style of deck n the effect on readings

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Baron_Brooks	11 Dec 2002
hey just wondering in what ways does the style of deck effect the readings if any... thanks

RedWood	11 Dec 2002
Well I imagine the style has a lot to do with how you read sometimes..Considering that the pictures are you usually triggers for your subconcious..Some may trigger mroe then others..and sometimes..One style would be better for a certain reading then others..Speically if you read by looking at the pictures and describing them..

RiccardoLS	12 Dec 2002
I think the question should be the other way round: "How does the style of the reading affects the deck choosen?" I do not read professionally, so I'm free to choose the deck depending on my mood. When I want to do some carefree readings, I rely on the "Tarot of the Gnomes", while I use the Universal when I want to be more sober. I choose the Etruscan when I realize I need greater concentration and "silence". When I'm "reading" for myself (rarely, actually) I use Tarot of the Origins, or Tarot of the Imagination. The first if I want a "Yang" journey, the second for a "Jin" journey. Apart from my personal tastes (and deck availability), I think that there are so many ways one can read Tarot, and that one should use the deck that should adapt best to the part. Just like an actor or actress to a particolar movie role. refards, Riccardo

Damien X	12 Dec 2002
Well, the answer to your question, Baron_Brooks, is yes and no. This may sound a bit paradoxical, but as a rule your own mood plays a greater part in it all than just the deck itself. The later is more or less a nuance. For instance: if you're feeling 'blue' than you should avoid using - completely - 'dark' decks in order to prevent the readings from going 'bad'. The deck is in a sense a flavouring of your on work - if you get my point.

Jewel	12 Dec 2002
Like Riccardo I do not read professionally, but for me, what I have noticed is that in order to get better readings I need to use a deck that "speaks" to me. So the style of the deck I use is influenced by my mood at the time (as noted by Damien X). I guess I am pretty lucky in that I have found a deck that pretty much suits my mood and speaks volumes to me on a regular basis (the Cosmic Tribe), but there are times that I am in the mood for the Osho-Zen, Robin Wood or Tarot of the Old Path (sometimes others, but these are the most used for reading). And the readings with these decks are of a very different style as are the decks. So to answer your question I think that yes the deck influences the reading, but it is due to your choice of deck. They give a different feel and angle on the information which is ultimately tied to how you are feeling and the type of information you need at the time which you denote by selecting a particular deck.

temperlyne	13 Dec 2002
When the question is really importand I will use my Haindl deck. It was my first love and it never fails to show me the deeper meanings behind my problems. But for a 'quick' and clear reading i'd like to use a deck which has more straightforward images. Like the sacred rose or alchemical. And If I feel I need dreams for meditation or spell purposes I usually turn to my Bosch deck. Eventually I hope to be able to use my own creation and that will probably give me everything I need.

allibee	13 Dec 2002
Good for you Temperlyne. I agree with RedWood, to certain extent, and would add that a choice of deck only comes down to one you can actually read with. Many people here, me included, have decks that are lovely to look at, inspiring and creatively beautiful, but are darned near useless to read with. If you can't relate to what the deck says, you can't read from it IMHO allibee

Khatruman	13 Dec 2002
I think a deck greatly affects a reading, which is why most all of us choose to work with certain decks. I use Osho Zen because its inherent philosophy coincides with my world view. Many of the messages are about how one sees the world and that zen moment understanding that I just am beginning to connect with. If I read from another deck, the feeling I get is different and greatly affects the message I see. It is also the reason I will choose a different deck depending on what I wish to accomplish. If I am doing a life reading for myself or others, I will definitely use Osho Zen. When I was writing my novel, I used Universal Waite, because of its traditional archetypes, and I wanted to challenge the archetypal fool's journey, knowing that by challenging it, I would end up reinforcing it (paradoxes are wonderful!). Peace!

Teal	13 Dec 2002
Here's my input, for whatever it's worth, on the subject of a deck's readability. I've always heard it said that the RW type decks are best to start out with. Of course, being me, I didn't start out with RW because I didn't like the pictures on the cards. But here's what I'm finding-----RW is the quickest to learn with and the most likely to cue the subconscious. I've been working with various other decks for some time now, but finally decided to get a RW and learn with it. At first, the cards didn't "kick in" for me, because I wasn't used to the symbolism, but I'm learning with this deck far faster than I did with any other deck. No matter what my mood, the RW just gives a good reading every time and I don't have to refer to anything else for the reading.

mrsjvan	13 Dec 2002
I sometimes do readings for my hubby about his football players for fantasy football. (i guess you can read about anything) anyway, I have found that if I use my goddess tarot, I can't make head nor tails of it and have to fall back on my RW. Maybe football contains too much testosterone. :) mrsjvan

The style of deck n the effect on readings thread was originally posted on 11 Dec 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.