Are there any decks out there which are more relatable and tell a clear story?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Apr 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Ayram	23 Apr 2005
Hello - I have the Universal Waite deck (first and only) and I'm more or less a beginner. I don't even know where to begin, in terms of studying the cards/learning their meanings. For now I just look up a card's meanings in books after I've drawn it. That doesn't help me understand the cards when they're next to each other though (in which case the meanings can change). I'm open to book suggestions! I know the major arcana tell some sort of journey story, but it seems people are stretching to make it make sense (sorry if that sounds offensive - I'm just failing to see how it clearly relates to real life situations, consistently. But again - I don't understand a lot). Another example of my confusion is in how I don't understand why there are so many cards that mean "change." I also don't understand how so far, I haven't noticed anyone willing to say that a card is simply bad (e.g. means something bad's coming around the corner). I hear/read a lot of "no no - that just means change." I don't like to be negative or hope for negativity (I don't!) but common - there are some pretty ugly cards in there. NO CARDS simply represent something negative? Ugh - I have a feeling I'm asking for a fight...and I don't want that. I just want to understand. So...is there a deck out there that either tells a more practical story, and has cards which are profound and yet simple/clear - and not too redundant? Hope I don't sound too hard to please! I'm having a good time learning but I also know there are so many decks to choose from, and that it's possible there's one out there that represents ideas, feelings and experiences which are more clear-cut. Thank you! Ayram

RiccardoLS	23 Apr 2005
One of the reason cards happen not to be negative is a sort of "diplomacy" :) But the main reason (imho) is that Tarot needs to be flexible. It must be able to adapt, rather than being literal. I think it could not work on a pick a card /get the result basic. It is symbolic and then again archetipical. Think about the Tower (well, it's pretty a negative card): it means destruction, loss, ruin, pride humbled, wounds, prison, etc... But all of these things, while negative, are not necessarely "bad". They should feel into a dynamic pattern - real life - that tends to find growth in everything. There are a few decks (I prefer not to offer suggestions) there are pretty grim, and pretty blunt on negative cards. (and some people don't like them, because they're like a depressed friend. It's a friend, but you don't won't to see him every evening, as he take too much energy). Check on those. Actually I think that (I'm being provocative ^^) on average American decks are more "change-good-wonderful" style. Positive thinking :) But whotever deck you will take - imho - the trick is to find a way to read it dinamycally. At first things will seem literal. Connection between cards will seem forced or akward. Then meanings will start flowing... and readings will take shape. It is like learning to sky. At first, you fall a lot and go slow :) The thing You should - my opinion - always take in mind is that there is much more to a card than a collection of meanings. You should add meanings.. until you can see really the card. It is all of them and yet, none of them.

Fudugazi	23 Apr 2005
RiccardoLS wrote: It is like learning to sky. At first, you fall a lot and go slow :) The thing You should - my opinion - always take in mind is that there is much more to a card than a collection of meanings. You should add meanings.. until you can see really the card. It is all of them and yet, none of them. Very good analogy, Riccardo! And I'll add this for those crying out for books: you don't learn to ski, and you don't learn Tarot, with books. You learn it through practice and full interaction - personal engagement (body-mind-spirit) with your cards, and with the symbols and archetypes on them. Don't look for "a story". Let the cards tell you what they want - eventually you will see many stories, not just one. Put down the book of meanings, pick up your cards, a notebook and pen and start writing what you see. Let it tell you what it wants. This is the true journey of discovery. And it lasts as long as you... Books will be a part of your journey. Maybe a big part if you are bookish like me. Not only tarot books that spoonfeed you - numerology books, books on symbolism, books on history and myth, on kabbalah, on art, etc etc. But if you have your head stuck in a book the whole time, you'll miss the landscape and the people - which are the true point of your journey. But if you want one book to start you on your journey, I would recommend Robert M Place's The Tarot: History, Symbolism and Divination. It doesn't spoonfeed - it educates and inspires.

MeeWah	23 Apr 2005
Since this thread more a general inquiry than deck specific, it shall be moved to Talking Tarot. ~MeeWah Co-Moderator, Tarot Decks

MeeWah	23 Apr 2005
Ayran: Welcome to Aeclectic Tarot! & wise words from Riccardo: RiccardoLS wrote: ...But whotever deck you will take - imho - the trick is to find a way to read it dinamycally. At first things will seem literal. Connection between cards will seem forced or akward. Then meanings will start flowing... and readings will take shape. It is like learning to sky. At first, you fall a lot and go slow :) The thing You should - my opinion - always take in mind is that there is much more to a card than a collection of meanings. You should add meanings.. until you can see really the card. It is all of them and yet, none of them. I am probably not a good source for books, but I can address the other issues. I understand the Universal Waite to be based on the RWS, which would be a good deck to begin with in that there are many books available based on RWS imagery. Practice is the fulcrum of learning, understanding/insight. Familiarize the self with the individual card images. Images primarily of the archetypal that cross cultural boundaries. Pick out individual images or symbols to see their possibilities & go from those. (I wrote thoughts on each of the cards long before I ever looked at a book. A good exercise to stimulate the imaginative process which forms the basis of the interpretive.) Practice working with the cards, even if it entails looking up their meanings in books. Nothing wrong in utilizing a study aid. To this end, consider drawing a card or more daily. See how it/they may apply to the activities & situations as it can be difficult "to read" a card in isolation, without some relativity or reference. Not uncommon to not see a connection; however, in the very attempts to perceive mayst be experienced a beginning; an awakening of those faculties contributing to the interpretive process. All of life a succession of change & cycles. Tarot cards can mirror change on various levels of being (physical, mental, spiritual); reflect transition &/or the status quo. Each card represents a spectrum of possible meanings, both of the traditionally attributed & other resulting from the moment, each unique & according to the thoughts, the feelings, the life experiences, the interior & exterior influences. Those are the dynamics with which one brings. How clearly a deck speaks depends on the individual as the same decks do not appeal to all. Therefore, a matter of investigating various decks. A deck whose artwork appeals need not necessarily endow it as a reading deck. A deck whose artwork does not appeal need not exclude it as a reading deck. Also, as knowledge acquired, deck preferences can fluctuate or change, too. One need not, however, rush out in a quest to find *the deck* as that can be a frustration in itself, but having more than one deck to utilize can assist in inspiring different perspectives. In gaining first some basic understanding of the individual cards such as with the existing deck or another, one can look to branch outwards towards other decks. & towards gaining that basic understanding--ye come to the right place for the learning! Do check out the forums of Using Tarot Cards, Talking Tarot; also Thirteen's Tarot Card Meanings: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/ They are only the tip of the iceberg. The rest resides within thy person, in the efforts & the applications. As one seeks, the awareness will be heightened & enhance the Tarot experience.

Julien	23 Apr 2005
When I started reading, I was using one particular deck, which also struck me as having lots of ugly cards in it. When I began to look into other decks, I discovered that ugly cards really vary, and some of the pretty cards in my original deck were hardly pretty at all compared to some decks, and oh, yes, there were levels of ugly I'd never conceived -- and some cards that were pretty in one deck were ugly elsewhere... Just depends. But without naming names of decks, I'll say this: I have one deck which I SWEAR only has negative cards in it, and I think I feel that way because I don't think ANY of the cards are particularly pretty (and I really don't want to name the deck because I know it's actually quite popular in some circles, and I know that not everyone has this experience with it). As Riccardo said, it's like having a friend who is really depressed. So it sits on my shelf most of the time, and I occaisionally take it down because I want Grumpy's take on something. On the other hand, I do have a deck that seems to almost always give me positive readings. It's like a friend who's too happy and bubbly all the time. I find this equally as irritating, so it, too, sits on the shelf most of the time. Again, sometimes I take it down, too, because I want Happy's take on something. But mostly I let Grumpy and Happy hang-out together, sort of balancing each other out on that shelf, while I hang out with my decks that seem less one-sided to me. Anyway, I think there's some great books out there, but I also think the best thing to do is interact with the cards. The journal is a great thing. So is finding a study buddy -- either on-line or off-line -- to talk about the Tarot. Have a happy journey... Julien

tarotbear	23 Apr 2005
Are there any decks out there which are more relatable and tell a clear story? That is like asking is there an artist who is better than another artist, is there a band that plays the best music than some other band, or is there an auto that is better than another auto. There are no quick fixes in this world. Tarot is subjective. I like deck A because 'this' and I detest deck B because 'that.' Someone else thinks deck B is the greatest thing slice sliced bread. If you want a deck that 'you can relate to better,' you will have to look and search for yourself. If you want to 'know a clear story,' you will have to search for yourself, too, for no one can answer that one for you. Luckily ~ there are thousands of decks to choose from! :smoker: Fron your post I can sense that you are a 'raw beginner' at this. You will soon find there there are no absolutes in Tarot. Every day will be a learning experience for you. I've been doing this for alomst 15 years now and I still find something new to learn every day. I still get 'confused' and I still 'argue' that 'this reading is wrong' or 'the cards make no sense.' However, I find that to be a challange to spur me on, not a roadblack set up to stop me. If you are looking for 'the easy way out' in tarot ~ sorry, there isn't one.

Maggie Bell	23 Apr 2005
Hi, Ayram! Welcome to AT! I can hear your frustration, so I'll jump in the water and offer some suggestions for books and cards that helped me. Please understand that this is all VERY subjective. I started with the Universal Waite; it's a Rider Waite-based deck so you'll find references to it in nearly every book you pick up. The Idiot's Guide to Tarot and Mary Greer's Tarot For Yourself have wonderful exercises for you to do. I highy recommend both these books; they will familiarize you with the cards and their meanings. Tarot in Ten Minutes is very interesting, too. It, too, has lots of exercises. Although it focuses more on the "fortune-telling" aspect of Tarot, I gleaned some very useful personal information from it. Check your library before you go on a buying spree. Also, take a serious look at The Heart of the Tarot by Thomson, Mueller and Echols. It focuses on the two-card layout which the authors believe to be the heart of the tarot - the situation and the challenge. Now to the cards. I used the Universal Waite as I was learning. Then I picked up the Hanson-Roberts deck and used that for several months. I, too, am looking for the right deck. I want that connection to the cards that others speak of. Since I spent a small fortune on decks in the past six months and my wallet is protesting loudly, I now haunt the Tarot Decks forum. Check out this thread: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=17948 Short of going to a good occult shop that will actually LET you open a deck and eye-ball the cards, it's the only way I know of to find a deck that truly speaks to you. Best of luck to you in your search ... Maggie

Cerulean	23 Apr 2005
We love to chime in with our favorites...but would you like to identify story themes that you like to us? I see in your profile you are attracted to the Whimsical and Tarot of Prague. The Whimsical tells pretty stories as some of us first learned them, with illustrations...might be interesting to you? There's a book that goes with that deck and it works with kids too, I've heard. The Tarot of Prague is beautiful and from what I've seen online and in the book, very interesting. Keeps my interest. I think some of us started here enjoying tarot deck pictures that attracted us, finding a deck that had art we wanted to work with...my pick at the beginning time was a Japanese ukiyo-e art theme deck because I liked the art theme, was familiar with relating to those things. Then I found the Hallowquest Arthurian Tarot (Caitlin and John Matthews) worked well for me for awhile...from there went to other history or mythology themes. I found that if I relate to the art in a deck, it helps me see it as a story. I first found tarotlike pictures that related well to me. Then after awhile, I found tarot decks that were more...well, mainstream. But the Universal Waite was never my style. I do have some vintage versions of the Rider Waite, but it's not the only or favorite deck. Best regards, Cerulean

HudsonGray	23 Apr 2005
Have you taken a look at the deck selection up at the top of the page here? (a purple square that says 'decks' under it). Finding art that appeals to you can help to learn tarot faster. There's no card that's 100% bad in the deck, just like there's no card that's 100% good in it either. There's a blend of good and bad in each card, so while some may LOOK bad, it's still good to be reminded that no, it's not all bad. That's what you'll run across in these posts. Just going with cliche meanings will hamper a reading pretty fast. They're more flexible than that. So yes, 'change' does show up on a number of cards, and there's different types of change in each one. Some is for internal work, some is external, some you have no control over, some is a whack upside the head from circumstances you didn't see, etc. So each would have a different slant. I found that there's a lot of 'frustration' cards as well. AND there's a lot of 'happy' cards too. It's not all doom and gloom.

jmd	23 Apr 2005
Riccardo and others have already addressed the question regarding 'anyone willing to say that a card is simply bad'. This reminds me of a Chinese folktale (highly abbreviated in what follows) in which a farmer mentions that his son broke his leg. 'That's bad', says the listener. 'No, that's good- the emperor's conscription chief came to get him to go to war but he now didn't have to'. 'That's good', came the reply. To which the farmer replied 'No, that's bad, because they instead conscripted my other son'. 'That's bad', was the response. 'No, that was good, because [...]' Anyhow, the point is not so much, then, that there are 'good' and 'bad' cards, but rather that they may indicate a state of change in a particular direction. Of course no-one wants to fall off a horse, nor have a broken leg, nor go to war, nor... but each may be a in itself a manner in which situations themselves may act like yeast and sugar in a mix of flour and water.

Logiatrix	24 Apr 2005
Hi, Ayram! To echo Mari's suggestion, the Whimsical Tarot might be a good pick for you. That, or any other theme deck that interests you can be a way to better understanding of the cards. Look into themes that you can relate to or interest you. The same definitely applies to oracles, as well. There's nothing at all wrong with reaching for the familliar or comfortable when you first set out on your journey; if the "Barbie Doll Tarot" is what works for you, so be it. Tarot requires time and study, but should never be stressful or tedious; in fact, tarot really has very few rules or demands to be read a certain way. All of those books are just suggestions, so you can basically approach the cards however you want to. I can relate to the need to understand, because I'm (still!) much the same way; I get very frustrated when I don't understand something. I had to learn to relax, enjoy the scenery (literally, the scenery in the cards), and trust my intuition. I'm actually a bit envious of the so-called "beginner" of tarot; I kind of miss when it was all new and I had so much yet to learn. I still have plenty to learn, but it's different now. I'm very glad to see that you are enjoying yourself, and you do ask excellent questions. :)

VisionQuest	26 Apr 2005
"Are there any decks out there which are more relatable and tell a clear story?" That's almost exactly how I would describe the Gay Tarot. It's pictures depict very modern situations which are very easy to relate to. They do tell a clear story, which has been very helpful for me as a beginner. I'm a lesbian so I can relate to the gay experience, but this deck has all the main characters portrayed by men, and that doesn't get in the way for me, so I'm sure it can be used just as easily by those who aren't gay. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/gay/ more pics: http://www.geocities.com/tarotstuffs/scans

Emeraldgirl	03 May 2005
I'm not sure if this is what you are after but the Mythic deck is a really easy deck to relate to if you have an interest in Greek Mythology. All the majors are based on different gods and godesses and the minors are all different myths one myth per suit so it all ties in.

Hawks_girl_dove	04 May 2005
Are there any decks out there which are more relatable and tell a clear story? I have a fe favorites, because of the story they tell: Sacred Circle Gendron Guardians of Wisdom Robin Wood Morgan Greer Vision Like others have said though.....there are thousands to choose from. All depends on your taste in art, and the feeling you get when you hold your deck, and look at the pictures. For me, i like these decks, because of their brighter colors, clear and vivid pictures, and use of symbolism. ****************Tarot deals so heavily in symbolism. The trick to reading (for me anyway) is to recognize the symbols,a nd what they are trying to symblize or tell you. Like the pouch on the fool's stick, and the death card- not menaing actual death, but transformation,or the Devil card meaning: temptations, deceptions or trickery.The two cups being held by the angel in th temperance card, crumbling tower and ligtening/storm in the tower card.....etc.. Once you learn some of the basic symbols involved, it will become easier for you to pick up other decks, see some of the same symbols and read from them as well. Th Rider deck is a good starting place- not pretty to look at, or nicley colored, but lots of symolism, and though they use only the most basic of colors, the colors chosen were selected for their symbolism as well. the white Sun in the background of the fool for example- the white light ligh shining down from the Divine, the staff, not just a stick, bu it has a tip on the end, like a magicians staff, wite dog- loyalty, purity, companion, rational reasoning wthout emotion,but always has a Master........Look at his cloak, there are lil wheels with spokes. 8 spokes to be exact, to symbolize the sabbats/seasons, the white rose: purity, chase, uncondition/divine love, the red of his sleaves, passion...... So much is there, if you just dig deep and look for it. you will see alot of the same symbolism used in a vriety of other decks. Like i said, once you know the symbolism involved, the cards will be able to tell you all sorts of stories. Its just learning to train your eyes and mind, to use the symbolism, and tools invloved, then picking out the deck that uses symblism, colors, and art, that best reflects your personal taste, style, and invoke better memory-intuition within you. Hope this helps! bright blessings

Eco74	04 May 2005
Chiming in for theme-decks. In particular the theme-decks that are illustrated in detail, with backgrounds, elements drawn in and with a certain amount of interaction. They seem to overall be more talkative than the "suited" (nr of suit-symbol) minors of the Marseilles-decks and "moody" (nr of suit-symbol and a partial scene) minors of others. For starting out it is sometimes easier to go with a chatty deck, like the whimsical, robin wood or any other with fully illustrated minors that create a "restingplace" or "setting" for the feeling or mood the card represents. Others prefer the number-plus-suite method of reading and have good results with them. It's all down to personal reading-style in the end.

bibi	04 May 2005
I find the Rider Waite deck to be a wonderful deck and I've also come across a German author (Renate Anrath) who gives different meanings according to whether the card is on its right or left side, reversed or right way up. I agree with a past comment that there's a lot of material to guide you. You should first of all make friends with your deck. You are seeing some negatively as you are basing this on a superficial first impression, but if you look closely there is either hope and often a turning point indicated. For example, on 10 of swords although he is lying down flat out, the clouds are starting to clear. OK he was pushed to the brink, but once this has been realised (even if it is only at the moment of drawing the card) he can begin again. Similarly, the Death card most often indicates a new beginning, a rebirth. Anyway, back to making friends with the deck ;) Choose a card at random - or one you are 'apprehensive' about and really study it carefully and go 'into' it. You will see many different aspects :) Every card tells a story, have fun and try to see yourself in the cards, which would you identify with? Perhaps you could use your comment about many cards seeming negative to pinpoint fears and come to terms with them. And life is a learning process, we can't expect everything to be easy (that goes for learning tarot as well as life in general, so if some cards are negative perhaps in combination with others then so be it. Abive all be open to the tarot and let your creativity loose. It's a rewarding adventure! Bib x

The Are there any decks out there which are more relatable and tell a clear story? thread was originally posted on 23 Apr 2005 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.