Should I buy a new deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 06 Aug 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

acolyte	06 Aug 2004
I got my first tarot deck a week or so back it is not the usual RWS but rennaisance tarot the one with the embossed art it is under renaissance themes in the decks part of the site.Where I'm from tarot shops are near impossible to find so if i have to get another deck it is from overseas as that is all they had.anyway it is not that the deck i have now is bad but i would have liked to have RWS and ideally aleister crowleys thot and fey tarot.So should i bond with these cards as much as possible or should i just bond with them minimally as i learn the basics while i make arrangements to get these a RWS pack and later on the other two?ps:is there anything such as a bad deck.u know one u would never consider using?

Lee	06 Aug 2004
Hi acolyte, Personally I think your deck (the Renaissance Tarot by Jane Lyle, also known as the Secret Tarot) is a very nice deck and I think it can certainly work well as your only deck if you have difficulties obtaining a different one. Here are some reviews (the second one is by me): http://www.tarotforlife.com/reviewlylerenaissance.html http://www.tarotpassages.com/bursten14.htm The most important thing about a deck is whether you feel comfortable with it and whether you find the artwork evocative. I would recommend that you experiment with your deck, lay out some cards, see how they strike you, thumb through the book, spend some time with it. -- Lee

fyreflye	06 Aug 2004
You can't always get what you want; but if you try, sometimes you find you get what you need. Love the one you're with.

littlehermit	06 Aug 2004
if you're going to read with it, bond with it! doesn't matter what deck you've got on your wishlist or in the mail, if you're reading with the one in your hands.

Aun	06 Aug 2004
Nevertheless, you will always find more related books and more online references on the good old RWS.

Logiatrix	06 Aug 2004
Hi, acolyte...nice to read you here! My two-cents... I started with three decks at the same time: the RWS, Thoth, and Visconti Gold. That's because the book I was studying ("Tarot Basics") showed each card from all three decks, side-by-side (except in the book, it was the Marseille, not the Visconti, but I didn't know the difference then). At the time, I was able to afford all three decks, so I bought them, but that lavishness may have worked against me in the long run; if I could go back, I would prefer to bond with just one deck, at least for a while. The irony is that I connected least with the Rider deck (I don't even have it anymore), but it is the one I learnt from the most. I most connected ("heart-wise" I guess you could say) to the Visconti, but it was also the most difficult for me to learn to read. To add more confusion to the mix, I don't even use my Visconti anymore, as I am now preferring the Thoth for my reading/study deck. I guess my point of sharing all this with you is that what deck you learn from may not be the deck you ultimately "bond" with. So my answer is, yes, get the basics down with whatever you have; in fact, learning the basics will help you to determine which deck is just right for you when you are ready for that "bonding" experience. :)

dolphingirl	06 Aug 2004
The deck you have is an interresting one but not one I personally would want to use to learn to read tarot with. I had a friend that used this very deck as her first deck and she ended up buing a Rider Waite deck shortly therafter as it was alot easier for her to read with and there are so many books out there geared to that. One thing that another friend did when she couldn't find/afford a deck was to print one out on business card paper in her printer and she used that for a long time even after her "real" deck came in. As to whether to get a new deck or not, I think that is something that only you can answer for yourself. It all depends on how you feel towards the one you have :) Either way feel free to post here with any questions you have we all love to help :) Samantha

acolyte	09 Aug 2004
Thanks for all your tips well.I went to see the lady who gave me my first reading and got me started ans she too told me to bond with the cards first give them a few months then consider buying a new deck then coz I am also considering Fey tarot as I love the pictures.so right now it's me and my one deck till further notice!

tao51	09 Aug 2004
My feeling is that--you have a wonderful deck. I spent about 15 years with my first deck. I came to understand tarot quite well. This deck was of the Marseilles group. Later, I bought the Rider-Waite. I have never regretted my decision. If you buy too many at first you may miss that special learning that happens with the first deck. --Tao

Little Baron	09 Aug 2004
Quote: Originally posted by tao51 If you buy too many at first you may miss that special learning that happens with the first deck. --Tao Totally agree Tao. I think it was a bit like that for me at one point. Yaboot

WooMonkey	09 Aug 2004
Hi acolyte! I agree with Tao that you do have a wonderful deck. The images are sometimes simple, but still rich in their own symbolism. I especially like the elemental emphasis on the minors. That being said, I also encourage you to obtain a RWS deck (or clone)--as Aun said, it is the deck most referred to. It is a great exercise to compare the same cards from different decks. Plus, it is SO possible to bond with more than one deck!!! :)

acolyte	11 Aug 2004
woomonkey - Plus, it is SO possible to bond with more than one deck!!! A statement I love to hear but I am a one deck man for now.:(

Alrisha	13 Aug 2004
i buy most of my decks from online shops...i'd recommend The Tarot Garden great personal service and fast delivery. alrisha

Alrisha	13 Aug 2004
btw, u mentioned thoth tarot...i bought my large swiss AGM thoth from tarotgarden....very happy with the deck...hauntingly beautiful i'd say =)

Oshenar	15 Aug 2004
There are many RWS clones out there I'm sure you will find one that suits your taste. Unless you are attracted to Coleman's artwork, even so, RWS comes in many versions too. I have both Toth and RWS and I find them both to be drastically different from each other. RWS is a good beginner's deck I guess since most books refer to it. I dont' think there really is such a thing as a bad deck but different decks sometimes will pick up different vibes from the reader and therefore it will also affect the results of the reading(it is a mixed reaction of visual stimulus on the deck art and the reader's own psychology).

The Should I buy a new deck thread was originally posted on 06 Aug 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.