Deck Opinions

[Razordance]

I'm starting to get the itch for a new deck. I think I'm going to order one because the local book store only has the DaVinci in, and I'm not sure that it's a deck I'd be into. There are a few that I was considering, and I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on them.

Thoth Tarot - I was originally avoiding this but I think it's mainly that I have some sort of mental blockage where I automatically assume anything related to Crowley is dark in nature. I know it's extremely highly thought of by a lot of people here. My only issue is that it might be a little to advanced for me at this time.

Fey Tarot - I love faeries. I have 2 faerie oracles (Healing with the Faeries and Wisdom of the Faeries), but no faerie related tarot deck as of yet.

Tarot of the Old Path - I realize that this might be a somewhat female oriented deck, but I like what I've seen of the artwork, and being pagan myself, I've gotten used to the female thing.

Legend: Arthurian - Again, I like what I've seen of the artwork, but I've heard that the hanging man artwork is completely out of line with the card's meaning.

I've been reading for a couple of months, and I currently have Suckling's Dragon Tarot and a strange book store bargain deck which I haven't been able to identify and have been meaning to post scans of.

Thanks in advance...

 

[RaeBelle]

From your list I have the Thoth and the Fey.

So far I adore the Fey. The images really speak to me, more than any other deck so far. Of course I'm still learning, so this could change.

I'm rather iffy on the Thoth. I have that Crowley mental block, but the artwork is beautiful.

HTH! Good luck on picking your new deck!

 

[Eoin]

Hello. I'm just kind of starting out with Tarot right now and I don't have as much knowledge to draw off of yet, but I do own the Thoth deck and I can say that, from just looking through the deck and reading a little about it, I never really thought of it as dark. Only that it seemed very complex for the likes of a beginner like me. Although now I am even reconsidering that thanks to some helpful comments from other AT members.

 

[Aeric]

I grew to like the Thoth Tarot from an art perspective. That's all I really saw Thoth of as first, a series of beautiful, grotesque, and mysterious images far unlike anything else in Tarot. It was a shock to my system to know that the idea for these gorgeous works came from the self-styled Beast, but the respect for them grew.

I compare Crowley to the Tarot world what H R Giger is to the art world. The imagery is shocking and meant to evoke something immediately visceral no matter how comfortable you are with it. It takes a while to recognize aspects of beauty in it, but they're there.

 

[Razordance]

Kind of drifting O/T, sorry

Well, I have friends who have been trying to teach me that Crowley wasn't neccessarily the 'beast' he made himself out to be. That said, I don't really know that much about him. The fact is, I tend to like dark things. I have no problem with artwork that would be considered dark or morbid, as a matter of fact I tend to be very drawn to it. I think the block I've had with Crowley is that he's not some creature from a horror movie. He actually existed, and I don't really have enough knowledge of him to know how much is exaggeration and how much is the real deal. Honestly, I'm starting to realize that just about anyone who'se interested in mysticism at all should at least take a casual glance at him and his works, but I have to admit his legend scares me a little and always has.
Moving back on topic, I don't think I really have a problem with the deck from that point of view anymore, and I do love the artwork. I still think it's a bit beyond my level at this point, and from what I understand his book does very little to make things easier. I'm sure it's a deck I'll own eventually, but maybe not right now.

BYW, if anyone's interested, there's a file on one of the BitTorrent sites which is a series of recordings of Crowley in the 1920's. Sound quality is a bit iffy, but worth it for rarity alone.

 

[Grizabella]

It's true that the Legend Arthurian card for the Hanged Man isn't traditional, but the book that goes with the deck gives a good enough explanation of the author's intended meaning that it still makes sense. I don't have the other decks you mention but the Legend is a very lovely deck and I'd recommend it. Do get the deck/book set if you can, though, if that's the one you choose.

 

[punchinella]

Razordance, I just got Legend and in spite of having held out against it for some time (on the basis of Hallowquest having been the original) I am very glad I purchased it. If you are at all drawn to Arthurian legend this deck will speak to you, and the more background you have in this the more it will speak My knowledge of the legend is ho-hum (I'm no specialist) but I find it eloquent.

Personal thoughts on Thoth: I have it and rarely use it. I don't find it dark at all, but just very impersonal and "cold." Many people love the art, but I find it, in spite of having been created by a woman, almost totally masculine in feel. This creates an imbalance that throws me out of the deck. There are plenty of women pictured, but I find that they all sort of look like men. The keywords can be seriously annoying too (limiting).

That said, Thoth is a deck that I will go to when I want the absolute hard cold truth about something. This doesn't tend to happen more than once or twice per year.

It isn't a deck that I really want to live closely with. It never comes to bed with me

 

[a_shikhs]

I have the Legend Arthurian Tarot and LOVE it.. I bought this deck recently when I had gone abroad for a holiday and Im so glad I bought and didnt leave it behind. Ive got lovely readings with it and it has an awesome feel to it. The Hanged Man is a little weird but the rest of the cards are beautiful. I highly recommend this deck.

 

[Hemera]

if you like dark things do check out the Gothic Tarot! the artwork is awesome!
it is probably basically for a more advanced reader but if the artwork clicks there´s no reason you couldn´t learn to use it.

 

[raeanne]

Hi Razordance,
I have three of the four decks you listed. I do not have the Fey Tarot, yet. I use the Legend deck a lot, especially for my older son. Unless you already know a great deal about the Arthurian stories, the book is a must. The artwork is beautiful and I love the way this deck speaks to me. Tarot of the Old Path is like that comfortable pair of blue jeans. It just fits so well! And then there is the Thoth. One thing to remember about the Thoth deck...you don't need to learn it all. Yes, there is complexity but if you aren't interested in Kabalah, you don't have to pay attention to the Hebrew letters. If you don't want to learn astrology, then you don't have to and you can ignore the astrological symbols for now and maybe learn that later. If you are interested in learning about Tarot, then sooner or later you will need to pick up the Thoth deck. Many decks find appropriate images for each card. The Thoth deck was intensionally and specifically designed. If you want to enjoy Tarot, then pick whichever deck you like the most. If you want to learn more about Tarot, it's time for the Thoth. That's my opinion anyway. Enjoy.