Seeking a new RWSish deck

[smittenkitten]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm hoping to pick your collective brains about decks that may be out there that would suit what I need.

 

I've been studying the RWS deck system using Holistic Tarot, with the Llewellyn Classic as my deck. Although I know it's not a RWS clone, it's closer to a traditional RWS deck than I've ever owned. I just really struggle to read a lot of the cards intuitively, which isn't helped by my abysmal rote learning abilities. I'm wondering if the deck is to blame.

 

I'm wondering if I should pick up a proper RWS/RWS clone (I've heard good things about the Centennial Waite) and hope that the closer match of symbolism will work better. Or perhaps that there's a more visually evocative deck out there that may be a bit less traditional (but still close enough to be of study use).

 

I guess being autistic I like decks that are really clear about what the cards mean. I don't think it necessarily has to be an easy deck, but perhaps a loud deck is a better way of describing it.

 

Anyway I realise this all sounds rather nebulous, but hopefully someone understands it and has some suggestions.

 

(Mods feel free to move this to the RWS folder if appropriate).

 

Thanks,

 

Smittenkitten

[gregory]

A "real" Smith-Waite deck will be more precise as to the symbolism Waite put in there. And the Centennial is a nice one.

 

But when you say you need one that is "really clear about what the cards mean" - leaving aside that there are always shades of meaning - I can't think of any deck that absolutely screams - unless you count something like this

 

https://www.holisticshop.co.uk/products/quick-easy-tarot

 

 

I have to say I find that approach heavy handed. Also the meanings are far too detailed for me, to put it mildly. There are others with "meanings" on...

 

However - I have an autistic friend who finds Pagan Cats speaks well - as long as you like cats of course....

 

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Tarot-Pagan-Cats-Magdelina-Messina/dp/0738726702/ref=sr_1_2

 

Given that - if cats aren't your thing, some other deck that ties in to an interest of yours might help ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[katrinka]

The Centennial is good. And I like the Albano Waite -like gregory says, no deck actually screams, but the colors are loud.

Baba decks are also good because Karen actually reads Tarot and knows it well. A lot of the newer decks are done by non-readers who decide to make a Tarot and just google meaninings or ask people on facebook, and it shows. They're full of mistakes. But that's not the case with Baba. Currently, the fourth edition off the Victorian Romantic is still available:
https://baba-store.com/collections/decks-currently-available/products/the-victorian-romantic-tarot-fourth-edition-with-cold-stamping

[TheLoracular]

The Centennial is lovely.  If you are someone who prefers bright  "happy" colors to subdued colors, the Radiant RWS and the Universal RWS are both good choices too.  I am also a fan of the Melanated Classic tarot and finally, the Hanson-Roberts was one of my first decks and I love it passionately still. 

[DanielJUK]

My fave RWS deck (as persuaded /enabled to me by @Sulis ) is the RWS Pamela Colman Smith Tarot. The colours are just gorgeous and the backgrounds! It's my fave colourised version, better than the Radiant. It's made by Lo Scarabeo and this is the info page for it here

[Rupicapra]

How about something a bit more modern like the This Might Hurt Tarot? 

https://www.thismighthurttarot.com/

Very close RWS I find, just not so dated. I find it a bit clearer because of the connection to this time. 

[gregory]

1 hour ago, Rupicapra said:

How about something a bit more modern like the This Might Hurt Tarot? 

https://www.thismighthurttarot.com/

Very close RWS I find, just not so dated. I find it a bit clearer because of the connection to this time. 

Nice one !

[FallenAngel]

3 hours ago, Rupicapra said:

How about something a bit more modern like the This Might Hurt Tarot? 

https://www.thismighthurttarot.com/

Very close RWS I find, just not so dated. I find it a bit clearer because of the connection to this time. 

 

Like the look of this *step away from the laptop* 😬😆

[katrinka]

It's inclusive and that's good. I wouldn't be able to read with it though, it's got a kiddie cartoon vibe that would make it well-nigh impossible for me to get into the proper headspace. I'd be half waiting for the commercials where kids and animals on skateboards tell you to buy Skittles or Fruit Roll-Ups, lol. YMMV, etc.

Edited August 5, 2021 by katrinka

[smittenkitten]

First of all, thank you all for your suggestions! It was helpful to see a range of different decks that might be helpful to me.

 

@gregory I agree, those cards are way too heavy handed. I think perhaps it's a confidence issue as I used to read intuitively with no problems. As for the cats, they're cute but I prefer them in my lap, not on my tarot cards!

 

@katrinka I definitely find the look of the Baba cards intriguing. Unfortunately they're outside my budget as I'm not working right now and the exchange rate to Australia is a killer (but tarot gonna tarot anyway I guess). I think I'm going to have to get all the RWS clones side by side and really look at which one grabs me the most. I wish I had artistic talent so I could make my own deck!

 

@TheLoracular I've definitely considered the Radiant and Universal RWS in the past. I'm not sure that I prefer happy colours or bright colours necessarily, but I like to feel a connection with an image.

 

@DanielJUK There's certainly an elegance about the more subdued colours, I'm not sure it's quite me, but it is beautiful.

 

@Rupicapra Now THIS I love! I'm not usually a fan of more cartoonish decks, but there's something so sassy about these cards. I especially love the image of The Chariot! I'm going to have to save up and get it I think, it's a little outside my budget but maybe it can be a birthday present to myself or something. 

 

Now I just need to mull it over! Thanks everyone!

 

Smittenkitten

[euripides]

9 hours ago, Rupicapra said:

How about something a bit more modern like the This Might Hurt Tarot? 

https://www.thismighthurttarot.com/

Very close RWS I find, just not so dated. I find it a bit clearer because of the connection to this time. 

 

Oh my. I love this! Normally I love more realistic art but while 'illustrative' and somewhat simplified in style, they're also well drawn. And conceptually really powerful as well as modern. And diverse!  I checked into this thread thinking 'oh I do need a new deck'....

[Niobium]

So if you like This Might Hurt, another option which is similar but less 'cartoon-like' is True Heart Intuitive Tarot:

https://www.amazon.com/True-Heart-Intuitive-Tarot-Guidebook/dp/1328566269

 

Along the same lines, in an ancient Norse style, is the Lazy Crow Tarot:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/938993179/lazy-crow-tarot-deck

 

There are a lot of good indie decks I can list which are a bit more expensive/harder to find (Fyodor Pavlov is not only gorgeous but also quite easy to read, same for Lucid Slumber, but they're not easy to get a copy of). These two are much more affordable overall and have very (IME) straight forward, no-nonsense symbolism in RWS fashion.

[katrinka]

The Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg follows RWS very closely but it's done in the style of Palekh laquer boxes,
https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Tarot-St-Petersburg-78-Card/dp/0880795832

[smittenkitten]

@Niobium I love both those decks! Although I suspect the True Heart would be more my style as I love my tarot characters to have faces! Definitely going to be adding the True Heart to my wish list!

 

@katrinka What a beautiful deck! It's so ornate, and reminds me of the Medieval Scapini Tarot, which was the first deck I ever owned. It's probably a little old school for me, but the artwork is exquisite.

[Niobium]

(Ooooh I love St. Petersburg. Been meaning to get it for a while now.)

 

So the Seventh Sphere RWS might be too abstract if you prefer faces, but as it's another favorite of this kind I'll link it just in case:

https://labyrinthos.co/products/seventh-sphere-rider-waite-smith-tarot-deck

 

The last one I can think of which is a fresher take on RWS is a recent-ish deck called the Tarot de Marseille Waite. I'm not sure when it's expected stateside, but I'm seeing copies on Abe Books for $45ish, so it seems getting it outside France isn't unpossible:

https://les-mots-clefs.com/tarot-de-marseille-waite-english/

(Scroll to the bottom for images of the deck )

 

 

[gregory]

It's on French amazon, thanks for the temptation. Succumbed....! (MUCH cheaper than abe.)

[Sar]

4 hours ago, Niobium said:

(Ooooh I love St. Petersburg. Been meaning to get it for a while now.)

 

So the Seventh Sphere RWS might be too abstract if you prefer faces, but as it's another favorite of this kind I'll link it just in case:

https://labyrinthos.co/products/seventh-sphere-rider-waite-smith-tarot-deck

 

The last one I can think of which is a fresher take on RWS is a recent-ish deck called the Tarot de Marseille Waite. I'm not sure when it's expected stateside, but I'm seeing copies on Abe Books for $45ish, so it seems getting it outside France isn't unpossible:

https://les-mots-clefs.com/tarot-de-marseille-waite-english/

(Scroll to the bottom for images of the deck )

 

 

The Marseille Waite deck is in my wishlist now. 

[Flaxen]

5 hours ago, gregory said:

It's on French amazon, thanks for the temptation. Succumbed....! (MUCH cheaper than abe.)

I love the Marseille-Waite! It is very well done and it’s one of my favourite reading decks now. 

[smittenkitten]

13 hours ago, Niobium said:

(Ooooh I love St. Petersburg. Been meaning to get it for a while now.)

 

So the Seventh Sphere RWS might be too abstract if you prefer faces, but as it's another favorite of this kind I'll link it just in case:

https://labyrinthos.co/products/seventh-sphere-rider-waite-smith-tarot-deck

 

The last one I can think of which is a fresher take on RWS is a recent-ish deck called the Tarot de Marseille Waite. I'm not sure when it's expected stateside, but I'm seeing copies on Abe Books for $45ish, so it seems getting it outside France isn't unpossible:

https://les-mots-clefs.com/tarot-de-marseille-waite-english/

(Scroll to the bottom for images of the deck )

 

 

Thanks so much for these! I probably wouldn't get Seventh Sphere as a hardcopy, but it's on an app and I'm definitely going to have a play with it there! (Side note: the Labyrinthos app has a built in learning section which I think will be really helpful for reinforcing keywords linked to the cards).

[Sar]

22 hours ago, Flaxen said:

I love the Marseille-Waite! It is very well done and it’s one of my favourite reading decks now. 

Hmm, I ordered it too.

[AlbaTross]

I’m going to be “that guy” and suggest getting the original RWS or one of its variants such as Universal, Radiant, Centennial, etc., because that’s the deck with the images you want to get better acquainted with.  Other clone decks can be great in their own right, but there’s something about working with the original images that no other deck can replicate.  

 

Of course, I’m quite fond of my Everyday Tarot deck too: https://www.biddytarot.com/introducing-the-everyday-tarot-book-deck/

 

Everyday Tarot just simplifies the imagery and focuses on the subject (usually the person in the image) and some other key details.  It’s smaller than other decks but I’ve found that’s not an issue for me, and it is easy to carry around.  It also costs less than even the original deck (which itself costs less than the vast majority of other decks).  

[gregory]

On 8/7/2021 at 3:45 PM, Flaxen said:

I love the Marseille-Waite! It is very well done and it’s one of my favourite reading decks now. 

YES - just got it - what a FABULOUS deck !

[Wyrdkiss]

This is my go-to RWS style deck for clients and myself as well.

 

https://darknesstarot.com/

 

 

[Mokona]

The Dreaming Way tarot is my personal favourite RWS-based deck to read with, its voice and imagery are very clear.

[Jewel]

@smittenkitten I keep a copy of the Radiant Waite (I like bright colors) as my RWS clone, I used it more for comparing to any deck I was using when studying with Tarot books like 78 Degrees of Wisdom and such, but I have to be honest the RWS and its clones were never decks I felt comfortable reading with.  The imagery just did not get my intuition flowing, but like having a clone just for occasional comparison purposes.  I really do think I understand where you are coming from because I had similar struggles though I do not have a disability.

 

One thing I would recommend is a book, not a deck, 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary Greer.  It is a workbook divided into Apprentice and Adept levels.  I did the 21 Ways as an Apprentice, then went back and did the 21 Ways as an Adept.  It takes dedication and commitment, but I came out of there knowing the types of decks that work best for me, and with confidence reading.  I learned what worked for me and it was liberating.  I do not second guess myself like I once did.  I learned how single card meanings vary within the scope of a spread and questions asked.  I would highly recommend this workbook and just use whatever deck really appeals to you.