Your perfect deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 13 Dec 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Darla	13 Dec 2003
Hi, Apparently many people here have a large collection of tarot decks. But do you have a special deck that just seems perfect for you? A deck that speaks to you and to which you are always going back no matter how many decks you have in your collection? Which is it and did you like it instantly? Since I began to get interested in Tarot I am searching for mine and I'm curious if you have found yours. Or maybe you have several decks that feel right to special moods or occasions? I'm curious about your answers.

Emily	13 Dec 2003
After alot of searching I found my perfect deck in the Morgan Greer. I started out with the Rider Waite and although I have a small collection its always the Rider Waite or clone decks that I can read with better. I wanted something more than the traditional Rider Waite although I wanted RWS symbolism. I'm finding that the Morgan Greer is easy to use and to continue learning with, some of the cards stray away from the Rider Waite image but its an easy deck on the eye. I've used this deck constantly since buying it around 2 months ago I think, it does seem like I've had this deck forever. And I haven't got bored or moved on yet, I think this is probably the longest I've used a deck apart from using the Rider Waite to study. I can't actually see myself wanting to move on yet just as long as the deck still speaks to me :) Actually the Morgan Greer is giving me new ideas, I posted last week about a virus I had on my pc and I drew the 7 Swords for that day, I found out its the perfect card to show a virus sent to steal files, change files and be sneaky lol

Le_Corsair	13 Dec 2003
Rule 1: The perfect deck is the one that you don't have and desperately want. :joke: Rule 2: Once you have acquired that deck, see rule 1. :laugh: My current fave that I actually own is the Hoi Polloi. Bob :THERM edited to make the joke better.

firestorm	13 Dec 2003
Touche, LeCorsair! Couldn't have said it better myself. :D Personally, I don't have one "perfect" deck. I'm one who sees the big picture in everything.....in this case, I can find something good in just about any deck. Having said that, I'm finding that having too many is a burden.

MoreMagic	13 Dec 2003
My perfect deck would be the Universal Rider-Waite in the new! improved! pocket-size. No, I don't think that's coming any time soon, but I really wish it would...

LadyMedusa	13 Dec 2003
I think I have found mine for now...but since nothing in life is fixed, and I am always open to new ideas I still look to see if anything fits better. Out of the decks I have now, I find the one I reach for most often is the Greenwood. Next would be the Russian St Petersburg then the Universal Waite. I do rotate through the others by comparing one or two other voices with my first choice, both for added insight, and to make sure they don't feel neglected. When reading for others I pick 2 or 3 that I think will speak clearly and then let the querent decide amongst those. LadyMedusa

Cerulean	13 Dec 2003
My perfect deck seems to vary with the topic that I want to read and learn about. At the moment, the Visconti from Dal Negro and I'm reading a history of the Milanese court. This is going in my suitcase with the GTV (Gothic Tarot of the Vampires, Lo Scarabeo). I'm not certain if one of my two anime tarots and illustration books is also going with me over the holidays. But I am surprised by Jane Lyle's new 78 card version of the Lovers Tarot with new illustrations by Oliver Bursten in the 16 courts and some decorative pips. The book and majors are old friends--why didn't I notice the Rider Waite Smith similarities before? I'm comparing it to the Rider Waite and Thoth minors, using the color illustrations from the Complete Tarot kit. The old RWS with its Pictorial key excerpts in the LWB is also coming with me... Mari H.

Chronata	13 Dec 2003
No matter how many decks I have, and how many more I have aquired...I always seem to return to the Hanson Roberts. This deck is like my best friend, I relate to it very easily and very well, and it just fits my personality!

Majecot	14 Dec 2003
I think that as we grow and learn.. so do our tastes in decks and our needs. As we learn we move forward to different challenges. The only constant thing we have is change. I have a couple of favorites.. Rohrig and Quest, (those are the current, can be replaced at any time :D pending a visit from the Chocolate Santa (UPS) ) I don't think of it as being fickle but enlightening. My old Favorites alwayshave a place in my heart and are never forgotten.. and as Bob says.. ;) "Rule 1: The perfect deck is the one that you don't have and desperately want. Rule 2: Once you have acquired that deck, see rule 1. " })

WolfSpirit	14 Dec 2003
I have several decks I love to use for reading; but I think the Swedish Witch stands out above the rest, it is also an all-round deck I can use for every occasion. This does not stop me from wanting other decks though ;)

Imagemaker	15 Dec 2003
I enjoy the art on so many decks, exploring the symbols and possibilities. But for readings for myself, especially, I use the Robin Wood deck. It has symbols directly related to my childhood home and scenes that depict specific places there. I feel a direct relationship with the pictures unlike any other deck.

Kimber	17 Dec 2003
Quote: Originally posted by WolfSpirit I have several decks I love to use for reading; but I think the Swedish Witch stands out above the rest, it is also an all-round deck I can use for every occasion. I love this deck too. But I'm hoping someone can tell me *what* those cute little googly guys that appear on so many of the cards are supposed to be! LOL

sunflowr	17 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Le_Corsair Rule 1: The perfect deck is the one that you don't have and desperately want. :joke: Rule 2: Once you have acquired that deck, see rule 1. :laugh: My current fave that I actually own is the Hoi Polloi. Bob :THERM edited to make the joke better. Another old thread resurrection.. ;) I wanted to know if you are actually reading with this deck? I SO want to but am afraid to because it's so rare. So, am interested in what others are doing with decks that they love but are rare to get. Do you shuffle/read with them anyway?

dolphinprincess	17 Jun 2004
I haven't found the "perfect deck" yet. There are many I like ALOT and think are beautiful - but none that evoke the feelings you describe. I have been using the AnimalWise very often and am loving it this go around (i happened to repurchase it after trading it away awhile ago... i am so fickle!) However, there are a few "soon to be released" decks that I think may have a shot at falling into this 'perfect deck' category... (Forest Folklore and Gilded to name two.. also the Bohemian Cats...)

tao51	17 Jun 2004
Over 30 years ago, I walked into a bookstore and found my first deck of Tarot cards. It was simply called "Tarot Cards." It was designed using original woodcuts from the 16th century. This deck was the only deck in the section. I do not know who published it. The box was replced by a belt pouch shortly after my purchase. The deck has withstood many readings. More recently when I compared the art work, I realized that it was of the Marseilles group. It provided many clear readings for a large number of people. In college, I had a person who almost everyday would ask the same question. The reading would have almost the same cards and the same message. Later, I was at another city and purchased a Rider-Waite deck. I liked it but used my older deck more often. Now, many decks later, I still use my oldest deck on a regular basis. I consider it a very wise friend. So, I guess my first Tarot deck "Tarot Cards" is my "perfect" deck.--Tao

Le_Corsair	17 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by sunflowr Another old thread resurrection.. ;) I wanted to know if you are actually reading with this deck? I SO want to but am afraid to because it's so rare. So, am interested in what others are doing with decks that they love but are rare to get. Do you shuffle/read with them anyway? The Hoi Polloi is out of print, but is not rare. It can be found on eBay regularly, and sells for around 25 dollars. I bought a copy recently for $4.50. I have a reserve copy in case my primary copy wears out. Bob :THERM

Zoe Kate	17 Jun 2004
sigh...it's always changing...right now i desperately want to own the Mary-El...sigh...i visit that site often just to drool. I even have dreams about it. But I'm sure the fantasy deck will change soon...hahaha

WolfSpirit	17 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by sunflowr So, am interested in what others are doing with decks that they love but are rare to get. Do you shuffle/read with them anyway? I have a Greenwood deck and I do use it when I want to, but I am a gentle shuffler and the deck is of good card stock. I do take some extra care: I don't leave a spread lying around to look at later in case the cats trample on the cards and I don't take the deck with me on walks or trips. I will probably not get a spare copy of this deck as it is getting so expensive...unless it gets reprinted of course. Edited to add: tao51 I really loved the story about your perfect deck. You are so right !

Riversea	17 Jun 2004
is the Tarot of Prague. I still love my Universal Waite, but the Prague is pretty close to my "perfect" deck. I'm not sure what I would change to attain perfection in this deck, it is that close. It was love at first sight, too! The court cards really started opening up for me with this deck. For that reason alone, I'd love this deck, but the whole deck is so beautiful! I finally ordered the Kat's Golden Tarot yesterday (I had a smidge of 'extra' money... 'extra' being a relative term!). I hoping to love that deck as well. I've noticed since getting the Prague in December, my deck buying has gone way down. There are still many decks that I still want, especially the B.B. Cat Tarot and of course, the Prague reprint. On an unrelated tarot note...if any fans of the movie 'The Ring' are out there, you might be interested to know that they are busy filming the sequel right now in the town where I live! It is a small town (10,000) so they have been snarling traffic all over the place.

Shalott	19 Jun 2004
Universal Waite, and it's new little sibling, the Pocket Universal Waite. Thinking about ordering a second one as back up, since they tend to make changes to them over various printings...grr. Anyway, it's really simple why this is "perfect" to me: since SOOO many books out there use this, it's what I've learned best and most thoroughly, so it's easy to just look at and read, or study. Just solid and straightforward, brilliant in its simplicity (pardon the cheese!).

Marion	19 Jun 2004
That's a tough question, because for me it keeps changing. Some decks that I used to love I can now barely read with. At the moment, they are: T of Prague, The Fey and especially International Icon and the Gill.

punchinella	20 Jun 2004
The perfect deck for me right now is the Tarot de Marseille. Not so much because it's perfect, as because it is (original) & therefore feels trustworthy. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I no longer believe that my needs dictate, or have a right to dictate, what tarot is. Tarot (de Marseille) simply is. Either I'm worthy of it, capable of understanding it, or I'm not. When I'm not . . . changing the cards isn't going to help much. The cards are what they are. Accepting this is hugely freeing. Now: that being said, I have to add that I still very much love Animal-Wise, & Vision Quest . . . . . . . . . Only, in the last little while I've stopped thinking of them as tarot. I now think of them more as, well, tarot-based oracle. Which is great too :)

Jewel-ry	20 Jun 2004
OOOhh Punchinella, You are beginning to sound like Diana! (nothing wrong with that I hasten to add :D) I agree with you totally. I have many decks which I flit through from time to time and I do use my Tarot of Prague loads but the Tarot de Marseille has me captivated. I spend so much time researching bits and pieces. I'm not sure if I understand it or indeed if I ever will but there is something there which keeps drawing me in. :)

jema	20 Jun 2004
Well, in the end I always come back to the Gill. If a reading seems hopeless and to obscure, I take out the gill and do a comparative reading with it. If the questions is a though one, I take the Gill. If I am leaving for a vacation, the two decks I bring will be Gill + one more. (but always the Gill) The deck closest to my chair right now is among others the Gill. I sometimes stray and don't use it for months, but it is still always there somehow. Waiting and ready.

Sulis	20 Jun 2004
I have 2 decks which I always come back to so I guess that they're my perfect decks. They're the World Spirit and the Morgan Greer. I like the way they feel, the way they shuffle - it's not just the images which make a good deck for me. I like a deck to feel old, I hate those new plasticy laminates on some decks. The Morgan Greer has a sort of mottling on the paint which really gives it an aged feel. The backs are cool on both of those decks too. Love Sulis xx

The Your perfect deck thread was originally posted on 13 Dec 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.