OccultForum.org

Hi guys,

Which Tarot deck do you prefer to use? I myself find the Deviant Moon to be my most favourite, as it gives me the best readings, plus I feel very deeply moved by the amazing art and depth of character in the cards. Ive owned a huge number of decks over the years, but the Deviant Moon deck has really struck a chord and I cant see myself giving it away any time soon...

Like most things in life, I like to stick to the classics. Thus, I own and regularly use a Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Though I have problems with A. E. Waite himself and his particular brand of occult philosophy, (cf. "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot") I generally find his symbolism to resonate with the general vein of traditional Western esotericism.

Thoth or Thoth based, IMO the Thoth leaves more room for free associations, has more depth and more angles to encompass the interpretation (which can also be a downside though).

It's also more loaded

My favorite are Thoth, deviant moon and raider white.

I picked up a copy of the Rider-Waite deck on a whim the other day, since it was the only one of the lot that I recognized (other than the Thoth deck, which I've read is a bit more advanced). Did a reading with it earlier today and was fairly surprised at the advice that came up

Rin wrote:I picked up a copy of the Rider-Waite deck on a whim the other day, since it was the only one of the lot that I recognized (other than the Thoth deck, which I've read is a bit more advanced). Did a reading with it earlier today and was fairly surprised at the advice that came up

Thats a pretty awesome start. What did it advise you to do? Or is it personal?

I posted them after some pondering, then decided I'd be derailing the thread too much so I saved Nahemah the trouble and move it to a new thread:

http://www.occultforum.org/forum/viewto ... 10&t=33184

Any input would be great.

i'm a fan of the deste deck in order t get some answers...but if i need to meditate,i use the chakra decks.In my hands they seem to come alive...or maybe it's just a feeling...i just appreciate them too much.

Thoth tarot, Rider-Waite and Marseilles. Besides Thoth which I prefer most, I find Rider-Waite very interesting, because they have human illustrations even on minor arcana.

My fave deck is the Shakespearean.It's small in size,so it's ideal for wee hands like mine to manipulate.

@flame 93,my deck is like that too.I just went and checked,lol.

@Nahemah, is there some example of that deck online? I'm interested to see it.

Yep.Aeclectic Tarot...

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/shakespearian/

It's a decent site with lots of decks archived and reviews,articles etc.

It really does depend. The artistry of the Thoth deck is excellent but think its correspondences conform only to a Thelemic paradigm which means that it can confuse the newcomer and be of less use to the experienced non-Thelemite. The traditionalist in me likes de Marseilles which aside from being free of later revisions to their correspondences, have a wonderfully rustic feel. By reading them the practitioner is partaking of the same system used throughout the European Tradition which adds a very powerful aspect to their use. I also quite like the Botticelli deck which works well with any system drawing on Hermetism and Neoplatonism.

I remember, in my early days of trying to make sense of "the occult" I had a pack of "goddess oracle cards" which had images of various goddesses with affirmations beneath. In readings they acted as symbols of forces. Although I look back at them now as being fluffy silliness they do still appeal to me. Perhaps because they remind me of a more naive version of myself.

I have a Rider, and I feel it more chose me, I handled many different types, even other Riders, but this one I came across in a small second hand bookshop, I second guessed getting it but even as I did this, I found myself removing it from the shelf and taking it directly to the counter, I have thought it was never a good idea buying a deck that had been handled before, so was surprised when I went through with it, but I must admit on opening it, you could swear it may have never been touched, and I have had great readings from it. I am protective over it, unless in a reading no one else is to pick it up and handle it, same goes for my pendulum, which is only ever held by me. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

I use the RWS a lot, but my favourite is probably the Robin Wood- it's a varient of the RWS that takes out a lot of the christian symbolism and replaces it with british pagan stuff. Plus the cards are absolutely beautiful...


this is a good example of why I love it.

captain_trousers it's a beautiful card! Very positive and good-humored.

I prefer to work with Ibis, Manga, and Tarot delSegreti. They are very informative and talkative? despite their simplicity.
I began with Marseilles and Rider, but their energy is not for me. These deck seemed to me like chains on my mind...

My first deck was rider-waite, ever since I got a Thoth deck it has become my deck of choice. Once you get good with tarot you should be able to pick up almost any real deck and get a fair result, but I get the best results from the Thoth deck

Thoth Tarot is a very interesting deck, indeed...
bit for me its too heavyю But I like to look it over.

Mine is the "Sacred Rose Tarot" deck. I was told that it was "unlucky" to buy my own so they were a gift.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/sacred-rose/

Although I learned about the Tarot from the Alfred Douglas book. Never got a pack of the Tarot from it, though.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/sheridan-douglas/

I hear a lot of people think a Tarot should be gifted, most who are wiccan, why do you think that is? Everything else you use it is always said you should be drawn to it, but not the cards? and how do you feel about other people looking at or touching your deck?

I have a Rider-Waite deck and a Thoth deck, but I work with Runes. [greensmile]

SchemeliaC wrote:I hear a lot of people think a Tarot should be gifted, most who are wiccan, why do you think that is? Everything else you use it is always said you should be drawn to it, but not the cards? and how do you feel about other people looking at or touching your deck?

Because they think it makes it more 'special' than if its bought as anything else, the other version I have heard is 'should be stolen'. I didnt hear many that agreed to either version, though. I never got the idea with those cards I guess, I got a Thoth deck but ppl could play poker with it for all I cared. Now and then I draw a card or three and then look up meaning. If I get same meaning several days in a row I might start paying attention to it.

My feeling now is that it doesn't matter where it comes from as long as your link to it is maximised. You must have a good relationship to the cards, whichever they are.

The only problem I have now is that my research leads me to the conclusion that the act of divination, aside from being a snapshot of the future possibilities branching out from the current moment, can also lead to some of those possibilities becoming self-fulfilling prophecies :-)

The line between divination and enchantment can get very blurry indeed...

Moth- It is true that you can force your out come after a reading, but you can also answer questions about the present that are already unchangable.
the seaker- I tryed working with runes for a while but it seemed like the tarot was much more detailed, do you think that is only because I was new at the runes or do you think the runes take a lot more interpretaion by the user.... I find If you are tuned you can get the same outcome from anything, buy as a tool I felt the tarot was more able to be detailed.

Moth- It is true that you can force your out come after a reading, but you can also answer questions about the present that are already unchangable.

Good point! - "Divine short and enchant long" as they say...