Finding Favorite Decks... Finally

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Mar 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Lee	28 Mar 2003
After many years of searching, I've finally found my favorite decks. I've seen many decks which I like very much, but never felt moved to work with them beyond a few days, until now. I was beginning to suspect that the cause was a character flaw in myself, but now I see it was just a matter of not having found the right decks! Is there anyone out there like me, who was an inveterate deck-hopper, but then finally settled down with one or two? I'd love to hear about your experiences, which decks, and why. For those interested, here are my long-sought-after loves: 1. Healing Tarot. Self-published, expensive ($90 US) deck. I debated with myself for months before finally taking the plunge and ordering it. And am I glad I did! This deck is completely emotionally fulfilling for me. This deck, more than any other I've seen, seems to "speak" to me, or, to put it more precisely, enables my subconscious to speak to me. It's a photographic deck, with the models wearing wonderfully creative masks. I'm using this deck to explore myself (using the book "Tarot for Self-Discovery"). This is my "heart" deck. It's also good for just plain reading with. I'm eternally grateful to Jewel for encouraging me to get this deck. (She can be very persuasive! :)) You can see the cards and order the deck at www.bluewitch.com. 2. Royal Fez Moroccan. There are two sides of me, Tarot-wise. One side needs a colorful, deep deck like the Healing. But there's another side which likes to work with a deck which really looks like a Tarot deck. It's hard to explain what I mean by this... a deck which someone who knew nothing about Tarot would say, "that's a Tarot deck." Something that looks mysterious and ancient. The Royal Fez fits the bill. This deck is definitely an acquired taste. At first glance it's not very appealing, but if you work with it, it grows on you, and its beauty slowly reveals itself. The High Priestess card is the best High Priestess ever. In some ways the artist's skill is superior to Pamela Smith's. Many of the cards have subtle nuances which are absent in the RWS. There's something about the black-and-white backgrounds, the yelllow doorway border around the cards, the fact that the cards don't have titles, that makes the whole thing seem, well, mysterious and ancient. I love the way the pip symbols are drawn larger than life, almost totemic, so that they really stand out. This deck is hard to find, but Tarot Garden www.tarotgarden.co sells it for $15 (a very good price!) I love this deck so much, I just ordered a second copy. -- Lee :)

Astraea	28 Mar 2003
Yes, Lee, I know what you're talking about. Like you, I am a collector and don't necessarily intend to read with the decks I buy -- but am always on the lookout for that special deck(s) that will speak so clearly, and appeal on so many levels, that it will really become mine. There are quite a few decks that consistently draw me, and I think of them as participants in an electrical circuit: the relays are a little different from time to time, and I like to switch. But I keep returning to two favored decks: The Ancestral Path and Thoth. Your choices of special decks intrigue me. The Healing Tarot is very beautiful, vibrant and direct -- it's one of the few photographic decks I've seen that don't look cheesy, like a pastiche; the characters in the cards actually look like they ARE the actions/beings they are intended to portray. Thank you so much for providing the link. I ordered the Royal Fez Moroccan deck years ago from Alida, and love it. I know just what you mean when you say it looks like a tarot deck -- it's spare, but filled with esoteric symbolism and its art has that old-world exoticism that is so charming. What an interesting thread you have started. I look forward to reading about the ways particular decks pair up with their people. :)

Emily	28 Mar 2003
I think this has happened to me also, I started with the Rider Waite, the original version but soon realised that although it was a good study deck it didn't touch me, it was just a 'study' deck. So I started hopping from one deck to another, each deck I would see online and think I had fallen in love lol. Some decks were completely wrong for me, ie Victoria Regina, Robin Wood, Enchanted, but I have them as part of my collection. For a while I thought I had found my soulmate deck in the Spiral but really it was just an extension of the Rider Waite. So next came a couple of other decks, Including the Universal Waite. All through this I had kept looking at the Thoth, I have the big green version, which I don't like but the Rohrig and Crow's Magick (Thoth clones) I like so eventually I gave the Thoth another try. I have really clicked with this Thoth version deck, its the small one in the lavender box, so with the Thoth, Rohrig, and the Universal Waite I think that I have finally found the decks I've been searching for. :)

Rose	28 Mar 2003
This is an interesting thread. I also have bought decks, opened them and thought "wow this is it" only to find that it was infatuation not love. I still find some of them worthwhile (and use them occasionally), but they are not the decks I like using on a consistent basis (doesn't mean I'm sorry I bought them though). There are a number of decks that I seem to have settled down with and still use on a consistent basis even after several years: Universal Waite Tarot Deck-I started with it and I'm really comfortable with the RWS images and symbols. Not the most attractive deck I own, but it works for me. Illuminated Tarot repainted version of the RWS images by Carol Herzer. I have the large size with iridescent highlights added. This is possibly the most vibrantly colored deck I own. The new colors and backgrounds subtly influence the impact and meanings of the cards. This is hard to explain, but I don't like using this deck for spreads with say more than seven cards-the spread sometimes looks too busy with all the bright colors. But I really like this deck. The Healing Tarot by Jennifer Moore-I'm in agreement with Lee here (and one reason the thread caught my eye). This is a great deck. It's a close photographic relative of the Rider Waite and very easy to connect with if you are familar with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Halloween Tarot by Kipling West & Karin Lee-I pull it out every Halloween. Stick Figure Tarot by Lar deSouza-Not a deck I think people should spend big bucks on-it's a set of index cards with crude Rider-Waite stick figure images-but it always makes me smile and I can read with it. I actually use it a lot. The Medieval Scapini Tarot by Luigi Scapini-I just like the artist's sense of humor and style. I don't know why this deck works for me, but it does and it has for a long time. I also have three decks that I frequently use mainly for study: Tarot of the Spirit by Pamela & Joyce Eakins-The book that goes with this deck is fantastic. The Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot-Large Swiss Navigators Tarot of the Mystic SEA by Julia A. Turk

greenkeltic	28 Mar 2003
Hi Everyone I am new here to this forum but not to tarot and love reading about the one deck that just clicked with each of you. I have just recently found "The Deck" for me. I have 12 decks but had never found one that really resinated with me untill I found Samantha's Tarot. It is so beautiful with lovely colors and some really unusual views of certain cards. I also love all the animals in the deck. The creator is also a really nice person and we have corresponded on why she chose some of the imagery she did. You can see some of the cards at her website www.dolphin-daze.com. I even purchased the cards in both sizes but I really love the size and feel of the smaller deck for most readings. I can lay out the spread and really get a good overal feel of the cards There is such a thrill in finding a deck that resonates with you on all levels congratulations!!! GK

sweetscarlet	28 Mar 2003
It was so hard for me to find the "perfect" decks. Like a lot of you have said before, I collect decks, but most of them don't get used very often. There've been many that I loved for a while, I would use it almost exclusively, but then one day, it just wouldn't be the same. Right now, and this list could grow at any time, my very favorites are: Spiral Tarot- I love this deck. I don't know why exactly, but the cards all seem to resonate so deeply with me. My favorite to use for reading. The Enchanted Tarot- I use this deck mostly for myself, for meditation and what I call "heart" spreads. The mixed media, I guess you'd call it, is so lovely and I think it brings out a lot of depth in the meanings. I always notice symbols on this one that I may not have noticed on another deck. Tarot of the Cloisters- I just got this one not too long ago, and I think that I'm really going to like it. It's my first round deck, so it's fun because it's different, and the pictures are really beautiful. The few times that I've used it so far, I've been very impressed!

Gerbear	28 Mar 2003
I agree with Rose that The book for Tarot of the Spirit is fantastic. It speaks to me very clearly, and every time I use it, it's like visiting an old friend. I also like the Barbara Walker Tarot. It has a definite female slant, but I've never had any conflict with it.

truthsayer	29 Mar 2003
i can't say i've been on a journey to find the ultimate deck/s for me but as i've collected i've found what clicks and doesn't click for me. the hanson roberts reads better for me than any other deck. the neferteri is so beautiful that my pulse still quickens to gaze upon it. the tarot of transformation is the most spiritually appealing deck i have. the art just sings to me about spirit. until i found this one, i thought the ananda was the most spiritually lovely but it's lacks the warmth of the transformation. i have decks that i know i will never part with but lack that extra something that these 3 have.

galadrial	29 Mar 2003
I have 28 decks (and two on the way!) and I read with them all; I just go with the one that resonates the mood I'm in at that moment. Still, there are favorites; some for when I'm stable, open and philisophical, and different favorites when I'm in crises and feeling vulnerable. For the former I like 1. Templar tarot: I'm not at all into Ye Knights of Olde or their supposed "secret", but I love the artwork and consistently get deep, insightful readings that resonate for weeks. 2. Cosmic Tribe: crystal clear readings- I like the book but don't need it, the message is instantly accessible (also has my favorite Fool card). 3. Buckland Romanai: I only recently aquired this deck, but it feels like an old friend. The seasonal depictions for the suits make me feel like I've walked into the cards- I actually felt cold looking at the Ace of Chives I got yesterday! I can nearly smell the autumn leaves and the spring flowers, too, feel the fabrics and hear the rolling wheels... I don't usually react to decks this way (more's the pity). My "crises" decks are 1. Baseball tarot (the Lerner & Philips one): very grounding and practical. 2. Inner Child Cards: probably needs no explanation! Soothing and healing. 3. Melissa Townsend's "El Teddy" deck: gets right to the heart of matters without being harsh. I always seem to feel more energized after a reading. Also, her book with this deck is Very good- one of the best I've read.

Logiatrix	29 Mar 2003
Lee, as a fellow tarotphile, i completely relate to your story... although i eventually did call myself a "collector", my mass of tarots began as a seemingly futile search for The One. i, too, started to believe that this was just my own character defect and i would never truly bond with that special deck. as a result, i collected over a hundred decks. despite all those new tarots, i realized that i always turned to my Visconti Gold. it has been my "main" deck since i began studying the cards. until last month... a friend sent me a Valentine's Day gift--a Border's gift card! all of us here knows what that means: GO GET TAROT STUFF! :D so i got the Quest Tarot. i began reading with that deck since i freed it from the cellophane. it has bumped the Visconti from the "main" deck position. that's okay, though, because the Visconti was getting pretty beat up and needed to retire. i also use the Triple Goddess (times three) for those "Quo Vadis" kind of readings--the really big questions. finally, the Celtic Dragon is one i tried out (and gave up), way back as a very new newbie. i've found it to work for me most excellently as a personal reading deck. this is fun, i hope more people participate... :)

truthsayer	29 Mar 2003
as a tarot-holic, i don't want sound disrespectful but i've never sought "the one" deck. it's reminiscent of having excessively high romantic expectations in a prospective mate. i don't like the disappointment that often follows such thinking. i'm reminded of a button i use to wear when i was single--"looking for mr. he'll do!" so i love all my decks. i have ones that are more special than others but i don't have one that i call "the one". they are all the one as far as i'm concerned! LOL all 100+ of them. i know, unusual behavior for a romantic pisces. ;) })

Marion	30 Mar 2003
What a great thread! I love almost all of my decks. But yes, you do sort of keep looking hoping that one will be incredibly perfect (likely explains why I never married again truthsayer, chuckle) I have also been down the path where you get a new deck, and it really clicks and after a while you notice that you just are not picking it up anymore. Of course having a lot of decks also influences that. Chinese, Oz, Shapeshifter and others fall into this bin. Okay, the decks that I love and really fall into when I read: World Spirit... my workhorse deck. Never fails me. Fey... much newer but I read the book cover to cover and seem to really bond with it, especially some of the cards. Okay the 7 of swords still makes me shiver. I have used it (and World Spirit) almost exclusively for a several weeks. Decks I still love but don't use as much now: Robin Wood, Spiral and Tarot for Cats (I know, I know, but I always use it for majors-only spreads). I got some new decks in Switzerland last week but haven't gone through the 'getting to know you' phase yet. I also have some decks that people here use as their main deck and I hardly even look at them.

wolfen045	30 Mar 2003
My all time favorite deck is one the that I have never seen anyone else mention.It is the Masonic Tarot by Jean Bouchard. The figures are abstact so it really engages my imagination. Plus most of the major Arcana cards have some form of gilding on them. The metallic shine is very beautiful. I also like the fact that the small cards are just done with pips rather than illustrated. Having memorized the Golden Dawn's esoteric titles for the cards, I find I prefer to not have a picture which would influence my reading. I find the pips and the GD titles are eough to enable me to decipher the meanings of the cards. I do have other decks I use when reading for others , particularly the Rider-Waite and the Thoth, but if I am reading for my self I use my Masonoic deck. Blessings and Joy to all,wolfen

cjtarot	30 Mar 2003
Hi all, As you know I rave about my Sacred Circle Deck. It's my "The One". That doesnt mean that I don't read other decks or try to stop my addiction..you see.. I'm an admitted taroholic...lol The latest addition is the Gothic Tarot....I actually get the pictures..but it was mostly a "hmm looks interesting" purchase, not one I expected to connect with A little advise, even though you have a favorite or think the deck you use now is 'the one"... keep looking and reading other decks..different decks deliver different message.. Blessing fellow taroholics and future taroholics.. Cj

WolfSpirit	31 Mar 2003
Lee, congratulations on finding your perfect deck ! I have decks I love for different purposes but not one that is really *the one*. But then I haven't been a deck collector for very long (although I already have a respectable number of decks :D ) so maybe one day I will just find it too. I made a combination of the Greenwood and the Glastonbury, they are the same size. I love the glastonbury minors (very lively and real-life people) but some of the majors are so ugly, so I replaced those cards with greenwood cards. I like this "combination deck" a lot. I also really like the halloween and the animal wise and now jolandas tarot, but that is still a new deck and I don't know if it will stand the test of time. Then there's lots of decks I only use once in a while but that are still dear to me. I think the Steele Wizard (if it ever gets published :( ) could be my deck, but then I often think this of decks I don't have yet...excuse to keep going I guess }) Tell us Lee now that you've got your perfect decks...will you keep on looking for (well, I mean buying) other decks ?

Lee	31 Mar 2003
This is great, I love reading about people's experiences with their decks. Quote: Originally posted by WolfSpirit Tell us Lee now that you've got your perfect decks...will you keep on looking for (well, I mean buying) other decks ? Sure -- some decks are just nice to have, like I recently traded for the Ibis Tarot. I don't know that I'll ever read with it, but it's nice to have just for the art. Also, who knows, maybe my affections will change in the future and I'll be attracted to a new deck... but not for a while, though! :D -- Lee

Cerulean	31 Mar 2003
...I am impressed with your found passions. But heart of hearts, my Visconti Gold with book is pulled out every day. ---Later 08/28/03----- I had one of those times I just went flatline on reading...a week of the Via Tarot with the Thoth comparisons, then tried to do a reading for others with the Fiable and the Enchanted...even my Di Gumppenbergs were flattened. Funny, the Visconti Gold still had the juice. In terms of yearning, I want to so much see the upcoming (2004?) Fererra Tarot of D'Este from Lo Scarabeo...supposedly it has the Charles VI pattern pictures. This funny, tender yearning for it whispers, "it has all the answers to your questions..." Not quite true, but sometimes I almost feel that way... Mari H. P.S. I'm hoping the reproduction plus finding an upcoming full-text translation of Orlando Innomorato (In Love) might all satisfy my 'history-poetry' hopes.

zorya	31 Mar 2003
my visconti gold gets used the most... but i would still love to find that perfect deck.. my husband just got me brian william's renaissance tarot and i have never been so enamoured of the way a deck shuffles before, lol. i love the sound and feel of it. it's very attractive too... but it's much too early to call it a favorite.... then there are my other favorites the st. pete's, the ancient italian..... my new thoth.......

Cerulean	31 Mar 2003
St. Pete's means Russian Tarot of the St. Petersburg, not Margaret Peterson's deck...? I've been restoring in Storeable boxes all my decks, which actually has gone down...mean to get St. Petersburg out. I always thought it would be like my favorite Edmund Dulac reprints, but it is a different style of painting...just the colors seem to glow in a fairytale illustration style. Someday I will also find someone who does the Edmund Dulac style...I'm talking about his Arabian Nights, Tempest or French fairy tale illustrations... Mari H.

zorya	31 Mar 2003
yes, i meant the russian st. petersburg. aren't the colors wonderful! i think the artwork and symbols speak to me so much because of some ancestral memory ...or something like that, lol. part of the reason it is so special to me, is because it was given to me by a dear friend.

Cerulean	01 Apr 2003
I just remembered one of my first instructors on tarot used the Fez Moroccon wrapped up in a thin handkerchief with rubber bands. He was into really working with his deck, so he highlighted some of the significant details with some pens--gel pens, I think. The partial color worked for him, but he wanted to highlight areas of significence. If you cannot bring yourself to do that, perhaps a lighter color scan or black and white scan and then recoloring it yourself for meditative purposes...the drawing oriented person could use tracing paper and pencil and than use whatever medium they want to color their tracing.

Sulis	01 Apr 2003
Congratulations Lee on finding your peerfect decks. I feel as if I am still searching, I have decks which I love but there is always something not quite right with them. I come back to my World Spirit time and again, as Marion says it never fails me although I wish that I liked the Star and the Fool cards better. I really, really love the Light and Shadow Tarot, it`s Thothy but with fully illustrated minors; the artwork is gorgeous but it`s just too big to be workable. I think that if this deck was smaller it would definately be my favorite deck. I use the Stone tarot a lot but it`s a bit flimsy. I`ve just started working with the Thoth and i think that once I goet a good grasp of it it`ll stay up there with World Spirit, it`s good to shuffle, just the right size. I`ve also taken Umbrae`s advice and `stressed` my Thoth and my World Spirit - I`d definately reccomend this for your primary working decks, they handle much better afterwards. Anyway enough of my rambling. Love and light Crystalmynx xx

Lee	01 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki ......I guess I really want a literary theme or assurance it has an outstanding book. Hi Mari, the Healing Tarot has no book, not even a LWB. Just the keywords on the cards. Actually its booklessness is one of the things I like about it! :D -- Lee

faunabay	02 Apr 2003
Lee, I, just this minute, went to get my mail and the Healing Tarot was here!!! I haven't even looked through it yet. It's sitting right here on my lap though waiting for me to finish typing this so I can take my time looking at all the pretty cards! :) Between you and Jewel I have succumbed to tarot-holism once again! :D As for your original point though....it seems I've done the same thing just recently - finally found MY decks! I've been using the Fey almost exclusively since I got it! But, also like you, when I want a more historical feel I go straight for my Camion Marseilles - which I got in trade from Jewel adding that much more feeling for me. I've even gone so far as to get rid of alot of my decks. I have now found the decks I like and use the most and didn't feel the need to have all those other collector/extraneous decks hanging around not being used just collecting dust on the shelves. I thought they deserved better than that!! :*

Cerulean	02 Apr 2003
...I know that Diana and others posted first their request ...but I've off and on have been checking Ebay and several forums for the Prediction Tarot...getting a small return soon, so it's a hope. I actually tried last night to order it through Amazon.UK as the deck for Prediction Tarot set, as it is listed. It will probably will be a no-go, but I have hopes. Since the expected delivery is so long, it may take awhile for this order to be processed as an 'unable to order.' But if the order yields good results, I'll post to Aeclectic. I like modernized Marseille-based decks, so this and the Hedera is on my wishlist. I've been blessed though with finding some historical decks, so my wishlist of modern varitions is probably secondary.

Lee	02 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by faunabay Lee, I, just this minute, went to get my mail and the Healing Tarot was here!!! I haven't even looked through it yet. It's sitting right here on my lap though waiting for me to finish typing this so I can take my time looking at all the pretty cards! :) That's wonderful! You have a very enjoyable experience ahead of you. But... how did you get rid of your extraneous decks? :confused: -- Lee

FantasyWorld	02 Apr 2003
I have collected so many decks it's hard to know all the ones that do and don't because they get put aside so I have started using a different deck every 7 days or so for my 3 card daily pick. The first deck I tried new was the Victoria Regina, What a GReat Deck! One of my first decks was the Spiral which I love!!! I love the Ancient Eygptian as well. I just got the Gothic Tarot (Vargo) and it's great but I don't see clicking with it. I also just ordered the Halloween Tarot to help bring back the child in me:) and also a naughty deck Tarot Erotica,HEHE! Can't wait for that one!!! But out of the ones I have the Sprial and Ancestral Path really click with and my very deck the Woo-Woo deck clicked. :)

rostie	03 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki ...I know that Diana and others posted first their request ...but I've off and on have been checking Ebay and several forums for the Prediction Tarot...getting a small return soon, so it's a hope. if someone want it and you're from europe (it's from France and they ship also in europe): http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3123957442&category=2530 only one day and a few hours left (3 at this moment)

faunabay	04 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Lee how did you get rid of your extraneous decks? :confused: -- Lee I listed quite a few of them here on aeclectic for sale or trade. Sold most of them but if traded I traded for books or something else...like bags for the decks I wanted to keep!! :) (cjtarot does WONDERFUL bags and such!!!!) And I also got a great faery CD from Khatruman!! :* Then there were a few that nobody seemed interested in so I took to the Half Price bookstore and traded them in there. I still have some I will trade or maybe sell, but they'll have to go for something special!! :) So I'm just holding them for that exact right time when someone else has the perfect thing up for trade that I want!! Like for the Healing Tarot.....I also traded Jeannette for it! I had a few decks she was interested in so traded a couple for the one Healing deck! Question on the Healing for you though - I really like the pictures but how do you shuffle it??? The cards are too thick to riffle shuffle and also too expensive! LOL That's my biggest ? with this deck so far!

Lee	04 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by faunabay Question on the Healing for you though - I really like the pictures but how do you shuffle it For any large decks, I do a hand-over-hand shuffle, except I hold the deck vertically, in other words I hold it so my fingers grasp the deck by the long sides. When I really want to randomize it, I deal the deck out in seven piles. I generally don't do riffle shuffles, but I think I'm going to riffle shuffle the Royal Fez, 'cause I'd like to try reading that one with reversals. Since I bought an extra copy of it, I won't worry as much about frayed edges. Besides, the Royal Fez might look good with frayed edges. :) -- Lee

sunflowr	05 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Lee For any large decks, I do a hand-over-hand shuffle, except I hold the deck vertically, in other words I hold it so my fingers grasp the deck by the long sides. When I really want to randomize it, I deal the deck out in seven piles. I generally don't do riffle shuffles, but I think I'm going to riffle shuffle the Royal Fez, 'cause I'd like to try reading that one with reversals. Since I bought an extra copy of it, I won't worry as much about frayed edges. Besides, the Royal Fez might look good with frayed edges. :) -- Lee what is hand over hand and what is riffle?

RedWood	05 Apr 2003
riffle is how you shuffle a regular deck..like when you play poker or other card games.

Lee	05 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by sunflowr what is hand over hand and what is riffle? Hi sunflowr, I'm very bad at describing these things. Check out this thread, there's lots of great info and links about shuffling: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7177 Hope this helps -- Lee :)

Logiatrix	29 Aug 2003
I bumped this up, 'cuz I am extremely appreciative to Lee for having found and sharing the Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot. How ironic that when I initially responded to his post back in late March, I had mentioned three other tarots that I thought were IT, but I no longer own ANY of them! No matter, my point now is that I did actually acquire the Royal Fez shortly after Lee posted here about it, and I absolutely LOVE this deck! It is one of my Top Three...or Five...or whatever. It's an absolute favorite, anyway. I encourage other tarotphiles to check it out! :D

Little Baron	29 Aug 2003
I have (kind of) stopped looking for the 'one' because I am not sure that it exists anymore and like the idea of finding elements of perfection in all of the decks that I once considered to not be perfect. In that sense, I think I have a lot of valuable decks thta I use regularly - Universal Waite - more of a learning deck but it does pop out qa lot for readings and reference. Phantasmagoric - escapism, a friendly hand to hold, clear and down to earth Light and Shadow - Direct and clear - just damned hard to shuffle. Buckland Romani - feels like I have just wandered into their world. I can smell the seasons too. I do use the Cosmic Tribe, Rohrig and Thoth occasionally. I also use a small deck of Tamara De Lempicka playing cards. Yaboot

Lee	29 Aug 2003
Ah, time flies, things change... :) I still like the Healing and the Royal Fez. The Healing I find is good for meditation and self-discovery exercises, but not so much for reading. As far as favorite decks for reading, I'm afraid the Royal Fez has been supplanted by the Tarot of Prague, and also the forthcoming Golden Tarot. I've only seen the Golden Tarot online, but I've spent a lot of time at Kat's site, and I just know that I'll love the physical cards. Fickle! :laugh: -- Lee

Emily	29 Aug 2003
I too have changed my favourite decks lol - I still think that the Universal and Thoth have been invaluable to me but these days my decks for reading and study are the Ancient Italian and the Classical decks. I seem to read better when there are no scenes on the minors to distract me, its like working with a clean slate - still feel very much the newbie with pip minors though lol :)

Mimers	29 Aug 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Lee Ah, time flies, things change... :) I still like the Healing and the Royal Fez. The Healing I find is good for meditation and self-discovery exercises, but not so much for reading. As far as favorite decks for reading, I'm afraid the Royal Fez has been supplanted by the Tarot of Prague, and also the forthcoming Golden Tarot. I've only seen the Golden Tarot online, but I've spent a lot of time at Kat's site, and I just know that I'll love the physical cards. Fickle! :laugh: -- Lee Lee, I have the same feeling as you about the Golden Tarot. I also have the Tarot of Prague, but have not really explored it. I know that I will love Kat's deck. I can't wait to receive it. As far as my favorite, or the 'one' I have to say that the Universal Waite is the one that always speaks to me. It is the one I learned with and did all of my card meditations with. The images are ingrained in my mind. I use it for self exploration and for reading for others. I just this summer aquiered the Thoth deck. I am amazed at how much I love this deck.It is so rich and alive. I think if I had started off with this deck instead of the URW, it would have been the 'one'. Other favorites are the Ancestral Path and Vision Quest. These, however are subject to change. Mimi

Macavity	29 Aug 2003
Well, I've whittled it down to four (or perhaps really three?) decks now - In a sort-of "Comparitive Tarot". At the extremes sit my Universal Waite and the Crowley-Thoth (which I rarely use), while I concentrate on those "in between" decks: the Ancient Egyptian (Barrett) and (latterly) the Cosmic Tarot (Losch). These seem to present a nice, gradual transition of imagery, with each deck suggesting a slightly different take on the same, basic Thoth theme... :D If I'm feeling really ambitious I might try to read with my Haindl... and enjoy an occasional flirtation (nothing more) with some "Ancient Italians"! }) Macavity

Cerulean	30 Aug 2003
I like that. Last sighted, Lee had strapped on the Fez Moroccon and astrologically headed for the Cards of the Radiant Sun--next thing I know, he's in Prague and let it be known he's pre-ordering the Golden Tarot. I'm waiting for this too, maybe an old Mantegna reprint and the upcoming Charles VI... I think every month or so, we should have a revolving message of our month picks of favorites--probably by year's end we might have all exchanged and switched decks and picks. Of my moderns, I pulled out Leonardo (Marseilles) and Mermaids (Rider Waite) again and they're still shiny to me...Via is going to be a fun comparison to Thoth for awhile. But I'm actually reading with Visconti Gold and experimenting with old Folchi favorites...and carrying my Dotti and Yeats.

AmounrA	30 Aug 2003
Thoth, no contest:-)

Logiatrix	31 Aug 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki I think every month or so, we should have a revolving message of our month picks of favorites--probably by year's end we might have all exchanged and switched decks and picks. Good idea, Mari! [tauni waddles away to go start the new thread...] :D

moonlitpath	01 Sep 2003
Yes! I've only been reading for a year and I already have 28 decks! There are many that I liked but I always grew tired after a while and was constantly searching for new decks. I recently aquired the Hermetic Tarot deck, which I was crazy to get and since then, I have NO desire to use another. I know at some point I will, but I really think that once a person finds THE deck for them, the urge to hypercollect cease.

The Finding Favorite Decks... Finally thread was originally posted on 28 Mar 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.