Your very first deck

I was about 16 years old -- old enough to be walking around the mall on my own, though I was still being driven by my mom.

I was in what was, at the time, pretty much the only place to buy new books in Shreveport, Louisiana -- the B. Dalton bookstore in the mall. Tiny little place, but it seemed like a marvel at the time.

Anyway, I was doing the normal teenage thing and looking at books in the metaphysical section on "spells" and Wicca and the like, and hoping that none of my mom's friends would walk by and see me.

And for the first time, my eyes and attention really landed on the shelf of tarot decks. There couldn't have been more than 5 choices, truthfully. I looked at the Rider-Waite carefully and the Aquarian as well. After a lot of thought I went with the Aquarian because the colors and art were "prettier."

Never told my mom that I'd bought it. Hid it in my purse on the way home. Hid it in my dresser drawer when I got home, which means my mother certainly knew about it within a week. Geez . . . when I think back now on how OF COURSE my mom knew about all the stuff I thought was so well hidden.

Over the years I did occasional readings with it, always the Celtic Cross and always using the meanings in the little white booklet. I simply didn't know of any other way to go about it.

I had it a very long time, but have not been able to find it in recent years; I believe I lost it during a move. Either that, or it got put at the bottom of a box of "things I must not lose" and thus I will never, ever see it again.

I have since bought another copy, though . Oh, and about 550 other decks, besides . But that's another tale . . .

margi said:

I was supposed to get her Thoth deck, but that disappeared mysteriously before I got it.

Click to expand...

Perhaps she changed her mind and had it buried or cremated with her? I'm seriously considering that for two decks, although both of them are OOP, so it would be a hostile act towards the Tarot community generally to remove a copy of each of htem from circulation.

Knowing your attachment to at least one of the two decks I assume you mean, I am sure the Tarot community will forgive you

<smile>

And it will give me a way to occupy my spectral hands in the afterlife ...

My first decks . . .

Ahhh . . . this is a perfect thread for me tonight. I was feeling a little nostalgic.

I will never remember when I finally surrendered to the urge to get a tarot deck. Growing up in my traditional baptist home town and background the Tarot was always frowned upon. I was a freshman or a sophomore in college and I was browsing in a B. Dalton bookseller in the mall of my college town and I couldn't hold back the itch to own a deck.

It was in a small box. I was drawn to it and the mystery of the divine. I have always, always had a drive to be some type of oracle. Just have. So here was this deck that was promised to answer the questions you asked it.

The deck was amazing to my novice eyes. The bright colors the story the deck told of the progression from Atlantis into four different world cultures. The Vikings, Southern Asia, the Mayans, and Africa. I remember the visceral reaction to the Ten of Swords.

I was in college and I can't quite remember what year it was either '90 or '91. I remember the boldness that I had in laying out the cards for friends in readings. They were skeptics but I knew there was something to it. Soon I purchased a Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

It was a phase that passed quickly and I don't remember what happened to the decks.

Fast forward fourteen years . . . 2004

I am back in school but this time I was getting my masters. I was in Borders I pick up a book on creative writing and it mentioned the Tarot as a way of battling writer's block. I then pick up the "Little Black Book of Tarot." It was illustrated with the Hanson-Roberts deck. The deck seemed deceptively simple and with in a couple of days I was back to purchase the deck. After that I was HOOKED! I have been using Tarot ever since.

It took a while for me to track down a Tarot of Ages deck again. I had to have one for the sentimental value. It never held the same allure it did the first time.

These are both my "First" decks and are in very special category for me.

Onyx.

I am back in school

1jj Swiss in the early 80's.


Freddie

Mine was Cloisters..... given/lent to me by my Mum. It must have been 2/3 years ago I think...... and I can't stand the deck now!