How many decks did you buy until one "clicked"???

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

IDN	12 Nov 2004
I know many of you have very large Tarot collections and (I'm sure) have become attached to the decks you have. But my question is......... How many decks did you purchase until you thought "ah, now THIS makes sense! This is what Tarot is REALLY about" Was it the very first deck you bought? Was it the 10th one? are you still waiting?!. Also, please say which deck it was that actually clicked. Regards, Ian

Emily	12 Nov 2004
The first deck that I ever clicked with was my third purchase and was the Spiral. I was sure it was the 'one' but it wasn't. I'm still not sure what happened with my connection with this deck but after a few months my readings became unclear and it was a real trial to try and read with a deck that I loved. After that I flitted from deck to deck looking for one that would give me that connection again. I can read with most of the decks in my collection, they all called to me in one way or another but none of them gave me that thrill. Then about a year ago I saw a programme on tv featuring a deck that I had tried to get 15 months before. I sat in front of the tv in awe, goosebumps, butterflies in my stomach, wishing that they would focus on the cards more. I recognised the deck straight off - the Morgan Greer. Within the hour I had ordered it from Amazon. Once I had the deck in my hands I knew I had finally found my 'one'. I still get the same feelings and thrill everytime I shuffle this deck. Its the first time I've ever been able to read with a deck straight from the box. I find this deck really easy to get on with, I feel like I've had it years not just over a year. I do still buy and use other decks, I like the Golden and the Tarot of Prague and the Radiant - all very nice decks but not like my Morgan Greer. :)

rosyelf	12 Nov 2004
Interesting question. First I bought the Original Rider-Waite, then the Marseilles (the original one or, at least, a facsimile), then the Mythic Tarot (which uses Greek myth as its imagery.) I couldn't connect to the Marseilles at all. The Rider-Waite was a good but not beloved teacher. It was only when I had bought the Mythic, brought the cards home and set them all out on my table that I had that "Wow" factor. This was 9 years ago. It's a long time since I used the Mythic-in fact, I gave it away recently-but I'm still grateful to it (and its creators, naturally !) I particularly like the Hierophant in it-it is Chiron, the centaur, in a cave-a kind and wise mentor. love rosyelf

fyreflye	12 Nov 2004
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Dark Inquisitor	12 Nov 2004
I personally don't believe in the "click" and "the one" . They're ALL The One . It's ourselves that are the obstacle. The click is in our own mind.

lark	12 Nov 2004
fyreflye wrote: Through fads and fancies in tarot I've always come back to the OZT, which expresses, if not what tarot is "really about," what I'm really about. That was so beautifully said fyreflye....it really touches a truth about why we are so diverse in our love of different decks. My first love out of the box was the Robin Wood. I had a book by Anthony Louis called Tarot Plain and Simple that was illustrated with the deck. I had to have it! Even just the pictures in black and white spoke to me. Once I had the deck I was never, ever disappointed with it. Like Emily experienced with her Morgan Greer, my Robin Wood spoke my language right out of the box, and read like a dream. It is still one of my main, favorite decks.....my comfort deck. It reminds me of my childhood in the 60's and 70's. And like you said it feels like what I'm really all about. I think it was about my 7th or 8th deck. My tarot collection (excluding oracles) numbers 67 now and soon to be 70 ( I'm expecting 3 new decks very soon.) Of those 67 the ones that gave me goosebumps and I still turn to over and over are: Fey-within the 40's Guilded-lately within the 60's Golden-also latley within the 60's Morgan Greer-like Emily this is a big favorite of mine, made a huge impact on me the first time I held it in my hands. Was within the first (5) I bought. World Spirit-within the first (10) International Icon-lately within the last 7 decks I've bought. Illuminated-within the first 30 Heron Conver-this was my 66th deck So they're pretty much spread across the board. I feel if I would have stopped collecting I would have missed some real gems that I count on now as decks I constantly reach for. This thread brings up something I always wish I would have done ~numbered them according to how I bought them.

Alta	12 Nov 2004
I would say that the Robin Wood deck was the one that lead me more deeply into tarot. There have others since then, and in fact I almost never use it now as tarot, just for spellwork. But I am grateful it opened my eyes. Edited: ah, just re-read the question. It was my second deck (the first was RWS).

Rhiannon	12 Nov 2004
Dark Inquisitor wrote: I personally don't believe in the "click" and "the one" . They're ALL The One . It's ourselves that are the obstacle. The click is in our own mind. I love you, DI! :D I bought the Robin Wood as my third deck. Alot of the images worked very well for me. Now I still have many decks, and all of them appeal to me on some level. I've become pretty good at picking images that will work for me. As, DI said, not all images work for everyone. I am my own obstacle. I like that. :)

Tarot Sparrow	12 Nov 2004
Well, I think sometimes it happens in stages. My first deck (Hudes) clicked with me right away...I also really clicked with my third and fourth decks (Fey and Tarot of Transformation), but then I didn't really click with one again until very recently, with my fifteenth deck, the New Palladini. I just LOVE it, I can't really explain. Don't know if this counts, but I'm getting the Ethereal Tarot (Oracle) in a few days and have a feeling I'm going to really click with that one too. I suppose I've had better luck than most people.

annik	12 Nov 2004
I didn't counted deck when it clicked. But I remember the moment fairly well. Soon after the "ahah" moment, I had done a reading for my mom and my step dad (separately). And I was pretty much on target (even if I was a bit sceptical at the time).

Sulis	13 Nov 2004
I bought 4 I think: Elen Cannon-Reeds Witches Tarot Wheel of Change Tarot Robin Wood Tarot Didn't get on with any of these. New Palladini - my learning deck - ok but no real emotional connection AND THEN World Spirit - ahhhhhhh love :) Love Sulis xx

OakDragon	13 Nov 2004
I sort of went about it the other way. I bought the first deck that 'clicked'. I was lucky in the sense that when I started learning tarot, I used the deck my mother was learning from (the RWS). So, I had a grasp of the basics before I bought my own deck. Our local metaphysical bookshop had a wide selection of decks and sample of most of them so you could look through all the cards. I wanted my first deck to be really special. I still remember that moment vividly. The only one that really grabbed me was the Rohrig. I was mesmerized by the picture of the Fool card on the box. It's still one of my favorites to this day. It's the only one that really called out to me to buy it, as opposed to the other way around. Whenever I read with it, I feel like I'm coming home, tarot-wise.

Majecot	13 Nov 2004
Ahhh but one must have several decks to click one's multi-faceted personalitie!! I have several...tried and true, at least 4 decks that clicked from the start.. but..depending on which shade surfaces, will depends on what clicks for me that day. I also have several, that were bought on a whim that I just do not work with me at all.. some I have traded away, and some I keep for the time they will click. Because sooner or later...... So really the answer to the question would be 1.

lunakasha	13 Nov 2004
Great question.... My first deck was the Crow's Magick....this was before I discovered the wonderful world of Aeclectic and the HUGE selection of decks available online. The CM was the only deck in the store that I *clicked* with from a visual/style standpoint (and I could not look at the whole deck, only those on the box). As a beginner, these cards were not easy to learn with, and I began searching for other decks. I knew I did not want the original Rider-Waite, because I hated the colors (still do). So I went with the Robin Wood, and we clicked....it was MUCH easier to work with, very similar to the RW...I was content for a little while. And then of course I discovered ATF...hehehe!!! }) Now I have many decks that I *click* with and read with, others that I enjoy for the artwork and cannot part with for various reasons. The "icky green" Thoth was one of my first decks, and I could never click with that one, but now I have a regular, borderless Thoth that I LOVE....it is like a completely different deck. I think we are fortunate that there are so many decks out there and available to us....there is something for everyone, and I don't expect to *click* with all of them. I am very content with most of the decks I have. I am always looking for the next potentially special deck to bond with....although I am more discriminating now than I was a few months ago. :) Luna

Scion	15 Nov 2004
Learned on a Rider-Waite which was fine, but not a "click" deck. Ever since, I've been collecting decks for a lot of years. Three or four decks later (Mythic, Voyager, Aquarian) I clicked with the Thoth and really dug in... but eventually moved to other decks not out of disloyalty but in search of new worlds to conquer. Thing is, I feel like different decks click for different times of our lives. Which is probably why a lot of us cultivate a garden of cards that we turn to in different seasons.

jema	15 Nov 2004
IDN wrote: How many decks did you purchase until you thought "ah, now THIS makes sense! This is what Tarot is REALLY about" Was it the very first deck you bought? Was it the 10th one? are you still waiting?!. Also, please say which deck it was that actually clicked. It was the first and second one together that did it for me. Those two made me realise that I loved the tarot and that I could use the cards in so many ways. Which decks? The Fournier Marsielle and the Rider-Waite of course;-) They were so different from each other yet they both worked and they worked together even, I could do a reading with the Fournier and then a comparative with the Rider-Waite and it made sense. I think that was what made it click, what made me see some kind of conceptual Tarot behind the pieces of paper. It wasn't any instant love with any of the decks by themselves though. That didn't come until much later with the Gill.

NightWing	19 Nov 2004
Like a lot of people, my first learning deck was the trusty old Rider-Waite. But it was less than satisfactory as time went on. Since then, I've come across many, many decks. Some of them did not appeal at all, usually in a very quick and superficial way. It might have been the artwork style or just the colours. I didn't get them. Some decks appealed in a slight enough way that though I bought them, they are as a collector's item only. A number of decks I've read with, but were somehow unsatisfactory; missing symbols perhaps. (For example: I've learned that I want my Moon card to have a crustacean, two pooches, two towers/pillars, and the orb itself.) A dozen or fewer decks generally both appealed and "worked" for me, mostly due to a combination of symbology and the actual art styles. I've learned gradually what my taste in decks really is; what I'm most "comfortable" with. I also found out that I really do prefer a fully illustrated deck over the Marseille approach, even though I have collected some Marseille decks. In the end, there are three or four decks that I keep returning to most of the time for actual readings. One of them is the Universal Waite, which brought me almost "full-circle", back to where I'd begun. It is one deck that "clicked" for me. It has been a long process of elimination and exploration. I'm still seeking the "perfect" tarot deck, as many do. There is no rush. After all, the cards are a tool. There is nothing wrong with renewing, updating, or changing one's tools to accomplish the "job". What we are seeking, exploring, and discovering with our tools comes from within ourselves, and not from the tools! Pleasant seeking. -NightWing

Waterdancer	19 Nov 2004
I'm still searching. I really like my Shakespearen Tarot and the Mythic but I need to refresh my understanding of mythology and Shakespeare before using them for readings. I have a number of decks like that which grabbed me visually but that I can't read yet so I am learning on the l RWS, which I don't like that much. I imagine some of my other decks will become easier to read once I learn the basics.

Majecot	19 Nov 2004
Waterdancer it is much easier to learn if you like the deck that your working with.

Alice	19 Nov 2004
Like most people my 1st deck was a Rider-Waite, simply because it seemed to be the most polular and I didn't know what else was available. As soon as I started looking at what else was there I realised that the rider-waite was not for me. The 1st deck I bought that really 'clicked' was my shapeshifter (this was only my 3rd dech though my Mum had many more for me to look through). My 4thh deck,m the goddess tarot also really 'clicked' so although I am still looking for a perfect deck and I more than happy with what I have.

SunChariot	27 Nov 2004
Well, that was an interesting question. I read over the asnwers and I guess I was very lucky. i guess I never realsized it before. For me I loved my first deck as soon as I got it. I started with the Haindl deck, and I felt at home with it right away. Although I have to admit the first few weeks I was learning I had an aversion to certain cards, like Death and the Tower, but that went away pretty quickly with practice.:-) I then got two more on the same day: The Ancestral Path Tarot and the Wheel of Change Tarot. I clicked with them both immediately too. Although the Ancestral Path one "crept up on me" I like it even more now than I thougt I would. So far I have loved all my decks. I have two more on the way now in the mail and I love their images already. I have the Goddess Tarot and the Lover's Path Tarot both on order. Bar

HearthCricket	28 Nov 2004
My parents gave me the Swiss deck when I was 12 and that is what I learned the Major Arcana with, and then I purchased the RW, which never thrilled me. But when I went into my first New Age store, years later, and saw all the different decks, I realized I was in for the long haul! They were one of those stores that have one of each deck open, so you can look at every single card and hold them in your hand to get a true idea of what you are about to buy. In my early 20's I bought the Sacred Rose Deck and this became my first "real" love with tarot. It is a fun deck for a non-pagan learning the symbolism. But I keep evolving and more historically themed decks attract me. Now I am drooling over my Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg & Gilded, and I cannot wait for The Golden Tarot, which is in the mail. But Sacred Rose is dear to me, because it was the first one that really got me into tarot.

smokey	28 Nov 2004
Oooh,tuff question!!! Since I first Really "clicked" w/the Spiral, I swore there'd be no other! Ha!!! ...Then came the the wondrous Kat Black's Golden,of course! Well...Then along came my beatimous limited Gilded like no other! And then...to my utter surprise, I unknowingly stumbled 'oer my unknown (to me,I mean) treasured Blue Moon! Soo.. "clicked"???...in my case???...or would the appropriate term be "bit" or "aha!"?!? I guess I'm Still waiting; but, ooh, what Fun! (I've mentioned before I'm awaiting the arrival of the Artists' Inner Vision deck that I also stumbled across without even being in the market for new cards!) I've got my fingers crossed on this one folks, what with the 7 cards I've been taken in with so far! Maybe, just maybe,this will be the "A#1" ... the Ultimate One and Only ...the "Ahah!" (&/or) "Ouch, I got bit!"... Gee, ya' think???... I dunno...

VGimlet	28 Nov 2004
The first deck I bought was the Aquarian - and I clicked with it immediately. It had been in publication for (probably) a year or less when I got it. The Marseille and RWS did not appeal to my eleven-year-old tastes at all. They were blah to me then. When I went in search of a new deck many years later, at first I wanted the traditional RWS, because I wanted to study the symbolism. I bought that deck, and I think the Buckland Romani, because I thought it was a cool deck, but I didn't click with either. However, I happened to see the Universal RWS, and the re-coloring brought the deck to life for me. So, at that time I had five decks. (One was the Glow-in-the-dark RWS majors that I bought because it cracked me up...) The Thoth has clicked with me now, but only after I studied it. The Gilded was an immediate "go", the first out-of-the-box connection I've ever had with a deck I will read with frequently. Usually I have to get to know a deck. (I think the Gilded was deck 130 or so for me....) There have been a few other decks like that for me, but not decks I'm willing to read with frequently. (ie, the Rock & Roll, etc.) I am hoping I will click with the TdM decks after I study them this coming year. I also think the longer I study, the more I will click with decks I already own.

The How many decks did you buy until one "clicked"??? thread was originally posted on 12 Nov 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.