Best deck for beginers?
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Feb 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| Inana |
08 Feb 2003 |
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I have a Marsella deck, and im starting to learn tarot seriously only a few weeks ago (played a bit with the cards years before with a Scapini deck from a friend).
The thing is i dont like really the marsella deck, and im looking to buy a new one wich have more pictures in the minors to help me with the interpretation.
The question is wich deck would you recommend?
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| HudsonGray |
08 Feb 2003 |
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Have you taken a tour through the decks on the Aeclectic site here? Not only do you get to see the art to find which appeals most, but they're also rated with stars as to how useable they are AND have reviews about them.
Yeah, there are about 400, but at least you'll get a good idea of what's available and which looks best to you. A deck is a personal choice after all, this way you have the ammunition to make the best decision for yourself that you can.
Here's the URL to make it easier:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/list.html
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| jmd |
08 Feb 2003 |
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Welcome to Aeclectic, Inana.
The Marsella, ie, Marseille(s), deck is certainly one that some people claim makes it more difficult because the pips (the 1-10 of the minor arcana suits) do not have scenic imagery. One the other hand, this does permit for the spreads to be clearly differentiated.
If you allow yourself a little more time, I am certain the deck will reveal many of its depths - and for the present, a focus on the Major Arcana can help. I suggest you may want to read through the Tarot History and Iconography section, as we have variously discussed a number of related issues.
If you still feel you 'must' have a scenically illustrated pip deck, many will undoubtedly recommend the (Rider/) Waite/Colman-Smith deck. Be aware that this deck has, like many which follow it, switched the Justice and Strength card, and that as it has become the most sold deck in the world, many books also use us to illustrate their various discussions. Some, of course, agree with Waite and see this switch as a 'correction'...
The Waite/Colman-Smith deck, then, would be my recommendation - but do give your Marsella a chance first :)
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| Osher |
08 Feb 2003 |
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I know the RWS deck makes a good choice, one that is not wrong. However, try also looking at the Tarot of the Old Path (TotOP) deck, as this is also very easy to read with, and good for the beginner. The Cosmic tarot is also not bad, but I'd stear clear of decks with keywords, as they may bias you in your understandings.
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| zorya |
09 Feb 2003 |
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if you must have illustrated pips, then definately go with the rider waite.
on the other hand, there is a great advantage to learning with a marseilles style deck. if you can learn the numerology and meaning of the suits required to read this type of deck, you will have a very solid background to read any tarot deck.
illustrated pips can so easily become a 'crutch'.
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| Minos |
09 Feb 2003 |
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There are a thousand flavor-of-the-month decks out there. One may catch your eye.
But my advice would be to get one of the 'classical' decks. Since Marseilles is already out, that leaves Rider-Waite-Smith - or, if you're prepared to do some moderately heavy lifting in terms of reading, Thoth. But let's say RWS for now.
The advantages would be the following:
1. More books are written on it.
2. More tarot readers use it or know how to use it, so it will be easier to get advice.
3. RWS was designed for both intuitive reading and for occult reading with qabalistic and astrological correspondences. Many decks favor one or the other. If you picked RWS, you'd be at an advantage in terms of flexibility.
4. While some people don't care for the art, it is at least consistent and inoffensive - it won't distract from the reading, and it will never go into the 'pretty, but useless' pile.
5. RWS is not only a good beginner deck, but there are also further levels of meaning that will continue to present themselves to you when you are advance or intermediate.
Once you've learned on Rider-Waite-Smith, it would be very easy to move to almost any other deck. The reverse is not necessarily the case.
Free advice; worth what you pay for it. :)
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| fairyhedgehog |
09 Feb 2003 |
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Although I basically agree with the advice already given, I didn't like the Rider Waite at all. There are other decks that follow the Rider Waite imagery but with different art work. (Some people call these decks a 'Rider/Waite clone'.) It may help to choose one of these that you really relat to. For me it was the Hanson Roberts but I know a lot of people like the Robin Wood.
Just a thought.
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| Emily |
09 Feb 2003 |
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I also think its just a case of seeing a deck that catches your eye. If you want illustrated pips go for one of the Rider Waite clone decks, Spiral, Diamond, Universal Waite, Ancient Egyptian, Celtic Dragon - they are all Rider Waite clones, and there are many more out there and all easily read with Rider Waite symbolism.
Wicce's site is a good place to see decks or just trawl through here and see what other people's favourite decks are - also check out the decks on here. :)
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| felicityk |
09 Feb 2003 |
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Others have mentioned good resources for browsing. You can also see some of the more popular decks in their entirety at:
http://www.tarot.com/about-tarot/decks/browsedecks.php
I would certainly echo the recommendation of a Waite-Smith deck or "clone". If you like the artwork on the Rider-Waite but not the coloring, try the Universal Waite. If you don't like the artwork, you might try the Hanson-Roberts, Morgan-Greer, or New Palladini.
Felicity
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| Hedera |
09 Feb 2003 |
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Maybe not strictly RWS-clones, but they would work well with all the books I can think of written for RWS (quite a few - I'm a biblioholic, too!):
World Spirit and Victoria Regina.
:) Hedera.
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| Inana |
09 Feb 2003 |
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Thnxs to all for your suggestions.
@ HudsonGray: I looked a bit through the decks showed here in Aeclectic. Its really good to see a few pics of them and the descriptions. But there are so much that i felt i needed a bit of help. :)
@ Felicityk: Thanks for that link, will chek it now.
Well... think i will need a little more of time to look for the decks, but probabily i will get a Rider-Waite.
Although some of you recommend me to keep with the Marseille, its too hard to me at this stage. Since im still not familiariced with the minors meanings, there isn’t nothing there that helps me to remind or to interprete. But will work on it later.
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| Phoenix |
09 Feb 2003 |
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If you don't like the colouring on the Rider-Waite, check out the Universal Waite. It is the same deck, but it has been recoloured, to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
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| HudsonGray |
10 Feb 2003 |
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Inana, I use the Robin Wood & have very good results with that.
Remember that you can get more than one deck! Do take the time to click through the decks on the site here--it took me about an hour and a half to go through them all & I wrote down the ones that interested me most, then looked for more of them online to see more cards.
You're not locked into just getting one, feel free to get your 'wish list' going, like the rest of us.
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| RiccardoLS |
11 Feb 2003 |
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I know I will be a lone voice, but I advise You against a Rider Waite as an "almost" first deck.
There is so much written on the Rider Waite Smith deck, that You will be a bit overwhelemed.
You will have time to get to the RWS. For now, try to find any deck you can work with, with nice images and not too much ambition. Once you will have been confortable with that deck, you could move on to the RWS (and get back to the Marseille) :)
Riccardo
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| Inana |
25 Feb 2003 |
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Have passed some time before i've been able to enter the forum... Thnx alot to all for your help and sugestions.
Finally i bought a Rider-Waite, and its going pretty good. Im still using the Marseille also, specially for learning more on the major arcana, wich i like more in this deck.
Looking at all those decks has been really interesting, almost get lost, never thought before there were that amount of decks out here. Maybe will buy more in future, some of them are really interesting.
Well... thnx again.
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| dolphingirl |
26 Feb 2003 |
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Congratulations on your Rider Waite deck! It took me a while to really appreciate it as a super deck, at first I went with all the new and "flashy " decks but I always come back to the Rider waite deck.
DolphinGirl
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The Best deck for beginers? thread was originally posted on 08 Feb 2003 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.
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