The everlasting search for the 'Holy Grail' (meaning The Perfect Deck)..

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 13 Aug 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Aure	13 Aug 2004
At first I must say that I'm happy to be here again after being on a holiday and my apologies for the clumsy title (I have recently read the Da Vinci code..)... I wonder if the search is really ever over... Do you know what I mean? Every time I find a new, beautiful deck I'm ready to declare how this is IT and The One and I will NEVER have to buy another one (unless I buy a backup copy)... *sigh* I just can't make up my mind on which if my decks I really like. I feel I cannot concentrate on studying the tarot because I can't seem to choose which deck to use. Do you know the feeling when you desperately try to like a deck and still something is wrong with it? I've tried to like Radiant RWS, Golden Tarot, Russian St. Pete's, Hanson-Roberts, Old English, Thoth... I actually do like the Hadar TdM but I usually give up with the symbology.. I'm not sure if I'll ever find a deck that would be perfect!

Major Tom	13 Aug 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Aure I'm not sure if I'll ever find a deck that would be perfect! I just have to ask: Did you ever think about creating your own deck? There will never be a more perfect deck than the one that you make with your own eyes and hands for yourself. ;)

Le_Corsair	13 Aug 2004
... it bears repeating: 1. The perfect tarot deck is the one that you don't have, and desperately want. 2. Once you acquire that deck, refer to rule 1. Bob :THERM

Eco74	13 Aug 2004
I think there are many perfect decks. Personally I'm finally starting to use my own small but diverse collection in a way I really really enjoy. Namely choosing the perfect deck "for this question", "for this querent" and "for this day". I also have yet to find those little flaws in decks that bother me enough to put it down. Though my Swedish Witch deck is not really channeling too well with me at the time, which has more to do with other things than particular cards or style of artwork or symbology. Try to not try so hard and look at the decks with fresh open eyes that dont have any of that expectation on certain symbology that you "want" or "need" in a card. Or, as Major Tom suggests. Why not make your own? It's a long term project that will also enable you to look more objectively at the symbolism in the decks you have as you study them and figure out what you want to use in _your_ deck.

skh	13 Aug 2004
This may sound a bit reactionary, but to me the perfect deck is still the standard Waite-Colman-Smith. I'm fascinated by the Thoth, too, but not yet as familiar with it. And most new decks seem to me to be just derivatives of WCS, TdM and / or Thoth, and less well-rounded than these. I always find flaws in them, single cards that look strange or that I don't like. The "classics" are, somehow, beyond or above such judgement, they just are. I do admit that I haven't seen that many decks yet, so my opinion might change. Sonja

Ruby7	13 Aug 2004
I think you should just work with whatever deck you feel like at the time and don't get hung up on picking just one deck. Maybe you are meant to work with your whole collection and not just one deck. All the best, Ruby7

WolfSpirit	13 Aug 2004
I don't have one perfect deck, but different decks for different occasions. The Tarot of the Spirit works best for psychological or spiritual questions, but for practical questions I would use a deck based on the RWS, and which one depends on my mood. I have decks with lots of detail in it, which may be great to explore or to meditate on, but for readings I often prefer a deck with simpler images. The deck I use most is the Ancestral Path, but I love using different decks.

baba-prague	13 Aug 2004
I tend to agree that the search for the "perfect" deck is like the search for the perfect anything - probably bound to be in vain. Mostly I use our own decks of course, and I DO agree with Tom that making your own deck, if possible, is a great way to find a deck that really fits you. But even then, I don't think any deck can be perfect on every occasion. But the quest is fun!

blue_fusion	13 Aug 2004
as plato once said, the world of the eidos - perfect ideas - does not reside here...

Diana	13 Aug 2004
My search was over before I even started it. Well, at least that's one search out of the way. There are so many others.

Logiatrix	13 Aug 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Aure ...I wonder if the search is really ever over... Do you know what I mean? Every time I find a new, beautiful deck I'm ready to declare how this is IT and The One and I will NEVER have to buy another one (unless I buy a backup copy)... ...I'm not sure if I'll ever find a deck that would be perfect! Hi, Aure! The notion of the "One Perfect Deck" is a myth to me now. There was a time when I sought that One, like Captain Ahab in search of that elusive whale. A word to the wise: the whale wins. ;) Anyway, I also realized that devotion to just one deck may not even be practical; even those Marseille devotees who are so fascinatingly loyal have several Marseille decks. :D It is something akin to "the one perfect food" that would thus become your dining experience for every meal; however, a steady diet of one nutrient leaves you deficient of many other nutrients. Variety is not only "the spice of life," it is life, and it provides us with that vital balance requisite of our existence. As sentient beings, to dine on the buffet of knowledge this world has to offer is a privilege of reason and imagination; I think this also applies to the spiritual tool of tarot. In my own experience, I have decided that the "perfect deck" is in my conciousness, comprised of all the decks I have experienced up to this moment and into the next. It's kind of a Zen thing: you will find whatever it is you are seeking when you go within. :)

The 78th Fool	25 Aug 2004
I'm incredibly lucky - I don't think I would ever find my perfect deck, but within the last year I've found that I don't need to any more. Rather I've found my perfect DECKS and it's these, along with having created a dack myself, tailored to my own needs that give me complete satisfaction. These are the decks: Gilded Tarot Tarot of Prague Golden Tarot Butler Tarot Light and Shadow Tarot Rider Waite (Universal Books edition) Tarot De Marseilles (Grimaud) Tarot of the Witches 1JJ Swiss Tarot Visconti Gold Rohrig Tarot Cosmic Tribe Tarot There's no such thing as perfect to me any more in the sense of finding an individual deck to meet all my expectations. Rather these are all perfect in their own way. They are all some or other artist's labour of love and the varied spectrum they provide meets my needs. Chris. xx

primaryreality	25 Aug 2004
I'm still very new at this, and I initially thought it would be important to settle on one deck and use it all the time, but already I find my view shifting on that. I'm finding that different days, different moods, different issues call for different decks, that I am drawn to use different ones at different times, and I'm starting to feel like that's okay, that they complement and enhance each other rather than being in "competition," and that by using more than one I am simply expanding my opportunities for insight and awareness, because each one brings a unique perspective, opens new doors and ways of looking at things. I don't wear the same outfit every day, or eat the same food every day, or listen to the same music over and over, so why limit myself to one tarot deck? My collection is still pretty small (but growing already!), and I imagine there will always be a core group of favorites that I will use more than others, but I doubt I will ever find one deck that will feel so perfect and complete that I will want to use it exclusively.

Emily	25 Aug 2004
Although I still buy decks that speak to me, I have found the perfect deck for me. I've posted often on my love of the Morgan Greer and I still haven't found a deck that appeals to me as much as this one does. It does have a rival in the Golden but I still reach for the Morgan Greer when I want a clear cut reading without having to look for symbolism that doesn't come straight to me. I like to use other decks just for variation but the Morgan Greer is the one I use the most. I didn't think that I would find a deck I thought perfect or one that I would be able to read without struggling and getting mental blocks. Its also a good study deck. :)

collielin	25 Aug 2004
See.....this is how I got into trouble with sewing machines. Years ago when I quit smoking I decided to "reward" myself. I started buying guitars. But then I re-discovered sewing with all the neat gagets associated with it. So I bought a new sewing machine....and then another because it had a certain feature the other one didn't........and then another, because it had an alphabet....and then another because it had a larger stitch package.......and then a serger, because it could do what a sewing machine couldn't.....and then another serger, as a back up.......and then more sewing machines, to take to class, on vacation.... Well you get the idea. I now have 11 sewing machines and 4 sergers, and 1 ( only one thank god)embroidery machine. How many can a person sew on at one time? ONLY ONE! A dismal ending to this saga........ after a 7 year hiatus from smoking, I have started up again. Only now I am buying Tarot decks, mainly because they're cheaper than sewing machines and guitars. Did I ever find the perfect sewing machine? No. But I use them all for different purposes, different moods, different days. The same with my tarot decks. Depending on the mood of the day I can reach into my treasure trove of decks and find something to suit my attitude at the moment. The Gilded comes mighty close though to being "THE ONE".

Flavio	25 Aug 2004
For me, in this and many more matters in life, the quest is more interesting and rewarding than the goal itself...

The The everlasting search for the 'Holy Grail' (meaning The Perfect Deck).. thread was originally posted on 13 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.