Decks and do they matter?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

katie_here	22 Feb 2004
Do you prefer to use a particular deck? Did you try a few before you were happy? Do you use different decks depending on the questions you want answered? I have my enchanted tarot deck that I bought in a sale from a book club and I also have an unknown one that I got for £4.99 in a book store. I find I prefer to use the enchanted one most and seem to get more appropriate answers (or maybe its psychological? I don't know) Some decks I have seen are really expensive and some look really scary and put me off. Really gothic pictures makes me think the answers will all be bad and foreboding. what kind of preferences do you have? I'd be really interested to know.

Phoenyx*	22 Feb 2004
I've got 8 decks. One of them, the Thoth, is a very aggressive deck, as most here that have it will attest to. If my energy isn't up to dealing with the aggression, then I'll read with one of my "softer, gentler" decks, like my Rider-Waite, my new Hansen-Roberts, my SC, etc.

katie_here	22 Feb 2004
What kind of readings would you use the Thoth for?

lionette	22 Feb 2004
Hi Katie, I generally go with the modern, arty sorts of decks. (Crystal, Light & Shadow, New Century) The other deck I have is the infamous Thoth, but haven't been intrigued by at all lately in favor of my "prettier" decks. And it's mostly just around for study purposes. Am planning to branch out into Marseilles territory, for serious study. The history behind these decks is appealing, but most are I don't find very attractive. :)

lunakasha	22 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by katie_here Do you prefer to use a particular deck? Did you try a few before you were happy? Do you use different decks depending on the questions you want answered? I have my enchanted tarot deck that I bought in a sale from a book club and I also have an unknown one that I got for £4.99 in a book store. I find I prefer to use the enchanted one most and seem to get more appropriate answers (or maybe its psychological? I don't know) Some decks I have seen are really expensive and some look really scary and put me off. Really gothic pictures makes me think the answers will all be bad and foreboding. what kind of preferences do you have? I'd be really interested to know. Hi Katie! I am sure you will get a wide range of answers to your questions, as choosing a deck is such an individual choice...everyone has different preferences, and many of us here at AT enjoy having a variety of decks to choose from :) Personally speaking, I have quite a few different decks, one of them being the Thoth, but most of my favorite "reading" decks are Rider-Waite/clones such as Hanson-Roberts, Robin Wood or my lovely Radiant RW! The reason I don't use the Thoth is not because it is dark or "scary", although I do feel it has a lot of powerful energy, and I respect that. For me, the issue is that I am still learning the basics, and the Rider-Waite decks are much easier to learn with. The Thoth is (I think) harder to read with intuitively, and Crowley's book (no offense) does not help at all. But that's just me! I would encourage you to browse around AT and other tarot websites, look at some different decks and find one or two that really speak to you...have fun! :) Luna

ros	22 Feb 2004
Read from the deck your comfortable with & get most meanings from. Then when your ready to move on another deck gets your interest, than another & another etc. Just go with the flow, you'll know, different for everyone.

lunalafey	22 Feb 2004
For a very long time I had only one deck, then I got a second and put the first one away. So, at that time, I used only one deck for every reading. Currently I have about a dozen decks. My small collection is quite diverse. I am not too picky about how the elements are assigned and such. I like decks that have a bit of individuality to them. Sometimes I get confussed with the courts titles, some decks have a female in the traditional King position. But I get through that by learning the deck. With 10 or 12 decks to choose from, I do consider the question as well as the person asking when I do a reading.

Aerten	22 Feb 2004
I'm currently into just plain ol' playing cards :) But I just bought the Tarot de Marsailles today *pats shopping bag* so I'll have fun with that, too... I just don't like to get bogged down in a lot of esoteric symbolism, you see... which is why I'm finally letting go of my Rider-Waite (clones).

Phoenyx*	22 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by katie_here What kind of readings would you use the Thoth for? Sometimes I use the Thoth if I have a hard situation where I'm really too close to the situation to see with unbiased eyes, but mainly I'll use it for study purposes. Lately though, my energy has been really drained, and I just can't pick the deck up and work with it. I've been really burned out with clinicals, and my energy's been down alot, I had a migraine on Friday so badly that I couldn't even break my new Hanson-Roberts in with a small reading, and yesterday I had cramps. >.<

bunnyhop	23 Feb 2004
if i use a certain deck over another, i tend to be in the mood i was in when i bought the deck. it's funny. i was in a dark, brooding mood when i bought my Sacred Rose deck. i was feeling a little awkward but upbeat when i bought my tarot nova deck. my universal waite deck was an impulse buy. i was indifferent when i bought my Zerner Farber deck, and the list goes on...:D

crystal cove	23 Feb 2004
To me decks are tools, nothing more. My goal is to be so in tune with myself that I can read with any deck, including regular playing cards, so being overly invested in a particular deck would defeat my purpose. That said, I do have a few favorites out of my 31 decks.

Dark_angel	23 Feb 2004
I have lots of decks, and tend to use a few at a time, although the chosen few cycle, so they all get an airing. :) My current in-use decks are the Mythic (thanks Chronata- using it already!), the Fey, the Gothic by Vargo, the Ananda, and the Faeries Oracle by Froud. I'm using the Rider-Waite for study, as it's used in the illustrations of Rachel Pollack's 78 Degrees of Wisdom. Although at the moment my decks of choice aren't dark (apart from the Gothic), I do like to use dark decks. They aren't for everyone though; just like not everyone likes the Rider Waite, or the Marseilles. Personally, I find a darkly romantic pragmatism (and if that isn't an oxymoron, I don't know what is) - they show me the truth of the situation without holding back, and because of my knowledge of gothic literature, I can use this to help me see the beauty of the situation, even if it appears bleak at first. I don't own a Thoth, so I can't comment (although my friend who's travelling says he's going to bring me one back as a souvenier). On the whole, I tend to go for slightly off-beat decks, like the Adrian and the Vertigo. I find that the cards can echo the strangeness of life. I do find that there are some decks I use for certain types of readings. For example, I do a lot of relationship readings with the Ananda deck. I think this may be more to do with my psychological relationship with particular decks rather than with any intrinsic energy in the cards. Katie_here, why not scan in some pictures of the unknown deck - someone here might be able to identify it for you. (I'm not sure if non-subscribers can do this, but if not, I'm sure a technologically adept person here could help... I'll give it a shot, if you like, although I have a bad relationship with computers so they might come out upside down!).

BlueLotus	23 Feb 2004
Although I bought the Hudes Tarot quite by accident, i.e. it wasn't my first choice, as it was available right then and there, and I didn't like the sombre images much, it is one of my favorites now. Using it regularly the last couple of days proved very beneficial and readings were very insightful. I like decks with real human beings on them. Natural, down to earth sort of images, such as the Hudes above, and the Spiral Tarot. I am very impressed with this deck .

Teranar	23 Feb 2004
I tend tochoosewhatdeckiusedependingonwhatitsovergahhhhh SPACE BAR IS MY FRIEND! Spcae space sorry back on subject, I use a different deck depending on what the reading's on. I use my Scrapelli deck my ex-girlfriend got me for romanticish readings, my dragon deck for readings on ME! and everything else gets my venerable ryder white. Still addicted to caffiene, Teranar

STARGAZING	23 Feb 2004
I have my favourites, the faeries Oracle by Froud, and the Arthurian Tarot by Anna Marie Ferguson. I seem to use these the most. I also received as a gift, Medicine Cards. I usually use those only for myself, never tried them on anyone else, kind of personal to me, (Maybe because of who I received them from) In reading everyones threads, I was wondering if the weather, or seasons had an impact on the readings or the cards??? Just a thought. I know with me, the weather really affects me, how about anyone else.

dolphinprincess	23 Feb 2004
Its not that I *couldn't* read with any deck - its that I don't want to! Part of the fun of reading, for me, is getting lost in the images.. and that means I must really love the artwork of the deck I'm using. I am extremely picky, too! I've gone through a lot of decks finding ones I really connect with.. but it is so worth it!

Emily	23 Feb 2004
I've worked my way through many different decks but always seemed to go back to the Rider Waite or clone decks - I find the none traditional, like the Haindl, the hardest to read with - so I started to concentrate on the Rider Waite symbolism and in this search found the Morgan Greer deck. This deck is now my reading and study deck. It good for any type of reading and spread. Its a good all-rounder. The Thoth is another deck that I'm having fun with at the moment but its a hard deck to get into and to understand. I try it for a few months then it goes back on the shelf for a while then I get it down again. :)

Centaur	23 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Triquetra I had a migraine on Friday so badly that I couldn't even break my new Hanson-Roberts in with a small reading, and yesterday I had cramps. >.< Congratulations on obtaining a fantastic deck. I love the Hanson-Roberts. With regards to the question at hand, I feel that I prefer lots of different styles. I guess I use different decks to suit my mood. If I feel in the mood for a nice dark deck, I might pull out the Thoth. If I feel light-hearted I might pull out the Hanson-Roberts. I tend towards RW clones though. At the moment, I am connecting with my Universal-Waite (oooo... sounds raunchy!). C

Indigo Rose	23 Feb 2004
Hi Katie. YES, the deck does matter very much to me! I now have 9 decks. However, I have gotten rid of 6 decks over the past year that I simply did not like and could not connect with. For me, I prefer Rider Waite clones: Radiant Rider, Universal Waite, Robin Wood, Morgan Greer, Hanson Roberts. I will not use the Thoth or any other deck that is "dark" to me. I agree with what others here have said: you have to find what works for you, and what YOU connect with. Aeclectic Tarot has a great inventory of decks, with pictures and reviews. Check that out. Blessings, Indigo Rose :)

Phoenyx*	23 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Centaur Congratulations on obtaining a fantastic deck. I love the Hanson-Roberts. With regards to the question at hand, I feel that I prefer lots of different styles. I guess I use different decks to suit my mood. If I feel in the mood for a nice dark deck, I might pull out the Thoth. If I feel light-hearted I might pull out the Hanson-Roberts. I tend towards RW clones though. At the moment, I am connecting with my Universal-Waite (oooo... sounds raunchy!). C It really is a pretty deck. I was kinda turned off by it because of the backing, and it seemed a little childish...but I actually looked at some of the cards, and it was just beautiful.

Thea Lynx	23 Feb 2004
Hi Katie, In the beginning, I picked up whatever deck struck my fancy and bought it. Later I developed the habit of looking them over entirely whenever possible (luckily I have a metaphysical bookstore nearby that will let me do this) and make my decision based on how the deck actually feels as I handle it. For example, I picked up Medieval Scapini and Russian St. Petersbury almost two years ago and have just started working Medieval and have not yet worked Russion. I picked them out for their beauty, but not for how I felt about them. I almost feel it a disservice to the deck to not get to know it as much as possible before getting it. I have 44 decks not, have worked more that 2/3 of them and plan to work each one for at least a week before I go back and really get into the others. A couple of noteable exceptions are my Thoth, my power deck, which always lets me know when it wants to be worked and my Spirit of the Tarot, also Thoth style, but in a more feminine way, which I am studying on a one card per day basis at this time. Only one deck has been a major disappointment - Connolly. I saw this deck in class, observed it, handled it and finally bought it, and the first time I worked with it I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Fortunately, I found a good home for it with someone who knew it and wanted it, so even though my reaction to this particular deck was very negative, it is now in the best possible hands. I do not think I will ever buy another deck without handling it as much as is possible before hand. Thea Lynx

katie_here	23 Feb 2004
I'm finding all your answers to my questions very very interesting. So much so that I intend (when time permits) to go into town and look up some shops that sell tarot decks and books. I do know of a shop that I have been in but didn't feel too much at home there so I think I should look around further. I am finding it quite fascinating how many decks some people have and get the feeling that if I had a couple more of different style decks to the ones I have I would gain more knowledge and understanding of the tarot. I will look forward to reading more replies. (hopefully ;-) )

VGimlet	24 Feb 2004
The deck matters a lot to me. Yes, I could probably read with playing cards, but part of the joy for me is using a deck I really like - for whatever reason - the artwork, the presentation, type of deck, or even the theme. Right now, my reading deck is my Universal RWS, and I am in the process of studying the Thoth. I used the Aquarian deck for *many* years before I found the Universal; I never found the original RWS very compelling. I will play around with some of my other decks (non-tarot people are quite shocked at how many decks I have, LOL) but right now I like what I'm using. I like decks with large, sturdy cards, and for an every day reading deck, I want something I can replace if the cards get messed up. The artwork is very important to me - especially the use of color. Black and white, or photographic decks generally don't speak to me --with exceptions. I want to study Marseilles style decks, but I know I'm going to probably look at, handle, and probably buy several decks before I find "the one" that will get me started.

The Decks and do they matter? thread was originally posted on 22 Feb 2004 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.