Question for anyone willing to answer...

Hello all, I hope you are all well.
I am fairly new to the tarot and I am really enjoying learning about it. I have the typical, beginners Rider-Waite Deck and I am getting something out of it, but I think that maybe a deck that is more 'me' may be more helpful/constructive (this is what my sister, who is heavily into tarot and has much more experience than I, tells me). I realize there are hundreds, if not thousands of decks out here...just on Aeclectic Tarot I have reviewed dozens and dozens. I do not have a store nearby that would deal in this 'type' of thing so online is the most access I have to the different styles, etc. But I am not getting anything out of the online pictures and/or descriptions...any suggestions how to find a deck that is 'for me'? At least for starters it would have to be based on Rider-Waite as that is all I know (kinda!) so far.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!
kelmel

Hi Kelmel

Nice to hve you here on A.T.

You have posted your question here in the 'Thoth' forum. Perhaps it was because you have considered the Thoth deck.
In some ways it is very different from the Rider Waite (RWS), but in other ways it has many similarities. Both Crowley and Waite came from the same western magickal tradition, the Kabbalah, golden dawn etc.

I pretty much started with the Thoth and it is still my favourite deck, and the one I feel most comfortable reading with.

I found, (and you may find the same), that the deck I first learned with I kind of got stuck with. It and it's images, had got so far inside my head that it was difficult to read with a different deck. So, in that way the deck you choose now could be the one you will be using for many years to come.

Do not be taken in by the phrase 'beginners deck'. There is really no such thing. There are good decks and bad decks for each individual.
Many people say you should start with the RWS because the illustrated minors make them easy to remember the meanings, but there are other decks that have illustrated minors, or keywords to make it easier for you.

Perhaps you should think about what you kike, an art style, a type of mythology, a hobby. There are decks that fit into all these categories.

For me the Thoth is a very good deck. There is a lot of symbolism in there, it is very deep, it's creator was a very interesting person who put all his magickal learning into the cards. I like the art, I like their bigness...
It suits me. It may suit you, it may not.

But, as you say, there are 100s of decks out there, many use the RWS symbolism (aquarian and Morgan greer to name just 2)
I am sure you will find the right one for you.

And remember, you can never have too many decks to choose from!

MM ~ Or it's entirely possible that you'll know it when you see it. BB, Stella

Kelmel1971 said:

Hello all, I hope you are all well.
I am fairly new to the tarot and I am really enjoying learning about it. I have the typical, beginners Rider-Waite Deck and I am getting something out of it, but I think that maybe a deck that is more 'me' may be more helpful/constructive...

Click to expand...

Dear Kelmel1971;
Hope you are well! Welcome.

I’ve read with a Waite deck for over thirty years. Don’t underestimate it’s completeness or power. It really is not a ‘beginners’ deck.

This site and Tarot Garden’s website offer more scans than amazondotbomb or barnsoflandedgentry .

You may like the International Icon…

Kelmel1971 ~

Welcome.

I founf the Rider waite difficult at first. Now it is one of my favourite decks.

However, in the beginning I got the Morgan Greer because it's a beautiful deck and so simple to read with. You can always go back to the RWS

Hi Kelmel

Whatever deck you have, get to know it well, very very well. If you feel that the RWS deck isn't for you right now, try something else, then come back to it. Because if it doesn't click with you now, it may do one day.

There is no rush though, take your time and read many reviews, check the threads here, look at scans, and then........ do it all over again. You have a good deck in the RWS, so while you are looking, perhaps you may as well get to know it better.

Umbrae said:

This site and Tarot Garden’s website offer more scans than amazondotbomb or barnsoflandedgentry .

Click to expand...

By ordering through amazon.ca, amazon.com or amazon.co.uk through the special links provided at aeclectic.net, you can still help to support Aeclectic Tarot Forum. Depending on retail price, decks and deck/book sets can be bought at up to 30 percent off retail.

Kelmel1971 said:

but I think that maybe a deck that is more 'me' may be more helpful/constructive (this is what my sister, who is heavily into tarot and has much more experience than I, tells me). I realize there are hundreds, if not thousands of decks out here...just on Aeclectic Tarot I have reviewed dozens and dozens. I do not have a store nearby that would deal in this 'type' of thing so online is the most access I have to the different styles, etc. But I am not getting anything out of the online pictures and/or descriptions...

Click to expand...

If your sister is heavily into tarot, she may be a good person to go 'on-line' with to look through scans.

If you ever find yourself in a larger city, for business or travel, you may wish to take that opportunity to visit stores that would sell tarot decks and have demo decks.

Hello and welcome! I want to second Moongold on the Morgan Greer. I, like you, started with the RWS and studied it for a long time, because in that tradition it is essential. However, after a while (about 6 weeks) I realised the art was bothering me so I acquired the Morgan Greer as a second deck. You can read it like a RWS, but the art is more engaging. I continued studying and reading with the RWS.

If you want to stay in the RWS tradition, I would still spend a lot of time with the RWS because it goes very far in the symbolism and there is a lot there to get to know. I am still learning - and you saw Umbrae write about his 30 years with the RWS!

Another deck you might enjoy and which you can read pretty much from the start is the DruidCraft. It is very beautiful and engaging, particualrly if you like nature, and mainly based on the RWS, with a good book that comes with it - not your usual LWB.

If you change your mind and want to be adventurous outside the RWS tradition, then you can take your pick. Lillie suggested the Thoth, which is beautiful and very rich - everything she wrote.

My own favourite is the Tarot of Marseille, which is the tarot that inspired Waite and Crowley, and therefore the "founder deck". But it is also an amazingly simple and straight deck that will reward study, a sense of discovery and love. Have a look at the thread "Why is the TdM unique?" to see why people love it. Like the Thoth, it has minor arcana without added scenes to them, which to me adds to its reading possibilities and its interest and does wonders for imagination and intuition. It is a deck for all comers - beginners and seasoned readers alike.

And do have a look at Tarot Garden - they have treasures there and very good scans.

If, on one site, you see scans of a deck that seems to interest you, you can search the title of the deck on www.google.com and get many sites where there are deck reviews where you can see scans of different cards from the same deck. Sites such as astroamerica, mysticeye, learntarot, wicce, tarotpassages. There's also a thread in Tarot Decks where you can find links to see all the cards from your selected deck.