decks for spiritual reading/meditation

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Cagedflame	22 Mar 2005
Maybe I just don't know my deck that well yet (Secret Tarot), but I get the distinct feeling that it prefers to answer questions about mundane-life things and not so much for spiritual matters. Which is cool by me, since when I get myself listening to it on the right frequency, it speaks very clearly and accurately about such things. I see some Christian-oriented decks, which aren't for me, and a lot of earth-centric-Pagan/Goddess-centric-Pagan decks, which aren't for me either. I'm drawn to the Tarot of Prague simply because it's so lovely, but Thoth style decks like the actual Thoth, Liber T (anyone know a site where I can see more of the cards? Particularly minor arcana), and Via seem interesting, as does Book of Kaos. What works for you for spiritual questions, and what flavor of spirtuality/religion would you consider yourself to belong to?

earth en lady	22 Mar 2005
Hiya caged flame My friend has a dreampower deck it s amazing for spiritual readings!but unfortunately out of print.I ve always found the Osho Zen to be very clear although I wouldn t say I am a zen person it does help to clarify personal intent.I have just got a merlin deck and Im hoping to find some time with it as I am a big fan of R J Stewart and on initial viewing I think I can use it as a spiritual deck. I seem to shift my spiritual beliefs when I find things more personal and relevent to me and my path at the time.At the moment Celtic Shamenism and faery lore is my big interest.

rosyelf	22 Mar 2005
Hello, CagedFlame and earthen lady. Well, I AM an Earth-focussed type of person as far as my spirituality goes, and the decks that speak to me most in this respect are the Druidcraft and the Greenwood. The Fairy Ring Oracle, drawing from Celtic landscape and lore as it does, I find very useful too-for "spiritual" questions AND "mundane" questions-I use the speech marks there because there's often an overlap. I've recently acquired the Polish Tarot deck Swietlistej Drogi (which means Radiant Path.) It doesn't appear to stem from a particular spiritual tradition but it's rather lovely and powerful and I can see myself using it a lot for deep questions. Like you, I love Tarot of Prague. Also the Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot from the same creators, though couldn't possibly identify a specific spirituality for it-the Cult of Bast ( Eastern European Branch) , maybe ? ? :) Thank you for an interesting thread ! love rosyelf

WolfSpirit	22 Mar 2005
For spiritual readings: Tarot of the Spirit For meditation: Tarot of Transformation I follow a pagan/druidic path, but you don't have to to appreciate these decks, they are used by people with different spiritual paths.

Ahria	22 Mar 2005
Hi there, I also find the Osho Zen tarot to be very helpful on spiritual matters, its also very honest. I don't follow Zen personally but find it fits into what I believe still, I think Zen is very universal.

FaerieStorm	22 Mar 2005
The most effective deck for me when meditating or doing spiritual readings is the Tarot of Transformation--the artwork is wonderful--it's semi-abstract and the figures are very ethreal. The deck, overall, ties in a number of spiritual flavors: Celtic/Western, Native American, Eastern/Hindu (Chakras), and even a little bit of African. The Text is terrific too. But, for a more traditional deck: Tarot de Paris (by J. Philip Thomas)--it's exquisite! The artwork is flawless, and the spiritual energy is very intense. You can't go wrong with this one!

Fudugazi	22 Mar 2005
For meditation and spiritual readings I've not found better than the Crystal Tarot (Tarocchi di Vetro). Its pristine stained-glass look, Modern and Romantic, at the same time abstract and full of imagery (including hidden imagery) and gorgeous colours bring out a wealth of emotion, but allows me to focus and connect with the deepest part of me. I acquired the Druidcraft about a month ago, and am very drawn to its earthy-but-spirit-filled imagery, though as a rule I don't go for Celtic theme decks. This one is different, less twee (to my eyes) than others. It lacks darkness - even the dark cards are upbeat - but not depth. But if I had to choose between the two, I would still go for the Crystal. Then, of course, there is the Tarot de Marseille, which will serve you for everything. I have had some of my most profound meditations with a plain old Marseille deck. Its antiquity means it carries many centuries of meditation and game, of thoughts, of everyman's use. You can almost feel the wisdom pouring out of it. It is both light and deep. If you go for that, go for the beautiful Rodes-Sanchez, a work of art, or for the Hadar Veritable Tarot de Marseille.

Logiatrix	22 Mar 2005
Hi, Cagedflame! The Thoth would be a great choice, since you already sound comfortable with that symbolism. Angeles Arrien's Tarot Handbook is an excellent resource for studying and appreciating the Thoth from a spiritual/meditative perspective. For my own spiritual readings, I've found the Sacred Rose Tarot to be quite effective lately... http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/sacred-rose/ Though it claims a Kabbalistic influence, I don't find that it represents any one particular religion or spirituality, which is pretty much reflective of my own spiritual path. No label, I guess, just a mish-mash of beliefs. I also enjoy the Animal-Wise Tarot and Inner Child Cards for spiritual type readings, and neither of those are religiously or spiritually influenced, either... http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/animal-wise/ http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/inner-child/ A deck I highly recommend is the Diamond Tarot; IMHO, it is excellent for meditation... http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/diamond/ I used it exclusively for meditation for about five years, before I gifted the deck away. I'd had great success with it for visualisation and pathworking, but the images had finally become too familiar to be effective in those meditations. (But I did acquire another copy recently, just so I could admire it again! :laugh: ) Going slightly "off-topic" here, but have you considered oracle decks for spiritual readings or meditation? I'm finding a couple of those to be perfect for such purposes, as well as for personal readings. Good luck, and happy deck hunting! :)

WolfSpirit	23 Mar 2005
I also use the DruidCraft and the Animal Wise - they give a spiritual slant to the readings, but I use them not exclusively for spiritual readings. The DruidCraft is very much an all-purpose deck for me.

Cagedflame	24 Mar 2005
Crystal Tarots and Paris have found their ways onto my maybe list. I'm going to need to find more pictures of both. Marseilles probably won't for the same reason that Thoth got struck off -- I prefer scenic minors, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Marseilles style decks never have those? But I'm finding myself very drawn to Liber T still, and Prague I will definitely own eventually.

Myrrha	24 Mar 2005
Cagedflame, you can see the entire Tarot de Paris at www.tarotdeparis.com This deck does seem to have a special spiritual voice. It has some imagery that is Christian but the spirituality of the deck is more general. --Myrrha

Cagedflame	24 Mar 2005
Ah shite. I'm now in love w/ the Tarot of Paris, too. (Discovered the Crystal has mainly unillustrated minor arcana, crossed it off the list.) Now I'm torn between Paris, Prague, and Liber T as my next deck.

Tarot Sparrow	24 Mar 2005
I also have the Tarot de Paris, and it is a very nice deck. For spiritual matters I prefer to use the Tarot of Transformation by Willow Arlenea and Jasmin Lee Cori. It's very spiritual and stunningly accurate. Amazon has a good deal on it right now :) http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-of-transformation/

Khatruman	24 Mar 2005
Osho Zen, Osho Zen!!! I have to put in another plug for it, especially in these spiritual personal matters. If you want to get a good viewpoint on zen, pick up Osho's Zen: It's History and Teachings, which I just found at a bargain price at Border's Bookstore.

huredriel	24 Mar 2005
Well I've just started meditating and am working with the Dreaming in Color: Luman deck by Mindy Hope Sommers and so far I think its absolutely brilliant :D This deck will get my vote any day of the week. x Huredriel

Myrrha	24 Mar 2005
Cagedflame wrote: Ah shite. I'm now in love w/ the Tarot of Paris, too. (Discovered the Crystal has mainly unillustrated minor arcana, crossed it off the list.) Now I'm torn between Paris, Prague, and Liber T as my next deck. If you decide to get the Tarot de Paris please join us in the study group! The more people who participate the more interesting it will be. --Myrrha

The decks for spiritual reading/meditation thread was originally posted on 22 Mar 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.