Your first deck?

[Grizabella]

My literal beginning, I guess, was probably in the late 90's when a friend of mine sent me Jamie Sams Medicine cards, because that was the lead-in for Tarot for me. Before that, I was scared to death of Tarot from the way I was raised to believe it was evil. I didn't associate the Jamie Sams cards with Tarot at that time, but that's what eventually led me to think of Tarot and decide to try it.

When I decided to try Tarot, the first deck I got was the Medicine Woman deck but what I was really looking for was the Ancestral Path except that I couldn't find it at first and the Medicine Woman cards were kind of close. Even though it was called Tarot, I thought it was safe because it was somewhat Native American. Couldn't read with that one, and the book was even more confusing. I did eventually find the Ancestral Path but couldn't read with that either. Got the Gonzalez Native American deck somewhere along the line and that art work is even worse than RWS but it was small enough to shuffle easily, at least. (It's one of my favorites now, though.)

I honestly don't remember what order I got other decks in after the Sams deck. My reason for choosing decks was really dumb, first of all. I picked the Buckland because I had married a gypsy once. (Brilliant reasoning, I know.) I had picked the Ancestral Path and Medicine Woman because I'm of Native American descent. (Shows how much I knew about Tarot.) And then I got the Haindl because I'm also of German descent. (Sigh---I know, I know. That brilliant reasoning again.) I avoided Rider Waite like the plague because I thought it was so ugly. Eventually I broke down and did get a RWS and that's when I really started to learn Tarot. I'm still not fond of the RWS art work and never will be a RWS addict, but I can read with it. I had to start with Universal Waite, though.

 

[willoe]

Zerner-Farber. It turned me off so much that I didn't touch another deck for five years afterwards.

Then, one day I went with a friend and we both picked up the RWS decks in the big yellow box. The rest is history.

 

[margi]

Mine was the RWS about 16 yrs ago, which my Gma promptly took and told me to get a Thoth deck, which was impossible. Then I bought the Sacred Circle, which was completely over my head. The deck that finally clicked was the Gilded.

Oddly enough, I got that RWS deck back when she died, along with the Osho Zen and Medicine Woman cards and a Universal Waite with gold edges and a new Thoth deck, which I am still struggling with.

Still, the Gilded, Legacy, ToD and Mystic are me go to decks....with the Gilded still being the gold standard. Love the Sacred Circle, but doesn't work for me most of the time....

~margi

 

[Muir Aingeal]

My first deck was the Gilded and being somewhat of an old fashioned girl the computer generated art really did not do much for me. I then purchased the Celtic wisdom tarot which I couldn't understand so I traded it (have it back now) and thirdly it was the Mystic Faerie which I got along with better than the rest.

I can't say I have much first deck nostalgia or that it was special to me but it did lead me to other wonderful decks and the Aeclectic tarot forum!

 

[hippiewitchie]

Mine was the Merlin Tarot.
My mom got it for me for Christmas I think I was in highschool. I kept borrowing my Grandmother's Gypsy Witch Cards.

I love the look of the Merlin, but could not (and still haven't) read it. the book was WAY over my head with 3 worlds, 3 circles, yadda yadda. I still have the deck. The box is really worn.

A couple decks (and decades) later I found the World Spirit deck and that is the one that opened up tarot for me.

 

[Samarial]

My first was the Tarot of the Elves. I remember seeing the box art with the picture from the Empress card at a book store. We were visitng my soon to be hubby for family day when he was in basic training. The Empress card seen here:http://witchcraft-supplies.com/tarot/DTARELV.jpg

And that picture drew me in because I felt like thats what me and my fiancee will be like soon. I will care for him always, be there for him, and well I have a fascination with elves.I use that deck the most, the pictures are easy to understand, and I love the size of the cards.

My mom gave me her Tarot of the Witches awhile back. I like the major arcana but not the minor, but the cards smell like my moms room with her perfume, and that brings childhood memories.

 

[Lunalyn]

wow! all these great stories and tarot decks.

I only started reading about Tarot a few months ago. and because most information is about the RWS I ended up buying that deck just over a month ago.

but looking at all those decks on AT I'm being sucked in. I like the Llewelyn, Shadowscapes, Paulina .......

lyn

 

[WyrdRaven]

My first deck was the Waite-Smith, back around 1969 or thereabouts. I tried to memorize all the meanings in my Eden Gray book before reading, so it took me quite awhile to actually read with my cards! I have several versions of the WS, but my first was the University Books, which had pink ankhs on the back. It is still my main reading deck. Over the years, I've gone deeper and deeper with it, and it was my companion as I learned about Elemental Dignities and Kaballah. Now I'm trying to learn more about Astrological Dignities, and there is my faithful companion-- my dear Waite-Smith! I can close my eyes and see the cards in my head. I've acquired a lot more decks along the way, but if it came down to which one I'd choose for my desert island, it would be my Waite deck.

 

[Moonchild1721]

My first deck was the Rider Waite also. I went into Barnes and Noble one day, couldn't find the book I was looking for, and happened upon the Tarot section of the store. I hadn't planned on buying it, and had never read tarot, or had a reading done, but somehow I ended up walking out of the store with a tarot deck! I have bought many decks since then, but still use the very first deck from time to time!

 

[MysticalMoose]

My first deck almost 24 years ago was a pocket size Rider Waite with the fugly plaid backs...I read sporadically with it & the lwb in a bit of a reasonably successful one statement per card style for a while until my Gran took me under her wing & gave me some playing cards, like she read...that didnt last for long as I lost interest until later on I got an original Mythic & loved it as I'm a Greek Myth fan & it all started to make more sense & I was able to weave the story from card to card... Altho my RW was my first deck the Mythic was the first deck I really felt able to read with & it's stayed a firm favourite for when I'm feeling a bit nostalgic...
Following that I discovered AT & the rest "as they say" is history, I'm trying to remember what came next.... <thinks> oh actually it was the Osho Zen which was a gift from a lady I sat in Mediumship Circle with & I think next it was the Celtic Book Of The Dead & then...I discovered DruidCraft which became my all time "Number One"....& in fact still is even now 100+ decks later
MM