Decks: From Hate To Love...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Jun 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Logiatrix	11 Jun 2003
Greetings To My Tarot Kindred, Consider the deck you hate, and a shift of 180 degrees... You know that deck: you couldn't stand it the first time you saw it on a review, and you hated it even more when you saw it in person. Maybe you even got it in a trade or as a gift, but you still couldn't wait to get it out of the house... Eeeeeek!!! Then, suddenly *BOOM* it hits you-- "I GOTTA HAVE THAT DECK!" Yes, THAT deck--->the one you so strongly abhorred a month ago, so vehemently despised a year ago, wanted to burn ever since you first knew tarot existed...Now, you LOVE it! :) Yep, it's happened to me. I have experienced this phenomenon with three decks recently. I couldn't stand the Haindl Tarot; now, I can't get enough of the symbolism. The Sacred Rose, with it's vacant-eyed people, is beautiful to me now. And The Witches' Tarot, by Ellen Cannon Reed...well, I don't know why I suddenly like it after I thought it was ugly for so long...but I do! Have you done a "180*" on a tarot deck? Or have you pretty much consistently despised the same deck(s) all along? :)

Diana	11 Jun 2003
Only the reverse has ever happened to me. I wouldn't say though that I hate any decks. Most leave me indifferent, and many I find annoying and useless and simplistically commercial. The only deck I think I may become reconciled with one day is the Thoth. But that remains to be seen.

Mimers	11 Jun 2003
This is an easy question. The Marseilles. As a matter of fact, even when I got my first one, I didn't expect to like it, I just wanted to go back to the beginnings. I felt that exploring the origins of Tarot, that is as far back as we know, would be beneficial to my understanding of Tarot and improve me as a reader. The deck grew on me. Now I look at them and see their beauty. Even in the minors. Ahhh, I find that when I am using other decks and my mind is becoming muddled from all the details, I go to my Marseille and the simplisticy and beauty clears and refreshes my me. Everything becomes very clear. Mimers

purplelady	11 Jun 2003
Good subject Tauni, For me it's the Voyager. I thought it was very ugly and much too busy. Saw pictures online and thought I'd never want it! I even saw it in person in a store and wanted it even less! But then one day It suddenly spoke to me! On my birthday no less I had to have it and went and bought it for myself. That was about 5 months ago. It is currently my favorite deck and I Love it! Isn't that funny? Also , it's funny you mention the Haindl. It has never been on my wish list until recently!

Astraea	11 Jun 2003
It's Voyager for me, too. When the deck was first released, I thought its jumble of images was dreadful, but now I see it as a well constructed, complex and cohesive, richly beautiful deck. Photocollages are not my cup of tea, but I have grown to love the Voyager.

oliveoil	11 Jun 2003
I find many decks to be, well as Diana said, simpliplistic and commercial. But, I have rather bizarre taste, I mean I just purchased the Erotic Tarot of Manara. But there are many decks on the market, that in my opinion, look like they were drawn by young adults who can draw, but have not reached or developed their full artistic potential or technique, and who are fascinated by unicorns, and fairies and such, which are images that just don't speak to me - they do not in my opinion reflect the depth of human experience, as I see it. Also, many people swear by the Hanson-Roberts, and I have had people give me excellent readings with this deck, which gives me faith in this deck, but everytime I look at it, I just cringe. The only deck I may do a 180 is the Osho-Zen, I am drawn to it, and yet replused by it at the same time, the art is so crisp, energetic, and yet calm, but too mystical (that is probably not the best word to describe this deck) for my tastes. I will never have a large collection though, my collection has developed primarily for readings, each which does best for certain kinds of readings, although I will keep a few, such as Manara's just for their pure beauty.

Sobeknofret	11 Jun 2003
I did a 180 on that d@$% Celtic Dragon Tarot! Swore I'd never buy it and went and did it anyway! Don't use it, and probably never will, but I HAD to have it. Hello, Tarotholics Anonomyous? My name is Sobe and I'm a compulsive tarotholic...

Myrrha	11 Jun 2003
I have to agree with Mimers about the Marseilles. Not that I ever hated it, just never realized how aesthetically satisfying the images are. I am still not crazy about the harsh flat colors and sharp lines on some modern reproductions but love the softer woodblock look of the reproduction deck. The Thoth deck is another that I like more and more as the art has a lot of depth and pure wordless feeling. I still don't like those darn key words though. Crowley expected so much of people who investigated his ideas and he didn't cater to menal laziness, so why didn't he just suggest that they be memorized? Why print them right there on the card where you can't really see past them? The Oswald Wirth is one that I completely ignored when I began looking at sites that show tarot cards, it just didn't register. Now I think it is quite amazing, although I'm not 100% sure about the bright bright colors. Myrrha

jog1118	11 Jun 2003
my first deck (Tarot Nova Miniature) almost made me lose interest in the tarot. the artwork looked like a 10 yr old kid's scrapbook. anyway i had no choice but to study it since it was a gift and i was'nt ready to spend money on a new deck. eventually, the nova images became my basis for understanding my new deck (Tarot of the Hidden Folk)...as they say, "you'll always remember your first time" (in this case my first deck) :smoker:

bighairymonster	12 Jun 2003
I remember getting this starter deck and hating it, but not knowing there were other more choices around (I was v. young at the time). Then, I hated the Victoria Regina, Aquarius, World Spirit. I loved Whimsical at first sight. However, when I eventually got all of these decks, I loved the VQ, Aquarius, WS, and thought the Whimsical was a little too cute for me.

falconwing	12 Jun 2003
well, yes, for me it happened with all those RWS-clones and even the original Rider-Waite itself. I hated the "simplicistic" drawing, all those thick lines in it and no shadows, just plain colours...but since some weeks I start to collect RWS-clones...don't know.. I must be sick or something...or just maniac...but now I discover all those tiny differences between the clones and I start to value it. Does not mean I have started working with them, I mean, to use them as a divination-tool; just started to "respect" and study them. Might be the first cautious steps though...*grin I am still hoping to connect with the Thoth one day - I do recognize the art is beautiful and contains a lot of symbols but somehow...hm...maybe the reason is I don't like Mr. Crowley ;) FW

Jewel	12 Jun 2003
For me that would be the Rachel Pollocak deck ... I do not LOVE it, but once I started reading Forest of Souls I had to have it. Once I got it I started to like it .... and yes I swore I would never buy it (if I ever buy the Rock Art Tarot I will ground myself for 2 weeks!). By the way Sobe ... welcome to Tarotholics (Not-so) Anonymous.

missmezzo	12 Jun 2003
have to agree with bighairymonster (love that name) - I hated the Victoria Regina deck when I first saw it, but now it's kind of growing on me. I don't have a compulsion to go out and buy it yet, but I'm developing a growing respect for it. missmezzo

Wildchild	13 Jun 2003
Mine was the Herbal Tarot. Everyone kept telling me I should get it coz of my interest in herbs. I never cared for it & resisted for about 2 years. Well, it just arrived in the mail a few days ago. *sigh* Tarot addiction is just hopeless.

Cerulean	13 Jun 2003
Puzzlement that the Trevisan Renaissance was rated so delightful over by Mark Filpas review in Pasteboard Masquerade...but I found a small 1995 version when Lo Scarabeo didn't have any pamphlets in their decks. Since I wanted a small deck to carry around, I bought it and found the cartoonish sketchiness in some of the illustrations funny, some of the deep colors rather interesting (this is the small version). After I read some reviews and studied tarot for a few years, I found I liked this deck more. I have a small version of the Romantici that I mix with this deck for interesting readings. I like it for refreshment and travel, as it seems to have some Waite-style ideas...the larger 2000 or 2001 edition decks has a pamphlet that has more explanations, I believe. It's a refreshing take when I get too serious. And tonight I found it a nice summertime comparison to the rather small Pandora's Tarot with the unillustrated pips. Some of the cards have an art style is as romantic as the Romantici by Trevisan, as well. Best wishes, Mari H.

Logiatrix	13 Jun 2003
Yes, Mari...it is not hate, just puzzlement also for me, with most decks. My tarot deck choices often puzzle me, as well! I think this "180" phenomenon is just a bi-product of growth. In any practice where effort is put forth, growth is inevitable, and where there is growth, a paradigm shift is inevitable. I just wish my paradigm shifts wouldn't be so expensive! :D It is as Wildchild stated, "Tarot addiction is just hopeless." ;)

aqua9air	13 Jun 2003
:D well, i swore to myself i never gonna buy the original Rider-Waite, since i hate the drawing stype, the color and so much emphasize in one religion. i guess u guys all know what happened, after reading all posts on how much symbolism are in the deck and how will it improve one's understanding in tarot, i ordered few months ago i still don't like to use it for reading but i would study it more and respect what it can teach me maybe in future i'll change and make it my primary deck, but not likely :D

Chronata	16 Jun 2003
Maybe hate is a pretty strong word...especially for someone like me, who has just way too many decks that she hangs onto simply because they are rare and she is a collector! I disliked, with great mediocrity, the Connolly tarot when I first got it. But Now, I find I use it a *lot *in my professional readings. The same thing for the Baseball Tarot (the Lerner and Philips deck..*not* the tarot of baseball!) I am not into baseball. I don't like baseball. I do not really get into sports. I'm not sure that I even fully understand the game of baseball. But...something about the beauty of the deck...and the fact that it has some nifty symbolism, in the Baseball As A Metaphor For Life concept... I really didn't think I could ever use this deck at all. But then, I tried it out while doing readings in a restaurant/bar...and found with great delight that it helps me to connect better with certain patrons...mostly young men...who have no real connection to spirituality/tarot/or any kind of "mystical" stuff. I can now highly recommend this deck...and I have a new understanding of the game of baseball as well! And lastly, I got the Lord of the Rings Tarot as a gift, and disliked it so tremendously, that for about three years I never even opened the box....I think I meant to trade it or sell it, or something. And then, after the damn movies came out, I found myself, inexplicably, opeing the wrapper...and what do you know? They are actually not as bad as I had thought. I don't love them yet...but I have used them with some success, and they do continue to grow on me.

Tor	16 Jun 2003
The reversed thing happened to me too. I was so fascinated with Thoth after I had a reading done with it in a local cafe. So I bought it and started to read with it myself. At that time I did a initial reading to see what relationship I would have with the deck, and got the nine of swords... Though it would give me The High Priestess in return, I found out after several readings that this was too tough for me. So now I keep it in a thick tarotbag as a reminder of the power I'm dealing with.... May you rest in peace, dear Thoth! :)

tabbycat	17 Jun 2003
Never was much impressed by the RW, but after reading the 78 Degrees of Wisdom I thought I ought to have one, so I bought the Original RW and... (hushed whisper)... it's pretty nice! The Glastonbury - never liked the art on the cards I'd seen until I found the link to the whole pack, and now it's on my wish list. I'm really taken with Brian Williams artwork - I have the Minchiate and I'm working on getting the Renaissance. I still don't like the PoMo much but, hey, I might have to get it, just to be completetist! ;) The Hudes is sneaking up on me - not sure yet, but give it time. Hate the Motherpeace though - anybody want that one? ...my name's Jilly and I'm a taroholic...

isthmus nekoi	17 Jun 2003
It was Thoth! I thought it was tacky at first, too unrefined. But hating something is a very different thing than being indifferent - hate means there's something there that charges you up, touches you in some way. So I'm not surprized by how easily I was won over by Thoth. We get on very well, actually.

Logiatrix	17 Jun 2003
[quote]Originally posted by isthmus nekoi "But hating something is a very different thing than being indifferent - hate means there's something there that charges you up, touches you in some way." I'm glad you stated this, isthmus. That's what I meant in choosing the words "hate" and "love." I am thinking in terms of such highly charged emotions as HATE vs. LOVE, and the polarity exchanged when your perspective shifts so completely. Some who have posted thus far felt HATE to be a rather strong word, and usually I would agree. However, I purposely chose it to convey the strong emotions that continue to mystify me regarding such a seemingly trivial issue as the choice of a tarot deck. :)

Emily	02 Jul 2003
With me it was the Tarot of the Spirit, I'd seen all of this deck online (and liked it) but the actual deck looks different. When I first looked through it, I didn't like it, it was the Majors and the Court cards that bothered me, the Minors are fine, very pretty Thoth like clone. This is a deck that grows on you, after looking through it a couple of times, the symbolism seemed to come out and it does speak to me. There are still a couple of cards that I don't like but it reads very well, and overall its a positive deck. Infact I would recommend this one if you want a cross between the Rider Waite and the Thoth and you want something a little different :)

mags@Treadwells	02 Jul 2003
Hmm. I wonder on doing a 180 deg on stuff. Does it mean you never really got it to start? There was an initail (internal) block? For those of you who know your tastes, know what you DO NOT like or CAN NOT read with (or just scorn - lol), there's a new-ish thread on Packs You Gag On nearby. Enjoy.

The Decks: From Hate To Love... thread was originally posted on 11 Jun 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.