What's your favorite deck and how did u come to it

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Aug 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Tarot_Freak	20 Aug 2002
Hello everyone I was wondering what everyones favorite tarot deck was. I have 2 one of them is the universal waite deck and the arthurian deck. My brother bought me the arthurian deck and my mother bought me the other one. I love them both and feel so drawn to them. So basically i just wanted to know your guys favorite decka nd how u came to them :)

Phoenix	20 Aug 2002
At the moment I really like the Halloween Tarot. But my favorite always changes like the flavor of the week.

the hermit	20 Aug 2002
I've used many decks over the years but always seem to return to the Rider-Waite style decks. Though I have about 30 decks right now, I prefer the "traditional" symbolism of the RW decks and their clones. I use my decks for meditation as well as readings and spell work. So I really have 3 decks that I use all the time... Universal Waite Hanson-Roberts Robin Wood

divinerguy	21 Aug 2002
My Tarot decks are like my children. I love them all, and each has their good points and bad. I do most of my readings with a RWS style deck, but it is not my favorite in terms of art. I like the Rhorig for its intensity, the Haindl for its mysticism, the Cosmic for its romance, the Albano for its color, the Cloisters for its shape, the Voyager for its depth, the Kalevala for its history, and all my other decks for various reasons.

VGimlet	21 Aug 2002
My favorite art deck, overall would probably be the Rock & Roll tarot. As soon as I saw it, I got that feeling, you know the one I mean; like the first time you heard a song that you still love years later. My favorite deck to read with right now is the Universal RWS, because I am starting to be able to let my intuition flow, and it seems to work the best for me right now. I actually first ran across it in New Orleans; we attended a re-creation of a Victorian seance (it was quite fun) and the "spiritualist" used it as one of three tarot decks in the performance. I hadn't started collecting decks at that time, but as soon as I saw it I thought, 'hmmm, now there's a Rider deck that doesn't make me itch.' :D

Starfish	21 Aug 2002
My favorite deck is my Old English. I was reading a thread here on Aeclectic, and someone mentioned this deck. I went and checked out the various sites, fell in love and ordered it. I am so happy that I did. :TEMPS Starfish

catlin	21 Aug 2002
As I have several fav decks this question is hard to answer. My very personal fav are the Greenwood and the Legend Arthurian. The first one is only for myself, the second is one I usually use for querents with questions concerning relationship. I bought the Arthurian several years ago after having seen the ad in a catalogue. I saw Greenwood in the Pollack Illustrated Tarot guide, fell in love with the pictures, more in love after having seen the pictures at wicce and on the Greenwood hp and after having pestered you all for one and a half year with questions where to get the Greenwood some a.nettie was so kind to procure me with an ordering address and yay! Got it!!!

Sullanciri2002	21 Aug 2002
the Thoth has been at the top of my list, and has been for a few years now. I started with classical RW & Marseille type decks - but simply found the imagery too "tame". When I went back to some of the things that had originally inspired me to take up the study of the tarot, I discovered that the deck used in the fantasy-novel that got everything started was a Thoth. From there on forwards, I studies as many of the known impacts/approaches of the Thoth (kabbalah, numerology, Egyptian mythology, Book of Enoch, etc ...) and was sold for a long time. Lately though, it's lost some of its appeal because it's not as much of a mystery now as it once used to be: guess it's some part of me calling me onward to discover a new deck that will challenge my perceptions and ideas again.

cyan	21 Aug 2002
right at the moment my favorite deck is the Robin Wood. i resisted getting it for a long time because i am a snob and kept hearing how passe and smily it is so did not want to be thought unsofisticated by having it. Really stupid, aren't i? anyhow, i got the tarot spells book which uses the robin wood and i liked the pictures of the deck a lot. And, i thought that if you are going to do a spell and ask for something, it is always better to ask with a smile. So, i ran out and got my local Barnes and Noble's last RB and fell in love with it. It is really beautiful. I do have Legend and Art Nouveau coming in the mail tho, so...

WolfSpirit	21 Aug 2002
My favourite deck is the Shapeshifter. I saw scans of it here at Aeclectic and loved it straight away, but it seemed so different from other decks I had I hesitated. I read threads here of people who loved the deck and could use it, so then I bought it. I use other decks as well and I love all my decks, but the shapeshifter is still the favourite.

emily2otters	21 Aug 2002
i fell in love with the aeclectic images from tarot nova (paschkis), and bought it a year or so later when i saw it at barnes and noble. love it for: size -- small enough to shuffle! color -- vivid! uncluttered! art -- cute! original! symbolism -- tongue firmly in cheek! card backs -- gorgeous! the cards leave room for expansion and imagination, yet throw in just enough original symbolism to keep giving you those "aha" moments.

Keslynn	21 Aug 2002
My current favorite is my World Spirit tarot. I got intrigued when I saw the name in a thread here so I checked out the online images. It was love. :TLOVE However, since I'm a massive tarotholic, I was trying to cut down on spending at the time and tried to resist buying it. Through a weird chain of circumstances, it became very clear to me that the deck wanted me right then. No excuses. So I buckled. I've been using it as my primary ever since, and it's great. Clear readings and powerful images. :) Kes

Emily	22 Aug 2002
My favourite has to be my spiral, I saw scans of it here and another deck site, can't remember the name, and had ordered it within hours (first time I'd done that) - I have other decks that I use and like but its the Spiral I keep going back to and if I picture a particular card in my mind its always the Spiral version of the card and not the Rider Waite which used to be my study deck. Reasons for liking the Spiral, its small enough to be carried in a handbag, its very non-threatening, the artwork is attractive and colourful, its suitable to be used for any readings, the cards can be entered easily - I can't really say anything negative about it at all - also the book that goes with it is well worth getting :)

Faerie Lin	22 Aug 2002
My favorite deck is the Phantasmagoric Theater tarot deck. I just get all giddy thinking about it still. Years ago before I got married I saw a few pics of it online somewhere, but never wrote down the name of the deck. But now I have it, and I love it. I think I got back interested in the deck from the wonderful aeclectic forum people mentioning it. When I looked up the sample pics of the deck I was like "hey.. wait a minute, I use to want this deck!" and then I was like" Hey.. wait a minute, I STILL want this deck!" The rest is history! I completely and absolutely adore the characters of the Phantasmagoric Theater Tarot Deck! My fav oracle is the Faeries' Oracle of course! :D Lin

Cerulean	24 Aug 2002
Three decks that I'm favoring for odd reasons. Ayumi Kasai's Moon Princess Himiko for illustration quality, the fantastic colors and the way the swirling colors are like marbelized patterns. There's enough of the Asian icons that satisfy my tastes. Giorgio Trevisan's Tarot of the Renaissance for some of the fairy-tale style of illustrations. Laura Tuan's I Tarocchi Egiziani with the Italian book included. I find the cards are overlarge, with mysterious symbolic art and I have limited understanding of Italian. I realize that all three deviate from standards. I'm connecting first by examining the images and then reading or deciphering keywords next. I'm on a vacation from classes, but not day work-this helps me stay upbeat. Mari H.

jema	24 Aug 2002
my current favorite is the transformational tarot by arnell ando. it is a deck i had on my wishlist for ages but i knew it was really hard to come by so whenever i traded with people i didn't even bother to mention that deck. then one day here at the forum is was able to trade for it and it is sitting in the pouch on my kitchen table and i am still "learning" the deck. it often makes me confused, sometimes gives me an Aha! feeling but mostly it is so pretty i *swoon* over it. my other fav, my main deck so to speak is the Thoth - and that is quite a story i told a few times before on this forum. (thanks again to kaz) the Thoth is such a strong and vibrant deck. it cuts clean to the core of things.

Ravenswing	24 Aug 2002
well... my study deck of the moment (and it seems like it'll be a LONG moment) is the Navigator's tarot. i'd seen scans of it here and there with its color-coded people and surreal crowded images. a symbolic heaven. and i was able to get it in a swap. my working deck of the moment is the cosmic tarot. an absolute artistically realistic deck-- absolute antitheseis of the navigator's. the courts drawn from movie stars... though i didn't recognize it at first. (and a casablanca two of cups moment!!) again, i saw some scans of it. and i got this one in a swap too-- in fact from the same wonderful source. my deck on hold is the deva deck-- oversized and almost square cards. and there's five suits... this was a swap too. aren't trades wonderful??? raven

jade	25 Aug 2002
oh, my favorite deck is voyager. hands down. i just love this deck. every card speaks differently every time i draw it. :D i saw it at the first night of the class i went to (to learn to read cards). the instructor had it as did many 'newbies'. the newbies found it extremely difficult to read with.......and to me, that was a challenge. so a year later, i bought that deck and i've used it faithfully ever since :D love jade

Sulis	25 Aug 2002
My favorite deck at the moment is the World Spirit. I learned with the New Palladini but wanted something which was a bit more intuitive. I saw some scans on the artists website - I`d seen some on Aeclectic but it seemed a bit on the dark side. I love it, it speaks to me. The imagery is different but not so different from the RWS to be confusing. I`ve just ordered the African Tarot, I`m a sucker for bright colours and quite simplistic art styles. Crystalmynx xx

mara	27 Aug 2002
definitly the Crowley tarot!!!!! I just love the way that everything is combined into the one tarot deck, the things that are important and of intersts to me, like numerology, egyptian symbolism, the kabala, astrology, mythology, I just love this deck. It is the first deck I came into contact with when a relative did a spread for me many many many years ago and it is still my favourite :) I also have another deck which I really connect with and that is the Egyptian book of doors......I just love this deck (as well) because I am just crazy and utterly in love with egyptian symbolism. To tell you the truth these are the only 2 decks that I own, but I saw another deck on the internet that I am thinking of buying........I think it's called the cat deck or something....I'll have to look it up:) Mara

rostie	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Faerie Lin My favorite deck is the Phantasmagoric Theater tarot deck. I completely and absolutely adore the characters of the Phantasmagoric Theater Tarot Deck! My fav oracle is the Faeries' Oracle of course! :D Lin i'm with you faerie lin! i also adore my phantasmagoric theater deck, it fits me perfectly... my favorite oracle is also the faeries one! they are both my soulmates!!! edit: how do i come to it? in the beginning i visited aeclectic when people spoke over a specific deck i always looked it up, at one time i meeted the phantasmagoric one (i believe it was because of jmd, he used it for spellwork), i fell in love with it immediatly but it took a time till i bought it because i was twisted, i wanted to buy decks who would work and not only because i liked them so i waited...eventually i couldn't stand it anymore and bought it...it works very well!!! i was always fond of the books of froud so when i noticed he had and oracle deck there was no doubt i had to have it, lol, love my faeries...they are just astonishing!!! so both of them through aeclectic!!! thankfull forever :P with love, rostie.

Laurel	27 Aug 2002
Favorite? Eek. I love my Thoth and Voyager decks like children, a boy and a girl. I can't have a favorite- I love them equally. Voyager saw me through my painful teenage years and in some ways was my best friend for a while. The Thoth deck is symbolic of the grown woman I've become. Laurel

Strega	28 Aug 2002
The Witches Tarot! :) A friend of mine overheard that I was looking for a certain deck, but it's not available in my area. :( A few days later, he bragged that he found the deck and bought it for me as a Diwali (or Xmas) present. How sweet! :* He confirmed the title, and got so embarassed when he found out that he got the wrong deck. He bought the Tarot of the Witches which (from the net reviews that I've read has zero artwork). And I have to agree. :D He thought so too! *LOL* I said that it's okay for it's the thought that counts. But he went on to find the Witches Tarot. :) I found both decks in my mail box a few years ago. :*

jacx57	06 Sep 2002
Well, I only have a beginner Tarot deck that I'm not too fond of, but I've decided to make my own. I'm not so sure I'll finish, but hey it never hurts to try. I'm trying to find a new one, but none I see really...feel right to me, y'know? But I'd love to get my hands on a Miracle tarot deck!! Too bad I'm so broke and it's so expensive!! (it's from japan, and it's like 100$ Canadian, with shipping and handling...that's too much for us high school kids with no job.)

ChrisTheObscure	09 Sep 2002
My favourite decks are the Haindl and the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg. The Haindl, I love the non-traditional symbolism, it's use of different cultures to go with the different suits, and it's integration of astrology, Qabalah and Runic symbols. This was the first deck I felt "called" to, so to speak, and I originally bought it just because I liked the images, knowing nothing at all about Tarot at the time. I also just bought the Russian Tarot and we work well together - though I think it's going to be a deck primarily just for me. It's a bit darker than most decks I've seen, with the images on a black background, and I like that. I find it brutally honest, which I especially need when reading for myself :) C.

Liliana	09 Sep 2002
My favorite is the Rohrig, Ive loved it for a long time but 25 bucks for just a deck was always too much, then a special day came and someone announced that a site was selling the deck and book for just 9.99, well I snapped up my copy and it was the first deck I gasped over the art on, I so loved it. Unfortunately I carried it in my purse and my perfume spilled on my copy, ended up haveing to buy just the deck again for 16.50, but that time I got an older edition of the cards and after doing a comparision I found the cards in the older edition were ever so slightly better colored, and I adore it :) Of course a few other decks are wandering in this week, maybe lll fall for one of them... :THP

Phoenix	09 Sep 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Phoenix At the moment I really like the Halloween Tarot. But my favorite always changes like the flavor of the week. Boy was I right when I posted that! LOL!! Right now, I REALLY, REALLY like the Mythic Tarot!

DarkElectric	09 Sep 2002
I love my spiral deck! it was one of my very first ones, and has remained my absolute favourite. I saw it in a shop, saw the artwork on the box, and somehow knew it was going to work with me. In this case, I was right. Close contenders though, are my Voyager, Cosmic Tribe, Rohrig, Lo Scarabeo Secrets deck, Motherpeace, and Mythic. But then, there are the non tarot decks such as the Faeries oracle. (My vote for all time wonderful.) Most of these were discovered in the course of shop therapy, but the Voyager was a gift from a friend.

Kaz	10 Sep 2002
i have more decks that i really like, but the one that will always be my #1 deck is the thoth. kaz

The What's your favorite deck and how did u come to it thread was originally posted on 20 Aug 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.