Tarot Decks that you just love

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Sep 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Leleii	16 Sep 2004
We just did the tarot decks that we hate. What are the tarot decks that you just love and why? My favorite decks are the Gill, because it is simple yet deep. The Golden Tarot, whenever I look at them, I feel like I am in an Art's Museum and viewing paintings on the tarot. I love the Sakki-Sakki and the Phantomagoric, they are fun and light hearted and teaches me to lighten up The Gilded Tarot, I like the black background and the semi- fastasy theme. I like the Fey. I am addicted to tarot and love them all, except for a small few. Warm Blessings.

Ranger757	16 Sep 2004
I love the Sacred Rose because of the artwork. I like the fact that they have no irises!

fyreflye	16 Sep 2004
I'm happily married to the Osho Zen but occasionally I cheat on it with others - most recently the Neuzeit (New Age) Tarot by Walter Wegmüller. They're both bright, colorful, a bit weird, but at heart deeply serious. Most of you are familiar with the OZT but you should take a look at the Neuzeit; it might please even the kitty-cat-tarot types. I admire the great esoteric decks like the Thoth, the Via, the SOL and the Hermetic, but I only cuddle up with my OZT and Neuzeit.:*

Mesara	16 Sep 2004
The Russian Tarot of St Petersburg- My favorite at the moment. I love that the cards are black; they don't show dirt and grime quite as easily. I also love the russian style of painting that decorates the cards(can't remember the name of it). It looks really elegant. The Halloween deck- gotta love anything with pumpkins, bats, and imps in it, plus all the traditional halloween monsters. The Mermaid tarot- Hopefully this will be in my posession by the end of the weekend. I love the ocean and all nautical things. This deck is really beautiful. The Medieval Scapini- Another deck I hope to obtain this weekend. I just love the old style of the cards. Buckland Romani- I just appreciate the "gypsy" quality of this deck.

blackroseivy	16 Sep 2004
That I have: The "Facsimile" RWS & the Cary-Yale & Pierpont-Morgan Visconti Decks - I love anything genuine, & anything genuinely Medieval! The Mantegna "Silver" - gorgeous! Also, very different & special - you read it quite differently. I like to expand my horizons. The "Sacred Circle" - because my spiritual practice is Celtic, this deck is my official touchstone. Ones I don't have: Right now, I am *still* awaiting the Alchemical deck in the mail! It has a special place as my (I think!) favorite deck; at first, I was only mildly interested in it, then gradually I became obsessed with it. It speaks of the Western Mystery Tradition, which is my obsession alongside of Tarot; I *adore* the artwork, it's beautifully executed & extremely esoteric, which is an instant draw for me. The Kluev "Magic" deck - I am drawn to this one for many of the same reasons as the Alchemical. Again, love the artwork. Another on the top of my favorite-don't-have-its is the Ananda; gorgeous artwork. Yeah, I'm a little one-note! I'm even becoming rather obsessed with that collectors'-edition of the Baphomet... Now, go figure!! *Me*?? *That* monstrosity???!!! I'm a sucker for sumptuous packaging & extras. The Estensi - another beautiful historic, gotta get it! Ancient Tarots of Marseilles - more genuineness!! I *think* that does it for current obsessions. (I truly *am* Tarot-mad!!!!!!!!) })

WolfSpirit	17 Sep 2004
Oww you don't want me to mention all the decks that I love, do you ? I will keep this post within limits ;) Ancestral Path - the deck just clicked with me, I have used it a lot and I still discover new things with it. The Swedish witch - I love the artwork, it is funny and original but also completely non-fluffy. The Animal Wise - I love working with animal energies, it gives a positive vibe and makes me ground better. The Herbal Tarot - it has simple artwork, easy to read when you are used to RWS symbolism but for me more attractive, more lively, plus it has the extra of explaining herbs and having a nice "nature touch" The Tarot of the Spirit - also in combination with the very good companion book, this is my favourite deck for questions about feelings. And all my other beautiful decks I just love love love them all, I love to look at them and shuffle them and meditate on them, they are such a good way of relaxation. Decks I don't use for reading are still useful and loved in my house :)

WolfSpirit	17 Sep 2004
Hm, at the moment I type this this thread has had 101 views and only 5 replies. People seemed to be a lot more eager to mention decks they don't like.

fyreflye	17 Sep 2004
Quote: Hm, at the moment I type this this thread has had 101 views and only 5 replies. People seemed to be a lot more eager to mention decks they don't like . There have already been dozens of threads on this topic and at least half the posts on Tarot Decks are about somebody's current love for some deck or another. Only the relentlessly enthusiastic are likely to contribute to this one.

ambermoon	17 Sep 2004
My first love is the Goddess Tarot. As I am slowly getting to know it, the majors are revealing so much depth and balance. I hold a fairly unorthodox view that the majors hold both their positive and reversed meanings in any position. They represent the balance point between the positive and negative considerations and that the querant's actions will influence the experience. The contrast between the central image and the illustrated borders seems to support this duality for me. So many decks seem to illustrate the upright interpretation only, and leave the opposite considerations unspoken. ambermoon

spoonbender	17 Sep 2004
Tarot Nova. The images are simple but evocative, and the cards give down-to-earth, practical readings. Phantasmagoric Theater Tarot. This deck is just unique - excellent art, entire stories behind the cards, names for the characters, etc. Leonardo Da Vinci Tarot. The art in this deck is simply amazing, and the cards are inspiring. Hadar Tarot de Marseille. When you use the cards, you just know you're touching on something ancient and deep. The cards are mysterious, and the art is beautiful.

Lee	17 Sep 2004
Here are my favorites at present: Gay Tarot Tarot of Dreams both of these for obvious reasons! :P For scenic-pip decks, I like: Gilded Tarot because it's a wonderfully usable, great basic deck and also has fascinating and esthetically pleasing elements, which I find is an unusual combination in tarot decks. Radiant Rider-Waite is my preferred version of the RWS deck because of the strong and vivid colors. I also like the Illuminated Tarot but that gets a little busy sometimes. For non-scenic-pip decks, I like: Prediction Tarot, because I find the muted Majors to be very evocative, and the very plain pip cards allow me to concentrate on number+suit meanings without needing to take pictorial elements into consideration. Ancient Italian Tarot because it's a true antique deck (i.e. a reproduction, not a re-visioning) which also happens to be esthetically pleasing, and it's got a feeling all its own. Marseilles. Now, notice I don't specify which Marseilles! The truth is I'm undecided which one I would truly want to work with. I love the esthetics of both the Camoin and the Hadar, but they both contain pictorial innovations added by the artists, and if one is going to use a version which isn't a true "old" deck but rather a re-visioning like these decks, then it seems to somehow miss the point of working with a Marseilles. I would probably use the Grimaud, except that the color scheme and the thick black lines used for shading are just so extremely off-putting. My favorite may end up being the Conver by Lo Scarabeo, a photoreproduction deck, because even though it's rather rough due to the aging on the cards, it is at least authentic in the true sense of the word. Or I may just go back to my plain old Grimaud, which really is fairly old (I bought it about 23 years ago). -- Lee

Anna	17 Sep 2004
Quote: Hadar Tarot de Marseille. When you use the cards, you just know you're touching on something ancient and deep. The cards are mysterious, and the art is beautiful. Spoon, this is exactly how I feel about the Hadar too :) I love it. And I also love your new avatar!!! :D Lee, I am very new to the Tarot of Marseille, but I understood Kris Hadar's deck to be about restoration rather than inovation? But I am very new, and may have misunderstood. I found this quote in one of the Marseille threads from Kris himself; Quote: It is this that is above all my restoration. To bring out what existed in the card and which had been lost or which one no longer saw, but of which one could still find a visual trace. Thus, my tarot is not an invention by an unsuccessful author, but indeed that of a researcher. I can therefore justify EVERYTHING by leaning on facts. As I have mentioned once, criticism is easy, but art is difficult. The mystery of the cards of the tarot do not reside necessarily in the restoration of the colour, but in the revelation of facts that allow the researcher to understand the initiatory meaning. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=362216#post362216

sunflowr	18 Sep 2004
My favorites: The Baroque Bohemian Cat Tarot - dont have it yet but am looking forward to my call from Borders! Morgan's Tarot - dont have this neither but am hoping someone here will keep an eye out and let me know if it ever becomes available. :) The Gilded - great deck, easy to read, beautiful. The Diamond Tarot - Rider Waite meets Peter Max!

Lee	18 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by CharmingPixie Lee, I am very new to the Tarot of Marseille, but I understood Kris Hadar's deck to be about restoration rather than inovation? Hi CP -- Like Camoin and Jodorowsky, Hadar claims that his deck takes and combines elements from different versions of the Marseilles, and so in this respect alone it is an artist's creation rather than being a faithful reproduction of a specific deck. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. But for me personally, even the selection of which elements to include and which to exclude necessarily requires some subjective decisions by the artist, and it is this subjective decision-making which I wish to avoid when working with a Marseilles deck and why I prefer to work with either photoreproductions or else a very generic deck like the Grimaud. I realize this might be a capricious whim on my part, but there it is. Also, exactly how the artist makes the decision of what elements to include is something which raises troubling issues. Is the artist really trying to recreate the ur-Tarot, some "original" deck of which the antique copies we have are distortions? Or are they using their own esoteric ideas to determine their choices? I know for a fact that the Camoin deck does this, because I've observed it myself (for example, I discovered the Cabalistic Tree of Life encoded into the buttons of the Hanged Man). I haven't studied the Hadar in this regard, but several members here have raised questions about the validity of some of Hadar's choices. Since he hasn't yet published his book, it's hard to judge. Personally, I get suspicious when I see things like beams of golden light emerging from people's heads as on some of the Hadar Court cards. But I'm not knowledgeable enough to speak with authority. I've simply decided that I'm more comfortable with the photoreproduction decks, although, as I say, I like both the Hadar and the Camoin (as well as the Fournier) very much simply to look at. -- Lee

Diana	18 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Lee I haven't studied the Hadar in this regard, but several members here have raised questions about the validity of some of Hadar's choices. Since he hasn't yet published his book, it's hard to judge. His book will be monument to the history of Tarot, and not a book about his deck. When I say monument, I choose my words carefully. He has been working on it for seven years now and I imagine it will still take quite some time to complete. Although perhaps when one has finished his book, one will understand his deck better.... I do believe that may be the case. It will contain no fantasy. Hard researched facts backed up by proof. It will be published in French. I hope an English publisher will realise its worth and do something to get it published in English. I truly hope so. About his deck, he has explained in a few posts (the last one in the Eggplant thread in the Historical section is most enlightening) as to why he made certain choices in his deck. No-one knows what the Original 12th Century Marseilles deck looked like. As Hadar explains with researched historical detail.... the old moulds were destroyed (by decree). The reproduction decks are most interesting indeed. I really like them too. My Duserre Dodal deck is my most favourite. --------------- P.S. Lee: As to the Conver, have you considered buying the Heron, rather than the Lo Scarabeo?

Lee	18 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Diana It will contain no fantasy. Hard researched facts backed up by proof. [...] P.S. Lee: As to the Conver, have you considered buying the Heron, rather than the Lo Scarabeo? I've read the post in the "Eggplant" thread. I hate to present criticisms of Hadar, who is by his own and others' estimation such an expert in tarot history, but when I read his post, I can't help thinking that he is taking his own personal, subjective conclusions and labeling them as facts. And this is exactly why I like the photoreproduction decks, because they haven't been filtered through anyone else's ideas or pet theories. I'm not trying to belittle Hadar, I'm sure what he's doing is very fascinating and worthwhile. It's just not what I'm looking for when I want to work with a Marseilles. Regarding the Lo Scarabeo vs. the Heron Conver, the Lo Scarabeo is much easier to obtain for Americans, in fact I picked mine up in a local large bookstore. I'm also trying to keep my tarot purchasing down, and thus I'm reluctant to spend the money to get the Heron for what I assume would only be very minor differences. -- Lee

Anna	18 Sep 2004
Thank you for your posts Lee and Diana :) As you can tell, I am right at the very beginning of my study of the Marseille, but its very informative to read your points. I am sure I will add a few more Marseille decks to my collection as soon as my confidence with the one deck I have grows (and finances allow!), a Heron Conver and a Grimaud I think :) Quote: Is the artist really trying to recreate the ur-Tarot, some "original" deck of which the antique copies we have are distortions? Or are they using their own esoteric ideas to determine their choices? I think true objectivity is very very difficult if not impossible, I see what you are saying Lee. But I am learning a lot about how Kris researched and re-constructed the deck from the emails that Diana has translated for us. The basics that I have grasped so far would suggest that everything in Kris's deck is based around facts, that were there were no facts or research, he didn't make any changes. From just using the Hadar deck, I am struck by the lack of ego in it. Its quite a humble deck to read from, and its very difficult to explain quite what I mean by that! Wouldn't it be wonderful if his book was translated into English!

Lee	18 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Diana My Duserre Dodal deck is my most favourite. The Dusserre Dodal looks interesting, but seems to be completely unavailable! :( Diana, please PM me if you have a source... Oh, and I'm also very fond of the Ancient Tarots of Bologna. -- Lee

Moongold	18 Sep 2004
My favourite deck at the moment is the Ancient Egyptian by Clive Barrett. Iti is rich in symbolism and I have a strong interest in Eyptian history and mythology right now. It gives such honest and direct readings. I always carry the Ancient Egyptian with me. Another deck I use quite a lot is the Tarot of the Sephiroth. I love the art work. It's kind of sophisticated comic book style but witty and clever too. There is always something very fresh about this deck and the companion book is excellent. The minors in this deck are non-scenic but cool and rich with symbolism. In terms of Marseilles I use the Fournier, loving those direct and bright colours. I call it my kitchen table Marseilles. The Lo Scarabeo Conver was my first, and I often use this deck in tandem with the Fournier just for comparison purposes.

Maelin	18 Sep 2004
I love the Hallowquest Arthurian deck. For those of us who live more in our heads than in our hearts, and have trouble with symbolism, the deck opens the door to allegorical stories, so that each card has a whole chapter, or even book somewhere behind it.

SongDeva	18 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by fyreflye it might please even the kitty-cat-tarot types. Poor man just made SO many enemies. LOL

Cerulean	18 Sep 2004
to this thread, but I opened a new thread about feeling nostalgic and cleaning off two decks of mine. Except in that thread I speak of two decks I care about because they are old faithfuls...if I may, I'll speak of top decks... Two old faithfuls: I didn't realize until this afternoon that both the Ukiyoe and Hallowquest Arthurian tarot, two early decks for me, just imprinted a preference for non-peopled minors. Both decks have decorative but landscape/animal/plant-populated pips. A pleasant but silly deck: Lovers Tarot, 78 card version by Jane Lyle and Oliver Burston. Strange reason is because my sister and I liked the 22 card version and both of us like the 78 card version. If I can throw in some more, I like my large Visconti (Dal Negro), my Di Gumppenbergs, Tavaglione and Egyptian decks. Old myths and perhaps history and murky stories...even Italian keywords... But a new favorite--just won the Millenium Tarot by Dorothy Krause and it looks both nostalgic and pretty...

Ruby7	19 Sep 2004
I have a few: Hanson Roberts Prague Ancient Italian Victoria Regina Ruby7

Sulis	19 Sep 2004
There are plenty of decks that I like but only 2 at the moment that I love. World Spirit Morgan Greer From time to time I get bored with them and I try another deck for a while but I always go back to those 2 - I'm constantly searching for a 3rd deck to love - I think 3 is a good number :) Edited to add in the deck I love to use for magic - don't know how I forgot it - never read with it but for spellwork I love the Glastonbury - the colours are gorgeous and the images and keywords are mostly very positive. Love Sulis xx

Jewel-ry	19 Sep 2004
I just love Hadar Marseilles Tarot of Prague Crystal Soprafino decks (di Gumppenbergs but I also have the classical, a Lo Scarabeo reproduction) and many, many more but I always come back to these. ~

Rusty Neon	19 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Lee But for me personally, even the selection of which elements to include and which to exclude necessarily requires some subjective decisions by the artist, and it is this subjective decision-making which I wish to avoid when working with a Tarot de Marseille deck and why I prefer to work with either photoreproductions or else a very generic deck like the Grimaud. I realize this might be a capricious whim on my part, but there it is. It's not capricious at all, Lee. For me too, a large part of the charm of the Tarot de Marseille decks is to tune in to the timeless expression of tarot, as strongly seen, for example, in the 1760 Conver TdM and the 1701 Dodal TdM decks. These historic decks are free from the re-visionings by 18th to 20th century francophone and anglophone occultists. For this reason, as TdM decks for my use and study, I favour photoreproductions of the historic Conver and Dodal decks by Héron and Dusserre respectively. As well, at times when a modern-day redrawing is desired (for its clean lines in preference over a worn-looking deck), I like the Grimaud/Marteau deck and the Carta Mundi deck which (colour-issues aside) are reasonably faithful, 78-card line-drawings of the Conver and Dodal patterns, respectively, free of the effects of re-visioning that we see in the decks by Camoin/Jodorowsky and especially by Hadar (as discussed below). I'm not a big fan of re-visioned TdM decks, which seek either to re-create the hypothetical proto-Tarot or to suggest to the user of the deck what the Tarot should be. I prefer to let each single particular historic TdM pattern (be it Conver, Dodal, etc.) to speak for itself -- without any such re-visioning or any blending. By the way, the colourful Fournier deck is a reasonably faithful line-drawing clone of the Grimaud deck and is a fairly reasonable line-drawing of the 1760 Conver TdM pattern. Of the two re-visioned decks (i.e, Jodorowsky/Camoin and Hadar), I find the Camoin/Jodorowsky deck to be more captivating to me, because it is strongly based upon the line-drawings of one single particular pattern, in this case, the 1760 Conver pattern, and upon the colour usages of the 1760 Conver museum specimen photoreproduced by Héron; from that clear base of one single pattern, the re-visionings by Jodorowsky and Camoin take place; however, the re-visionings are clear to spot as they're differences from the Conver patterns and the Héron colours; thus, I can easily 'filter out' any re-visioned differences and see the deck as a beautifully redrawn, dynamic update of the 1760 Heron Conver. That said, I can't deny that I would have preferred such an update of the 1760 Heron if it had been done without anybody's re-visionings :). On the other hand, Hadar's deck is, in my humble opinion, very much a mix-and-match deck; I find that generally, in the Hadar deck, we see a blend composed of components from the Conver pattern, components from the Dodal or Payen pattern, and (although Hadar denies it) pieces of Hadar re-visions; which (even if there were no re-visionings by anybody) wouldn't be my choice as I'm interested in keeping and respecting the differences between the Conver and Dodal patterns, rather than blending them into a hybrid of two or more patterns. To me, each particular historical pattern has its own unique and individual magic, mystery and wholeness. In closing, there are just my personal views to add to the diverse personal views of those who have already posted to this thread. I appreciate that people on ATF have different views on the very personal subject of Marseilles deck preferences and I realize that not everyone will share my views, and I respect that.

xviiirkna	19 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by fyreflye There have already been dozens of threads on this topic and at least half the posts on Tarot Decks are about somebody's current love for some deck or another. Only the relentlessly enthusiastic are likely to contribute to this one. OR perhaps those who've not been around this forum long enough to run into the subject as a general thread rather than discussion specific to one particular deck or another. :) Although I would not consider myself to be relentlessly enthusiastic, I am rather fond of many of my decks. Earlier today, I posted my deck list to the running thread on this board...but a couple of months ago, I tried to 'catagorize' some of my decks into a few 'top listings'. Having happened upon this thread, I'd be happy to share them with you. Top 5 Art Decks: -decks I love to look at but never read with 10. PoMo 08. La Corte dei Tarocchi 06. Tarocco Della Rocca 03. Vertigo 01. Margarete Petersen Top 5 Handmade Decks: 05. Pixie's Portraits 04. Storyteller 03. Transformational (mini majors in collage box) 02. Mary-El 01. Tarot of the Crone Top 5 Collage Decks: 05. Golden Tarot 04. Blue Rose 03. Tarot of Prague 02. Odyssey Tarot 01. Transformational Top 5 Study Decks: -decks with distinct systems that I focus study upon, whether they are unique to a particular deck or would help me to read with other decks based upon similar systems. 05. William Blake Tarot 04. Celtic Wisdom Tarot 03. Thoth 02. Shining Tribe Tarot 01. Waite-Smith Tarot Top 10 Reading Decks: 10. World Spirit 09. Wheel of Change 08. Baroque Bohemian Cats 07. Jolanda den Tredjes 06. Blue Moon 05. Mary-El 04. Tarot of the Crone 03. Light and Shadow 02. Illuminated Tarot 01. Transformational Blessings, Sally Anne

RedMaple	19 Sep 2004
Dear Sulis, Just wanted to say that the Morgan Greer and World Spirit my top two decks as well. I have been using the Goddess decka nd the Buddha Tarot a bit also, and I do occasionally use the Universal Waite or the Hanson Roberts, but I find the Greer gives me the best, most consistent readings. RedMaple Quote: Originally posted by Sulis There are plenty of decks that I like but only 2 at the moment that I love. World Spirit Morgan Greer From time to time I get bored with them and I try another deck for a while but I always go back to those 2 - I'm constantly searching for a 3rd deck to love - I think 3 is a good number :) Love Sulis xx

The 78th Fool	20 Sep 2004
I've probably said it before somewhere else but I'll say it again here because I'm so passionate about these decks. My four Favourites: Rider Waite Tarot (In many incarnations but particularly the standard US Games, Original Rider and the Universal books edition) Gilder Tarot (Ultimate favourite) Tarot of Prague Golden Tarot The Rest I'm passionate about: Rohrig Tarot Cosmic Tribe Light and Shadow Marseilles (Grimaud/ Conver, US Games/ Dodal) Tarot of the Witches Swiss 1JJ Visconti Gold Adrian Tarot I have lots of others that I use from time to time but I really couldn't live without the ones above. Chris. xx

Jewel	21 Sep 2004
I have been a tarotholic for a very long time, but I have to admit that my two favorite decks are: The Cosmic Tribe - I just love those moody minors and the deck is brutally honest. As a collector I love it also because it is the first deck to include 3 lovers cards. The Fey Tarot - I love how the meaning of the cards is depicted without needing to include the number of symbols on each of the minors. I also love the use of the elements. What can I say I love faeries and love elemental correspondences. This deck is great for story telling! I have other sentimental favorites, but these two top my list.

Moonbow*	21 Sep 2004
Ooooh this is hard! let me think... what is the title of this thread? I could almost say "look at my list in my collection". At the moment I have got it, more or less, just how I like it, through a bit of jigery pokery... but I will try to shorten it a bit here.... Rohrig Greenwood Tarot of the Spirit Thoth Swietlistej Drogi Navigators Tarot of the Mystic Sea Prediction (yep I really like this too Lee) Hadar Glastonbury

The 78th Fool	21 Sep 2004
Interesting that Lee and Moonbow mentioned the Prediction Tarot. I got my copy out again after a long time and I realised I'd forgotten just how 'soothing' a deck it is. I must begin to use it again. Chris. xx

tao51	21 Sep 2004
I absolutely love the Tarot of Prague. I feel it is both beautiful and intuitive. I also love the Tarot de Marseilles. I particularly love the Camoin edition.--Tao

rosyelf	22 Sep 2004
Blimey, a concise answer is called for here, I think ! Greenwood, because it's virtually unobtainable-just a joke, though I do love the scans. Baroque Bohemian Cats-it's a feel-good deck, beautifully thought-out and put-together, and it reads well too. Hero's Journey and Mary-El because they are limited editions and so much love and care went into them, and I love the personal touches (the collaged box and red silk translucent bag, respectively-also Arnell Ando's emails that kept me posted of progress). Oh, I could go on ! rosyelf My favourite by far of all the older decks is the Soprafino. A beautiful creation. From Alida, by the way, if you're looking for it. They have English language ordering details as well as Italian. .

BlueLotus	22 Sep 2004
This is not my all time favorite list, but it is at the moment: The International Icon Tarot The Stone Tarot kazanlar Tarot Ancestral Path Tarot Golden Tarot

Emily	24 Sep 2004
Tarot decks I love:- Morgan Greer - love the colours and the whole feel of the deck. Golden - the artwork and how readable it is. Tarot of Prague - again the artwork and the fact that its very readable. Thoth- this deck gives me a challenge everytime I try to use it. LS Universal tarot- again another Rider Waite clone but I get good readings from it. :)

VGimlet	25 Sep 2004
Mary-el - I connect so well with this deck it's a little spooky. Universal RWS - The coloring of this deck made the RW come alive for me. Still my primary reading deck. Thoth - Used to hate it, but now I love it, and I use it if I need answers to big questions. Gilded - My unexpected love - I bought it on a whim, and wow, talk about blown away. :) I realize I could go on and on - I love most of my decks for one reason or another, but those are probably the top 4 right now.

jema	29 Sep 2004
I almost always love the last deck I got. And the decks I love the most is not always the ones I use the most. Some decks that I truly love I hardly ever use. I am just sort of really glad to have them and look at them often. I could make a list here and it would be far too long. So instead I mention only two of my most beloved decks: Tarot of Prague and Buddha. The ToP I have used daily for months now. The Buddha I just got as a gift (thanks again cerulean) and I bought the book for it this week and haven't even used it yet but it is oh so lovely!!! So pretty it makes me heart smile.

annik	29 Sep 2004
Even if I don't agree with it at 100% (I disagree on a very few details), I like very much my Olympus tarot. In addition, it was the first deck I could read with (and with very good result). And I like the association with the minor arcana (calice with place...) So this one is mostly for sentimental reason. The other one is the Etruscan tarot. I like that type of art that makes me think of the cretan one. So, this one is for the art side. The last one would be the Xultun (mayan) tarot. This one is there because I just love mayan art. I am fascinated with their art, as mush as the cretan ones. So, I may be an classical / ancient art junky. Those are the 3 ones I just loved the most. And they never been out of favor. The other that I likes seems to go with the mood, the moment of the day or may be the lastest addition to my collection.

Serenity	02 Oct 2004
Right now I am newly in love with the incredibly beautiful Gilded Tarot...I think this deck may be (gasp) THE ONE!!! (I gotta call my mother and start picking out my china pattern...)

genna	02 Oct 2004
Top Ten Right Now(not in any special order); Fey Tarot Zerner Farber/Enchanted Tarot Tarot of a Moon Garden Gendron Tarot Inner Child Cards;A Fairy-Tale Tarot Jolanda den Tredjes(Swedish Witch) Golden Tarot Victoria Regina Tarot of the Saints R-W

Alta	03 Oct 2004
Quote: Originally posted by jema I almost always love the last deck I got. And the decks I love the most is not always the ones I use the most. Some decks that I truly love I hardly ever use. I am just sort of really glad to have them and look at them often. I could make a list here and it would be far too long. Yes, yes, yes! Totally agree with jema's comments above! I keep re-discovering decks in my collection, which is part of why is it so lovely to *have* a collection. MeeWah and I spent some time on the phone using Tarot of the Old Path, a deck I hadn't looked at for ages. For her it was newly acquired in a trade. It reminded me all over again of what a fine deck it is. I really like and use right now: BB Cats Celtic Dragon Osho Zen Thoth I really like, used heavily for a while and will again: International Icon Tarot of Prague Fey Tarot I really like, used to use but now seldom use: Robin Wood RWS Tarot for Cats (really!) I really like but have not read with much: Ancient Egyptian Rohrig Magickal Golden Glow in the Dark (cause it is RWS, but majors only and uncoloured) Blue Moon

MuffinTops	03 Oct 2004
CATS! love cat decks! >^..^<

maria42airam	03 Oct 2004
I love all six of my decks, even the one that showed up on my doorstep unannounced. I pull a daily draw from each one and journal it. I don't want any of them to feel neglected. My RWS; this was my first and still the one I hear the clearest. My Thoth; this one gave me a hard time at first, but I keep it between my Osho Zen and my Jungian, now it is still wild, but it knows itself better :) My Osho Zen is beautiful and enlightening. My Jungian deck is waiting to be studied, but I finally found a copy of the book that came with the first edition! My Marsaille is getting a work-out in the Marsaille study circle. And last but not least, I thought I was ordering a book on Tarot and Numerology, when Lo and Behold a deck came with it! My Pythagorean Tarot. I love them all!

The 78th Fool	03 Oct 2004
I've had the Radiant Rider Waite for some time now but over the last few weeks I've been unable to put it down. I find myself carrying it around the house and leafing through it constantly. I'm only just beginning to appreciate what a beautiful 're-telling' of the original Rider Waite this is. I can also see that this is leading to an unusually close bond with this deck. Chris. xx

lunakasha	03 Oct 2004
Following genna's lead....my current top ten decks: (no particular order....it was hard enough just getting this down to ten!!! :eek: ) Madame Endora's Fortune Cards Titania's Fortune Cards Gothic Greenwood Prague Baroque Bohemian Cats Rohrig Thoth (circumsized version }) ) Gilded DruidCraft *whew* :D Luna

Alice	12 Oct 2004
At the moment really in love woth the Goddess Tarot, though it only just arived so it may not last. My other favourite deck is the Shapeshifter deck, I know many people dont like this deck and I have read so many reviews complaining about how inaccurate it is. However I love it and as I dont use it or anything other than readings I dont think how accurate it is about a particular faith is that improtant.

WolfSpirit	12 Oct 2004
Alice, I like the Shapeshifter too. I think it is a deck that appeals to nature lovers/animal lovers and does not follow a particular faith. You will probably also love the Animals Divine tarot, it is by the same artist and will be published next year :)

Stregaverde	12 Oct 2004
Tarot of the Old Path--I have the older version with the silver on the cards. This deck called to me from the shelf when I didn't even think I wanted a Tarot deck. It was my first deck, and still my favorite. Very spiritual vibe from this one. I just love it. Tarot of Mermaids--just got this one, but it delighted me from the first instant I held it. Beautiful, dreamy artwork, easy to read, and a very kind, helpful vibe from it. I actually took a nap with it today. I have both the Tarot of Prague and Baroque Bohemian Cats coming from baba studio, hopefully this week, and I'll be very surprised if BBC doesn't become a 'love it' deck immediately. :)

Alice	13 Oct 2004
WolfSpirt - glad to know I'm not the only one who likes the Shapeshifter, some of the reviews can be very depressing. I have looked at the Animals Divine Tarot on Lisa Hunts web site and I think it will also be one i will love.

The Tarot Decks that you just love thread was originally posted on 16 Sep 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.