Types of Tarot - newbie mighty confused

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 24 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

JulieG	24 Apr 2004
Hi everyone! I'm new here, so bear with me whilst I throw countless desperate questions at you all. I understand Tarot has evolved somewhat over the centuries, that there are various structures to decks (e.g./ some have different numbers of cards and different card names) and I also understand there are various suggested ways of using Tarot (e.g./ some use reversed cards, some don't..some use a signifior and some don't). Problem is, this all makes it confusing for me to know precisely what the proper method is (if there is one) and also what deck to settle on. I'm conscious I could be reading a book about Tarot that uses the Rider Waite as the example, only to find all the advice changes if I want to use a different deck. Can anyone advise as to how I am best to approach my learning and if there is indeed any recommended approach to Tarot in general? Thanks everyone. JULIE

Jeanette	24 Apr 2004
Maybe you should start by browsing in a bookstore with a lot of tarot decks and books to choose from. Then you could see what appeals to you; since there is no real wrong way to approach this, then whatever you like will be right. Once you get comfortable with one deck and the system attached to it, you could move on to a different deck sometime in the future. Usually all decks boil down to similar systems, maybe they might use "Pentacles" or "Coins"; or they may interchange Swords/Air and Wands/Fire; or Justice and Strength may be switched. Start with Thirteen's helpful articles and just jump in when you're ready! I think there are more similarities between decks than there are differences, if that helps.

Moonbow*	24 Apr 2004
This is my advise (I wish I could go back in time to follow it myself, but it's too late for me) Go to Aeclectic Home Page, click on Tarot Articles under 'Learn the basics.....' and read 'The Process' by Umbrae - it teaches you to read the cards 'your way' I also think Thirteens 'tarot basics' are brilliant for meanings of the cards, if you feel you need a grounding first. Follow whichever method you feel is right for you

Osher	24 Apr 2004
Julie, If you happen to be in London, then Mysteries, in Seven Dials (near Covent Garden, off Neal's Yard) is a good place to peruse different Tarot cards. Another fine place, but with a much smaller collection is Isis in St. Albans. Regretably Oracle, in Watford has closed (anyone have any news on this?). Hap.

Rusty Neon	24 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Moonbow* I also think Thirteens 'tarot basics' are brilliant for meanings of the cards, if you feel you need a grounding first. Note, however, that the meanings in 'tarot basics' for the pip cards (i.e., Two to Ten of each suit of the minor arcana) are based on tarot decks derived from the Golden Dawn tradition (e.g., Rider-Waite and Thoth decks, and decks that are inspired by them) - thus, those meanings wouldn't apply intuitively for decks with non-scenic pip cards that are not related to GD meanings. That said, and although others may disagree, starting with GD-derived tarot decks is certainly a good approach for starting out in tarot.

Rusty Neon	24 Apr 2004
In conjunction with tarot deck reviews at Aeclectic and at www.wicce.com, www.tarotpassages.com, www.learntarot.com, www.astroamerica.com, check out sites like http://www.advancenet.net/~jscole/tarot.htm We have very active tarot communities on Aeclectic to help you with many of the major kinds of tarot decks. You can't go wrong if you get yourself a Rider-Waite deck (and then later on, choose one that particularly appeals to you in terms of art and atmosphere - Many people will be pleased to tell you about their personal preferences) and a Tarot de Marseille deck; you'll have plenty of people to learn together with. For advice on which Marseilles, please don't be afraid to ask if interested. There's also a thread here at Aeclectic that gives links to internet pages that show all of the cards from various decks.

Jewel-ry	24 Apr 2004
Make sure you buy a deck which appeals to you visually, so do your research. There is nothing worse than opening a deck which you have just bought only to find out that you dislike it. A good way of doing this would be to check out the sites that show the whole deck here http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17948 Then, I would buy a journal and write down your own meanings, really study the cards to do this. Initially I would suggest that you study the system which applies to the deck that you have bought. You will probably find that as you learn more and more about tarot you will start veering off in different directions but you will be better equiped to handle those 'directions' if you have a grounding of some sorts first. Good luck, let us know which deck you decide on. J :)

Osher	24 Apr 2004
I quite agree that it is best to check out the various websites, and Wicce is quite excellent. However, if possible, getting to a shop with a large selection, like Mysteries, as there is nothing quite like seeing the cards themselves. Many shops, including Mysteries, have files of cards. Each leaf contains 4-6 cards from a sample deck, in a clear plastic slip. This enables you to have a more intimate decision. If confused, just ask the assistants, they are normally very friendly. The owner of Mysteries is a lot of fun! Check out his signs and kits above the sales counter. Hmm, I wish I had handly the page he gave me of his slogans, very funny!

Thirteen	25 Apr 2004
I'm with Rusty on this one! Here's the deal--there are tons of decks out there, but a good 80-90% are either Rider-Waite clones or close cousins. The other 15-20% are Thoth clones, Marseilles clones, or in rare cases, unique. Watch out for those that aren't Tarot at all, but are found in the same section of most stores. Now Marseilles is the "root" and original, and there are a lot of fans of that deck here. However, unless the Marseilles is the deck you immediately are drawn to and want, I think it best to start with Waite. Why? Because IF there is a deck out there that catches your eye, that you fall in love with, odds are it's a Rider clone or a close cousin. So if you learn on Rider, you can then pick up and adjust to almost any other deck out there. If you learn on a speciality Deck, however, it's meaning might be strange, it's images odd--odd enough that you might find other decks hard to adjust to. EXAMPLE: Almost all Decks out there have a "Death" card. But the Connolly deck doesn't. She has "Transition." So if you learned on the Connelly deck, then picked up just about any other deck out there, you'd find yourself wondering, "Why is there a Death card," and, "where's that Transition card I love so much in my Connolly deck?" If you learn on Rider, however, you'll be familiar with the Death card and its meaning. Almost any deck you pick up will have that Death card and if it's been transformed into something else--as it is in maybe three or four decks out of all the decks out there!--you'll realize that and understand why. So here's what I recommend-- *Get RIDER-WAITE. You can get them any size and you can get them cheap. This is your LEARNING deck. Your primer. *Learn the BASICS with Rider-Waite. *THEN, when you're feeling that you're familiar with the cards, when you want to really take off with them, THEN go back to a store and get the deck that calls to you. Of course, you can buy the deck that calls to you at the same time you buy the Rider-Waite, just don't open it till you've learned the basics--that will motivate you to learn faster ;) It's rather like learning to swim. Start in the shallow end with the lifejacket (Rider-Waite). When you're ready to take off the jacket, you can swim in the deep end or any waters you choose. And from there, hey, you can do anything. Learn to scuba dive on down to the buried past of Marseilles or take up surfing those wild waves of Thoth. Rider-Waite is, if you will, the TEMPLATE for most of the decks out there and generally speaking you will find it easier to adjust from Waite to other decks than vice versa.

HudsonGray	25 Apr 2004
Also, most of the books on the market focus on the Rider Waite deck so you'll have better luck finding material to study with it. If the actual images of the RW don't appeal to you (they're pretty harsh), just get a close clone. There's a lot of those around.

JulieG	25 Apr 2004
Thanks everyone! I was totally confused but this has cleared it up perfectly. "Thirteen": your advice has explained everything - thanks for taking the time to go into it in depth for me. Thanks again everyone.

hedgecub	25 Apr 2004
*pipes up* I'd just like to recommend the Universal Waite instead of the original Rider Waite. Same pictures on every card, so the same symbolism, but the colours are so much nicer to look at, and the back of the card is actually attractive. :)

crystal cove	25 Apr 2004
Hi Julie, Don't worry about a "proper method". There isn't one. That may be disconcerting to hear, but it's the truth. When we're learning something new, we want to do it right and proper; however, I'm not sure that can apply to Tarot. Think of the learning process as a journey. You may find that certain decks and/or methods don't appeal to you but that's ok. You won't know if its right (or wrong) until you try it. There is no wasted learning when it comes to Tarot. The process evolves. You won't "ruin" anything by choosing any particular deck to start with. I started with the Rider Waite, bought a Thoth a month later and had no problems whatsoever adapting. Last year I bought my first Marseille and had no problems with that either. In fact, in learning the Marseille I began my study of numerology and found that most decks have more similarities than differences. So go ahead, dig in. You'll fine-tune the process to best serve your needs.

JulieG	25 Apr 2004
Thanks Twenty~one. That's a huge relief actually - partly as I've often felt drawn to follow a stong impulse in a reading but rejected it as I am still fairly new. I've often let my newness stop me following my intuition and I see from the threads on this forum that intuition plays a bigger role than any set system. Do you interchange your decks Twenty~one: do you use each one for certain readings for example, or do you use mainly one? Hedgecub: tried the Universal last year but counldn't get on with it as well as by regular RW deck. Odd that - have no idea why. That said, I'm digging out my Universal because I'm conscious I may be missing some of the imagery you mention. Thanks for the advice.

The Types of Tarot - newbie mighty confused thread was originally posted on 24 Apr 2004 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.