'the One'

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 29 Aug 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Little Baron	29 Aug 2003
I was reading a thread earlier, where we were talking about the decks we had narrowed down to and why they were our favourites. We talk alot about finding that 'one' deck and often, a lot of us end up disappointed with what is on the market or are not artistic enough to make one ourselves. So my question is this? For you to find 'the one', what attributes would it have? for example, my deck would have the following - There would need to be a lot of symbolism. I would want 78 cards. I don't have a preference to how the courts are - but quite liked the Son, Daughter, Woman, Man construction I saw in a deck today. I would like the deck to be dark - possibly as 'dark' as the Fantastical Majors or possibly the Vertigo. I would like illustrated minors. I don't need for them to follow the RWS but they need to be deep enough to meditate on. It would be nice if the characters were attractive in some way - in the way that they stand out in the Buckland Romani. It would also be nice if they were predominantly male but obviously some balance would be needed as well. The cards would need to be shufflable - not like the Light and Shadow tarot. I would want the backs to be interesting and reversable. Suits would be Cups, Pentacles, Wands and Swords. The art for the minors should be as strong as the majors. No keywords. Three lovers, as in the Cosmic Tribe would be an advantage. I would like the paintings, if that was what they were, to be as striking as the Rohrig, photographs to be as strong as the Vertigo, impact to be as strong as the Light and Shadow. Nudity would not be a problem as long as it was tasteful. Sounds pretty basic, eh? You would think so. However, I havn't found that deck yet. You know of it? You know where I can get it? My cheque book is open and waiting ........ Look forward to hearing what makes your 'one' dream deck perfect for you. Best wishes Yaboot

Diana	29 Aug 2003
I would like it to have 78 cards. Justice must be VIII and Strength XI. The minors must not have scenic pictures on them. The suits must be called Cups, Batons, Swords and Coins. The Fool must definitely NOT have a number. The Tower must not look like some kind of scene from September 11 (it has to show Release and Illumination). I don’t want Hierophants or High Priests or High Priestesses. Popes and Papesses are what I look for. The Magician must not look like some kind of guru in nerdy little robes making incantations to the powers-that-be. The Moon needs to have a Crab or a Lobster and there must be water on this card. I like the Emperor to have his knees bent to make a triangle, like the Hanged Man. edited to add: Hey! I think I have one of these decks! It's called the Tarot of Marseille. :)

Le_Corsair	29 Aug 2003
A deck of 78 cards, fully illustrated minors. RWS-based imagery. Card dimensions 3" x 4.25", as in the Ator Tarot. An elegant back in navy blue and gold. Each of the four suits to be associated with the four elements of fire, air, earth and water, and to feature the element in each card. No flowers, fairies or other "fluffy bunny" elements. Characters depicted in the cards to be normal humans, not supermodels/superhunks. Titles in French. Packaged in a custom wooden box, preferably an exotic hardwood with good figure. Provided with a second plastic box for travel. Companion book to be hardcover, dimensions appx. 5" x 7", sewn binding, acid-free stock, with slipcase. Artist to be of my choice. Wow, is that a wild improbability, or what? Bob :THERM

WolfSpirit	29 Aug 2003
Le Corsair: like your idea of the boxes. Since we are all just dreaming, I will keep that as well. And what else: 78 cards 4 suits, Cups, Pentacles, Wands, Swords I can live with Water, Earth, Fire and Air, but then Fire = wands and Air = swords Justice = VIII, Strength = XI No keywords Art consistent in majors and minors, and on the back as well. Reversible back. People of different ages and shapes on the cards. Elements of nature in the deck. Cards not too big and easy to shuffle. Can't decide whether I want scenic pictures on the minors or not... hmm I'll go with no scenes but lovely illustrations nonetheless. Bright colours. And that special something in the artwork that makes it THE deck the moment I see it (don't know what it is yet ;) ) I am not looking for the one deck, I like having a collection of decks that all have something special. But it is nice to think there would be a perfect deck.

Maan	29 Aug 2003
Good question Yaboot :) first of all 78 cards...mother, father, daughter, son courts Fire is wands and air is swords..or forget about the wands etc completely and just take the element names. The majors i would love to be unnumbered..to get away form the whole 8-11 thing. Seize of the cards need to be like the cosmic tribe. The backs are not reversable and fit with the rest of the decks...i would love to have just one coulor ..juts plain and simple..nothing to distracting. The cards themselves need to be COLOURFUL!!! They would have a lot of symbolism and with a large dose of humor. I don't like a deck that takes itself too seriously..... The art must not be based on a theme and not on a time frame. There has to be nudity in it. Thats also a part of life and i want my tarot deck to reflect life. Love Maan

fairyhedgehog	29 Aug 2003
The cards are small (Hanson-Roberts sized) and have a silky feel (think Shakespearian). They have reversible backs, preferably dark blue with stars (Universal Waite). The Majors: strength and justice can sort themselves out (!) but I want the Fool without a number and card XIII without a name. Courts are King Queen Prince Princess. Suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles. Pips: the correct number of suit items, illustrated to some degree (think Old English, but with more consistent and appropriate decorations) Lots of colour. People of all sizes, shapes, ages and races. Old people to be shown sympathetically (think Ancestral Path). Beautiful art (Ancestral Path again, perhaps.) Not too serious a deck - mainly happy and lively. Do you think I'll get it?

MystiqueMoonlight	29 Aug 2003
Good post! It would do some of those so called deck creators some good to look at this thread :D What I look for:- 1. A complete deck 2. Non-illustrated pips. (I see illustrated pips as merely being the artist's interpretation of what each card means and it's distracting) 3. Muted colours and not too much colour 4. Size should be around the size of a playing card deck. (Big cards are just for the artist to show case the work. there's no esoteric value to big cards) 5. Numbering order is not an issue. 6. No keywords on the minors (again someone else's personal influence over Tarot which is distracting to me) The deck I use:- Ancient Minchiate Etruria 1725. :smoker:

Cerulean	29 Aug 2003
1. 78 cards with Ercole D'Este's insignia on the back, stamped in silver or gold on dark blue or black background. 2. Either card reproductions or original D'Este artwork done in one of the about 20 fine engraving or handpainted styles of the historical Ferrara decks supposedly in museum collections--but NOT the ugliest Ferarra tarot on earth, Sola Busca. 3. Book has Matteo Maria Boiardo's tarocchi verses written in English, Italian and native Tuscan circa 1475 or thereabouts. 4. Nice ribboned and 'book'-like covers with little slipcase fitted into a velvet bag or silk zippered case, color coordinated in the handsome silver or gold on dark blue or black design. 5. Pretty box or elegant box, holds two decks (see below). 6. An inexpensive but beautiful reproduction of Amerigo Folchi's Ferrara Tarot or original Mantegna 50 card deck or Charles VI is included. Or the Brambilla Brera, in silver and navy. 7. Free to all aeclectic.net or historical tarocchi subscribers, as one of us won the lottery and now are regular travelers to the country of our choice to oversee whimsical art production of new tarocchis all our live-long days. I notice I neglected to say what the deck looks like, but I greedily thought of all the extras... Mari Hoshizaki

Demonesse	30 Aug 2003
Yes, good post. My requirements...only a small list, I assure you! ;): Bright colours - dark, rich, strong. Attractive/striking/unusual figures - not necessarily beautiful or handsome, mind. There should not be too many things crammed into the cards - I want the image, nothing more; I want to be able to lose myself in it when reading. No astrological, Qabbalah, rune symbols etc. on it. Deck creators should know that keywords really suck. Reversible backs with nice art. Art must be REPRESENTATIVE of card meanings and not "heavily customised" to fit deck creator's personal beliefs. Majors - don't care about the numbering as long as the Fool is Zero. Renaming of Majors not acceptable, especially when Death is "Transfiguration" and Judgement is "Aeon". Extra cards may be acceptable. Semi-illustrated or illustrated pips. Art consistent in majors and minors. Suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles UNLESS the darn pentacle is not drawn as a pentacle on the deck (which is amazingly irritating), in which case it should be called Coins or Disks. Or Pancakes, or Cymbals, or CDs. Something. Hopefully Swords are Fire and Wands Air. Courts: King, Queen, Knight, Page (or Prince, Princess) Not too much nudity, especially full-frontal and drawn in a dignified or at least non-silly way (unless it's a fully humourous deck). (I find Robin Wood's Judgement looks like a nude girl just jumped out of a birthday cake at a stag party.) Not having the useless-for-storage Lllewellyn squashable white box or US Games box; something better. A custom bag or something would be nice, but not if it makes it more expensive...

Moongold	30 Aug 2003
Most of you have described decks which already exist, or there are decks very close to your wishes:). I don't have an ideal, preferring to have a range of decks which meet different moods or situations. I do prefer smaller cards, having smaller hands and not being an expert shuffler by any means.

Logiatrix	30 Aug 2003
I'm totally with Moongold on this one... Quote: Originally posted by Moongold I don't have an ideal, preferring to have a range of decks which meet different moods or situations. I do prefer smaller cards, having smaller hands and not being an expert shuffler by any means. There is a perfect deck for each mood I have, I guess, but no "One" for ALL moods. Anymore, the only criteria that actually works for me is that the imagery must "stick" in my brain. If the deck finds a place in my head, then that is "The One" for me. Though I've never been able to determine what criteria it is that puts a deck in my head (pips/no pips, bright colors/no color...?), I have about three of them living in the labyrinth of my mind so far. I guess I already have my Dream Decks, in that they REALLY DO show up in my dreams! I, too, have to gravitate toward the smaller decks for practical reasons, but my list of favorites has a couple of exceptions: the Inner Child and the Animal-Wise. However, each of these are still "The One" when it comes to this-or-that particular mood, so I put up with the big cards. :)

Sulis	30 Aug 2003
Here's mine: 78 Cards. 4 suits - Wands, cups, swords, pentacles or discs, Either no numbers on the majors or Justice 8 and Strength 11. Traditional titles on the majors. No borders on the cards. If they must be there then plain black or white borders. Small cards, I love the size of the Pocket Rider-Waite but I can cope with cards a little bit bigger. I like both illustrated and semi-illustrated (moody) minors but they must 'match' the majors. Courts - King, Queen, Knight, Page (or Prince or Princess). Bright colours. Swords - air, wands - fire. People of all races, shapes and ages on the cards. Plenty of symbolism. No keywords they're just far too distracting. We don't ask for much do we?:D Love and light Crystalmynx xx

The 'the One' thread was originally posted on 29 Aug 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.