Newsgroups: alt.magick
From: ceci@lysator.liu.se (Ceci Henningsson)
Subject: Re: A good tarot deck
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 12:53:57 GMT

fergus@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (seidman matthew) writes:
> Hello...I'm interested in experimenting with the Tarot, and I'm
> wondering if anyone has some opinions on what would be a good
> beginning tarot deck.  In the local stores I've seen Rider-Waite,
> Golden Dawn, and a mess of 'theme' decks with titles like "Herbal
> tarot" and things like that.  Any suggestions?

Tarot beginners usually get two kinds of advice. Either "get a deck
you feel comfortable with" or "use deck X", where X often is the
Rider-Waite.

If you choose a deck according to the first recommendation, it's a
good idea to handle some different decks. If you have friends who have
decks, ask to see them (ask before touching them!), and _feel_ if the
pictures speak to you. Don't intellectualize while doing this. Don't
buy the first deck you see, but shop around for a while before
deciding. Tarot decks aren't cheap, so you don't want to buy one you
won't be using later. The second-hand market for used tarot decks is
next to nonexistant, so don't count on selling a deck you don't feel
comfortable with. 

If you want an authorative recommendation, most people recommend a
"vanilla" deck like Raider-Waite. If you're working within a specific
tradition and there is a Tarot deck belonging to it, maybe you want
that one. 

Som more things to consider: 
* Will you be attending a course that uses a specific deck?
* Not all decks have "paintings" on the numbered cards in the Minor
  Arcana. How do you feel about that?
* Do you have particular preferences about the ideas conveyed or the
  ways the are conveyed? For instance, a lesbian woman might prefer
  the Daughters of the Moon deck with the lesbian version of the
  Lovers to other decks. Or maybe you prefer a certain colour scheme.

There's really no way to tell someone else which deck is the right for
you, and most people who have used tarot decks for som time, have more
than one. Still, starting out with a traditional deck can be a good
idea, if for no other reason than that there are more instructional
books about them to choose from. My personal choice is the Thoth deck
by Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris, but many people find Crowley's
ideas hard to swallow.

Tarot blessings,
--Ceci
--
====ceci@lysator.liu.se====================================
"Waking a person unnecessarily should not be considered a
 capital crime. For the first offense, that is." -- L. Long
===========================================================