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I’m gonna be doing this as decks from my collection. There may be some repeats and some decks may be OOP, but some are mass market too. 1. Inner Child Work: A deck you recommend for inner child healing. One that feels safe, nurturing, and playful—ideal for reconnecting with innocence, creativity, and emotional truth. I’d say the Sakki-Sakki tarot for inner child work because it’s colorful and playful. I also want to mention Tarot of the Sweet Twilight for inner teen work. It’s a little melancholy and emo but still sweet and good for the emo teen in us. 2. Shadow Work: A deck that’s powerful for helping readers face their shadows. Honest, deep, and unafraid to confront the difficult—this is your recommendation for deep transformation and self-inquiry. I haven’t used it much yet but I’d say the Deviant Moon and the Thoth. I’m not cool enough to not think the Deviant Moon has challenging imagery and the Thoth cuts right to the heart of a matter, no bull****. 3. Deity Work (or Spirit Guides): A deck that serves as a spiritual bridge—perfect for working with deities, spirit guides, or higher realms. It holds sacred energy and supports devotional practice or channeled messages. I’d say the Spirit Keeper’s tarot. It’s kinda a deck designed for conversing with deities and spirit guides. I have the Vitruvian edition so can’t say whether it’s the same with the Revelations edition. I’ll also add the Persephone tarot for working with her. It’s a simple deck and it does its own thing, but it works. There are a lot of decks you could use when communing with her though. 4. Ancestor Work: A deck you’d suggest for connecting with ancestral wisdom. Whether for lineage healing or honoring those who came before, this one opens the path to ancestral connection. For me as a black person, that’d be Dust ii Onyx. I’ve only done two readings with it so far but it’s really connected me to where I came from and my history and experience with my culture. 5. Divination: A deck that excels in traditional divination. Clear, direct, and accurate—this is your top pick for those seeking predictive insight or practical answers. I’d say the Universal Waite (or any other RWS clone). It’s direct and to the point. The meaning is at the top of the card. I remember I made a timing system and it wasn’t too inaccurate, it was often surprisingly close. I’d also say the Halloween tarot can be unusually on the money too. 6. As Above: A deck that connects the reader to cosmic or spiritual realms. Ideal for soul work, life path exploration, or messages from the higher self—it speaks to the divine perspective. I don’t think I have a deck like this so I’m gonna say the Thoth and Spirit Keeper’s tarot. Maybe Dust ii Onyx too since it has a starry vibe. 7. So Below: A deck you recommend for grounded, real-world readings. This one captures everyday emotions, human experience, and earthly wisdom with clarity and depth. I’d say the Universal Waite again. 8. Hug Deck: A deck that offers emotional support and comfort. Gentle, compassionate, and soothing—this is a deck that feels like a warm hug for anyone going through a tough time. Definitely Shadowscapes. It’s always been an encouraging reader for me. 9. Feel-Good Deck: A deck that uplifts, encourages, and energizes. Whether through color, artwork, or message, this one is a perfect feel-good recommendation for readers who want joy and empowerment. Shadowscapes and Sakki Sakki. Also Britt’s Third Eye tarot is fun and pop-y. 10- Most Versatile: A deck you recommend for handling any type of reading—love, career, shadow work, daily pulls, and everything in between. Reliable, flexible, and reader-friendly, this is the all-rounder that adapts to every situation. I’m gonna have to go with the Universal Waite again. 11- Most Inspiring Deck: A deck you recommend to inspire creativity, intuitive flow, or personal transformation. Whether it's the art, the energy, or the depth of the messages, this one sparks something powerful in the reader. I think I’ll go with the Thoth. It requires a lot of study, which I’m planning to do soon, but it’s undeniably powerful and inspiring. I’m familiar with the cards because I’ve used the website Esoteric Meanings for added insight to my RWS readings and just to compare and contrast, but this will be the first time I do a dedicated study. I’ll also say Numinous tarot because it fits “inspiring creativity” and personal transformation to me personally. 12- Best for Beginners: A deck you'd confidently recommend to someone just starting their tarot journey. Accessible, clear, and easy to learn with—this one makes tarot feel inviting rather than intimidating. I’d say Universal Waite, Thoth, or Britt’s Third Eye tarot. The first because most decks are based on it and it’s a clear reader. The second for anyone who’s interested even though it’ll take a lot of study because when you’re having fun, the work is easy. The last because it’s a really easy reader that simplifies things and it’s fun. I don’t have a Marseilles but I’d add that if you’re interested. Really I’d go with a deck that speaks to you. I’d also say Numinous tarot because the guidebook is amazing. 13- Best for Professionals: A deck you suggest for experienced readers who need depth, nuance, and strong symbolism. Ideal for layered readings, spiritual insight, and working with clients at a professional level. Universal Waite or Thoth. 14- Witchy Vibes: A deck you'd recommend for those who love witchy aesthetics, moody vibes, magical symbolism, or spell work support, casting, altar work, etc. I’d say Tarot of Magical Correspondences for the beautiful layout of, well, correspondences. It looks like it’d be good for spellwork or on an altar. And the Ophidia Rosa for the earth witch aesthetic as well. 15- Astrology Work: A deck you recommend for astrology lovers and cosmic seekers. One that weaves planetary wisdom and archetypes into its structure—ideal for exploring birth charts, transits, and celestial guidance. I’s say Thoth, even though it’s mixed with Qabalah and other things. It’s why I originally got the deck. I had written the correspondences on my Universal Waite deck (on the borders) and was getting frustrated at not being able to see all the connections, so I got the Thoth.

My collection reflects my decades of esoteric study. I have just over 80 decks and a large percentage are Golden-Dawn-based (Thoth and Thoth clones for the most part, since I consider RWS and its ilk to be "ersatz Golden Dawn"). It also reveals that I failed to research a good many of them before I bought them since over 80% of them just sit on the shelf.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Leveraging" is the act of pressing one's advantage in ways that optimize the benefit in practical terms; it's the concept behind the Biblical proverb of "moving mountains" with simple conviction and affirmation (aka "faith" but I don't subscribe to that concept, preferring to say that I'm a "man of certainty"). Here I will attempt to explain how it can be applied to our interaction with the elemental correspondences in tarot reading. This act of will entails bringing just the right amount of force to bear on one's circumstances, in just the right place and at precisely the right moment, to achieve one's objective with the least amount of effort. Think of moving large objects with a fulcrum and lever, a form of "mechanical advantage." The premise of "psychological advantage" is often more apropos when it comes to tarot reading. I've been thinking about those situations where we might gain the upper hand in our affairs by putting elemental correspondences to work for us, and came up with two main opportunities. The first involves an abundance (also known as a "preponderance") of one element among the cards of a spread and a consequent shortage of the rest, while the second assumes that a card that is sensitively placed in a spread (for example, as the outcome card or the "turning-point" card) will vault the energy of its associated element into high relief. Suppose we have a five-card spread with four Fire cards and one Air card. The fundamental emphasis would be on action propelled by ambition and enthusiasm, while the elementally-friendly Air card could act as a "cheerleader." This is an "all systems go" scenario in that nothing stands in the way of closing in on the goal. But the hidden downside of zero Water and Earth cards is that the querent may be insensitive to the impact of his or her unbridled aspirations on the emotional and material insecurities of other people involved in the matter. If Water dominates and there is no Fire, an excess of caution may prevent "pulling the trigger" on critical projects or initiatives, while an overload of Air with no Earth could translate into "all talk and no action," and too much Earth with no Water suggests a saturnine attitude with little patience for impractical feelings. In all cases, the nature of the dominant element "steals the show" with the element or elements that escape attention contributing nothing to the agenda other than serving as cautionary reminders that could be easily overlooked. The realization that they may in fact be "strengths in disguise" or "hidden weaknesses" often comes too late. How many times have we heard "I wish I had thought about that beforehand." A high-ranking card of any element sitting in a place of prominence can push that element to the forefront even if it isn't otherwise prevalent in the spread. A powerful Fire trump card like Strength in the outcome position following several lackluster Water "pip" cards could be just the remedy for aimless dithering. The fiery Emperor would make all the subordinate Air pips stand at attention and salute. The World - a preeminent Earth trump - could pull a miscellany of other elemental cards into its orbit as contributing factors in the outcome. The watery High Priestess could calm the jitters of restless of Fire and Air pips, while airy Justice "reads the riot act" to wayward Earth pips. "Leverage" is a valuable tool in telling querents how they might make the best use of the elemental energy present in a reading because it places emphasis where it can do the most good, or at least where it is most available for productive application. It adds another layer of discernment beneath the usual narrative focus on the inherent nature of the various cards, and offers an enveloping environment within which the detailed testimony of the spread can play out. Identifying a dominant theme can make the reader's insights more profound and the sitter's comprehension more assured.

Thanks you two, I appreciate the input. And that is kind of you @zurgles.

This forum software has its own mobile version that works really well, and it isn't on Tapatalk anymore. It's been some years since that was available, back when we had our old software. 🙂

Glad I found this thread. I just downloaded tapatalk and was wondering why I couldn't add this. Oh well. I just remain much more active on the app than without it.

I like this one from the EmeraldLotus who always has great spreads.... https://www.emeraldlotusdivination.com/blog/2017/11/01/tarot-spread-birthday-reading You can just do the first part of the spread and / or add the second part of you want more

Someone posted this link somewhere on the forum and I've had the tab open. It’s an old aeclectic tarot resource thread collecting all sorts of spreads. Under the “time” section is a list of birthday spreads. Here’s the link. edit: Also Happy Birthday!! 🎈🎂🎁

It's been another trip around the sun. Does anyone have a favorite birthday spread I could do tomorrow?

When I was younger my favorite tarot cards were the Hermit (my life card), Death, and the Star. I was quite existentialist and mental and thought if I thought through it enough my mind could overcome anything. I was like a floating brain reluctantly bound to a body. I was also super into psychology and was always pushing myself to change and grow, through analyzing myself and my past. After repeatedly digging myself into mental holes and existential loops and suffering mental health crises, I’ve come to respect other form of intelligences, pacing myself, and my body as my home. I still appreciate these cards though. I think now my favorite cards are the Star, the Hierophant, and Strength. The Star because after the tower, you reencounter your spiritual and hopeful self and find the inner compass within that directs you to where you see you truly need to be. Your spirit is revitalized by her life giving waters. You feel your connection to everything. The Hierophant because it’s the card I know best. Learning from the past can help you build a better future. Also as a pagan it makes me think of becoming my own spiritual authority and creating my own traditions and learning from religions/cultures to create my own path. Also community. There’s problems with the card, but I respect it. And Strength because it makes me think of mind-body connection, taming yourself and your animal impulses through mindfulness and gentle reparenting and physical techniques like yoga or qi gong. It reminds me of what I learned in therapy groups.

My collection is pretty eclectic. I think it says I love color, have a sense of humor, like cartoons, am analytical and like to get deep, but also that I like to be entertained. Also that I belong to certain communities. Also that I got really obsessed with tarot between 2018-2020 as that’s when most of my purchases were made (I had quit smoking and used the money I had been spending on cigarettes to buy mostly indie decks. Alas, I started up again 5 years later). I’m casually searching for a black and white deck and that Black Violet one seems cool. I have a couple contenders with a wide range of styles between them. I had a phase where life was really intense for a while and I thought it’d be nice to have one for when I’m overwhelmed with life and colors are too loud and saturated with meaning. I haven’t felt that way in a while, but just in case, it might be nice.

There are two new decks in my collection, the Jodorowsky-Camoin (I found a brand new one in a shop... I thought it was out of print), and the Millenium by Wilfried Houdouin. I also found a standard Grimaud deck. Here are all of them, with improved color fidelity (except the Dusserre, that I don't have anymore). Le Tarot Pas à Pas set, Marianne Costa, Dervy (Pierre Madenié 1709 facsimile) Le Véritable Tarot de Marseille, Kris Hadar, DeMortagne, around 2020 Tarot de Marseille, Alexandre Jodorowsky, Philippe Camoin Tarot de Marseille - Anna Morsucci, Mattia Ottolini, Lo Scarabeo (based on Conver) Le Véritable Tarot de Marseille, Kris Hadar, DeMortagne, 2025 Le Tarot de Marseille - Colette Sylvestre, Grancher (Grimaud 1930 facsimile) Tarot de François Gassmann 1840 - Yves Reynaud 2020 (facsimile) Tarot de Marseille Vintage - Anna Morsucci, Mattia Ottolini, Chiara Demagistris - Lo Scarabeo (based on Conver) Tarot de Marseille - Mary Packard, french 3rd edition - Guy Trédaniel (based on Pierre Madenié) Tarot de Marseille Edition Millenium - Wilfried Houdouin - Trajectoire, 2023 Tarot de Pierre Madenié 1709 - Yves Reynaud 2022 (facsimile with lighter colours) Tarot de Marseille - Emmanuelle Iger - Animae (Nicolas Conver facsimile, cleaned up) Ancien Tarot de Marseille - Grimaud Tarot de Marseille, Paris, 1890 CA - Lo Scarabeo / Anima Antiqua (tarot de Besançon Grimaud 1890 facsimile)

Now the same picture but with a different display size (zoom out 400 x 348 instead of 407 x 354) : And a larger crop, 1121 x 729 :

Here are some extra tests in order to see what happens to pictures of different sizes. These are all crops of the same original picture, with no zoom difference between them. 407 x 354 pixels crop : 610 x 360 crop : 202 x 725 crop :

It looks as if they redid the Gandalf-looking magician. I was wondering about how they would handle that.

On Instagram, Avalon calls herself "creator of tarot decks" (plural)... more to come? There seems to be quite the large fanbase eagerly awaiting this one's mass market release.

Um - a load of ill feeling and more. It was a nightmare. I was very surprised actually to receive it in the end... Ana Tourian made it finally happen, for all that Avalon claimed she was doing all that.

While I was browsing Amazon trying to find some other deck, this much discussed deck popped up. Preorder, release on December 8th. I remember following this discussion, watching videos on YouTube about this, it all seems a hundred years ago but the details are slowly creeping back into my mind. An international bestseller, hmm. This new edition of the international bestseller by Avalon Cameron and Ana Tourian is an invitation to explore, remember, and weave your own path of self-discovery. https://amzn.eu/d/0gv7SDv

I have it - it's perfectly fine. But for a completely different possibility - this one is on high quality card and I REALLY like it. https://www.amazon.com/Storytellers-Tarot-78-Card-Deck-Guidebook/dp/1401972446

Great that you found that out! And the kit actually is on LLewellyn for $21.99.

That’s the one. It’s a kit and includes the deck. For the price it’s worth it. ETA: On Amazon, that is.

Looks like the original deck is out of print (OOP) now, I could find it on a few book seller sites but not from the major online stores now. The book / deck set seems easy to get still.

Okay I found the deck labeled as something else. It is included with this book: Tarot Made Easy: Tarot Your Way (073874820X)

You're quoting me, but I never intended to buy this deck. I was just passing on information.