Looking for Help Finding a Deck

[Doktor_Zeus]

@gregory the 'tuckbox' thing is only a turn-off, not a hard rule. I don't mind a tuck box if the rest of the deck is awesome, but I'd much rather have a magnetic closure book box, or a sleeve box, or a lidded box if one is available. Similarly, I don't mind not having a guide book, but it would save be having to research and buy a separate book about reading the tarot, since I don't currently have a good one. The important parts are the strong symbolism, scenic minor arcana, and the lack of gimmicks / Rider-Waite-Smith images. (Sorry, RWS fans, I just don't like the art style.)

 

@Raggydoll I *can* actually make boxes, I'm an amateur carpenter, but it's a lot of work and I never seem to get around to making things for myself. I've a pocket knife and a Viking eating spike that I've been planning to make leather sheaths for for months now and I just can't seem to find the time or energy! Also I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

 

@Misterei the 'need' at the moment is mostly that I don't really have a tarot deck to speak of. I have the Arthurian somewhere, but I can't find it so I think it must be in storage (and I was never that fond of it either). The only other deck I have is a pips-minor deck with a *very* non-standard major arcana that is actually memorabilia for a video game. It's hugely difficult to read and was only intended for playing a trick-taking game called 'Nancy'. Supposedly it can be used for divination, but since the suits of the minor arcana are all non-standard, it's difficult to determine what the correlations are.

 

The purpose I intend to use it for is storytelling / inspirational work. I don't usually do prognostications.

 

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far! I'm looking into all of these as and when I get the chance.

[Chariot]

24 minutes ago, Doktor_Zeus said:

@gregory the 'tuckbox' thing is only a turn-off, not a hard rule. I don't mind a tuck box if the rest of the deck is awesome, but I'd much rather have a magnetic closure book box, or a sleeve box, or a lidded box if one is available. Similarly, I don't mind not having a guide book, but it would save be having to research and buy a separate book about reading the tarot, since I don't currently have a good one. The important parts are the strong symbolism, scenic minor arcana, and the lack of gimmicks / Rider-Waite-Smith images. (Sorry, RWS fans, I just don't like the art style.)

 

@Raggydoll I *can* actually make boxes, I'm an amateur carpenter, but it's a lot of work and I never seem to get around to making things for myself. I've a pocket knife and a Viking eating spike that I've been planning to make leather sheaths for for months now and I just can't seem to find the time or energy! Also I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

 

I also hate tuck boxes ...but I've collected small rectangular gift boxes with lids for a long time—the ones that are made of paper maché, intended for decoupage crafts, etc.  I simply scan or photocopy a favourite card from the deck, and laminate the copy to the lid of the box, using a wide strip of transparent tape or some kind of cover film.   That way I can tell at a glance what deck it is, without having to open the box.

This method personalises the decks for me (and usually allows storage of a guidebook as well, if the guidebook is the same size as the deck.)   The boxes offer great protection for the deck.  Fond as I am of looking at the lovely bags people make for their cards, I'm not inclined to go that route ...simply because I prefer a hard box to store my cards.

It's easy to store folded tuck boxes, in case you want to sell or pass on your deck at a future date.

I struggle more with the decks that come in oversized boxes.  I know why that happens (it helps prevent in-store theft) but I don't 'display' my decks, so these large boxes just take up unnecessary room, and aren't all that easy to store.  I've ended up throwing some of them away, despite their sturdy nature.  Bummer....

 

Edited January 3, 2024 by Chariot

[Doktor_Zeus]

Argh. I was really liking 'the Spirit Keeper's Tarot' - featured on a page linked by @Rose Lalonde - but once again, it's out-of-print and second hand copies are selling for exorbitant amounts. I can't afford nearly £200 for a deck.

[gregory]

Did you look at Drowning World - for story telling that would be magnificent. No astrological symbols, though.

 

Holy light might suit you:

https://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/holy-light/ - easy to find cheap.

 

But Spirit Keeper's isn't that expensive - not cheap but Benebell has it for $65 + $34 postage to the UK: only half of that $200.

 

https://benebellwen.com/skt/pre-order/

Edited January 3, 2024 by gregory

[Sar]

What about the Romantic tarot? It is more esoteric than it looks when you first take a look on it.

[Doktor_Zeus]

17 minutes ago, gregory said:

Did you look at Drowning World - for story telling that would be magnificent. No astrological symbols, though.

 

I did. I'm not too sure about it right now. The artwork is very dense and I'm having trouble picking out the details. My colourblindness isn't helping. I might come back to it later. Somebody else suggested Holy Light, and it's definitely on my list of possibles. I'm also re-evaluating the Light Seer's Tarot as a possible option. It's kinda growing on me - though that may just be down to Amazon sending me emails about it every few days!

 

20 minutes ago, gregory said:

But Spirit Keeper's isn't that expensive - not cheap but Benebell has it for $65 + $34 postage to the UK: only half of that $200.

 

With import tax that could go up to $122 or possibly more, so it's still quite pricey. We don't always get charged import tax, it depends on the seller and how sharp customs are at the time, but it happens more with things shipped from America than anywhere else I've ever tried. I think I'm better off mooching around Glasters and seeing if I can spot a deck in one of the specialist shops there, but I'm not holding out too much hope.

 

17 minutes ago, Sar said:

What about the Romantic tarot? It is more esoteric than it looks when you first take a look on it.

 

Looks like there are a few tarots with similar names here - there's one called the Romantic Tarot, but also the Victorian Romantic Tarot (which I rather like the art style of, though I'm guessing it's all cribbed from old masters). The former is a bit specific, but not overwhelmingly so. Looks like it's a good fit for romance novels, appropriately enough. Definitely a solid option.

 

Anyone had any experience with the Dreamkeeper's Tarot? It looks REALLY abstract and surrealist, but that doesn't bother me so long as the internal symbolism is sound. The Book of Shadows Tarot looks quite nice too, despite the title being a little bit 'witchy', and I appreciate its 'As Above, So Below' philosophy.

[gregory]

11 hours ago, Doktor_Zeus said:

Somebody else suggested Holy Light, and it's definitely on my list of possibles.

 

That was also me 

[Doktor_Zeus]

7 hours ago, gregory said:

 

That was also me 

And also @Rose Lalonde - or is that an alternative account of yours?

[Eugenie]

@Doktor_Zeus, there is a beautiful Mystical Dream tarot in a UK shop. I was thinking of buying it but decided it would be a difficult deck for me to work it. It is stunning, however. Benewell Wen wrote a review of it. 

Edited January 4, 2024 by Eugenie

[Rose Lalonde]

2 hours ago, Doktor_Zeus said:

And also @Rose Lalonde - or is that an alternative account of yours?

@gregory mentioned Holy Light first. Then I threw it in my list yesterday, because I also thought it ticked a lot of your boxes. But it depends on whether you're looking for a deck that's influenced by the Golden Dawn inspired RWS and Thoth, though with original art (like Spirit Keepers for example) OR a deck with a different system of meanings for the cards (like Holy Light based on Etteilla).

Edited January 4, 2024 by Rose Lalonde

[Doktor_Zeus]

2 hours ago, Eugenie said:

@Doktor_Zeus, there is a beautiful Mystical Dream tarot in a UK shop. I was thinking of buying it but decided it would be a difficult deck for me to work it. It is stunning, however. Benewell Wen wrote a review of it. 

 

That does indeed look pretty. I've got a feeling that the photos don't do it justice too. I'm not an expert photographer, but I get the feeling they were taken under suboptimal light conditions. I think that's definitely one to look out for. I might see if any Glastonbury shops have it so I can check it out 'in the flesh', but I agree it's a very pretty one. Slightly abstract, but not to the point where it starts to look childish (which is the issue I have with Mystic Mondays).

 

1 hour ago, Rose Lalonde said:

But it depends on whether you're looking for a deck that's influenced by the Golden Dawn inspired RWS and Thoth, though with original art (like Spirit Keepers for example) OR a deck with a different system of meanings for the cards (like Holy Light based on Etteilla).

 

I'm not a big fan of the Golden Dawn, I must admit. I don't mind stuff inspired by the Thoth / Golden Dawn tarots, but I wouldn't want the actual Thoth or Golden Dawn Tarot itself.

[Eugenie]

Just now, Doktor_Zeus said:

I'm not a big fan of the Golden Dawn, I must admit. I don't mind stuff inspired by the Thoth / Golden Dawn tarots, but I wouldn't want the actual Thoth or Golden Dawn Tarot itself.

 

I wonder what system you are going to use? An RWS system but no RWS imagery? 

[Doktor_Zeus]

21 minutes ago, Eugenie said:

I wonder what system you are going to use? An RWS system but no RWS imagery? 

 

Whichever system the deck best supports or the guidebook (if any) explains, I expect. I don't mind which system I use, so long as the direct associations with things I personally find annoying or distasteful are gone. The main reason I don't like the RWS is because I don't like its art style, and far too many decks lazily copy it, maybe putting it in gold foil or refining the lines a little in order to claim that it's somehow 'different'. The same basic imagery but in a totally different style is fine.

 

Maybe I should just make my own with AI again.

[Eugenie]

@Doktor_Zeus, I think I understand. I was put off by the fact that the classic RWS was everywhere, copied and multiplied and mutilated endlessly, so I started with the Spacious Tarot. However, it wasn't easy for me to learn on a deck which is so different from the classic one and I ultimately bought a Centennial RWS. I ended up quite loving it; it has muted colors and it is not a clone, it can be seen as the original one. It is great for learning in my case, because I am learning the RWS system and the books I am reading refer to this deck. However, my feelings against this deck weren't as strong as yours, I wasn't repelled by it. Actually I ordered a larger sized deck (the first one is pocket size in a tin) to be able to see the cards better. And I am waiting for my most beautiful Darkness of Light to arrive; it, as you said, is "the same basic imagery but in a totally different style". 

I don't remember Malpertuis being mentioned here. They are British, have you seen them? 

[Doktor_Zeus]

2 minutes ago, Eugenie said:

I don't remember Malpertuis being mentioned here. They are British, have you seen them? 

 

I have, when I was looking for a Lenormand deck, but I didn't know they did Tarot. Looks like they have only one deck - the Tyldwick. The art's kinda muddy though. I'm again having difficulty picking out the details.

[Eugenie]

26 minutes ago, Doktor_Zeus said:

 

I have, when I was looking for a Lenormand deck, but I didn't know they did Tarot. Looks like they have only one deck - the Tyldwick. The art's kinda muddy though. I'm again having difficulty picking out the details.

 I see. What about the Black Line Tarot? Or the Shadow Fates deck? 

[gregory]

7 hours ago, Doktor_Zeus said:

And also @Rose Lalonde - or is that an alternative account of yours?

 

Double accounts are Not Allowed.  Contrary to popular belief, gregory sticks to the rules.

 

6 hours ago, Rose Lalonde said:

@gregory mentioned Holy Light first. Then I threw it in my list yesterday, because I also thought it ticked a lot of your boxes. But it depends on whether you're looking for a deck that's influenced by the Golden Dawn inspired RWS and Thoth, though with original art (like Spirit Keepers for example) OR a deck with a different system of meanings for the cards (like Holy Light based on Etteilla).

Thanks.

 

How about the one I got for Christmas then - Mind's Eye ? I am even more impressed with it in the hand than I was when I had asked for it !

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minds-Eye-Tarot-Olivia-Rose/dp/1646711408

 

 

 

 (There's another youtube opening - but it seems to show only half the screen to people who don't support the poster on Patreon....)

[Scandinavianhermit]

I have to second @Rose Lalonde's mention of Dame Fortune's Wheel Tarot by Paul Huson, but I will also mention Rose Tarot, by Nigel Jackson. I'm very fond of both: They manage to combine what I appreciate in old Italian, Marseilles, Etteilla and modern Anglophone decks, respectively, without the irksome baggage from any of them, which is a feat. I wish they had been around when I looked for a tarot deck almost forty years ago, but I'm grateful, that they do exist now.

 

Both have scenic pips not derived from RWCS. None of them do the GD-inspired switcheroo of Justice and Strength (Fortitude), but instead keep the normal, ordinary standard Milanese order of the trumps. Mark well, just because Dame Fortune's Wheel Tarot attempt to visualise the Etteilla keywords for the pips, the Etteilla school do not affect either the order or the look of the 21 trumps and the one wildcard (Fool). Dame Fortune's Wheel Tarot tastefully leave The Fool unnumbered (and trump Nr. 13 untitled), but Rose Tarot cave in to modern Anglo-American sensibilities and give The Fool a zero. I'm willing to forgive Jackson such a minor transgression. None of the trumps (nor the wildcard) in Rose Tarot carry a title.

 

Particularly Rose Tarot is heavy in alchemical symbolism.

 

King of Batons is Alexander the Great, King of Coins Julius Cæsar in Rose Tarot, but the other way round in Dame Fortune's Wheel Tarot, so if you have any firm opinion about that matter, that may impact your choice. You are now informed.

 

Though Huson now lives in a big country somewhere south-west of Galway, or so I do believe, he was born in UK, and Jackson is a Mancunian. Those two have singlehandedly repaired the damage some of their fellow countrymen and countrywomen inflicted on tarot a century ago.

[Scandinavianhermit]

Sorry, @Doktor_Zeus. I'm obviously too absent minded today. Rose Tarot do have titles on its trumps, including trump Nr. 13.

[Doktor_Zeus]

@Scandinavianhermit I actually don't mind if the cards aren't numbered or titled, so long as the imagery is strong enough. I prefer to read by the images anyway, hence the need for a scenic minor. I already have a good deck for playing Tarocchi if I ever manage to learn how (and find at least three other people who want to play!) I don't think the numbering is particularly necessary for cartomantic purposes.

[Misterei]

On 1/3/2024 at 12:36 AM, Doktor_Zeus said:

… the 'need' at the moment is mostly that I don't really have a tarot deck to speak of. … The purpose I intend to use it for is storytelling / inspirational work. I don't usually do prognostications.…

I see. I was hoping a specific need would narrow it down … but this is finding *your* basic deck / soul deck in a way. Hmmm.

Honestly I’m glad I came up in a time where there was only 1 deck available to me.

I was NOT fond of the original plaid back RWS with its garish colors … but that’s what was there so I bit the bullet. Now its choices choices choices.

 

Well. I’ve already made recommendations from decks I own … now here are two decks I dont own … but they might fulfill your storytelling / inspiration vibe:

wandering star

shadowscapes

 

[Doktor_Zeus]

1 hour ago, Misterei said:

Honestly I’m glad I came up in a time where there was only 1 deck available to me.

 

Haha believe me, I can understand that! I suffer a lot from the paradox of choice.

[Eugenie]

There's a Darkness of Light Tarot on the UK Ebay if anyone needs it, legit and fairly priced. 

[Wooden_Nickel]

I'd offer a slight correction to Rose Lalonde's otherwise very helpful suggestions, viz., the Tarot of the Holy Light comes in a lidded box, not a tuckbox. 

As she said, the art on the box is different from the style of the deck.  The box is a gentle fairy tale style. The deck is a dramatically colored and complex collage of images from 17th century hermetic & alchemical sources.