BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Tarot What Do You Look for in a Tarot Deck

1. What deck you usually use when you read for yourself and/or others?

I usually use The Quest Tarot to read for others, but also use The Oracle Tarot (Lucy Cavendish). I used The Golden Tarot (created by Kat Black, our Vegetarian Host here at Bella) today for a journaling exercise. I found it incredibly helpful. I'm becoming more interested in RWS type decks since I've been reading Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom.

2. What specific features of a deck attract you? For instance, do you look for imagery that you can relate to - or do you look for a particular theme? Or is it something else that helps you decide?

Imagery is what draws me primarily. If the images don't speak to me, I won't even consider it. I tend to be drawn to the ethereal and hi-tech, like The Spiral Tarot and The Quest. I also look to specific cards: The Moon, Death, and The Hermit being the main ones. Photo collage is something else I enjoy, if done well.

I was originally drawn to the Inner Child deck, but although I love the concept of archetypes through fairy tales, could never get good readings from that deck. I look forward to using The Golden Tarot more, and am considering getting the Thoth deck and the Universal Tarot.

I agree Janet!

Kat's Golden Tarot is amazing. It fits so beautifully in my hands (I have a hard time manipulating the larger card decks) and is so exquisite to mull over. I always spend quite a bit of time with each card as I do a reading - and Kat's are truly inspirational and revealing.

You would love the Thoth deck, btw.

Hi June!

Yeah, that was another thing about the Inner Child Deck...it's so huge. I have small hands, so shuffling was very difficult.

Kat's deck makes it so easy tell stories about the cards, which I'm finding yields a lot of information from the subconscious/intuition.

I originally shied away from The Thoth, thinking it may be too "dark", but the more I look at it, the more I like it.

I just know that if I keep talking about decks, I'm going to turn into one of those deck-a-holics! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I have 2 decks of Tarot. The Rider-Waite deck and the Fairy Pack. The Fairy deck doesn't consist of the full 78 cards, but I think it works good. I haven't read for anyone else since I'm just starting the Tarot and I don't know how to read for anyone else, but when i've looked into the outcome of something I've used the Rider-Waite deck I have.

Speaking of photomontage decks (which I said I loved!), I just posted a review of the Tarot de Paris (complete with images): http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art20525.asp

It's an amazing deck, with a fascinating origin.

Janet:
78 Degrees of Wisdom is an amazing book on Tarot. One of my favorites!

I bought the Inner Child deck once because of the fairy tale imagery I loved the way they used the stories. However, shortly (like one day) after i brought it home it decided it didnt want to live with me and became so bothersome that I could barely look at it and I traded it away.

The Spiral Tarot is lovely and so filled with symbolism! But the Thoth does not at all speak to me. Too angular I think. Another of my favorites though is the Hudes Tarot. Lovely collage style imagery.

As far as specific cards.. I too have certain cards I look to when deciding on a deck. Death, the High Priestess and the Hanged Man generally. And I usually take a glance at the court cards as well.

Yes...good word, Fiona..."angular". Maybe that's why the Thoth hadn't sat well with me. I like more flowing images. I'd have to see more images of the Thoth before I actually buy it.

I look at The Hanged Man and Courts, too!! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I'm considering trading the Inner Child Deck someday, but since the Magical Child within loves the enchanting artwork, I don't know if I can part with it! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> There's just something about that Spiral deck though...

What are your thoughts on the Robin Wood deck? Ever use it?

Hi Fiona and Janet,

You both bring up some good points. I personally do not find the Thoth deck angular, though there are certain cards in the deck that could be called that.

The point that struck me from this dialogue though is how important visual perception is. It is SOOOO important that people choose a deck that resonates with them, visually. Part of my PhD research is focused on visual literacy and aesthetics so it is very interesting for me to read everyone's comments on this thread. There is so much diversity, which is wonderful, in my view.

I have one project online that might interest some scholars of the tarot called Cyberart as Psychological Tool. I focused on art online but any art, including tarot illustrations are relevant to this work.

Cyberart as Psychological Tool

Another deck that I am falling in love with is the Buddha Deck by Robert Place. The imagery is exquisite and the meanings very insightful.

I just posted a review of the deck and companion book:

:music: The Buddha Tarot Deck & Book Companion : A Review

Janet- The Robin Wood deck is my primary reading deck. I love the imagery and find that I often see something new on the cards during a reading even though I have used the deck for years. I know that Robin Wood put each detail onto the deck specifically but I can't bring myself to read the book because it is so important to me and so much of a director of my readings when I find some new detail that I hadn't noticed before. It is my favorite deck.

June- The Cyberart project seems fascinating. I need to set aside some time to read the pages more in depth!

Hehe and usually I say the Thoth is pointy. But thought "angular" was probably a better term for discussion. This however, is the reason there are so many wonderful decks. everyone finds something that they resonate with.