Few question from complete novice

[Troll]

16 minutes ago, gregory said:

 

 

 

 

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.

He is a guy who reads all minors the same regardless of suit .I like his approach but can understand why many may not like it

[gregory]

18 minutes ago, Troll said:

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

 

Sorry to rain on your parade - but there was an option on Kickstarter to buy just the one deck - I backed that and got it.

 

 

How about his Dark Side of Tarot ?

https://www.loscarabeo.com/en/products/dark-side-of-tarot

[Misterei]

22 hours ago, Troll said:

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

The mods deleted the link I tried to send you which was an unbiased blog post about different decks and how a beginner might chose one to suit yourself. It goes briefly into different deck styles based on facts & history. I will cut & paste an excerpt.

 

When I encouraged you to do google search I meant on the history of different deck styles which is documented in museums, collections, books, etc. B/c, yes, there is all sorts of nonsense out there. But also historcially accurate material by people who research this sort of thing.

 

As per your comments about secular.

Many TdM readers have a proud tradition of reading in a secular fashion purely based on visual symbolism -- NOT using occult, astrology, kabbala, etc. If you like the Marseille style, TdM decks aren't dependent upon occult symbolism to read them.

 

Here's a cut & paste excerpt from the article. Sorry the formatting got wonky.  It's answers your original question about deck styles and also recommends smaller decks for people who have difficulties shuffling. You can visit the link in my signature line if you want to see the full article with correct formatting.

 

++Excerpt below++

 

The four most influential tarot decks of all time are:

• Visconti-Sforza Tarocchi (circa 1490s)
• Tarot De Marseille (circa 1600s)
• Rider-Waite-Smith (circa 1910)
• Book of Thoth (circa 1944)

Pretty much every Tarot deck owes its DNA to one of these decks. I’m not counting oracle decks or hybrid tarot-oracles here – just classic Tarot.

Rider Waite Smith (RWS) is hands-down the most popular deck in history. Pamela Coleman Smith (PCS) revolutionized Tarot by fully illustrating the 40 Number cards. It was also the first deck designed expressly for divination. Earlier decks were originally used for playing a game called Tarocchi and only gradually came to be used for Divination. Rider Waite Smith was not only the first popular deck to illustrate the Pips with richly evocative symbolism, but its creators (AE Waite & Pamela Coleman Smith) put an incredible amount of occult research and symbolism into making a deck whose primary purpose would be divination rather than games.

RWS is the deck most often recommended for beginners. But that being said, there are so many versions and clones of this deck … which one is right for you?

Tarot on the Go

When you’re starting out, it’s great to have a deck you can just throw into a purse or backpack and have it with you to practice whenever you want. Just looking at the cards will help you learn them. If you have cards with you on your commute or during breaks, it’s easy to grab a few moments for Tarot. These decks are also budget-friendly because you won’t have to buy an extra box or pouch to keep them in. If you have small hands, smaller tarot cards are easier to shuffle, too.

RWS Centennial Edition in a tin

This deck uses PCS’s original artwork colorized with muted vintage-looking tones. It’s my personal favorite and I highly recommend it to students in my classes. The deck comes in a tin which is pretty much bullet-proof.

Morgan Greer Tarot in a tin

If you find the original RWS artwork doesn’t resonate with you then this little deck in a tin is a good choice. Originally published in the 1970s, Morgan Greer Tarot is one of the first ever RWS “clones”. It follows RWS symbolism but the artwork is more modern and uses beautiful saturated colors. The deck reminds me of stained glass. Morgan Greer Tarot is borderless which brings the images to life.

Pocket Tarot de Marseile and Pocket Tarocchi

If you want a historic style deck, the Lo Scarabeo pocket size Tarot of Marseille is a great deck in a sturdy box.

Independent artist Patrick Valenza released a reprint of the 1865 Edoardo Dotti Tarocchi deck. It’s a bit larger than a pocket deck but great for travel or for people who have difficulty shuffling larger decks.

Pocket Thoth Tarot

Toth Tarot Deck isn’t my first recommendation for beginners. It’s pretty complex to start your learning curve. But If you find yourself drawn to the compelling cubist artwork of Frida Harris or the teachings of Aleister Crowley, this deck is perfect for Tarot on the Go.

Standard Size Tarot Decks

Standard Tarot cards are larger than playing cards. They can be difficult to shuffle! But pick a larger deck if you want to see all the symbolic details without squinting. These decks are great to examine the wealth of symbolism in the cards.

Larger decks aren’t as budget-friendly. Most US Games standard-size tarot decks come in a flimsy box which is actually annoying to take-out and put-away your cards. You’ll want to buy or make a box or pouch to carry your cards.

RWS Centennial Edition

This is the same as the pocket edition, but standard size. I love this deck so much I have both. I take the tin when I travel but keep the standard size at home for personal readings. This is a good deck if you want a “classic” look and feel with a full-sized deck.

RWS Classic

For years this was the only deck available. It’s the one I learned on. Personally, I’m over the plaid backside of the cards. But this deck has its fans. It’s PCS’s original artwork rendered with bright primary colors. If the Centennial Edition colors seem too muted for your taste, you might prefer RWS classic.

Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot

This deck is published by Lo Sarabeo who has a reputation for making beautiful eye-candy tarot decks. It’s a faithful rendition of RWS but borderless and with lovely saturated colors. The inking is a bit sloppy but it’s a nice large deck that comes in a sturdy box. This is my go-to deck for on-line readings because the saturated colors and borderless design really pop.

CDB Tarot de Marseille by Yoav Ben Dov

If you like the historic Tarot de Marseille (TdM) style, you can’t go wrong with the CBD version by Yoav Ben Dov. This is a “pip” deck. The number cards aren’t fully illustrated. Some beginners enjoy have a more “blank slate” for their intuition. The deck creater restored this deck from an earlier French deck. He also made the images Public Domain so teachers and students can access them for free - which is a lovely act of generosity to the Tarot community.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot & Book Boxed Set

My all-time favorite tarot deck is Legacy of the Divine by digital artist Ciro Marchetti. Marchetti has earned well-deserved fame in Tarot circles for creating beautiful eye-candy decks. Marchetti sometime departs from traditional RWS symbolism, but Legacy of the Divine Tarot stays pretty faithful to RWS, so it’s still great for learning. Marchetti’s color symbolism is spot-on. It really helps set the tone and mood for each of the four Suits.

The book contains a fanciful back-story to the deck which is fun to read - albeit fictional. The card meanings are presented as commentaries by Marchetti and three other Tarot writers. I don’t agree with everything they say, but Legacy of the Divine Tarot is truly beautiful and the book will at least get a beginner started. If you’re giving it to someone who enjoys reading fantasy, the story book will be a plus.

RWS Centennial Edition Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Set

This package contains the RWS Centennial edition deck with the lovely muted vintage tones and flower motif on the card backs. It also includes other examples of PCS’s artwork and a booklet about her life. The enclosed book is the Pictorial Key to the Tarot by AE Waite originally published in 1911. While I can’t recommend this book as the best learning tool for beginners, it is the original book written to go with the cards. The RWS Centennial deck is a perfect deck for beginners and whoever receives the gift will probably use it for years to come. The set also comes with a little pouch for the cards.

++end of excerpt++

 

 

Edited October 7, 2024 by Misterei

[Troll]

5 minutes ago, gregory said:

 

Sorry to rain on your parade - but there was an option on Kickstarter to buy just the one deck - I backed that and got it.

 

 

How about his Dark Side of Tarot ?

https://www.loscarabeo.com/en/products/dark-side-of-tarot

But it says Normal deck normal means the colored one not the Black and white oneI have seen Dark side of Tarot it is nice ,but not good enough

[gregory]

18 minutes ago, Troll said:

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

 

Sorry to rain on your parade - but there was an option on Kickstarter to buy just the one deck - I backed that and got it.

 

 

How about his Dark Side of Tarot ?

https://www.loscarabeo.com/en/products/dark-side-of-tarot

[gregory]

Oh well -  we tried. Maybe you're right - maybe you will never find the deck you want.

[Troll]

6 minutes ago, gregory said:

Oh well -  we tried. Maybe you're right - maybe you will never find the deck you want.

Sometimes journey is more important then the goal

[fire cat pickles]

On 10/6/2024 at 2:27 PM, 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.

Carl Jung Tarot? Not esoteric or spiritual, all psychological based. Worth exploring. 

[Troll]

22 minutes ago, fire cat pickles said:

Carl Jung Tarot? Not esoteric or spiritual, all psychological based. Worth exploring. 

Good advice it is a very nice deck ,but it just isn`t good enough

[Troll]

10)Everyone is saying that you cant work with A.I created decks .Why is using them considered bad?

[Teemu]

1 minute ago, Troll said:

10)Everyone is saying that you cant work with A.I created decks .Why is using them considered bad?

Personally, I find them ugly. All I have seen so far.

[EmarieWithADHD]

On 10/5/2024 at 6:04 PM, Troll said:

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

 

 

It sounds like you would like learning from Benebell Wen. She offers a free tarot video course with supplementary downloads and she approaches tarot from an academic and psychological perspective. Here’s the free courses https://benebellwen.com/online-courses/free-courses/

 

I choose my decks by how the images and style resonates with me. Generally, beginners are recommended to start with the Rider Waite Smith deck due to the symbolism. 

The only rituals/preparation needed prior to reading tarot is that which YOU feel is important or necessary. You absolutely don’t have to pray, meditate, burn incense etc etc when reading tarot. Most of all, enjoy the journey and don’t rush it 🙂 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2024 by EmarieWithADHD
Spelling

[Troll]

49 minutes ago, Teemu said:

Personally, I find them ugly. All I have seen so far.

Weird World Tarot looks nice .But everyone has it own taste

[Troll]

38 minutes ago, EmarieWithADHD said:

It sounds like you would like learning from Benebell Wen. She offers a free tarot video course with supplementary downloads and she approaches tarot from an academic and psychological perspective. Here’s the free courses https://benebellwen.com/online-courses/free-courses/

 

I choose my decks by how the images and style resonates with me. Generally, beginners are recommended to start with the Rider Waite Smith deck due to the symbolism. 

The only rituals/preparation needed prior to reading tarot is that which YOU feel is important or necessary. You absolutely don’t have to pray, meditate, burn incense etc etc when reading tarot. Most of all, enjoy the journey and don’t rush it 🙂 

 

 

Thank you so much for advice

[Chariot]

14 hours ago, Troll said:

10)Everyone is saying that you cant work with A.I created decks .Why is using them considered bad?

In some instances it's because the person employing Artificial Intelligence to create a deck has ripped off other decks without permission.  They've used images created by other tarot deck creators, mixed them up a bit, and presented the result as original.  "Stolen,"in other words.  However, I don't see anything wrong with an AI-created deck if it was just working with words to create ideas and turn them into pictures.  I don't know that I'd want a deck created that way, but at least that wouldn't be stealing somebody else's work.

[Troll]

5 hours ago, Chariot said:

In some instances it's because the person employing Artificial Intelligence to create a deck has ripped off other decks without permission.  They've used images created by other tarot deck creators, mixed them up a bit, and presented the result as original.  "Stolen,"in other words.  However, I don't see anything wrong with an AI-created deck if it was just working with words to create ideas and turn them into pictures.  I don't know that I'd want a deck created that way, but at least that wouldn't be stealing somebody else's work.

Thank you very much for explaining this

[Troll]

11)Any tips on how to search for decks on ebay amazon etsy (avoiding fakes scams) ?Any tips on buying Tarot in Europe?

[maan]

Hii Troll i am in europe too. Lo scarabeo is in italie and ships relatively cheap to other European countries. 

I am from the Netherlands were we have a lot of real life shops that sell decks. regulair bookstores and new age shops taht way you know you get teh real deal.. And we have a good online shop : www.tarot.nl  That sells a few self published decks too that are otherwise to expensive to ship to Europe.

[gregory]

Avoiding scams on amazon, etsy and ebay - price is a very good indicator, so is a seller who has "127 sold, only one left" and the like.

 

There is an excellent store in Paris. https://www.librairie-inconnu.com. The website doesn't show that many - but they have HUNDREDS. This isn't even all of them.

 

 

Also Variantes.

https://www.variantes.com/50-tarots-cartes-divinatoires-boutique

 

Avoiding scams on amazon, etsy and ebay - price is a very good indicator, so is a seller who has "127 sold, only one left" and the like.

 

In London Watkins is THE place.

https://shop.watkinsbooks.com/collections/tarot-and-oracle-cards 

 

There is also Treadwells.

https://www.treadwells-london.com/tarot-astrology-divination

 

 

 

[DanielJUK]

4 hours ago, Troll said:

11)Any tips on how to search for decks on ebay amazon etsy (avoiding fakes scams) ?Any tips on buying Tarot in Europe?

 

There is some really great advice and tips in this thread -

 

[Troll]

Thank you all for such a selection of great tips

[gregory]

Where actually are you - if you have access to Paris, for instance, I think your problem would be solved at the Librairie. Likewise - if you can get to London (UK) Watkins will do it.

[Teemu]

Perhaps https://www.tarot.nl is an option for you?

Edited October 11, 2024 by Teemu

[Troll]

12) I was never specif what deck I want so maybe if I do so someone will have a great advice like you always do

Style -I am big fantasy guy ,but It can be anything ,it just needs to click .Some kind of of Marseilles with very artistic fantasy Majors

Feeling- Something light and everlasting like Tomorrow Wendy by  Concrete Blonde (yes I know it is though song about AIDS ,but it makes me happy  because the suffering will end )

Pips - only Majors animated , because finding Majors that I like would be easier then 78 cards I like

Price - Under 200 euros would be nice .I have saved a little because I have been looking for a year

 

Thanks

[PathWalker]

Sorry if this has been suggested before, but have you checked out the work of Lynryd Narciso - very varied, might find something you like:

 

https://www.instagram.com/paralumanstudio/