using non traditional decks as a beginner

Hi! I'm completely new to tarot in most ways. In fact, I picked up my first deck because the images intrigued me and I thought they might help inspire my creative writing and character building. As it happens, this is also a time in my life of spiritual exploration. And I suddenly find that I am drawn to the ideas of tarot and oracles. I don't know that I want to know my future, but I do want to feel connected to the things I know are around me I can't see.

That being said, I've done some research, and am finding my deck hunches to go against conventional wisdom. I am not feeling drawn to or interested in the traditional rider waite deck. At all. I keep being interested in wildwood, shadowscapes, the faeries Oracle. Should I go the way I feel? Or is it important to get a traditional grasp first? Any suggestions on decks or how to start for the first time. I'm a single mother in my last year of my twenties, for reference.

Hi, and welcome As most people will confirm, it is much easier to find material (both books and online) related to the Rider Waite Smith -although, if I might add a personal note, most of it is err... mediocre-. So this is something to take into consideration. That being said, by all means use the deck you are drawn to. It might help to look for a companion book for it, if there is one. But don't feel discouraged by the fact that yours is not a traditional deck. Over time you may want to explore some of the more mainstream decks, even just for comparison... or not, it is completely up to you

I think it's important to learn the basic RWS meanings when starting out learning about tarot. The thing is that so many tarot decks today either directly take their card meanings or in some way abstract their meanings from the original RWS meanings. For example, both of the tarot decks you've listed are based on the RWS (as opposed to, say, Thoth based). It's certainly possible to learn to read different tarot decks without first learning the RWS cards/meanings, but it makes it much easier down the road if you do.

It is inevitable that many noobs will follow there own aesthetic preferences for that first, or more accurately those, first few decks

I am sure there are some people who will go on using those decks, but some of us, when we get a better understanding of the tarot's symbolism will look at those early efforts and go "Just WTF was I thinking?"

IOW IME learning tarot can change those very aesthetic preferences.

There is a case to be made for plugging your nose and starting with something like the Rider, but in the end the worst case scenario is wasting time and money. And it won't be a waste getting the cool looking deck if really was a necessary start for entry level.

It's your call.

Personally I don't see it as soooo necessary to learn the RWS meanings, whatever it means. If she's not in the least interested in Waite's deck, then she can learn the meanings of the deck she likes on a companion book for that deck, and if they happen to be based on Waite's concepts, good, if not, nothing will be lost, unless she changes her mind later, but even then, I think she can handle reading a couple more books in the case

It's certainly easier to start with a RWS based deck, but instinct is important, too. My advice would be to look at the list of beginner's decks here at AT and see if anything calls to you. If not, go with a non-traditional deck, but try to find one that comes with a book.

I found when I started I couldn't get on with the RWS so much, the images didn't really inspire me so I didn't feel hugely intuitive about them, they didn't speak to me as such. I then used a deck based on RWS with the same names and basic messages being portrayed in each card but with an imagery that appealed. I found that the cards then came alive and made sense to me. However, I would mainly avoid decks with lots of changed names, swapped suits, very challenging imagery or meanings which differ a lot to the traditional RWS. I'm sure there are some people who have had very good experiences starting with a very non-traditional deck, but for lots of people I think the uncertainty and confusion that most encounter as a beginner would be increased and so it could end up being off putting.

Eremita90 said:

Personally I don't see it as soooo necessary to learn the RWS meanings, whatever it means. If she's not in the least interested in Waite's deck, then she can learn the meanings of the deck she likes on a companion book for that deck, and if they happen to be based on Waite's concepts, good, if not, nothing will be lost, unless she changes her mind later, but even then, I think she can handle reading a couple more books in the case

Click to expand...

I too did NOT get into the RWS and bought 2 alternative decks. One was a clone (Robin Wood). One was off the typical RWS track (Osho Zen)

I did buy a RWS book. So, coupled together with my book and my 2 decks, I learned to read Tarot.

POWER to you!
... and remember to follow your heart.

PS If you are interested in book recommendations to go along with your first deck, here is a great thread:
If you had to choose only one book on learning the tarot, what would it be?
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=204318

There are so many RWS variants out there that if the traditional deck doesn't appeal to you it will be easy to just choose a more appealing variant..

When I started out many years ago the traditional RWS didn't really appeal to me either so I do understand what your saying, but, i chose a deck that had the same meanings so, imho, I think it's important when first learning Tarot to choose a deck similar to RWS.. You can always move on to more challenging and visually different decks later on when you have built up your Tarot knowledge.. Just my two penny's worth

I started with Shadowscapes, personally. I almost never consulted the book. I've used it for personal readings, readings for others, meditation, dream and spiritual guidance. If I'd have started with an RWS or clone instead of the deck I connected to, I'd have likely not gone far into tarot at all.

Get the deck you're drawn to. Pick up RWS later if that's the way you want to go. As was mentioned earlier, Wildwood and Shadowscapes are both RWS based (but not clones) so when you do want to learn the traditional meanings, you do have a base of it.