favo deck theory

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Nov 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Maan	04 Nov 2002
i have been thinking alot lately about favo decks and why that some decks "speak" more to one person than the other. I think it has something to do with the artist personality. before i get in to this i want to say that i know a deck is just a collection of pieces of paper. Its not the paper that speak to us but the art on them. And even that is just color and nothing mystic about it ; But an artis is just an human being with there own hang ups and problems in live etc. And that will reflect in the way they paint a certain card. In there view of the card will be there way of seeing things. So i think that when a deck really spreaks to you ist because the artist has the same way of seeing the world as you do. Its reflects your hang ups and mistakes because it recognized. When we ivolve we might get an other look at the wold and overcome some of our issues and can out grow a deck. The phantasmagoric got me thinking of this because of the way the artist pictured the 4 of cups. The puppet on this card wants something really bad but when it happends she's getting scared and withdaws. Just as i behave in some situations. Only an deck made by an artist with the same "issues" inlive will draw the 4 of cups that way i believe. Rambling...alot... Are there any of you who feel the same about your favo deck. Does it feel ike the artist knows the way you work?

wavebreaker	04 Nov 2002
I definitely think you've got a point there, that this is one of the reasons why one deck speaks to you and another doesn't. I can't really pinpoint it right now with my favourite deck (the World Spirit), not the way you explain it with the Phantasmagoric. Although one aspect of the World Spirit that really appeals to me is that it doesn't portray "perfect" people, but people of all sizes and colours, and since I'm not the "perfect" size myself (although it's perfect for me! ;) ), that might be one of the reasons why that deck appeals to me. Hm, I'm going to think about this, see if I can find a few cards in that deck that reflect my views or behaviour...

divinerguy	04 Nov 2002
In addition to a Tarot deck "speaking" to the buyer, I also believe that selection of a deck is also an indication of how we want the world to perceive us. Its a type of metaphysical business card. When we do a reading for someone, they see the cards and make assumptions about who we are. I use cards with images that are rendered with muted colors and have what I consider to be a higher aesthetic quality. I want the world to know that I'm a man who enjoys more refined tastes. Other people choose theme decks, perhaps because they wish to be associated with that particular quality. Just a theory of mine.

Jewel	04 Nov 2002
This is very fascinating to think about. I agree with a lot of what has been said. When I think of my favorite deck, the Cosmic Tribe, I see a deck that says "we are all part of the same tribe regardless of what we look like, etc ... we are the human tribe". I definetly view the world this way and was thrilled to see I was not the only one. It also has bright colors and humor ... both favorite things of mine. And it is rich in symbolism, which appeals to my intellect. I don't do many readings for others so I cannot say that the deck I use when I do is reflective of how I want to be seen ... my choice of deck is usually based on what I know of the querent and what they prefer.

RedWood	04 Nov 2002
I prefer decks with animals..Could be the Shaman in me..Usually i am also attracted to themore muted colors..Recently ihave been using Feng shui....I think it also depends on my mood at the time..

WolfSpirit	04 Nov 2002
I can see truth in all the above and have something else to consider as well: some people like blunt decks that scream at them, some would like the harsh things told to them in a friendlier way. I think this has to do with your character, if you only need a subtle hint to get you going, a gentle deck will do. If you have to be threatened with being fired before you stop taking three-hour lunch breaks, a subtle approach obviously don't work for you. I think I like the Halloween tarot because it's not really a sweet deck but it tells the truth with humour, And I like decks with animals because I just like animals (sometimes it's simple isn't it ;))

RedWood	04 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by WolfSpirit , And I like decks with animals because I just like animals (sometimes it's simple isn't it ;)) LOL wolf...very true!!! sometimes the simple is the most divine.

truthsayer	05 Nov 2002
i think you've brought up a great theory, maan. certainly makes sense to me. perhaps why i tend to take it too personally when someone says something negative about a deck i really like--i see that negative statement is towards me. comments about the hanson roberts being too, innocent, sweet and gentle or too cutesy. i tend to see myself in those terms and HR is one of my fav decks. usually i do readings for ppl who need a gentle deck. HR matches who i am and the image i need to portray quite well.

Logiatrix	09 Nov 2002
my fave deck is the visconti gold... i guess that means i'm old and shiny (!??) i do feel a bit like an antique, especially in the mornings... i also use the "healing with the angels" oracle cards, which is more fitting of me physically--round and chubby, but i don't always fly around naked, at least not in public! :)

Rhiannon	09 Nov 2002
I think this is a very good point. And I agree with truth, too. I don't really take it personally when people don't like my fave deck, but I can see where you would. What you like is a reflection of who you are. The Goddess tarot is said, by some, to be too feminine. I find that it let's me see things more from a woman's point of view, which is how I look at the world, can't help it.. I'm a woman! LOL I also find that while it can be gentle, I also get quite honest and straightforward answers from it. It's not really "sugar-coated", more in the way of "sympathetic". It's like a best friend whose shoulder you can cry on when you get bad news. This is a deck that's not so harsh that you want to shoot the messenger. R :)

WolfSpirit	10 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by metaz my fave deck is the visconti gold... i guess that means i'm old and shiny (!??) metaz I don't think I like your way of thinking here ;) I like the halloween deck so that makes me a pumpkin-head...

Silverlotus	10 Nov 2002
I really like your theory, Maan. I've recently been searching for a new deck, and all the decks I looked at had a very similar sort of look. They are all rather pleasing to look at, almost cartoonish (but in a more sophisticated way). I’ve never been drawn to photo-manipulated, primitive, or old-fashioned looking decks. Truthfully, the back of the decks matter a lot to me too. I don’t know why, but I won’t use a deck with an ugly back. That’s the main reason I didn’t buy the RW as my first deck. I think the back is awful! And, while I want the deck as a whole to look good, there are certain cards that I must be drawn to before I will buy a deck. They are Death, 3 of Swords, High Priestess and Queen of Pentacles, pretty much in that order. I wonder what that says about me? :-) I also like the points raised about concern over what others will think of your deck. When I did lots of readings for other people, I usually used my Aquarian Tarot and left my Witches Tarot for myself, concerned over what people would think of the nudity, etc. Of course this was back in high school, when other people's opinions really matter. But eventually I smartened up and realised that what I thought was more important. :-) Silverlotus

Pollux	10 Nov 2002
Metaz: *ROFLMAO* Maan, Truthsayer, all... I agree!!! :D *LOL* This argument works very well for the Aquarian, Spiral and Gill, even though they represent different sides of myself. I take personally the criticism aimed at my fav decks too, and I understand where truth is coming from. For the personality thing, I must admit that the image I give is very different from the one I prefer, and in this sense the Aquarian is a proof: I always found it a very... Capricorn-like deck, very cold, sterne, detatched, serious, and this really is the image of myself I want to give while I am reading. This mostly because people know me as a happy, shallow, trickster-blabberer daisy and it actually is the image I tend to give, yet I want to be considered differently when I read the cards, I want to be seen differently cos what I am doing is serious and I believe in it - and I can't let people think it is stupid only because I (= a stupid boy) do it. :P Also I think it is sort of normal to take things personally when we love something so much - I am the kind of person that enjoys sharing what he loves just for the beauty and goodness that I find in it, and most of the time I expect a similar reaction to mine... *LOL* However we have different parameters, and having different view is somewhat physiologic in human race. ;) Maan, I loved this thread! I hope it keeps growing!!! Thank you for starting it!!! :*

Cerulean	10 Nov 2002
I have an odd seasonal relationship with my 'made from Japan decks'. Ukiyoe is Grandpa and Grandma and my American second generation parents. It's an interesting winter season for me. I look at the 100 Poem series to figure out concepts. If I were to look at anime, the old Speed Racer, Kimba and Astro Boy series. The artist Koji Futata and backer, Stuart Kaplan, are from old schools of designs. My seven year old nephew is Miracle Tarot and definitely Spring. A youngish tarot pick, in terms of mood and color. A light dose of Zen poets then---maybe Basho? Maybe Vampire Princess Miya, Totoro, early kid anime is their mood. My twelve and fourteen old nephews are the funny guys in the Moon Princess Himiko. They're also Spring to Summer and Summerlike to me. Some of the more modern Japanese poetry collections work as well. Princess Mononoke for them. I think I'm in an autumn-to-winter mode right now...maybe I'm saving the best for myself: Amano Tarot, Final Fantasy and the anime comic series Spiral Into Horror from Pulp. And for poetry in the postmodern world, perhaps the older Tamura Ryuichi, recovering from atomic horrors and black rain. Mari Hoshizaki

allibee	10 Nov 2002
I think I have to agree with what someone said earlier on in this thread, that they like the deck to reflect their taste, as opposed to their outlook or personality. When I started was at Art College - apparently I'm an illustrator now, tho you'd never notice, lol - I fell in love with the work of Dave McKean (DC comics, Sandman), and then I found some of his fan sites on the web and his work just blew me away. I promised myself that I would get myself his Vertigo Deck, and finally got one on ebay a few weeks ago. I feel that these cards just reached out and grabbed me, and altho they are quite dark overall, anyone who sees them finds them quite intriguing. Their only downside is the crap quality card stock they were printed on :mad: allibee

Cerulean	10 Nov 2002
What version of Vertigo? I heard there is supposed to be a better reprint, maybe even newer than 2001. The set that I bought in 2001 as a reprint isn't good, as the cards are small and dark. A used bookstore set for about $35 (I grabbed at that price) was actually the original bigger format, still flimsy stock, but the graphics on the larger card and the hardcover book was better quality. I originally bought the reprint in a comic bookstore that advertised it sold DC Comics products. Mari H>

allibee	10 Nov 2002
Hi Mari I thought this was the newly released, updated version, altho it says inside that is the second print, 2001. The set comes in a dark box if that helps. I got it for $45 on ebay + postage from the US to UK. allibee

Jewel	11 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by metaz my fave deck is the visconti gold... i guess that means i'm old and shiny (!??) i do feel a bit like an antique, especially in the mornings... i also use the "healing with the angels" oracle cards, which is more fitting of me physically--round and chubby, but i don't always fly around naked, at least not in public! :) *ROFLMAO* ... you have given me quite a mental image! ~giggles~ I feel quite antique in the mornings too, know what you mean. But I must say, like Wolfspirit I am abit concerned about what your theory of equating self with deck could mean for me as my favorite deck is the Cosmic Tribe. Like you I use a second deck a lot too The Faeries Oracle ... I cannot even begin to imagine what this would make me although I am quite sure I would be naked, covered body paint and be sprinkling faerie dust around!

truthsayer	11 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Jewel the Faeries Oracle ... I cannot even begin to imagine what this would make me although I am quite sure I would be naked, covered body paint and be sprinkling faerie dust around! a very interesting mental image, jewel. }) ;) LOL if that's you then since i love the nevertari would that mean i'm the mummified corpse of a long deck egyptian queen who now resides in either a sarcophagus or some musuem display case?(good case for getting cremated there. i wouldn't want to be dug up a thousand+ years from now and put on exhibit!) or that i have slanted eyes, a black wig, i'm outlined in gold, heavily made up eyes, a thin loin cloth, very stiff posture and i walk sideways? whatever will isis and osirius think!! LOL

ihcoyc	11 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by metaz my fave deck is the visconti gold... i guess that means i'm old and shiny (!??) My favourite deck is the Ancient Italian. I guess this makes me old and slightly smudged.

Jewel	12 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer or that i have slanted eyes, a black wig, i'm outlined in gold, heavily made up eyes, a thin loin cloth, very stiff posture and i walk sideways? whatever will isis and osirius think!! LOL I think it is this one Truth! *ROFLMAO* ... now just imagine us sitting side by side in those get ups *LOL* ... Faunabay, where are you? I am curious to see what you would look like! *LOL*

The favo deck theory thread was originally posted on 04 Nov 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.