Twisty topic: tarot deck for each Major Arcana card??

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

SongDeva	30 Sep 2003
***Please move if this should be in Tarot Games Ok, bear with me here: I just bought a BUNCH of decks on eBay from a lady who is paring down her collection. She intends to own only 22 decks total, all ones that she uses actively. Well, I got to thinking.....How fabulous! What an interesting way to decide how many decks you will own! And then I thought....hmmmmmmmm.....interesting....I wonder which decks (in general) would represent each major arcana card? (You might say that I've got too much time on my hands.) So, that said.....obviously, the choices would change based on the decks you identify with. I think Goddess Tarot would make a lovely Empress. So would Shapeshifter...no, maybe that's more High Priestess. Winged Spirit might be a page of cups (not major, I know). Osho Zen would make a good Fool. Ancestral Path a good Magician. I'll keep an updated list in this post if anyone has any suggestions. 0.Fool: Osho Zen/Vertigo 1.Magician: Ancestral Path 2. High Priestess Shapeshifter/Old Path 3.Empress: Goddess 4. Emperor Arthurian 5. Hierophant: Vision Quest 6. Lovers: Goddess 13. Death: Vampire/Goth 15. Devil: Thoth

EmmaChat214	30 Sep 2003
interesting question...and just to dig a little deeper, what do you suppose makes you identify certain decks with particular trumps? i did a little thinking about this and the pattern i seem to follow is matching a deck to the trump that jumps out at me the most (within that deck). thus, the card that i find the most moving, the most evocative sets the tone of the entire deck. examples. Tarot of the Old Path, my very favorite deck, would be the High Priestess. to me that card in that deck is unsurpassed...and the messages that this deck gives me are very spiritual and intuitive (even if i needed a little nudge to get the intuition!) sorta like i think the HP is. with the Goddess Tarot, Venus stands out--an impossibly beautiful interpretation of The Lovers. being a card of choice, i link this deck and trump naturally. this deck gets pulled out for the BIG questions primarily... just my $ .02 cheers, emma and, for the record, i don't think you have too much time on your hands...either that or you've dragged me down with you! :)

Dark_angel	30 Sep 2003
I think Death would have to be either the Vampire Tarot or the Gothic Tarot - they show death (something often feared) as the beginning of a new phase of existence. The Vertigo would have to be the Fool, or maybe the World; the two cards are equally applicable. Anyone who knows the deck will understand what I mean. xxx

wolfen045	03 Oct 2003
The Thoth tarot would be my pick for the Devil . This is both because of its strong sexual imagry(for example, Lust) and more especialy because of its association with Crowley. Crowley saw himself as The 666 Beast from Revelations. Imho, this makes Thoth perfect for the Devil. Blessings,wolfen

rota	06 Oct 2003
We might have to pair up the Magician spot with the Rider/Waite/Smith. Wasn't it Waite and Smith who popularized that card, changing it in the public mind from the Bateleur?

Layla	06 Oct 2003
Interesting topic. I agree with most of the choices so far. I nominate: Tarot of Transformation as Judgment for obvious reasons. William Blake Tarot as Hierophant, for the wealth of spiritual knowledge contained in the his visionary works. Haindl Tarot as Hermit, because its hidden imagery requires quiet contemplation. I would prefer the Art Nouveau Tarot for Lovers, because it concentrates on the development of relationships and related choices.

Nevada	06 Oct 2003
I immediately thought of Thoth as The Devil too. AND I have to agree that Goddess Tarot should be The Lovers, since it's so wonderful for relationship readings. II High Priestess--Tarot of the Old Path (although I also love the Empress card for this deck, and the Star--Oh, shoot! I love this deck.) Nevada Moon

SongDeva	07 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by EmmaChat214 interesting question...and just to dig a little deeper, what do you suppose makes you identify certain decks with particular trumps? and, for the record, i don't think you have too much time on your hands...either that or you've dragged me down with you! :) Glad to have reeled you in, Emma, some good ideas. In answer to this question, I was thinking in terms of the energy of the WHOLE deck. It's interesting to see where the question leads different people. Vee

Jewel-ry	07 Oct 2003
And of course .....The alchemical for Temperance...

rota	07 Oct 2003
How about the Mexican 'Loteria' cards for The Fool? Granted, the Loteria isn't a tarot deck, but what does a Fool know? :) :D

The Twisty topic: tarot deck for each Major Arcana card?? thread was originally posted on 30 Sep 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.