Opinions on: Tarot Deck Characteristics.

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

mercenary30	11 Feb 2005
I am trying to find out what kinds of things people look at when checking out a deck. You can vote for more than one, but I didn’t put in a spot for all of the above, because that kinda defeats the purpose of my poll.

cjtarot	11 Feb 2005
Hi, I should have also voted for card stock, but artwork and symbolism were more important. If the card's artwork doesn't appeal to you, even if you "Get it" when it comes to the symbolism, you won't be inclined to read with the deck. And lets face it, a pretty deck that says nothing is worthless (for reading anyway..they can still make a nice addition to the collector's basket) Cardstock comes in a very close 2nd to my top 2 reasons. When a deck feels flimsy, I tend not to want to use it and it sits in my collector's basket (I have a basket of decks and 2 or 3 that I read with regularly). BB Cj

mercenary30	11 Feb 2005
I chose art and genre as my to key pieces. There are a number of decks in my basket that I will probably never read with, but I am glad I have them because I like the artwork. I chose the list that I did, because at one point or another each one of those things have been considerations for me. Although I don't apply each in every case.......

tarotbear	11 Feb 2005
First - the artwork because you have to like what you see because you will never read with a deck that is too creepy, revolts you, or is something you find silly or stupid. Secondly - the symbols used. If they don't speak to you or are not workable in the way you perceive things (The ten of pop-up toasters, the six of lubricated Trojans), you'll waste more time dealing with your feelings about them than doing an actual reading.

ncefafn	11 Feb 2005
tarotbear wrote: Secondly - the symbols used. If they don't speak to you or are not workable in the way you perceive things (The ten of pop-up toasters, the six of lubricated Trojans), you'll waste more time dealing with your feelings about them than doing an actual reading. LOL! I'm guessing the Six of Lubricated Trojans would correspond to Wands? Yes, I picked art as well, but I'm beginning to see that symbolism is more important than I had originally considered. I've had pretty decks that I traded away simply because the symbolism didn't speak to me.

tarobones	11 Feb 2005
For my choices, I always make sure the pips are not TdM style, but show actual scenes RWS-style. This has always been important to me, with all due respect to my Marseilles-style friends. BB, Michael

firemaiden	11 Feb 2005
ncefafn wrote: LOL! I'm guessing the Six of Lubricated Trojans would correspond to Wands? Er... wouldn't they more likely serve as cups? hahah. Yes, the artwork the artwork the artwork. If the symbolism isn't that great, I might still get it if I love the artwork. But I will never buy a deck just because I like the symbolism, if I don't like the artwork.

WolfSpirit	11 Feb 2005
I voted artwork and symbols as most important reasons - the deck has to appeal to me first and foremost, but it also annoys me if the symbols are not clear. If I really love the artwork of a deck I can forgive a few cards with vague symbolism, but in general the deck should have good symbolism. I also voted genre - I will always check out a nature-based deck, but I don't think I will ever own a vampire or sci-fi deck, to name a few. And I also had to choose $$$$$, I am on a tarot budget. If I really love a deck I will consider paying more for it, but I really have to think about that carefully. I can't believe I am the only one for whom money plays a role too: I've seen too many threads where people talk about their bargains !

April	11 Feb 2005
I should have picked genre too. I don't like anything gothic, but I do like themes, especially amusing ones. I'm gonna get me a Housewives Tarot real soon. I apologize to my collection but size matters. I like 'em small 'cause I have teeny hands. I have a few that I really like but don't use because they're just too big. Peace, April

tmgrl2	11 Feb 2005
artwork...first... symbols... BUT.... I have some decks that I absolutely love and... THEY ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO SHUFFLE! They don't "slide" smoothly and allow for a ripple-shuffle...which I mastered as a little girl having three older brothers who were poker players... For example, my Morgan-Greer shuffles like a dream.... as do a number of others.....

souljourney	11 Feb 2005
Artwork - if I don't like the art, the rest of it doesn't matter. Historical doesn't do it for me at all, btw. Symbolism - I need to be able to see meaning in the imagery. I don't want to have to rely on #6 means this and Cups means that...so this card means ____. I want pictures. For that reason along I don't think I could ever own a Marsailles style deck. Quote: I'm guessing the Six of Lubricated Trojans would correspond to Wands? Um tarotbear and nce... so what would the other suits be represented by?? LOL

Moonbow*	11 Feb 2005
I voted Artwork and symbols too but I also voted Oops! :D My love of art first attracted me to the Tarot and I'm very interested in hidden symbols, but I tend to be atracted to decks that don't make any sense to me at first glance, because I see them as a challenge, I don't take to decks where everything is given to me a first glance, I like to make discoveries myself.

Frank Hall	11 Feb 2005
I am impressed that so many acknowledge the need for art and meaningful symbol in purchased Tarot. Tarot is the unique blend of the two -- it's artistic symbol, symbolic art. Of course, just what art is and symbol is varies considerably. The ongoing search to discover and to express "art and [symbolic] arcana" is all the meaning, all the enlightenment. Keep journeying, Tarot.

Indigo Rose	11 Feb 2005
1) Artwork: This is the basis of my attraction to a deck; I must connect with the art and imagery. 2)Symbolism: This is really almost as important. Again, there has to be meaningful symbolism for me to make the connection.

bleuivy	11 Feb 2005
I voted for a bunch of things, but the most important to me is: artwork. If I don't like the artwork, I won't like the deck. Period. After that, symbolism is important. For whatever reason, I cannot deal with Thoth-based decks, but respond favorably to RWS decks. Am looking into getting a TdM deck soon, so we'll see how I respond to that sort of symbolism. Also, price matters. I'm a student on a student salary, and cannot afford most decks. Even the Housewives at US$10 was a bit on the steep side, so $$$$$$$$ matters quite a bit. I'm not really all that fussed about card size or card stock. The Gilded is on pretty crappy card stock, but it's one of my favorite decks anyway.

shaveling	11 Feb 2005
My number one is the archetype. Gotta be Marseille or something close to it. Number two is money. Running out of it. Can't buy more decks. Number three is Oops you didn't consider (or list, anyway) loyalty, or gratitude or Root, Root, Root for the Home Team. I don't know what to call it. Anyway: I've gotten a lot from Lee Bursten's posts on ATF, and from his deck reviews. I'm gay. I want to buy his Gay Tarot out of (call it) brand loyalty. Of course, it's not Marseille. And I don't have the money. I honestly don't really want to read with a RWS based deck. But it feels like a family obligation, almost. Haven't bought it yet. But I'm pretty sure I will. There are other people and resources I feel that way about, as well. This probably isn't so unusual. People sometimes shop at certain stores to support the store, or avoid shopping there to do the contrary. I suspect it's the same with Tarot decks.

Simone	12 Feb 2005
Ooops, Merc, you forgot my cathegory, because I do consider and cannot take your Ooops option ;) For me, it is all about readability, and in that case, neither artwork nor symbolism not anything else really matters to me. Of course, this is a very personal and subjective criterium, I agree... I do like beautiful artwork, I do like beautiful decks, but the images need to talk to me. If I cannot connect, all my knowledge about tarot does not help me to read them, and I want to use the decks I purchase! I am not your typical collector (although I have been told that once I pass ten decks I am a collector :laugh: ) who goes for rarities or especially beautiful artwork. Through experience, I have learned not to buy decks I cannot have a look at first because those I bought spontaneously in the past have turned out to be a case of "judging the book by the cover" ;) - i.e. being attracted by the box, and remembering vaguely having come across references to it somewhere (most likely here) and a foolish assumption that if the box is nice and people have talked about it the deck must be readable :D

LadyMedusa	12 Feb 2005
Artwork and Symbolism I can't work with a deck that makes me cringe and think ewww It doesn't have to be a specific system, I like variety, but it has to have a "flow" that makes sense. LadyMedusa

RedMaple	13 Feb 2005
The artwork, the symbolism, and that special something that makes it easily readable. I have decks with all of those things that I still don't use as much as I'd like because they are hard to shuffle, so I have to say that "shuffleability" is getting to be a big thing with me, which means card stock and finish, I guess. I have to agree on the Morgan Greer -- the cards fly on this deck. I am so frustrated by decks that are hard to shuffle -- like the Celtic Wisdom. Very unwieldy.

Namaste	15 Feb 2005
Artwork is a must for me. The imagery must be clear and suggestive. Each card must present itself as an extended metaphor of its underlying theme(s). :) I guess that's why I like the Voyager deck so much.

contradiction	15 Feb 2005
what decides it for me, is when i pick up a deck, do i feel a connection to it. i really have no preference as far as design, genere, or artwork, etc... if i feel a connection, on a spiritual, (energy) level i will be able to read with it, no matter what the "theme" is.

Majecot	15 Feb 2005
I buy for the artwork and the symbolism mainly. Card stock and size are important to me also, some of my decks are difficult for me to shuffle. I have had some that felt flimsy when I first bought them but ended up being better quality than I realized. I have terrible eyesight so decks with teensy pictures are usless to me. Borders on most decks are distracting but I haven't the nerve yet to trim them.

raeanne	15 Feb 2005
Hello, For me the artwork is important. I also have a limit on $$$$$$ so, as much as I wish it wasn't true, I just can't even consider any deck that is over $100. There is one other thing that is really the most important of all: DO I HAVE IT? If not then I will probably want it. "Hello everyone, my name is Raeanne and I'm a tarotholic."

souljourney	15 Feb 2005
Raeanne...LOL. Well that's step 1 I guess... You might want to look at this thread... http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=34534 And I can't bring myself to trim anything...so decks with big borders and keywords mostly don't get considered...Rohrig is the big exception...the art is just too great to resist. Well...yeah cost to. So oop stuff is not an option.

skh	15 Feb 2005
Artwork and symbology, like almost everybody else. I think symbols I can work with are a wee bit more important than nice artwork, but it flows together anyway. Then: physical quality, as in card stock and finishing. This doesn't stop me from buying tarot decks, but I dislike those I can't shuffle because they are too sticky or too slippery or too stiff or too whatever. I also don't like decks I don't dare to handle normally for fear of damaging them. And in the Oops section: I prefer milestone decks, decks that did something new for tarot as a whole: the umpteenth variation of a RWS clone with some cutie theme is rather uninteresting (though I do own those too), but a Petersen, a Haindl, a Voyager and other modern classics are must-haves. Sonja

Kissa	15 Feb 2005
I voted: - Archetype: it has to be a Marseilles nowadays. If not a Marseilles, at least non-scenic pips. - Artwork: once I have the right tradition. Nice poll! Kissa

Logiatrix	15 Feb 2005
From the perspective of a tarotphile-collector, there would be no specific requirements; if it says "tarot" on it, I want it! :laugh: But if I'm seriously looking at a deck... At first perusal, artwork was way at the top of my list, or so I thought. However, after thinking about it, art really isn't that important to me anymore. I used to be instantly drawn to all the amazingly beautiful decks I'd seen, and I eventually purchased several of them; but I've since found that I usually can't read with them. Perhaps the pretty pictures are too distracting. At any rate, I've come to be interested only in the decks I can read with, and they aren't always especially artistic. Genre makes no difference, and all the more tangible characteristics (card finish, back design, size, etc.) have been negligible, leaving $$$ as the only issue. I have very little $$$ to spend on tarot stuff right now, so I have to look at the cost of a deck by force of circumstances :( . That leaves symbolism and archetype; these are the two most important characteristics in tarot for me. There are some symbols I'd prefer not to have on my cards, and there are other symbols I believe should be there. Also, I prefer to read with RWS or Marseille decks, though I've learned a lot from the Thoth deck (and variations). There were a couple of characteristics mentioned throughout the thread, but were not put in the poll: keywords, and the swords-fire/wands-air issue. I didn't include the "Oops..." selection in my vote, but those are also important factors for me; I prefer no keywords and swords-air/wands-fire when considering a reading deck. :) EDITED to add: contradiction said... "what decides it for me, is when i pick up a deck, do i feel a connection to it. i really have no preference as far as design, genere, or artwork, etc... if i feel a connection, on a spiritual, (energy) level i will be able to read with it, no matter what the 'theme' is." That is so true! None of the other elements matter at all, if there is no connection. :D

Emily	16 Feb 2005
For me its the artwork and the symbolism on the card - I have to feel the connection with the artwork and then be able to read what they are trying to say to me - I wouldn't care if it was the ugliest deck in the world if it spoke to me and I connected to it :) The card size isn't important, it used to be then I learn't a new way to shuffle and my small hands can deal with any size of deck now. :D I don't like the card stock to be clunky like shuffling bits of cardboard but its important that they don't over flex, especially if they are on the large size. RWS is my preferred symbolism but just as long as I can read the deck then its ok if it isn't.

mercenary30	16 Mar 2005
At this point it time there were 100 voters. That makes it quite easy to analyze the results so far. I guess it isn’t surprising to me 88% of all voters say that the artwork is a key piece in their choice of decks. No wonder Golden Dawn and the Witches Tarot never end up on the yearly lists!!! 61% of you said that the symbology on the cards is important in your decision. So there are a portion of you that are collecting not just for reading decks. This could also mean that intuitive reading is bigger than I thought it was. The archtype of deck is a concern for 23% of you. So there are deck types that you really don’t care for. It is my guess that the majority of these votes are people who prefer Marseilles. Cost, card size, and genre round out the other concerns, coming in with 18%, 16%, and 15% respectively. This is the reason I made this a multiple chose poll. It added another dimension to the results.

Deana	16 Mar 2005
I am late, but I voted for art (I'm no artist myself, but my dad is and I grew up around art, so very bad art turns me off most of the time) and archetype (I'm studying RWS symbolism right now). Also, I need softness right now...I have a husband, two (loud) sons, a brother, four (loud) nephews...I need some girl energy. So I tend to prefer decks like Hanson-Roberts, Robin Wood, even Tarot of a Moon Garden, that other people dismiss as too soft or cutesy. I just prefer the gentle quietness to anything loud or masculine at this time in my life. My little oasis.

Skydancer	17 Mar 2005
Simone - I second what you said: readability. No good having the most authentic tarot deck in the world if it doesn't mean anything to me personally. So, I voted for artwork (I will probably never own Children's tarot, or Shining Tribe), genre (no vampires for me, but mainly because I don't feel they are real vampire decks), and symbols - I'm finding that the vast majority of the "symbols" creators write about in their LWB escaped me completely. I'm more into stories than symbols. That's why I have the Fey, and InnerChild, Whimsical, Voyager, Zen types. I'm still looking for the perfect deck - of which there is none. I don't have to worry about being satisfied too soon!! *S*

Silaria	17 Mar 2005
Of everything on that list, the 4 things that mattered most to me were The archetype, genre, artwork and symbols; but not necessarily in that order. Genre and Artwork are the first things that draw my eye to a deck of cards. If the art or genre appeal to me, I'm more likely to pick them up and look at them and/or go online and look for sample images (preferably of the whole deck). Archetype comes next. I prefer RWS decks so, if a deck isn't RWS chances are I won't buy it. Symbolism comes last even though it is perhaps one of the most important aspects of the Tarot; the card has to "talk" to you in order to be able to use it. Honestly, the ONLY reason it comes last is because if the Art, Genre and Archetype don't appeal to me, I wouldn't consider buying or using the deck even if it has the worlds most perfect symbolism. IMO, Art and Symbolism have to co-exist with one another. If the artwork is great but the symbolism doesn't work for you then the deck is just going to sit. Admittedly, I've purchased decks just for the artwork before and will do so again because I LOVE Tarot art; but I'd also like to be able to read with a deck. I'd like to look at it and SEE the meaning behind the card even if I don't use it regularly.

tao51	18 Mar 2005
I do also like a sturdy stock as well as good protective finish.--Tao

Requiella	21 Mar 2005
For me, different things really are important at different times, although three are a constant: 1--A good compromise between theme and artwork. Of course, there doesn't really have to be a compromise, but it usually ends up translating into choosing one more over the other. I'm a RWS person myself, and so far, the deck that comes closest to satisfying this first requirement is the Spiral deck. 2--Size does matter. I have small hands, so I appreciate a deck that is large enough to read but small enough to suffle comfortably. 3--Card stock. I love the Spiral deck, but it's very stiff. I also love the Tarot of Transformation (I don't do full readings with it, but a daily card draw sometimes), but it's extremely flimsy.

The Opinions on: Tarot Deck Characteristics. thread was originally posted on 11 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.