very confusing and would most definetly confuse someone starting out. The Mythic and Robin Wood are excellent choices. Understanding the Tarot does not happen overnight ... in fact it is a never ending journey of exploration and learning.

Angel_fire	10 Sep 2002
Hi Again I went out today and got my hubby to buy me The Mythic Tarot. I have not looked at it yet but read on the box it comes with a book and a black cloth, so I am impressed already. lol Thanks for all you help and suggestions. I know this deck is right as it practically shouted at me to buy it. lol Love Angel_fire xxx

Starfish	10 Sep 2002
Yay! Congratulations on your new deck set! So, have you opened it up? What do you think of it? Did you do a new deck spread yet? :TMAGE Starfish

Teal	12 Sep 2002
I'm new to tarot and the forum, so I hope I won't sound too stupid asking this question------what is a new deck spread? Is it a specific spread, or do you just mean "the first spread you choose to do after opening the box"?

Melvis	12 Sep 2002
Hi, Teal! Welcome to the Forum! The New Deck Spread is a 3-card spread you can do when you get a new Tarot deck. It gives you an indication of the relationship you will have with the deck. Momof3Girls has recently done this spread with her new Spiral Deck, so you can see how the spread lays out here. I hope you find the spread useful! It's a nice, simple introduction to a new deck. Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

Liliana	12 Sep 2002
The new deck spread is a simple 3 card spread most of us do with a new deck to get a feel for it. It is 1.) What will you teach me? 2.) What do I need to do? 3.) What will our relationship be like? :THP

Jewel	12 Sep 2002
I use a slight variation of this spread: (1) What do I bring to this relationship? (2) What will you teach me? (3) What will our relationship be?

The Recommend A Deck Please thread was originally posted on 08 Sep 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.