tarot personalities

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 26 Aug 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

EmmaChat214	26 Aug 2003
Hi all! I'm not sure if this has ever been discussed...but does anyone else have decks with, umm...a personality? I've been reading for over a decade now and over the years I've gravitated to a few decks in particular. When I read for myself, I typically fan out the cards or just pick at "random" from the stack. I read in sort of a Q&A format and lately I've realized that while all of my decks answer me back (delightful little mysteries, every one) each deck talks with a consistent tone or voice. Tarot of the Old Path, my very favorite and most personal deck, speaks back in a sort of half-sassy, half-bossy voice. You know, like someone you've know for a very long time who can straight up tell you your butt looks like a double-wide in your new jeans. This deck never fails to come across as older, smarter and interested in my well-being. She (?) looks our for bad men and crappy jobs and never fails to call out when (for once) I'm doing something right... Holding down the second spot in my favor is the Chinese Tarot. These seem to speak in a kind of sexless, breathy voice...like they're in touch with a different source of wisdom. This time there's a more universal and benevolent feel--which doesn't quite satisfy like the punchy TotOP. The mood of the CT echoes the hazy landscapes of the Song Dynasty...can you hear the art history major coming back? hee hee. Maybe even tied for "second place" is the Tarot of the Southwestern Sacred Tribes...here again the card's imagery evokes a different mood. This deck has serious, weighty feel and is pulled out of the magic box at times of great importance... A deck that I rarely touch for personal readings is the Sacred Rose. I really bought this to read for other people--they've always seemed a little creepy to me but people who I read for seemed to want a deck that had a vague mysterious feel rather than my happy little TotOP. Anyway, this was my best friend in high school's favorite deck so I bought it as a nod to her...that's really where the original connection was. Anyway, this deck is nothing but a grumpy old man and he, like, does not want to talk to me one on one. Oh the little rudie is more than happy if pulled out for someone else but god forbid I ask a personal question...it's like the magic 8-ball answer: try again later. I have a variety of other decks but the strongest voices come from the ones that see the most action...so how 'bout it? Am I nuts in feeling a personality or do y'all have similar stories? EmmaChat

catlin	27 Aug 2003
MM EmmaChat and welcome here to a.net, That' s a good point! Here are my fav reading decks: My Ellen Cannon Witches tarot is very talkative, straight-forward, sometimes even a bit blunt. The Legend Arthurian has a very gentle emphatic way of "talking", very appropriate for love matters. The Crowley reminds me of a psychologist, always giving neutral advice and delving in the depths of your soul. The Journey to the Orient gives advice which is like one of the Zen Koans, you don't understand it right from the spot, you have to meditate about it. The RW is a nice "passe-partout" easily adapting to every kind of questions, telling you things in a polite way.

Chronata	27 Aug 2003
How funny! I was thinking of posting a thread just like this one! It seems that all of my decks have personalities...which makes reading them in tandum a little bit like directing a play. My RWS is very wise, old Grandfatherly. He doesn't mind if I don't visit for a while, or if I keep him on the shelf for a few years...as long as I remember that he's still there, being very patient. It's the first deck that I ever got, and I keep in an antique beaded bag. He almost has that Hermit quality. And he is forever revealing little bits of knowledge and the past, that I never knew before. Then there is the Hanson Roberts... with wisdom and childlike wonder, like one of my bestest friends. She has been around for a while, and we are so comfortable together...like we can tell each other anything! Since I lost this deck, I have had to deal with her tiny clone...but the personality of fun tempered with serious deep discussions is still very much there! My Thoth is like an old friend that I don't see often, but each time we reconnect, he has gone through so many changes(or I have) that it takes awhile to get to know each other again. But then, he has always liked to be the enigma, and keep secrets from me, which he reveals later, in a nonchalant candor. He still has enormous charisma, though, and I think he likes to show off. My favorite new pairing of personalities are with Oracle decks. The Psycards are like a serious young college student, trying to balance her new freedoms and responsibilities with work and thesis. Madame Endora's Fortune cards are like the Psycards younger sister..still in High School, but really interested in mythology, archetypes and history. These two work so well together, but like most siblings they still argue about certain points. These are just a few of my deck personalities...the ones I am using most often lately. There are many more as well!

Elle	27 Aug 2003
All my decks get a kick out of confusing me, i.e. they share the same sense of humor... Warmest, Elle

Alissa	28 Aug 2003
My Universal Waite is the straight talker. Although not a Tarot deck, my Faerie Oracle deck has the most personality, and is sometimes uncanny in giving me the message I most need to hear, in a way that I can understand it. It is humorous and wise, and serious. My Decameron deck has a personality (how could it not?), and is precious to me.

EmmaChat214	28 Aug 2003
...delightful to read these responses... it's really an interesting thing. i find that the personalities of the decks dictate not only usage but can even set (or mirror) my mood for the day. i try to set aside a nice quiet moment to pick a deck to slip into my little travel pouch every morning--a little extra energy for the day, you know. i'm thinking i'll need to swap out decks today...the chinese tarot has been making me a little too mellow at work lately! back to the magic box to find someone a little more zippy... cheers, emma any good ideas for decks with EXTRA energy to finish out the week?

Logiatrix	29 Aug 2003
Emma, You are not crazy--I see my decks the same way, almost like people... Or maybe we are both completely nuts, and that's okay, too! :D Anyway, I have eight tarot decks that I have bonded with, and each has it's own distinctive personality... Animal-Wise: A very spiritual wise Sage, like the old bearded hermit at the top of the mountan. Sometimes, I actually feel like I'm walking in the wilderness with the Sage when I do these readings. Brotherhood of Light: Very cut-to-the-chase and honest. No touchy-feely readings here! This is the one who tells me when I've been wrong, if I've been wrong. He won't tell me if I've been right, he just tells me not to gloat! Hanson-Roberts: This "mini" deck I have now is still new, but the deck I had a while back was a very "motherly" personality. I guess I missed Mom! Inner Child: This deck is like my best girl friend that I hang out with at the mall or talk to on the phone for hours. She's an excellent listener who offers great comfort in times of distress. She encourages me to "lighten up." Royal-Fez Moroccan: Having this deck is like having a professional psychiatrist on hand, for...whenever I need him! I think "him" because I sense a masculine personality, but also with a very evolved capacity to nurture and intuit. The Star That Never Walks Around: She is a comforting grandmother, but don't you dare lie to her or challenge her wisdom! She has moved some of my clients to tears with her honesty, but she also imparts comfort with the heavy truth. Visconti Gold: I am most comfortable with her because we have been together the longest. Her spirit reminds me of my beloved Jazz, a loyal and comforting feline companion who passed a year before I bought the Visconti. My deck is also elegantly beautiful, yet cozy. She looks so regal and even fragile, but I have brought gutter-level issues to her and she took it all on like a great warrior in battle. Her voice is direct and balanced. I am always proud of the "oohs and aahs" she gets when my querents see her for the first time. She remains beautiful, looking better and better with age. Zerner-Farber: This one wants to know all about my day, especially when I have people problems. She loves to gossip and talk about men. Sometimes I find that she tends to take my side a little too eagerly, but I'm never left without fair and sound advice from her. My friends like to turn specifically to the ZF for relationship issues, too. :) Oops...EDITED to add: About an "energy" deck... I would like to encourage you to check out the Inner Child deck that I mentioned above; that's my "energy booster." However, based on the decks you favor, you might enjoy something with a more earthy, pagan feel. The Wild Spirit or Gill strike me as very energetic. They are both in the deck gallery here on AT. Good luck!

EmmaChat214	31 Aug 2003
Hi Tauni! Great, great post...what you said about the visconti deck made me smile because just yesterday i picked them up in the bookstore. i think that the versions i'd seen in the past we the original non-gilded cards but jeez...those sparkly girls practically leaped off the shelf. i can imagine the response you must get from people you read for. nothing like a little "shock and awe" technique in your readings, hmm? ha ha. despite being tempted, i was on a mission and only came home with a rider-waite deck. oddly enough, it's taken me over a decade to add this deck to my collection. some well-meaning witch from new orleans helped me pick out my first deck--it was the connolly tarot which i think she thought would be gentle and i could work with slowly...yeah progress was indeed slow until i found tarot of the old path. take the usual images and throw in some pagan mystery...i was set. anyway, i'd never been drawn to the RWS until now. i started reading pollack's 78 degrees book and it seemed like now (yesterday) was the morning for action. i guess now the RWS is more interesting because the symbolism is being broken down and so many deck are based on it...i'm not sure if i'll ever use it for my own readings but i am a little curious about its voice...and i will say that the Q of Wands caught my eye. at her feet is a little kitty who looks a lot like mine. execpt i guess mine's a little fatter...but that really can't be helped. anybody who gets that excited over cat food can't be denied, right? thanks for the Inner Child tip too...i definitely check 'em out! cheers, emma and thanks to all gods for this labor day weekend.

Cerulean	03 Sep 2003
She uses both Tarot for Self Discovery and the Legends deck: http://www.illuminationtarot.com/insights/card_02614.html I know you can use different tarot decks for different reasons and it should be simple to use this art theme deck for personal readings...but I've not done that so far. I always thought of Legends as a romantic storytelling deck and the Hallowquest deck as a straightforward personal insight deck. I think recently watching the Two Towers from Lord of the Rings with my nephews made me think of all that beautiful scenery and magic. And it made me yearn for the Ferguson tarot for storylike scenes. Mari H.

Logiatrix	04 Sep 2003
Darn you, Mari! Now I'm thinking about it, too... The beautiful Legends deck, with that British accent (for some of us that's not something we here all the time *sigh* ;) )and that far-off world of Avalon... Here I go again, longing for another old friend... :)

mondk	05 Sep 2003
Cool topic. Yes, all my decks speak differently to me. My Witches' tarot also is very straight forward and blunt (I read somewhere up there that someone else has also noticed this) Dragon: This is the deck I learned off of so it speaks to me sometimes in a way that inflects hidden meanings, like a dual meaning. Goddess: This is a very feminine deck. This deck gently guides me to answers and softens them...not harsh at all. Hudes: This is my current working deck. This deck pretty much tells it like it is, but softens the harsher undertones, if that makes any sense. Winged Spirit: This deck is a bit touchy. It will only take certain querents...I'm not sure why. Whimsical: I use this deck for valuable insight into my younger querents; it works wonders for the young uns but I have diffic. interpreting some of the cards for anyone over 21 with this deck. Halloween: My son mixes this one up with his Yu-Gi-Oh cards and so I don't use it much, LOL. Robin Wood: Tells it like it is but seems to be a spiritual sort of deck to me. Unlike some of my others, but is my newest deck so I've only read one querent so far off of it. Sacred Circle: Still learning this deck. I feel this is a "deep" deck. I can't wait to hear all it has to reveal. Blessings, Michelle

EmmaChat214	13 Sep 2003
Michelle...I noticed you mentioned the Goddess tarot. I find that use that one for BIG issues and typically rely only on the majors in this deck. there's something really special i think about being able to pull from a range of goddesses...i guess i use this deck as more of a clarifier. (i.e...who exactly should i be looking to for guidance, and so on.) very detached voice for me...totally other-worldly. a neat deck i think. cheers, emma

brennamor	14 Sep 2003
I have to admit that I think all my decks have personality. But some of their personalities don't work well with mine all the time. There are days when I want something whimsical and chummy and then there are days when I need a major reality check. So I try to suit the deck to my mood. But even among the RWS there are personalities. I see the Universal Waite as somewhat lighter and less serious in tone (a gentle nudge rather than a scold) The standard RWS is more of a distant teacher, a lecturer who doesn't necessarily care if you like what it's telling you as long as you get it; effective but sometimes distant. The Original WS (with the greenish tinged blues) is more a mentor, a teacher who wants to make sure you understand but doesn't feel the need for distance. This one is a bit more friendly to me. Golden Rider is a warm friend who keeps poking you in the back saying - see, see what I'm talking about. The imagery is familiar but something about the coloring makes this approachable and friendly. Illuminated Tarot by Carol Herzer is a spiritual and mystical deck. All those swirling colors and balls of energy make me feel like I'm plugging in to the central switchboard of the universe. And I hope the upcoming Radiant RWS offers the same kind of feeling.

brennamor	14 Sep 2003
Now I'm on a roll. This thread has started me thinking about the personalities among the Thoth and Thoth-inspired decks. Thoth itself reminds me of a crazy friend who may have spend too much time doing drugs in the 60s but who offers insights that just knock you on your behind. (But I must be honest - the green tinged version still seems to be revelling in its drug use) Tarot of the Spirit is a kindler, genter Thoth. She (and I definitely feel this deck is feminine) comforts and reassures but is just as blunt when the occasion calls for it. Stone Tarot is a deep, mystical journey to the heart of yourself. This deck is also bluntly honest and insightful but it seems to be more the result of a lot of deep, inner work than any external substances. Cosmic Tribe - insightful but fun. This deck calls us to come out and have fun while we learn about ourselves. Parrott Tarot - whimsical, cartoonish and fun but still packs a whallop. This deck is almost the junior variation. Perhaps it's Thoth through younger, less serious eyes. And it offers the innocent wisdom and insight of a child. I'm sure there are more Thoth-inspired decks out there but these are the ones that hit me just now.

The tarot personalities thread was originally posted on 26 Aug 2003 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.