Tactful decks

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 24 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

ncefafn	24 Apr 2004
I know this is going to sound weird, but have you found that some decks are more tactful than others? I have about 10 decks I read with regularly. Some of them seem to allow a lot of wiggle room. "Well," I tell my clients, "maybe it's this way, and if you do that, then that other thing might happen." But I have one or two others, the Ator particularly, that seem to produce very blunt readings, that will really call people on their $#^! This is probably just me, but I thought I'd throw it out there to the rest of you. Do you have any decks that give, as my ex put it, "come to Jesus" speeches? Kim

Marion	24 Apr 2004
I find the International Icon, by the same person as the Ator deck, to be astoundingly blunt. No wiggle room as you say. Other decks give a sort of dreamy atmosphere allowing you to drift from idea to idea, thereby indeed giving lots of wiggle room. I would classify Journey to the Orient like that, almost spacey, and 'silly' decks like the Hallowe'en, which because its humour also allows a lot of interp room.

Osher	24 Apr 2004
I would say the Tarot of the Old Path, but some of the 5s are rather strong (poverty, defeat, etc) Try an erotic deck, they don't tend to be too harsh, and you might be subtly (or not so subtly) distracted

Rusty Neon	24 Apr 2004
As far as meanings for pip cards are concerned, decks that have non-scenic pips give an incredible amount of wiggle room, as long as they have no keywords written on them.

ncefafn	24 Apr 2004
Marion, I've got the Halloween, and yes, that's one of my "tactful" ones. I love that deck, and it's much richer than it appears on the surface. As for the erotic decks, I imagine they would be distracting, but I wonder how much actual reading I'd be able to accomplish. And now, I will forever be wondering if Hap's parents named him Bonheur. Hi, Rusty. I've ordered a TdM, but it hasn't arrived yet. Kim

Shalott	24 Apr 2004
Unfortunately I rarely get the opportunity to read for others...may have to go solicit in the Readings forum...and I don't mean to go on and on about the Old English, but this can be good and bad. The art is SO pretty that the messages do come across pretty subtly, and tactfully. For some reason both my Radiant RWS and my Universal Waite really like to smack me around. I'm not really the most...artistic-brained person (odd that I chose Tarot), so often I need the smack to really get the message!

ncefafn	24 Apr 2004
Hi, Shalott. I'll have to check out the Old English again. I've seen them around a lot, even in our local metaphiz bookstore, but never felt compelled to pick them up. BTW, I love your sig line! :D Kim

hedgecub	26 Apr 2004
I find the Hanson-Roberts to be quite tactful, as well as the Robin Wood.

Emily	27 Apr 2004
I find the Morgan Greer to be tactful (usually) and also the Golden. Although sometimes I've had readings from these decks that make me feel like waving the white flag on whatever situation I've done a reading on and pleading defeat. The Thoth is a straight to the point deck, no nonsense or beating around the bush and the Quest is the same.

Khatruman	27 Apr 2004
I think there is a distinction to be made between "tactful" and "general". The word tactful implies that you are trying to say something, but phrasing it in an obscure way so as not to offend. The opposite, of course, being "blunt." Something, therefore, that is blunt says something strongly and pointedly. Some decks do not fit the definition of blunt, but aren't necessarily being tactful, they are merely being symbolic to allow for different shades of meaning. Examples of being tactful may be those decks which change either Trump XIII "Death" or Trump XV "Devil" and even there it is unclear unless one can gleen the intention. Is the intention to sugar coat so as to not freak out the querent when seeing these cards? Or is the intent that the deck wants the reader to see beyond a narrow concept of the principle of the card? If a deck feels to me like it is being tactful, I find it loses its energy. If, however, the intent is to change and broaden the perspective, it can, in fact, be more powerful.

September Pixie	27 Apr 2004
I find that when I read with the deck I learned on, the Robin Wood, and lately the Tarot of Mermaids I am about 10 times more accurate that say... The Fairy Tarot.. I find myself asking with Fairy Tarot more questions in the reading rather than being blunt.. so I NEVER use this unless its someone I am reading for fun - not for pay.. paying customers are sometimes VERY skeptical.. (why wouldn't they be? they are paying money for something most of the time they have no knowledge of) and how would it look if your asking questions more than your able to translate? :) So for those I fall back on my old faithful's. I can read just fine with all of my decks, but I am able to tell I am more accurate during a reading when its a deck that I am most confident with.. sometimes I connect right away with a deck and others.. I never connect with.. for example.. I LOVE Russian culture and I LOVE Russian people.. but uh... I can't really read the St. Petersburg tarot.. go figure :)

ncefafn	27 Apr 2004
I have the same experience with the Fairy Tarot, so now I use it for writing prompts. I've gotten some funny, quirky little ideas out of it, so my $ wasn't wasted. :) Kim

hedgecub	27 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by September Pixie I LOVE Russian culture and I LOVE Russian people.. but uh... I can't really read the St. Petersburg tarot.. go figure :) Off topic, but I've got the same problem. *sighs* I love Finland, its culture, language, and people, but I just can't read with the Kalevala deck. Ah well - you win some, you lose some :) At least you can admire the pretty pictures :)

The Tactful decks thread was originally posted on 24 Apr 2004 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.