papercut
Or: which cards must a deck get *right*, in order for you to be able to use it?
My own dealbreaker cards are -
The Magician: I see him as sort of representing the spirit of the deck as a whole. If I don't like the Magician then I know I'll never be able to like the deck. On the other hand, if a deck gets the Magician right, I can overlook all sorts of quirks in the other cards. My perfect example of the magician is one of the three Magus cards in the Thoth (the one with the bear). I'm secretly in love with him.
The Hermit: So many decks have boring, dreary Hermits. Another point for the Thoth with this card. I love the energy and intense scrutiny portrayed in the Thoth's Hermit. I also really like the World Spirit's Hermit. It manages to be visually interesting while retaining pretty standard Hermit symbolism. And it has a bunny!
The Moon: I feel this card should be disconcerting and a little creepy. I'm always disappointed if it isn't. It means a lot of the lighter, friendlier decks are ruled out for me. I think the Marseilles and RWS get the Moon right. The imagery is deceptively simple but so strange. Kind of like the Moon card itself.
Two of Cups: I am a hopeless romantic at heart, I guess. This card always fills me with sigh-y joy when it comes up in a reading (even when ill dignified!). I need to love this card in a deck. Again, Thoth gets this one right for me. I don't even know why in this case. It just resonates somehow.
My own dealbreaker cards are -
The Magician: I see him as sort of representing the spirit of the deck as a whole. If I don't like the Magician then I know I'll never be able to like the deck. On the other hand, if a deck gets the Magician right, I can overlook all sorts of quirks in the other cards. My perfect example of the magician is one of the three Magus cards in the Thoth (the one with the bear). I'm secretly in love with him.
The Hermit: So many decks have boring, dreary Hermits. Another point for the Thoth with this card. I love the energy and intense scrutiny portrayed in the Thoth's Hermit. I also really like the World Spirit's Hermit. It manages to be visually interesting while retaining pretty standard Hermit symbolism. And it has a bunny!
The Moon: I feel this card should be disconcerting and a little creepy. I'm always disappointed if it isn't. It means a lot of the lighter, friendlier decks are ruled out for me. I think the Marseilles and RWS get the Moon right. The imagery is deceptively simple but so strange. Kind of like the Moon card itself.
Two of Cups: I am a hopeless romantic at heart, I guess. This card always fills me with sigh-y joy when it comes up in a reading (even when ill dignified!). I need to love this card in a deck. Again, Thoth gets this one right for me. I don't even know why in this case. It just resonates somehow.