Different decks

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Firekeeper	11 Nov 2004
Hi, I noticed that I use different decks according to my mood. Do you think that the readings can be different from one deck to another ? Would you advise me to go on like that or to choose one deck and use only this one for all the readings ?

Imagemaker	11 Nov 2004
I can't limit myself to one deck simply because I enjoy the different types of messages I get from a variety. Some are more spiritual, some more sarcastic, some playful, or serious. I have many moods and concerns, I like to have that quality in my decks, too.

mercenary30	11 Nov 2004
There are no rules in using tarot, just ideas and traditions. I say you do what feels good to you. I do the same thing that Imagemaker does.

tmgrl2	11 Nov 2004
Right now I use mostly my Hadar Tarot de Marseille as my basic reading deck. However, I will use Morgan Greer ...often for myself. I use the Gilded Tarot. It depends. I go with my mood of the day, week, month...whatever. I am leaning, though, toward using the Tarot de Marseille for my main reading tradition. terri

Moonbow*	11 Nov 2004
I think that mood has alot to do with Tarot. Most people here use more than one deck, and decks themselves have a mood of their own. By that I mean that some give serious answers and some are light hearted. Compare the Thoth and the Inner Child Cards (I have both) I pick what I feel is the most appropriate deck for the job. If I read for my daughter I would use something that is lighter but also something she likes the look of. I don't think you get a different answer so much as a different slant on the answer.

Chronata	11 Nov 2004
My advise is to keep using one deck for all the same type of readings for a while...(readings for yourself...or for your friends...you can use different ones for different types of readings) learn all you can about that particular deck...and use it til you feel comfortable and know aspects of that deck backwards and forwards. Then switch decks...:)

Firekeeper	11 Nov 2004
tmgrl2 wrote: I go with my mood of the day, week, month...whatever. terri Yes, it's my feeling, too, but i'm affraid it could change the readings, to direct them in your thought's direction ?

Keslynn	11 Nov 2004
Firekeeper wrote: Yes, it's my feeling, too, but i'm affraid it could change the readings, to direct them in your thought's direction ? I personally believe that you get the information you need no matter what deck you use. Besides, I believe that it's you that makes the cards "work" and that they're nothing more than cardboard (pretty and expensive, but still cardboard) so the mood you're in will affect the reading no matter what. I don't think that's a bad thing. Then again, I could just be trying to excuse my tarotholism. :) Kes

Rhiannon	12 Nov 2004
I asked a similar question elsewhere that was basically, "Are tarot decks interchangeable / should tarot decks be interchangeable?" My answer to that question is, once you have a knowledge of the card meanings, yes they are interchangeable. I have about 15 decks or so and I can use any one of them for a reading. I could probably also pick up a new deck at a store and read with it right away without having to "study" that particular deck. Are readings helped by really knowing the individual symbolism/images of each deck? I think so. But eventually all that information (or most of it) is transferred into your head anyway. How many of us with "decks in our head" have more than one version of any given card? Example: When I get the Ace of Wands in a reading, I will not only look at the card that lies before me, but I will also picture several other versions of that card in my head that are gleaned from various other decks that I have worked with. I'm digressing, as usual. ;) Anyway, I think people should take time to get to know each deck individually, but if that deck isn't what you're in the mood for, then switch to another, it shouldn't be a big deal. :)

Firekeeper	13 Nov 2004
For me it seems that it's the deck that is "calling" me. I seem to "know" which deck I should use when i want to do a reading. Once, I wanted to use a deck, but didn't have it at hand, and I had to use the other one, but it was as if I couldn't concentrate enough, I had the feeling that the reading would not be accurate. Has this happened to someone already ?

full deck	14 Nov 2004
You should strive to develop a certain mental methodology that transcends what deck you happen to have at hand. It is one thing to appreciate the aesthetics of one deck's artwork and another to meditate upon the Tarot. If one is moody, then one must learn to work with their predisposition, remembering that it is themselves with a mood and not the deck.

annik	14 Nov 2004
Until now, I see from my collection, that each deck have their subtilities. For example, I won't look at my olympus tarot the same way I do for the Tarot of Prague. On a basic level, cards from both tarot mean the same. But there will be some variation I will see in the Olympus that I won't see in TOP and vice versa. But it is more into the little details...

Firekeeper	15 Nov 2004
All my decks are "Marseille-related". I don't know other decks, but since I began to read this forum, I saw that a lot of decks are not at all like the ones I have. As I like the symbolism of the pictures, do you think I should try reading with other decks, or should I continue with the ones I am used to ?

annik	15 Nov 2004
I am tempted to say "follow your instinct". I consider myself in a period of experimentation. I got out of my comfy deck and play with other decks. I think I am starting to feel a bit more confortable to put a little toe on a Marseille-type.

bigcaat	15 Nov 2004
RW is my tried and true, but I find that I change with my mood. I also find that different decks speak to me at different times in my life. I used to love the Connolly deck and used nothing else, now I barely touch it. Yet, I ran into my Tarot of the Cat People deck recently, and did a spread, and it spoke to me in a much more comfortable way than it ever did before. So I think it's not only daily mood, but different times in your life, as well. Different RW clones are always my mainstay, however, if they don't stray too far from the original meaning. I really like the Morgan-Greer artwork, but rarely use it because of a couple of cards in there that, I feel, are too far removed from the meaning of the deck it's cloning, for my current mood and liking. Caat

full deck	18 Nov 2004
Firekeeper wrote: All my decks are "Marseille-related". . . do you think I should try reading with other decks, or should I continue with the ones I am used to ? You certainly can Firekeeper. Keep in mind though, when you use these RW decks, you are always looking at a picture and I personally find this interferes with my internal visualization of the Tarot, of the pip and its meaning for that reading. If you see the same picture each time you pull a pip, it may possibly cause one problems if one is using a methodology that relies upon meditating upon a reading and the cards therein. I've tried reading RW-style books that talk about Tarot with no problem but I keep that separate from my doing a reading. I almost always use decks with un-illustrated pips for that reason.

Eco74	18 Nov 2004
I'm very much like that Firekeeper. I also think there is some purpous to that, since different moods and such effects the way we perceve the imagery in the decks we use. An example; If I were feeling down and vaunerable, going for a "strict and blunt" deck would probably not be a good thing since I'm more sensetive to the little details when I'm in that mood. On the other hand if I was feeling a bit out of tune and finding some difficulty in focusing, one of those straight forward, brutally honest decks would probably be a better way to go to make sure the message comes through. Testing out the Reflecting Pools layout some time ago also made an impact. While it is fully possible to use just one and the same deck for each pool, having the different decks working together and creating a greater unity was an amazing experience. Do try to find a few select decks, or a "general deck" at a time that you use more but be open to using others if you feel prompted to. The tarot speaks in many dialects..

SunChariot	20 Nov 2004
Firekeeper wrote: Yes, it's my feeling, too, but i'm affraid it could change the readings, to direct them in your thought's direction ? I Have three decks now (and two more coming in for the holidays). I use different decks for different questions. They are like friends. They each have their own personality and some seem more suited to different types of questions. And my answer to your question is that the reading will give the correct answer (and exactly what you most need to know on the topic) no matter which deck you use. It just may come out in the form of a different card in a different deck. I have had that, when I was having a certain problem in my life I could not get past, all my decks told me over and over that I had to learn from past mistakes AND see things from a broader perspective. The asnwer just came out in the form of different cards. And it kept coming no matter what question I asked on the topic until I fully understood what I was meant to. Especially if you do not let yourself get dependant on the book meanings Try not to do that, and then your cards will help you connect to exactly what you need to see, no matter which deck you use.

SunChariot	20 Nov 2004
Firekeeper wrote: All my decks are "Marseille-related". I don't know other decks, but since I began to read this forum, I saw that a lot of decks are not at all like the ones I have. As I like the symbolism of the pictures, do you think I should try reading with other decks, or should I continue with the ones I am used to ? I don't have the Marseille deck, but I have seen pictures of it. Forgive me if I am wrong, but I beleive the imagery of that deck to be less detailed than in many others. I find the more detailed the images, and more "busy" the backgrounds, the each card can tell you ( the more detailed the message it can give you). Also I love the ones with beautiful artwork. In case you are interested I have these three now: Wheel of Change Tarot http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/wheel-of-change/index.shtml Haindl Tarot http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/haindl/ Ancestral Path Tarot http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/ancestral-path/ I have this one on order, it should come in about a month: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/lovers-path/ and the last one I will get for my holiday gift exchange at work this year: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/goddess/ Hope some of this helps, Bar

The Different decks thread was originally posted on 11 Nov 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.