Never say never!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

similia	14 Feb 2005
OK, I admit I was a bit suprised that the Gilded Tarot got first place in the top 10. For me a lot of the appeal of tarot comes from the "old world charm" so I'm usually more attracted to older style decks. (The idea of a toaster, or plane in a tarot card still seems to strange for me, and hence my love of the Golden Tarot). I thought "sure the Gilded's pretty, but the art styles too modern/shiny for me (despite the medieval themes)". Now I find myself anxiously await the release of Tarot of Dreams (whose book is on CD-Rom, about as far away from classic renaissance as it gets!). At first I thought it was because of some of the clever variations on the RWS themes, but today I actually thought to myself "maybe I should buy the Gilded..." I'm wondering who else has done a 180 degree turn around on a deck or style of deck, and which one was it?

temperlyne	14 Feb 2005
Oh wow! I am not attracted to digital decks at all because to me the art work seems a bit to 'clean'. But the kitty chasing the butterfly on this decks fool is the best representation of its sentiments I've ever seen! I can use decks that don't attract me for my studies but find it hard to read with them. Never did an actual 180 but would like to experience that one day.

Katja	14 Feb 2005
I really liked the title of The Tarot of The Witches..... so I had to check it out..... and then I was reeeaaaally dissapointed because of the funny looking pictures, I didn't like it at all. Couldn't understand why on earth it is called that, since I couldn't see anything about the witches there. Well, it happened to me one day, that I all of a sudden started to like the caricature like pictures, I got interested.... the wish to own this deck was getting bigger and bigger..... now it is one of my favourite decks..... ;) :D

bleuivy	14 Feb 2005
I've done that sort of 180 degree switch on two different styles of deck so far: 1) One of my first study decks was the Thoth. Sounds challenging, I know, but I loved that deck and really connected to the cards. It was one of the first decks I really understood. Now, two years later, I cannot stand the Thoth, or any deck based on its imagry or symbolism. It's a tragedy, really, because there are some gorgeous decks out there (not the least of which is the Thoth itself) that I just don't see myself ever connecting with. I don't really know what caused me to turn against my once-favorite deck; probably just me moving on. Oh well. 2) I used to really dislike - bordering on hate - TdM images. I thought they looked rediculously childish, and just put me off. Well, there is a fine line between love and hate, and I'm anctiously awaiting getting my first deck. I can't wait to start studying with it. Yay!

RedMaple	14 Feb 2005
I've never been a fan of anime, so it was a turn-around for me to like the Fey. Likewise with the Gilded with the computer generated images. But to my surprise, I like them both, and have had good readings with both. But I haven't connected to them in the warm, deep way I am connected to my Golden. I find the Fey playful, the Gilded very masculine and a little distant, though charming. The Tarot of Prague was also a stretch for me -- too much going on, the strange amalgam of styles. Reading baba's book about why she made that choice has helped me feel I'm taking a walk through Prague, and made sense of the styles. And there are certain cards I love - The Empress, Temperance, The Moon - among them. Again, for me, it is not a warm deck, but it is a wide open deck, if that makes sense, a deck with vistas. I think this stretching is good for me, and really allowing me to find beauty in different styles than I am usually drawn to.

Little Baron	14 Feb 2005
bleuivy wrote: 2) I used to really dislike - bordering on hate - TdM images. I thought they looked rediculously childish, and just put me off. Well, there is a fine line between love and hate, and I'm anctiously awaiting getting my first deck. I can't wait to start studying with it. Yay! The first Marseille deck that I saw in 'person' was at a friends house about ten years ago. His girlfriend had it and she let me look through it and even though I never said so, I hated it. Thought the images were crude and pips felt distant. Back then, I had some modern and pretty decks and the Marseille meant very little to me. Recently, I looked at the Gilded. When I began learning tarot, that is the kind of deck I would have moved mountains for. People and needs change, I suppose. I held the Gilded recently and it did nothing for me; the colours are spectacular, the artwork is of the highest quality (as is the presentation); it just didn't say 'tarot' to me, personally. It's just personal taste at the end of the day; it felt like a remake of an old film - not necessarily a bad remake, but I quite like the crackily film and the lack of special effects, if you know what I mean, hehe. I now have three Marsielle decks and many other historical ones in my collection; I understand what you mean, Similia, when you talk about 'old world charm'. So... I suppose I have turned the 180 degrees - away from what I originally liked, to a place where I love what I originally hated. LB

Waterdancer	14 Feb 2005
I got the RWS deck to learn on and really hated it at first. Now after aquiring about 30 different decks I have to say the RWS has now become my favorite. I just can't read that well with any other deck, even the clones. I have several different RWS variations and am looking for more.

Logiatrix	14 Feb 2005
When I collected masses of decks, I don't recall ever adding the Sacred Rose; I do remember that the empty eyes and strangely proportioned figures bothered me. (A friend of mine swears that I've owned it before, but I don't remember. :eek: ) It was as a non-collector that I decided to make it my "main" reading deck, after getting the opportunity to handle and look through the cards; the deep colors and dark feel of it drew me in. Now, the Sacred Rose is a perrenial favorite of mine. :)

Cerulean	14 Feb 2005
I thought that the Italian Cartomanzia, also known as Jeu de Princesse tarot, was just a funny blend of Dotti Tarocco majors and Etteilla pips. Turns out I can play with Papus (Tarot of the Bohemians) exercises a bit with this deck and the meanings in Italian are similar. Also, as a straight reading deck with pictures, there's a sense of humor (the dog with the Egyptian headress on one of the Pentacles might be mythic, but it is drawn with the same droll-frowny expression as the Queen of Swords. Yes, I know the might be Anubis, but it also might be Goofy from Disney, depending on your filters. I read for my sister and a good friend who was going away and we just liked what came out. Could have been the company and the laughter-tears-sharing feeling that evening--could have been the deck as well. I like this deck and the antiquated Papus paperback more than I originally thought. Regards Cerulean

WolfyJames	14 Feb 2005
The first time I saw the Light And Shadow Tarot, I really didn't like it. It was so raw and native-like (can't really find the word here) that I just didn't like the deck. Still, more I was seeing scans of it, more I was seeing details on the cards that I liked. I took the chance to buy the deck and I've never regretted it. The deck is better in person and has a lot of complexity that I like. It is a well balanced deck in term of energy and gender. Still, I understand people who don't like it. I'm not fond of most of the modern decks of Lo Scarabeo, too cartoonish for me, and I mean too european-comic book-like. I was put off by the Fey because of this at first, I didn't really give it a look. It took me quite a while before really taking the time to check all the cards. And when I did, I noticed the deck is more anime-like than cartoonish. I like anime-like looks and the deck has jewel colors, I fall for colors like these. I bought the deck and again, I've never regretted it. The deck has way more depth than it seems.

Shalott	14 Feb 2005
LittleBuddha wrote: The first Marseille deck that I saw in 'person' was at a friends house about ten years ago. His girlfriend had it and she let me look through it and even though I never said so, I hated it. Thought the images were crude and pips felt distant. Back then, I had some modern and pretty decks and the Marseille meant very little to me. Recently, I looked at the Gilded. When I began learning tarot, that is the kind of deck I would have moved mountains for. People and needs change, I suppose. I held the Gilded recently and it did nothing for me; the colours are spectacular, the artwork is of the highest quality (as is the presentation); it just didn't say 'tarot' to me, personally. It's just personal taste at the end of the day; it felt like a remake of an old film - not necessarily a bad remake, but I quite like the crackily film and the lack of special effects, if you know what I mean, hehe. I now have three Marsielle decks and many other historical ones in my collection; I understand what you mean, Similia, when you talk about 'old world charm'. So... I suppose I have turned the 180 degrees - away from what I originally liked, to a place where I love what I originally hated. LB Me three. Marseille was foreign to me, obnoxiously bright and not well drawn, and what the hey was up with those pips? Why make this harder than it needs to be? thought I. Then it all came together and I love it still. Then I did a 180 within a 180: HATED the Camoin. Way too bright, and I wasn't able to ignore the copyright symbols...well, now that's my fave within a fave. But I do still like the Old English, the old world charm has always been a factor for me too!

Kissa	15 Feb 2005
and me four! My favourite Marseilles: Tarot de Marsella (Rodes-Sanchez), Fournier, Hadar. Nothing crude about the art, on the opposite! The pips offer a very logical yet flexible system of interpretation. The history of the older decks is fascinating. The connection with the medieval history, symbolism, the history of religions is offering so many paths to explore. I have always been interested in medieval art, calligraphy, illuminated artwork, etc. And all the sudden, all these interests blend together. You should have seen what I was thinking (and writing) about un-scenic pips and Marseilles decks a few months ago. The reason of my 180 degrees turn? Frustration and boredom, limitation with the so-called RWS clones. With the Marseilles tradition, my hunger for spirituality and my love of logic and mathematics are at peace. I feel strong enough to come out of the tarot closet because I know I am on the right track for me now, no more wandering around... Straight forward.

souljourney	15 Feb 2005
Well...I haven't done a 180 turn. I guess this means I'll maybe end up liking historical stuff and Marseilles decks. Oh the horror!!! Because right now I do not like either even one little bit. But hey, I'm "called" to a deck I won't resist it... SJ

AmberWolf	15 Feb 2005
souljourney wrote: Well...I haven't done a 180 turn. I guess this means I'll maybe end up liking historical stuff and Marseilles decks. Oh the horror!!! Because right now I do not like either even one little bit. But hey, I'm "called" to a deck I won't resist it... SJ Yup, careful what you say... "chuckles" Never say never, indeed. Life is often like that. As for me, too much of a beginner to make a 180 turn. After all, to make a 180 degrees turn, one have to have some points to turn from. ;)

Little Baron	15 Feb 2005
It's a funny thing really. I wonder if it is because our tastes change or whether it is our needs that have changed. When I began with the tarot, I had no knowledge of it's history; I was not aware that there were so many decks. I knew nothing of Waite or Crowley; I did not know that the Marsielle was around hundreds of years before either; I didn't know the difference between a Visconti and a Vampire deck. But now I do. I think that the 180 change was not an overnight thing. I think that the more passionate I became about the cards, the more I wanted to know and learn. Some of the decks I had could only take me so far; the 180 journey was one where I literally had to turn back and walk for two or more centuries to try and find out what I could about the tarot's history. Beauty became something different with that turn; for me, the beauty was jumping into that ancient world - looking at numerological significances, at patterns, at suits and combining them all together. I suppose that one journey ended, and through the 180 degree turn I thought was necessary to continue, a new one began. LB

bleuivy	15 Feb 2005
LittleBuddha wrote: I wonder if it is because our tastes change or whether it is our needs that have changed. I think it's a little of both really. One of the things that interests me about this thread are the way a bunch of us have started out not liking historical decks, and then have come to really appreciate them. I know that for myself, both my tastes and my needs changed. When I first started learning about tarot, having illustrated pip cards was vital. Also, when compared to some of the squeaky clean modern decks, the older decks looked childish. But, as I started learning more, I became more interested in tarot's roots. My tastes are now changing - not away from the illustrated pip cards, but rather to include different types of illustration. At the same time, I think my needs are changing as well. I'm an archaeologist, so it stands to reason that I should love old things. So as I'm learning more, I need to know more about tarot's past to understand the present, and also to understand myself through the cards. Hope that made sense. :)

Little Baron	15 Feb 2005
bleuivy wrote: So as I'm learning more, I need to know more about tarot's past to understand the present That makes a lot of sense to me, Bleuivy. I recently bought the 'Buddha' tarot. I don't buy new decks these days really, but I purchased that one because of the beautiful illustrations and my interest in how the artist took Sakyamuni's journey through the majors, rather than the Fool. However, I will probably not read with the deck because it doesn't feel like 'Tarot' to me; it feels more like an oracle, as a lot of modern decks do; of course, this is just my opinion and not intended to ruffle anyone's feathers, lol. When I started learning, to be honest, I wouldn't have known the difference, so my needs were secondary to my tastes. Does that make sense? Regards LB

The Never say never! thread was originally posted on 14 Feb 2005 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.