Your route through tarot? Where are you now?

earthair

When I started reading it was with the Fergus Hall deck (way back in the day :joke: ) then for a while I thought all decks were TdM style :bugeyed: ... Then I discovered that some people illustrated the minors *gasp* ... so I learnt RWS... which was a moment of calm stability at least :) ... then a deluge of decks ended up in my collection including the Thothy variety ... which I initially thought would be easy because they're just jazzed up TdM pips after all ...

[time passes]

...then I found AT, bought a whole lot more books and decks on all things GD and astrological....read lots of information, theories, and justifications ...now I feel like there are so many different ways of glomming different systems to tarot, (all of them lovely systems in their own right), that in the face of actually having to make a decision regarding which of about 20 paths is the best one to stick with...I now chose to reject them all and go back to square 1- TdM style decks for reading:cool2: This is because they can't all be right, ergo most of them might actually be misguided or at the very least artificial.

I'm not saying I'll stop studying Thoth/GD/any other system which pops up on a deck, because Tarot is a fascinating deep subject, but I am, as of now going to stop trying to be able to read well with any and all of them.

Too much information becomes a burden after it reaches a certain critical mass, and I haven't even scratched the surface.

So I've come full circle and will probably now become fascinated by historical TdM :grin: Has this happened to anyone else?
 

Chrystella

I love RWS and I've had lots of clones (which I've gotten rid of). I have a love affair with TdM and have made my peace with Thoth, which I hated and rejected for years. Now, I enjoy studying with all three styles. This month, I've picked up the Wild Unknown. Still, I don't think I'll ever read as well with any tarot as I do with the RWS.
 

nisaba

When I started reading it was with the Fergus Hall deck (way back in the day :joke: ) then for a while I thought all decks were TdM style :bugeyed: ...
<grin> It's a very *modern* deck, hardly TdM ...

Route *through* Tarot? You mean, there's a way out? Quick! Show me where it is so that I Never Go Near It.

I knew Tarot was important to me all my life. However, I was uncomfortable with decks that had unillustrated pips - whether they were TdM or modern - until I fell in love with a particular one, which taught me how to read them. Now I have a significant sub-collection of them, and I love, particularly, reading in public with them, because unlike fully illustrated decks you are not bound to an artist's idea of a card but your intuition is free to roam. Encouraging your intuition is always a good thing.
 

Tanga

Not exactly earthair.
(It's great to read your story - thank you for sharing):

My introduction was to RWS style decks by virtue of stumbling curiously into my 1st ever esoteric bookshop and discovering a whole array of this wonderful artwork in one corner (I was about 20 years old - my 1st deck was Art Neuvaux Tarot by Myers - followed some years later by The Gendron Tarot - which is still a favourite of mine today). I looked at "pip decks" then - and didn't like the "missing" imagery after such an introduction, so I never took much note of them until later.

After some years, I decided to book myself on a formal RWS Tarot reading course (this was at The College of Psychic Studies in London). I never liked Pamela's art much then, and it wasn't until years later when I went to a couple of lectures about her life (At Treadwells Bookstore in London) that I began to appreciate it more.

Tarot, with a broader appreciation of the French TdM tradition and a greater curiosity about the Thoth and other decks (now Frieda's artwork - I have always liked) co-incided with the further development of my spiritual practice (as a neo-pagan and Wiccan) and with me "coming out of the Pagan closet".
Treadwells Bookstore - and the administration there-in - made all this possible, as they run all the courses and social meetings where I have over the years, met other Pagans and been introduced to the tennants and ideas of varying secret societies and historical folklore and philosophies.

With my decision last year to begin reading professionally again (I hadn't for many years) - I finally decided to join the AT community (had long used AT as a Tarot resources before this) - and this has resulted in a leap in my understanding and practice of Tarot and a swelling of my my Tarot deck collection too :) - as well as further adding to my spiritual development via the sharing of ideas with others.

I am an RWS person. And there's still great depths to plumb for me within this system.
So - I've never reached out to really get into the shoes of TdM or Thoth style. Though I do love to dip into these and learn what I can from there and from their enthusiasts - to further embellish my own style.
 

earthair

<grin> It's a very *modern* deck, hardly TdM ...
Agree- that's why I said 'then' ;) = all the decks I saw after FH seemed to be TdM decks. Spooky.

Route *through* Tarot? You mean, there's a way out? Quick! Show me where it is so that I Never Go Near It.
Would you like me to change the title of this thread to 'journey'? :joke: I meant route as in a maze- hopefully you reach enlightenment in the middle, if you ever find it.

*Wonders for a moment if there is actually a middle*
 

Tanga

Agree- that's why I said 'then' ;) = all the decks I saw after FH seemed to be TdM decks. Spooky.

Nisaba = "*through* Tarot? You mean, there's a way out? Quick! Show me where it is so I Never Go Near It".

Would you like me to change the title of this thread to 'journey'? :joke: I meant route as in a maze - hopefully you reach enlightenment in the middle, if you ever find it.
*Wonders for a moment if there is actually a middle*

You guys are making me LOL!!!
Enlightenment is "The Journey". :). May it never end.
 

Cocobird55

Tarot is so deep that my route is going slowly and appreciating what I'm learning.
 

AnemoneRosie

I fell in love with TdM at the age of 15 when I discovered the Renaissance (my childhood was spent being obsessed with the Medieval period - plus dinosaurs). It was all I wanted, because I was now obsessed with a whole new set of centuries. The art! The mysticism!

... and so some well-meaning soul got me the RWS as a gift. It was very nice of her, really, but I hated it. I spent 15 years hating it. Consequently I'd pick it up, try to get a feel for it, get discouraged, and put it down. It wasn't until late last year that I decided that maybe I just needed to try out another deck. So I got a clone and we got along swimmingly. I have a few clones now.

I have a Thothly clone too. So now, of course, I need a Thoth deck so that I can learn properly.

I still don't have a TdM deck. This needs to change. But because it is what got me onto the topic in the first place I want it to be special...
 

RiverRunsDeep

Enjoying everyone's stories. :)

My personal "route" has been so full of detours, roundabouts, and
traffic jams, that I haven't gotten very far at all!

I bought my first tarot deck (Mythic) at a bookstore over 25 years ago.
I thought it was cool and different, and knew my Catholic mom would
hate it. I "played" at reading with it for my friends, using the companion
book the entire time.

Then, in college and through my early 20s, I dabbled in Wiccan and Pagan
practices. Tarot made a reappearance, mainly in the form of spell work.
Once I got married and had my son, the cards were packed away. I continued
to purchase decks over the years, mainly as a "collector" and as a way to
appreciate the artwork.

There was a time in my 30s that I purged my collection of many, many decks,
thinking they would no longer be important to me. It makes me so sad to
think of the decks I lost!

So fast-forward to a year ago. My family and I went through a personal tragedy
that turned our lives upside-down. Somehow, the grief inspired me to bring
my decks out of storage.....then I discovered this forum....then, as of April, I
took the brave step of becoming an active member here. :D

I have journeyed further this past year than I have in the past 25, and I am
humbled and amazed by all there is to learn about Tarot. I'm sticking with
RWS for now since that is what I'm familiar with, but I look forward to eventually
learning about TdM and Thoth as well.
 

Thoughtful

l have had a similar journey to most and its probably familiar to a lot of people here.

My first ever Tarot was Kat Blacks Golden Tarot, oh l spent such wonderful times with this deck getting to know it, studying it as much as possible, and finally giving readings with it.

Then.... l found the forum here and l went into overdrive seeing all these other wonderful decks, could not get enough of reading all about them and their reviews. l got carried away by the glowing comments. There l was buying new decks and my poor Golden Tarot became unused and took a back seat. In fact when l tried reading again with it during all this new found buzz, all l got was an unfamiliar blank suddenly it had gone all quiet.
So l just got on with using my new decks.

The journey has been exciting and expensive but through it l found decks l could not work with and passed them on, and decks that have become treasures. My knowledge of tarot became extensive and rich. So much to learn but knowing there is more, that's what keeps the interest there.

My hubby kept saying to me use the Golden Tarot it was your first and it read well for you. My reply was it blanks me now. He kept insisting so l brought the Golden into the light of day again. l looked through all the images, did daily shuffles then very tentatively asked it some questions. Oh my, it responded and even better than when l first bought it.

My journey has been a full circle as regards the Golden but along the way l have learned so much, now l will continue the journey with my favourite decks which are few. l realise l don't have to have the latest deck, all knowledge is within the decks l have. Though l do still get sooooo... tempted :joke:
l shall continue to study and enjoy the tarot but without all the books crowding my book shelves, they are finding good homes as we speak.