Something wrong with majors only ?

[Silverlotus]

It should have boiled down to - why, when an artist sweats blood to create a 22 card deck, a lovely, special and deeply symbolic thing - is the response so often "Nice; I will wait for the minors". The artist may never have had any intention of creating them, so the deck never gets studied and loved - and yes, maybe even used - as it deserves....

For me it is simple: I like to work with 78 cards. And I like for all my decks to be decks that I can comfortably work with. So, if something is Majors only, then I am just not interested.

I will admit that I own one Majors only deck, the 2nd edition of the Gaian Tarot Majors. That is only because I am so in love with the deck that I couldn't stand waiting until the whole deck was released (and I am so excited to know I should have my full copy in about a month!). I've used this deck a couple of times with spreads meant for Majors only, but it is essentially just an art piece for me.

I think that it is important to support artists, and I understand why special editions are expensive. But I am not willing to pay a large amount of money for something that I will never use. As much as I love my Gaian Majors, if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't buy them.

So, for me it is a matter of use. My comment on the announcement of a lovely Majors only would be more like "They are wonderful, but I only work with 78 cards" if I felt the desire to justify why I wasn't going to buy them.

I would say that if I am looking for a Majors only experience in my readings (e.g. looking at bigger issues) I can just pull them from one of my decks, or use an oracle deck.

 

[jgoreham]

If I saw the right Majors only deck, I'd pick it up. I'd like for my tarot card collection to be concise and a working collection. There's a deck on etsy I've been looking at. That said, like many other posters in this thread, I like to use a full set of 78 cards to do readings so there isn't a lot of room in my budget for a Majors only deck. At the moment, I'm not really collecting just to collect.

Actually, I'd really like to make my own Majors only deck to work with as an exercise in study of tarot. I'd like to learn more about the symbolism used in Tarot decks, and implement it as I interpret it.

 

[OctoberGwen]

My comment on the announcement of a lovely Majors only would be more like "They are wonderful, but I only work with 78 cards" if I felt the desire to justify why I wasn't going to buy them.

Just out of curiosity, why would you ever feel the need to justify not buying something? Your reasons for not being interested in Majors only decks are just as valid as someone else's reasons for liking/buying them.

 

[gregory]

Actually, I'd really like to make my own Majors only deck to work with as an exercise in study of tarot. I'd like to learn more about the symbolism used in Tarot decks, and implement it as I interpret it.

That is exactly the reason I am creating my own private deck. It teaches you heaps. (OT, but still, since you mentioned it... )

 

[jujustar]

I use my Ansata and Star Tarot a lot....

The majors-only decks i have are very "dense", so i dont miss the minors at all.
Having said that, i cant imagine being without the minors of my Ironwing!!!!

 

[Umbrae]

Sad that so many posts here view 22-Card decks as 'Collector's decks'.

I routinely read with majors only.

They are good for both spiritual and mundane questions (in my opinion based on actual experience).

Some say that “Tarot is a language”. IMO, I view the majors as nouns, the minors as verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. Sometimes in reading, a reader can find themselves looking at too much visual 'noise'. Majors cut to the quick IMO.

And there are a ton of Majors only decks out there that cost a whole lot less than seventy bucks yew ess. Its a matter of looking in the right places.

New ones are published all the time. I love Adam's work. A couple remain my all time fave decks. But they are not the only fish in the pond.

I also have a few sets of 56 cards, where the majors rocked – and the minors not-so-much.

Smaller spreads, fewer cards – same message – less noise.

Just an opinion.

ETA: old post on reading with majors only in Using Tarot - http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=840713

 

[Llynn]

I love and collect Majors only decks - I have several of Adam's and plan on getting more. They are works of art - and they feel different to a mass produced deck. (In fact, I have stopped buying 78 card decks unless they're on my wish list. Personally I feel that there are too many decks being published that are themed - if I never see another vampire deck it will be too soon! But as they say 'one man's meat is another man's poison'.) I did contemplate the limited edition full Gaian but decided that I could use the money to buy more Majors only decks.

Smaller spreads, fewer cards – same message – less noise.

I agree with Umbrae - I read mostly for myself and the older I get the more I find that 'less is more'. If you use only the Majors the trick is to find the 'right' spread - keep it simple and be specific - but isn't that the trick for all readings?

 

[Aerin]

Reading all of the above, I've suddenly realised that I haven't read with a Majors only deck since just after I started learning tarot. At the time I found it all a bit grand and philosophical and spiritual etc but I've moved on since then as a reader. Maybe I would like to try again.

 

[KafkasGhost]

Here is a superb thread that was resurrected recently.
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=84592
I thought it would help encourage people who had doubts about majors only decks to regard them differently (or even just to try with the majors of your 78-card decks).

 

[Glitterbird]

Can I give a fairly silly reason-- they aren't as much fun to shuffle. 22 Cards makes such a skinny little pile to hold and to feel in the hand. Even the sound of them sliding against one another goes by too quickly with so few cards. QUOTE]

HAHA funny - I feel the exact same way (smile). Even if they are beautiful, I only have so much money for my deck habit, and I really like to read with a full deck.