What's your Main Reading Deck?

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

Shalott	24 Apr 2004
I'm interested in this largely because I haven't really landed on one yet. I fluctuate between Radiant and Universal Waites, and Old English. Someday soon I'm going to get me Hadar's Marseille, which very well may result in my devotion... If there's a "why" you can put your finger on I'm most interested in that to! Thanks for sharing!

Le_Corsair	24 Apr 2004
Aeclectic member Rota's International Icon Tarot. It is an RWS-inspired deck, it takes the RWS images and distills them to their purest Zen essence. It's a great deck. Bob :THERM

CreativeFire	24 Apr 2004
Hi Shallot, I alternate between a few decks for my main reading ones. The main one would be the Universal Waite but also use the Sacred Circle and Shaman-Caselli. I am now starting to use the Thoth as a deck to read for myself with but still have a long way to go with this one as I am still very new to it. As to "why" you like one better than the other - definitely would have to be a personal thing, but I just find that there are a couple of decks that I connect to more and do more regular accurate readings with - things just jump out more easily and clearly. Maybe you will find that with your Hadar when you get it - good luck. I sort of feel that about the Gilded Tarot - once I get the general release in October, I think this will become one of my favourite reading decks - but cannot be sure until I have it in my hands and start to do some readings ;) CreativeFire

contrascarpe	24 Apr 2004
I don't have one as well. Depends on my mood and what is being sought. If I HAD to choose one, it probably would be the Robin Wood. I had some great readings with it. However, I also use the Prague, Golden, Journey to the Orient, Gendron, and the past couple of days, the Da Vinci. I have so many that I will probably be rotating them - I don't want any to feel lonely :)

BlueLotus	24 Apr 2004
I feel at home with the Wheel of Change Tarot that it has become the one . However I do my early morning readings with the Quest, and I quite became dependent on these readings which proved to be insightful. Although throughout the day, and when I need any particular insight, I still consult my trusted Wheel of Change, I may alternate with other decks as well, such as the Spiral, Secret Tarots, ToPrague, or the Old Path.

laura_borealis	24 Apr 2004
My main reading deck right now is the Cosmic Tribe (see the artist's website here). I fully admit it's rather garish and trippy. There are a lot of nakey bits on display, which may disturb some people. But somehow it speaks to me, and I get the best readings from it of any deck I've ever had.

Cocobird55	25 Apr 2004
Right now, I'm doing most of my readings with the Tarot of Timeless Truth. I like it because the book asks questions and the explanations are great. I'm using it as both my current reading deck and my study deck. I'm also using the Universal Waite when I'm working through Tarot for Yourself, by Mary Greer. Sue

Shalott	25 Apr 2004
LOL - I don't know what it is in my brain telling me I should really pick one deck for primary reading purposes...like if I keep fluctuating between them they're going to get mad at me or something! I guess it's good to know that so many others use multiple decks, too!

hedgecub	25 Apr 2004
I read mainly with the Robin Wood. One day I hope to graduate to reading with my Vertigo, but for now I'm sticking to the nice and easy to interpret RW :)

JulieG	25 Apr 2004
Hi there! I use the Rider Waite (basic deck) - just been unable to feel connected to any other pack. I even had trouble getting connected to the Golden Rider Waite and the Universal. Bizzarre really. I have got Thoth and Marseilles on order now though. I've always wanted Thoth but shyed away until now as I'm still relatively new to Tarot. I ordered Marseilles as a member here "Thirteen" mentioned it in post and I was intrigued by it. I had other decks (Old English, Vampire, Nefertari, Ancient Egyptian, Sacred Rose, Medieval Scapini, Mythic, Renaissance) but simply couldn't work with them. Like a lot of people, I tend to feel a connection with a deck pretty quickly if I have one at all. If I don't feel that, I just can't work with them. Maybe as I get more fluent with Tarot, I may expand to other decks. Til then though, it's Rider Waite as my main choice.

Marion	25 Apr 2004
I don't seem to have a 'main deck'. I use several the most often. The International Icon is my newest 'most used' deck. I also like Tarot of Prague, the Fey, Osho Zen and several others. And the Robin Wood deck, even if I almost never use it physically is stuck in my brain that you could say it was always present in almost any reading. Majors only readings I use Tarot for Cats usually.

Sulis	25 Apr 2004
I have 3 main reading decks - Morgan Greer World Spirit Hudes I tend to use my 2 old favorites; Morgan greer and World Spirit most. Love Sulis xx

Emily	25 Apr 2004
My main reading deck is the Morgan Greer but I also like using the Quest and Thoth. The Golden is becoming a fast favourite too, maybe more than the Quest or Thoth.

Maan	25 Apr 2004
my top three is: Phantasmagoric theater tarot Fey tarot ( lo scarabeo ) and on three is the newest deck of the week ;) Love Maan

Dark_angel	25 Apr 2004
My current top three: Tarot d'Ambre Vertigo Gothic

Logiatrix	25 Apr 2004
My take on why we favor a certain deck is the same as why we each have a certain favorite color or preference in art or music....it's just a matter of taste. Anyway, my Numero Uno deck is the Visconti Gold, and Numero Dos is the Zerner-Farber. Third, fourth and fifth are my fave oracles, sometimes chosen over the tarots for a fresh perspective. :)

crystal cove	25 Apr 2004
It's hard to answer this one because by next month my answer will be different. :) In the last few months the decks I use most are: Hadar, Crystal, Soprafino and the deck that came with the Tarot Set. It's a photoreproduction of one of the Marseille decks.

mysticalowl	25 Apr 2004
I go mostly between the Robin Wood and Rider-Waite.

Solty Dog	25 Apr 2004
I usually do my daily read with my RWS or the Universal Waite. Just because I am more comfortable with the images than in the others and at that hour of the morning, I dont like to think. When I get home from work, I pick up one of my more non standard decks like Vargo's Gothic or Fradellas Adventure Tarot. It helps me forget about life outside when I can imerse myself in a "different" image. B.S. Dog

Shalott	25 Apr 2004
Maybe that's part of my issue...if I had time to do daily readings maybe I could narrow it down better! I can barely manage a weekly reading! But I think I actually have narrowed it down to Universal Waite and Old English. Radiant RWS is maybe going to be relagated to a "study" deck as I find it easier to see little hidden symbols in that one than any version of RWS. As long as they get along and don't start fighting...LOL

Jewel	27 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by laura_borealis My main reading deck right now is the Cosmic Tribe (see the artist's website here ). I fully admit it's rather garish and trippy. There are a lot of nakey bits on display, which may disturb some people. But somehow it speaks to me, and I get the best readings from it of any deck I've ever had. Ditto ... Since the day I got this deck it has been my main reading deck, it practically reads itself. I am starting to work with the Fey Tarot and I believe it is going to rank right up there with my Cosmic Tribe.

The What's your Main Reading Deck? 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.