posted December 21, 2011 01:58 PM            

Here's my list for now. Of course it is not exhaustive. There are so many decks, that differ not only in the artistic characteristics of their pictures but also oftentimes in the number of cards and their symbolism (the archetypes used in the basic symbolism may be less or more well-known and widely-used).

The Classic tarot deck recommended for this course is the Rider-Waite. In subsequent lessons, I will go in some detail through the symbolism and the meanings of the cards in that deck, so you can familiarize yourself in broad terms with it and have a good basis for practicing what you learn. Once you get the hang of one good deck, learning a second (or third etc.) is much easier and can be done without much outside help.

So if you are thinking of buying your first deck, consider buying the Rider-Waite deck. It comes in various sizes. Buy what you are able to literally handle in your own two hands. And plan to stick with the lessons here.

Decks usually come with fascinated booklets of "instructions" that explain the philosophy that inspired the deck, the symbolism that motivated the artist, and the meaning of each card in the deck. Some booklets will go ahead and even offer samples of specific spreads to give the reader-in-training an idea of how the deck works. In this course, we will also examine some popular spreads to use in your readings, so there is no need to worry about that right now.

LIST OF POPULAR TAROT DECKS (with links) to follow.

posted December 21, 2011 02:04 PM            

Rider-Waite deck
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/rider-waite/

Osho Zen Tarot
http://www.osho.com/Main.cfm?Area=Magazine&Sub1Menu=Tarot&Sub2Menu=OshoZenTarot
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/osho-zen/

Lenormand Oracle decks
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/lenormand.shtml

Angel decks
Archangel Oracle/ Doreen Virtue
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/archangel-oracle/

Messages from Your Angels Oracle/ Doreen Virtue
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/messages-angels-oracle/

Angel Voices Oracle
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/angel-voices-oracle/

Angel Insight Pack:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/angel-insight/

Psychic Tarot Oracle Cards
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/psychic/

Morgan-Greer deck
http://www.mysticgames.com/mysticgames_cfmfiles/tarotinfo/deck.cfm?DeckID=3

Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/aleister-crowley-thoth/

Anne Stokes Fournier ALCHEMY GOTHIC 1977 England Tarot Deck
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/fournier.shtml

Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling Cards
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/russian-gypsy-fortunetelling/
http://www.learntarot.com/rgdesc.htm

Tarot of the Witches Tarot Deck
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-of-the-witches/

Robin Wood Tarot Deck
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/robin-wood/

Faerie Tarot
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/faerie/

Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/hanson-roberts/

Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/russian-st-petersburg/

posted December 21, 2011 02:04 PM            

From the Hanson-Roberts deck:

posted December 21, 2011 05:25 PM            

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I once saw a sign that said "sin is death" but if "all deaths are suicide (linda goodman)" and suicide is sin, then shouldnt "death is sin" be more appropriate?

posted December 21, 2011 05:48 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by NickiG:
does the difference of art make a difference when learning tarot?

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Good question.

No, it doesn't really make a direct difference in learning. However, there are various reasons why it would be nice to familiarize yourself with the looks of at least the most popular decks.

Reason #1: when you are at the store and try to decide which deck to buy, it's good to know and look up the more popular ones. You can recognize them from their art. Their art will tell you things about the symbolism or tradition behind the deck.

Reason #2: The more decks you have seen and know to recognize the more familiar you become with reading the Tarot in general. Symbolism is repeated after a while and looking at many decks can help your mind abstract away from the details and focus on the common original archetypes.

Reason #3: Some of these decks might be more appealing to you artistically and otherwise. Since you wish to learn to read intuitively, it's good to buy a deck that you REALLY like and whose art really speaks to you even without looking at the legends or in the booklet. Your goal is to develop such an intimate connection with your deck that you can immediately figure out its messages in the context of a spread. Loving its art is a way of developing this kind of connection with the deck. The more you like your deck, the more you will want to look at it and use it, right?

Reason #4: Check some of the above decks and tell me if you find any one of them harder to understand. Right now you know next to nothing about the tarot. However, some of the above decks might be easier for you to understand at a first glance. Some others might be nearly impossible to figure out. By knowing what's out there, you can pick the one that speaks to you in the easiest, most effortless and inspiring way.

posted December 21, 2011 06:16 PM            

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I once saw a sign that said "sin is death" but if "all deaths are suicide (linda goodman)" and suicide is sin, then shouldnt "death is sin" be more appropriate?

posted December 21, 2011 07:22 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by anongrl10:
How about the Russian Gypsy deck?

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omg, i couldnt begin to understand that, LOL

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I once saw a sign that said "sin is death" but if "all deaths are suicide (linda goodman)" and suicide is sin, then shouldnt "death is sin" be more appropriate?

posted December 29, 2011 01:55 AM            

The vivid pictures in the Fournier and Faerie decks are nice. They kind of present a challenge in seeing past the obvious dark or light themes in the deck to get to an applicable meaning; that process seems like it could present a radically different viewpoint on the querent's questions or situation.

The Psychic deck just looks really easy to understand because the pictures are simple and easily connectable to archetypes.

posted December 29, 2011 03:44 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Cancer/Scorpio729:
My favorites were the Lenormand and Psychic ones, the Fournier and Faerie to a lesser extent.
I really liked how some versions of the Lenormand decks associate with regular playing cards, and the simple pictures seem more down-to-earth than some of the other wildly illustrated decks.

The vivid pictures in the Fournier and Faerie decks are nice. They kind of present a challenge in seeing past the obvious dark or light themes in the deck to get to an applicable meaning; that process seems like it could present a radically different viewpoint on the querent's questions or situation.

The Psychic deck just looks really easy to understand because the pictures are simple and easily connectable to archetypes.

Oh my goodness, all this just from looking at cards.

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Thanks for this!
That's exactly what I meant. You are already on your way of developing a relationship with the Tarot. Looking at as many decks as possible, trying to get a feeling from each one, and marking your own preferences is what it is all about.

Remember that preferences are individualized. What works for you won't work for every reader. As you start out with tarot reading, it's best to stick with the decks that "speak" to you and keep on developing a relationship with them. I stayed with the Rider-Waite deck for many years before I "graduated" into angel decks. It is OK to do so. What's important is to practice and to keep on deepening your intuitive link to the deck of your choice and of your liking.

When you become more experienced as a reader, you will be able to keep a link to more than one decks and work with ease with any one of them. The principles of the Tarot remain universal even though the symbolism and the art might differ quite a bit. But do not rush to reach this point before you are ready. Stay with one deck that you feel "your own" for a while, go in depth before you deal with new decks.

posted December 29, 2011 03:53 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Cancer/Scorpio729:
Going off of what you said on the other thread, besides figuring out which decks you prefer and getting accustomed to them, how would you know which deck is appropriate for which question?

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All decks are appropriate for all questions.
Having said that, what matters is the reader and the querent rather than the deck. The deck is your visual tool. Many people read without using any decks at all.

Later on, we will see different spreads that one can use with different questions. You can use these spreads with any deck.

Remember that the deck choice, especially if you just begin as a tarot reader, is up to you! Choose what you like, what speaks to you. The bigger the feeling, the best!
Notice which from the above images make you go "WOW" and keep browsing through decks until you find "the one". You will know it by your reaction to it.

Now, experienced readers are already familiar with many decks and are able to read using any deck they want. They may also allow the querent to pick a deck for themselves. Experience helps you with this ease of reading for any querent and any question using any deck. Until you reach that point, use your own deck (the deck of your choice) for all querents and all questions.

All decks are equal. It is how they speak to the reader that makes a difference to the reading, so keep on working on your tarot reading skill and you will able to eventually read from any deck.

When you have a bit of experience under your belt, you will know that some decks -for you as a reader- speak easier for certain topics. For instance, for a while I found that my angel decks were more suitable for questions on personal development. This deck would still work for ANY question; there is nothing in the deck itself that would prevent it from doing so. It was just speaking to me easier for certain questions and harder for other type of questions. So it's up to the skill of the reader how each deck will "perform". You see? The more experienced you are as a reader, the easier it will be to use any deck for any question. Until then, keep on practicing with your own deck.