Few question from complete novice

[Troll]

Hi I have few questions about Tarot I am total beginner in this topic and I have a bunch of questions and wanted to put them in to one bundle 

1)How do you choose your deck ,if you don`t like any decks and you are looking for a year and Nothing clicks?

2)I absolutely love late Maestro Pitsci and his approach of Tarot resonates with me 100% does it means I should go for Marseilles deck?

3)I have one fully functioning hand what card size you would you advice? I can shuffle regular cards but not very well

4)I can fully clear my mind in few minutes with ease is it needed if I am secular reader and my only goal is analyzing my thinking and why I think the way I do?

5)What is the best advice for secular beginner?

6)What are best books and videos for secular beginners to read and watch ?

7)What are best beginner spreads ?

 

Thank you all friends

 

 

[Rose Lalonde]

Hi @Troll. This is just off the top of my head for some of your questions, not all. Hopefully some of it's helpful. 

 

Since you like Pitisci, you could use spreads from his books, perhaps? (I just read a line of 3 or 5 with no spread, so I'm no help.) I think he used the RWS (Waite) deck as his example in at least one book, so you could start with that until you do find something that clicks for you.

 

Or you could go for a Marseilles deck, as you mentioned. It's not tied to any system of correspondences you may not like. If you do go with a TdM, you might be interested in books by Enrique Enriquez. He wrote the excerpt below which will give you a sense of his take on reading Marseille, and whether it suits you. It's what you called secular. There are other great TdM authors too, that someone else here will know more about, or likely you can find that info in TdM threads here.

 

Quote

"The function of any oracle is helping us to tap into our inner wisdom, it doesn't matter where we think that inner wisdom comes from. Divination isn't about forecasting the future; but about understanding our present situation in a way that will prepare us for any challenge we may face at creating the future we want for ourselves.

Tarot is the analogical system par excellence. As soon as you look at a card, your mind establishes a parallelism between the image depicted in it, and certain feelings, aspects or details of your personal situation. The card tells you something in a flash...

It is a paradox that even when divination is an analogical process, most divination systems are mnemonic in nature. Each element in them, and the pattern these elements form, are linked to a set of meanings that need to be committed by memory. There is no insightful "flash" unless you know by heart what all the possible combinations mean. This makes most divinatory systems dependent of a "specialist", the diviner, who interprets the oracle's message and delivers it, for you to make then the analogy between her words and your life. Tarot is an exception, an empowering one, and it's particularity lies on it being capable of igniting that spark of intuition even if you have never had a previous contact with it's imagery.

If you want to learn the best method to read Tarot, you only have to accept all that you already know:..

 

Look at the characters in the cards. Try to understand who that person is. Maybe it is somebody in your real life? Maybe someone from your past? An ideal? Look at the character's face, look at its eyes, and the general expression of its face. Is he happy? Is she sad? If so, why do you feel that is? Is the character really sad, or does it looks sad to you? If so, why is that? Look at the character's body, the position of the arms and legs. Where is she going? What is he facing? Are they sitting or standing? Does the character's body indicate movement, or stability instead? How does it relate with the characters in the contiguous cards? What are they holding? In which way do you need these objects they are holding? or... why do you think you don't need them?..."

 

(I used to take part in an 'Enriquez -style' TdM study group on an older forum, and I really enjoyed it, although I read in a much different way now that has the 'linked set of meanings' he doesn't prefer. 😉)

 

I don't know about the best deck size for your situation, but since it sounds as if you likely have no ritualistic beliefs around methods of shuffling, it might be convenient to use a website that draws a card at random with a click, and then you could pull that card out of your deck. (I do something a little bit similar, in that I have a mini 'shuffle deck' I find easier to handle, and then I pull that card from the deck I'm reading with, which I just keep in order.) 

 

Finally, I'd say, enjoy experimenting and finding what works for you. 

Edited October 6, 2024 by Rose Lalonde

[Troll]

8)What is difference between Rider Marseille and Toth?

[gregory]

I hate to be so blunt - but - pretty much everything. Each has its own tradition and reading method; if you follow the systems, the "meanings" are different, and so are some of the card titles.

 

I'm not a fan of this site on the whole, but here are the basics:

 

https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/learn-tarot-with-labyrinthos-academy/tarot-deck-types-rider-waite-smith-vs-marseille-vs-thoth?

[akiva]

8 hours ago, Troll said:

1)How do you choose your deck ,if you don`t like any decks and you are looking for a year and Nothing clicks?

People generally pick something they like. May I ask where you've been looking for a year, and still not found something you want to buy? 

 

8 hours ago, Troll said:

2)I absolutely love late Maestro Pitsci and his approach of Tarot resonates with me 100% does it means I should go for Marseilles deck?

Any pip deck would work. You're basically looking for a deck that doesn't have its own system built in. Also a pip deck doesn't have to be a TdM, it can be something like the Inversion Tarot

 

8 hours ago, Troll said:

3)I have one fully functioning hand what card size you would you advice? I can shuffle regular cards but not very well

Personally I'd do what's known as a the wash shuffle. Just adapt the method to being one handed. 

 

8 hours ago, Troll said:

4)I can fully clear my mind in few minutes with ease is it needed if I am secular reader and my only goal is analyzing my thinking and why I think the way I do?

In all honesty I'd just mentally state a question regarding some thought analysis you want to do, then lay the cards out, and read them. It's that simple! 😄

 

8 hours ago, Troll said:

5)What is the best advice for secular beginner?

You focus a lot on the word secular, what does that word mean to you?

 

The only advice I can give you is to stop beating round the bush and just buy a deck a start using it. It's taken a year and you still haven't found one, why?

 

If you finally do get a deck, this would be an amazing thought pattern to do readings on. 

 

8 hours ago, Troll said:

6)What are best books and videos for secular beginners to read and watch ?

The Complete Book of Tarot literally has everything in it. TdM, Thoth, RWS, his own ideas, etc. It's worth getting. If you don't want to get that book, then just stick to Pitsci's YouTube videos. It's best to keep it simple. 

 

Beyond books and videos I recommend this:

 

You can take your TdM, create your own system, and start reading with it there and then. This would require learning number symbolism, suit symbolism, and settling on some meanings for the majors. This takes time though. 

 

An easy way would be to use a site like stolenthyme. Scroll down and you'll see links for the 4 suits and their card meanings. Ignore the majors, as they're from a totally different system. 

 

There's also damedetrefle, it's in french but easily translated through Google Chrome. The meanings for the minors here are similar to Etteilla (most french pip meanings are), but you'll also find meanings for the majors, which are pretty good to get you started.

 

8 hours ago, Troll said:

7)What are best beginner spreads ?

A line of 3 cards with no positions. 99% of all questions can be answered like that. If you must, then you can add positional meanings to the 3 cards. An example could be:

 

Card 1 - Cause

Card 2 - Effect

Card 3 - Result

 

This would explore the cause of a thought, the effect it has on you as an individual, and the result could be how it impacts your life/relationships/the world around you. 

 

Hope this finally sets you on your way 😊

[Misterei]

19 hours ago, Troll said:

2)I absolutely love late Maestro Pitsci and his approach of Tarot resonates with me 100% does it means I should go for Marseilles deck?

3)I have one fully functioning hand what card size you would you advice? I can shuffle regular cards but not very well

If you're a Pitsci fan, then purchase one of his decks. I believe he sells them.

He also has loads of spreads and instructionals for free on Youtube

13 hours ago, Troll said:

8)What is difference between Rider Marseille and Toth?

A google search will answer this in depth.

But here's a [edited out link] which touches upon the basic deck styles and how they fit into the history and evolution of Tarot

 

On a side note, I also have issues with my hands that make shuffling difficult. The above blog post covers several smaller decks which are easier to handle for me.

 

Mod Edit: Please no personal links, it's self-promotion!

[Troll]

7 hours ago, akiva said:

People generally pick something they like. May I ask where you've been looking for a year, and still not found something you want to buy? 

 

I looked at Comparative tarot ,Aeclectic Tarot any European online shop i know of an watched Lisa Papes about new releases .There are super nice sets but nothing has strong enough Shut up and take my money vibe

 

7 hours ago, akiva said:

 

 

You focus a lot on the word secular, what does that word mean to you?

 

 

I just don`t want anything paranormal ,esoteric or magical in my tarot. I have mega respect and believe in all these things ,but I don`t want  that in my life and Tarot right now .I just want to talk to myself that's all.

[Troll]

1 hour ago, Misterei said:

 

A google search will answer this in depth.

 

Everyone says something different from they are the same to they are complete different things.And who to believe ?

[akiva]

1 hour ago, Troll said:

I just don`t want anything paranormal ,esoteric or magical in my tarot. I have mega respect and believe in all these things ,but I don`t want  that in my life and Tarot right now .I just want to talk to myself that's all.

That's fair enough, it's hard finding decks that are totally secular. So I hope you do find something eventually so you can start your thought analysis 😊

[Troll]

14 minutes ago, akiva said:

That's fair enough, it's hard finding decks that are totally secular. So I hope you do find something eventually so you can start your thought analysis 😊

I meant that for now I don`t want to read in any other way then secular (analyze my thinking )at least for now. But why I haven`t found any deck I like in a year that is beyond me .Nothing clicks ,and I feel that my OCD will kill me if I buy imperfect deck . But on plus side in this year I saved enough  to buy even True Black )and that makes me happy when the right deck comes by there will be no issues in getting it

[PathWalker]

Have you thought about making your own decck - could be very simple or just words on cards to start with - until you find what you are after?

Or combining some cards from different decks - although I appreciate the size or thickness differences might be an issue for you?

[Troll]

5 minutes ago, PathWalker said:

Have you thought about making your own decck - could be very simple or just words on cards to start with - until you find what you are after?

Or combining some cards from different decks - although I appreciate the size or thickness differences might be an issue for you?

I am thinking about that ,after a year of looking for a deck I feel it would be easier to just learn Chat GPT for image creation then find a real deck

 

 

[Chariot]

If you want a secular deck (modern) you might want to take a look at Poppy Palin's The Everyday Enchantment Tarot.  It's widely available at the moment, and isn't expensive.  The images are fantastic, down-to-earth, and not melodramatic at all.  It's one of my favourite decks ...that being said, the card stock is awkwardly stiff and the cards tend to clump together.  But if you can work around that, this is an excellent beginner's deck, and it's SO easy to attach the meaning of the cards to everyday life.  It is UK-oriented, but that shouldn't be a major problem for most people. 

This is a good, fast flip-through....oh, and the book that comes with the deck is written by Poppy Palin, and is superb.  Gives detailed insight into her choice of images.  But the deck closely follows the Rider Waite Smith system, so it works well for people who are already familiar with that system.
 

 

Edited October 6, 2024 by Chariot

[Troll]

1 minute ago, Chariot said:

If you want a secular deck (modern) you might want to take a look at Poppy Palin's The Everyday Enchantment Tarot.  It's widely available at the moment, and isn't expensive.  The images are fantastic.  It's one of my favourite decks ...that being said, the card stock is awkwardly stiff and the cards tend to clump together.  But if you can work around that, this is an excellent beginner's deck, and it's SO easy to attach the meaning of the cards to everyday life.  

This is a good, fast flip-through....
 

 

It is nice .I think I even had it in my shortlist of 15 decks for a time .but I haven`t bought it .My issue with tarot is the same as with darts they are cheap and easy to start collecting them .I have 30 sets of darts I don`t need 30 set of tarot .Because if I will buy imperfect deck for me this will happen

[Chariot]

8 hours ago, Troll said:

It is nice .I think I even had it in my shortlist of 15 decks for a time .but I haven`t bought it .My issue with tarot is the same as with darts they are cheap and easy to start collecting them .I have 30 sets of darts I don`t need 30 set of tarot .Because if I will buy imperfect deck for me this will happen

Imperfection....it happens to all of us, @Troll  I have probably given away/got rid of twice as many decks as I have kept.

My criterion is mainly 'do I use this deck?' If the answer is yes, I keep it.  If the answer is no, I get rid of it. I never know for sure if it will be usable, until I try.  For me, having several decks is nice because they vary with my mood and who I am reading for. But I'm not really a 'collector.'  I have to really be attracted to a deck before I buy it, and that doesn't happen very often.  

The YouTube flip-throughs are such a great resource.  I had to buy my first few decks in bookshops (I'm old) sight unseen—except for the exterior of the box.  Some proved to be hits, some were misses. It would have been fantastic to see the entire deck beforehand, but that didn't happen back then.

All these years of working with tarot—I started in the late 1970s!—and I have never found a 'perfect' deck.  🙂

There are always a couple of cards that are 'meh,' or some issue with the card size or stock that I feel could be improved.  But then, life is never perfect, is it?  Sooner or later you have to say. 'this will do for now'—and get on with it.  If life was perfect, we probably wouldn't need tarot!  🙂

 

Edited October 7, 2024 by Chariot

[Raggydoll]

18 minutes ago, Chariot said:

I never know for sure if it will be usable, until I try.

This! I think that a deck can seem good (or bad) in theory, but it’s only in practice that we know. Also, we can’t be a reader or learn to read cards if we don’t practice with an actual deck. When we develop as readers, we learn what we prefer and what works well for us. And I’m the same as you, in that I don’t keep all the decks I buy. I curate my collection and allow it to grow and change with me. 

 

22 minutes ago, Chariot said:

All these years of working with tarot—I started in the late 1970s!—and I have never found a 'perfect' deck.  🙂

Such a good point! I don’t think the deck is meant to be perfect, it is meant to be useful! Some of my most used decks are not even entirely in my preferred art style, but they simply meet my expectations in readings 🙂

[gregory]

13 hours ago, Troll said:

Everyone says something different from they are the same to they are complete different things.And who to believe ?

 

This is a serious question - where have you found someone saying they are the same ? I have NEVER seen such a claim and would like to read it.

 

12 hours ago, PathWalker said:

Have you thought about making your own deck - could be very simple or just words on cards to start with - until you find what you are after?

 

 

That's what I did - it wasn't to find the perfect deck, but to learn tarot fro the inside. It worked so very well !

 

3 hours ago, Chariot said:

All these years of working with tarot—I started in the late 1970s!—and I have never found a 'perfect' deck. 

 

Pagan cats comes very very VERY close for me, with Sweet Twilight a close second. And both are pretty "secular."

[Troll]

6 hours ago, gregory said:

 

This is a serious question - where have you found someone saying they are the same ? I have NEVER seen such a claim and would like to read it.

 

 

 

Pitsci 5:35 is the part

 

[Troll]

9)Found fantastic deck but I need to buy two more to get it and I am not a  collector .What to do ?

[PathWalker]

5 minutes ago, Troll said:

9)Found fantastic deck but I need to buy two more to get it and I am not a  collector .What to do ?

Not sure I understand this - what do you mean?  🙂

[Troll]

Just now, PathWalker said:

Not sure I understand this - what do you mean?  🙂

Joker Tarot by Roi .Interested only in Black and White deck ,but it only comes in Puzzle box version together with colored deck and mini deck .I don`t want to clutter my house even if I do it with beautiful things

[PathWalker]

Well, either buy the whole lot and give away or sell the rest when you get it, or choose something easier to get  LOL

[gregory]

16 minutes ago, PathWalker said:

Not sure I understand this - what do you mean?  🙂

 

Me  neither.

 

36 minutes ago, Troll said:

Pitsci 5:35 is the part

 

 

I don't think that;'s quite what he meant - he said, for instance, that in other decks all the wands look the same and with the Thoth the palette is different for every card which makes it hard to read with. The reason it can be hard to read with is simply that it has a whole different background - and he doesn't even seem to know that (I find that hard to believe, as he fancies himself enough to have put out a load of tarot books, but...) If that is really what he means than I have to respectfully but utterly disagree.

Edited October 7, 2024 by gregory

[gregory]

21 minutes ago, Troll said:

Joker Tarot by Roi .Interested only in Black and White deck ,but it only comes in Puzzle box version together with colored deck and mini deck .I don`t want to clutter my house even if I do it with beautiful things

 

You could write to Lo Scarabeo - the publishers - and see if they could help. They are very helpful people. They may have some individual ones kicking around. When I backed it I only bought the single deck, not the whole shebang.

 

Have you also seen Roi's Crow Tarot ? and there are others by him.

Edited October 7, 2024 by gregory

[Troll]

I already wrote to them they offered me this options .Issue is that black and white deck isn`t available on it`s own .It wasn`t available on kickstarter .,As for Crows Tarot it is fantastic deck ,but I hate birds