Headscratcher decks - how do you deal with them?

[Nemia]

There is a number of decks in my collection that I don't read with, that I don't completely understand, that would require a lot of work to get into - but I don't want to get rid of them. I hold on to them in the hope that one day, I'll kick my own lazy ass, dig into the deck and start working with it. These decks interest and somehow fascinate me, yet I never really get into them. 

 

One of these decks is the Tarot of the Holy Grail for me. The Grail story is interesting, and the deck is very beautiful. 

 

 

The book is intriguing, but I can only read it in small instalments, then my brain shuts off. Has anyone successfully worked with this deck? How can I get the hang of it? 

 

A similar case is the Cathar Tarot. Again, medieval lore, Christianity and heresy - all very interesting to me. 

 

 

As in the Grail Tarot, the card names are changed, and without the book, they're really difficult to understand. Furthermore, I'm not really fond of the art; it's some kind of computer graphics that's supposed to look like medieval drawings but doesn't. 

 

There are more... but these are the two decks that baffle me the most. Actually, I like decks that require some work, that nudge me into expanding my horizon and getting to know fairy tales, mythologies or belief systems that I didn't know before. So why do I hold on to them? Are they "fantasy self" decks? Probably. But they hold some promise. I'm sure that if I just could get into them, they would reveal something to me. 

 

I have a number of books, in addition to the books that accompany these decks, that I could use. I have recommended often three work books that have helped me getting to know some decks better, and I'll repeat myself here. 

 

Andy Matzner, The Tarot Activity Book, reviewed here by Benebell Wen - a great well of ideas to work differently with the tarot, and certainly many ideas can be used as ways into a deck you haven't found access to yet. 

 

Lynda Cowles, The Tarot Playbook. Like Matzner, Lynda Cowles has a lot of great ideas on how to approach the cards from different angles. More playful and light-hearted, it's also a good resource when you're in a tarot rut (a tarut! I just invented a word!). 

 

Alison Cross, Tarot Kaizen. This book is specifically for getting into a headscratcher deck. Maybe I should follow my own advice, get this book and the Tarot of the Holy Grail out, and work through them! 

 

What about you? Do you have such decks? Do you let them go at some point? Did you have a breakthrough with a deck? Any tips? 

 

 

[Rose Lalonde]

Good discussion. I don't buy often anymore, but if an interesting deck had its own system or didn't seem to fit the one it said it was, I'd read about it and then test the deck's 'readability' (for me) by asking a hypothetical yes/no question and doing quick 3 cards readings of that same question repeatedly until the bottom of the deck. I used yes/no - though it's not my normal ask - because I wanted to be clear about what/whether I was understanding. For each I'd decide if it was yes or no and briefly look at why I believed the cards showed that. Some decks surprised me with how decisive they were (Tarot of the Crone!), but some continued to be headscratchers. Usually, the latter didn't get clearer for me over time, so I moved them on.

 

I have one deck that was made to be a tie-in with a game, and many cards have no clear connection to tarot. I knew that going in, so I framed some and hung it over my desk. 

 

[DanielJUK]

I'm really convinced that there are some decks we will never connect with. Just like people or forms of art, some things just don't connect with us or our personalities. You can try as hard as you like but it just doesn't connect for some reason. There are a few decks that I like the art but I cannot work out, they are always real head scratchers. However, others I have worked out in time. Like maybe I wasn't experienced enough in life or as I got more mature / older, suddenly I understood them. There came a time when they became important / connected with them.

 

I know often people want to sell or give away those decks they don't connect with but unless you really hate them and their artwork, I would say that I mostly connected with them in time. It wasn't the right time in my life to fully understand them.

[Tanga]

20 hours ago, Nemia said:

What about you? Do you have such decks? Do you let them go at some point? Did you have a breakthrough with a deck? Any tips? 

 

 

 

@Nemia - I absolutely love getting into a "Tarut" !!! 🤣

I vote that we all now use this new word ✊

 

Yes. I have such decks. If I like the artwork and am curious about the imagery/fairy tales from mysterious far away places - I just keep them.

Now-&-Then I keep one out and draw a card or two - and read up about it in the LWB.

I know I'm never gonna learn the whole system and read with them, but they add salt, pepper and all curious things to the whole Tarot idea.

 

Some examples:

The Russian Lubok - now reprinted a Tarot Lubok - by Vinitski & Savchenko

Russan Pasyans (Russian Solitaire -  I have 2)

Fairytale Tarot - Lo Scarobeo

....

 

I used to have Sol Invictus -The God Tarot (by Huggens & C), and let that one go... not entirely sure that was a good idea (so much Male myth to wade through! - but... I wasn't that keen on the artwork).

 

And - not really a headscratcher, but I have The Darkness of Light Tarot - by DiMauro

I absolutely LOVE the artwork and the Colour palette of this deck. BUT... it's the "darkness" of the deck.

The mood is so sombre... I end up feeling sad. So I cannot read with it. Certainly not for others!

[Sar]

When it comes to deck like that.

 

I drink with them, I sleep with them and we make each other so happy. 

 

Thereafter I am able to read with them.

[Esclarmonde]

Tarut sounds great and gets my vote too!👍
As for headscratcher decks, I had a Da Vinci tarot mini version once (I think it was a Da Vinci, it was a long time ago). Monochrome artwork based on Leonardo's art, and I could not connect with it at all. I gave it away, and have not regretted it. I've no problems with monochrome, it was just that deck that gave me problems.
BTW I do own the Cathar, and I like it, even though the suit names are different. I like the artwork, but it's true that reading with them is not straightforward, due to these differences in names. Some Major Arcana also have different names. I find reading with that deck a bit of a challenge, but I enjoy it for that reason. And I do get accurate readings out of it.

[Misterei]

On 2/13/2026 at 9:36 AM, Nemia said:

There is a number of decks in my collection that I don't read with, that I don't completely understand, that would require a lot of work to get into - but I don't want to get rid of them. ...

What about you? Do you have such decks? Do you let them go at some point? Did you have a breakthrough with a deck? 

Most of the time if i don't connect with a deck i give it away and don't look back. Tarot of H'Arts was the exception. I read with it, didn't like it, so put it in my friend's shop to sell. Then i was taking some promo pix for my website and wanted large colorful cards so got the deck back [it hadn't sold yet]. Strangely, when laying a celtic cross just for the pictures--the deck actually gave a spot-on reading. I ended up keeping it and love reading with it now. After giving crappy readings at first--it gave a great reading when i wasn't even asking it to. Strange.

 

My only Headscratcher Deck by your definition is the benebell wen Spiritkeepers. I love the art. I love the concept. But i never read with it as i don't have the patience to learn a whole new system just to read it. But i don't give it away either. I like the artwork and concept too much to part with it. So this is a real headscratcher. i don't know what to do with this deck. I keep it yet I am loath to learn its system. *sigh*

[Pruvia]

My first Oracle deck was Mysts of Ávalon. I obtained pretty good reads when i combined it with other oracles, but it was impossible for me to read it alone. The guidebook felt pretty "empty", all of the cards had almost the same interpretations on there, and were a pretty basic self help tips. That deck is based on the Celts (gods, arthuric legends, real places...) so i decided to do a full deep dive.

 

I created my own guidebook in my Grimoire. I followed this structure:

 

• ✍🏻 An introduction page with the names of the deck, the name of it's creator, the number of cards, any relevant detail of its structure.

• 🫡 The personality/deck interview or just my thoughts right now about the deck. How do i see it now.

• 🗣️My intentions with this flipthrough. What would I like to achieve, and why am I doing it?

• 🍵Then i resized and printed the cards, and put each one of them in a page. Those pages followed the same structure: a small paragraph of internet research about the god, place or legend that appears on the card or legend. Then a mindmap of associations, symbols, keywords, and connections of that card, based on the info obtained AND my own view of it. So yes, just a small paragraph and a mindmap.

• 🦇 To finish the flipthrough i had a new interview spread and some reflections of the process. Did i enjoyed it? Did i achieve my objective?

 

It took me around 2 months aprox, it was really fun. It wasn't a regular and daily process. One day i could do 4 cards, and the next 2 none. Be flexible and mindful with the energy that you have at the moment.

 

✍🏻So my recs for all of you would be:

• Do a Deep dive when you feel like it. When you are feeling called and motivated to do so.

• Follow a structure (so you can sintetize the information) but be flexible enough to enjoy the process. Is not a race.

• Don't be afraid of making your own associations.

• Take a day to put all the small card prints in place. This way the process will be easier, just filling.

• BE PRACTICAL. You aint gonna remember 100 pages of associations per card. Just a few keywords and a small "what is this?" will do the work.

 

Hope this helps!

Edited February 14 by Pruvia

[AnomalyTempest]

On 2/14/2026 at 4:34 PM, Pruvia said:

My first Oracle deck was Mysts of Ávalon. I obtained pretty good reads when i combined it with other oracles, but it was impossible for me to read it alone. The guidebook felt pretty "empty", all of the cards had almost the same interpretations on there, and were a pretty basic self help tips. That deck is based on the Celts (gods, arthuric legends, real places...) so i decided to do a full deep dive.

 

I created my own guidebook in my Grimoire. I followed this structure:

 

• ✍🏻 An introduction page with the names of the deck, the name of it's creator, the number of cards, any relevant detail of its structure.

• 🫡 The personality/deck interview or just my thoughts right now about the deck. How do i see it now.

• 🗣️My intentions with this flipthrough. What would I like to achieve, and why am I doing it?

• 🍵Then i resized and printed the cards, and put each one of them in a page. Those pages followed the same structure: a small paragraph of internet research about the god, place or legend that appears on the card or legend. Then a mindmap of associations, symbols, keywords, and connections of that card, based on the info obtained AND my own view of it. So yes, just a small paragraph and a mindmap.

• 🦇 To finish the flipthrough i had a new interview spread and some reflections of the process. Did i enjoyed it? Did i achieve my objective?

 

It took me around 2 months aprox, it was really fun. It wasn't a regular and daily process. One day i could do 4 cards, and the next 2 none. Be flexible and mindful with the energy that you have at the moment.

 

✍🏻So my recs for all of you would be:

• Do a Deep dive when you feel like it. When you are feeling called and motivated to do so.

• Follow a structure (so you can sintetize the information) but be flexible enough to enjoy the process. Is not a race.

• Don't be afraid of making your own associations.

• Take a day to put all the small card prints in place. This way the process will be easier, just filling.

• BE PRACTICAL. You aint gonna remember 100 pages of associations per card. Just a few keywords and a small "what is this?" will do the work.

 

Hope this helps!

This is great idea. Thanks for sharing this. 

[Nemia]

Wow, there are some amazingly intelligent tips here, and some ideas I will try. 

 

Confession time: I struggle with the Spiritkeepers as well. Benebell Wen is such a creative and erudite person, and her deck is so well-thought-out - I even feel a bit intimidated by it. 

[Tanga]

On 2/14/2026 at 10:34 PM, Pruvia said:

My first Oracle deck was Mysts of Ávalon. I obtained pretty good reads when i combined it with other oracles, but it was impossible for me to read it alone. The guidebook felt pretty "empty", all of the cards had almost the same interpretations on there, and were a pretty basic self help tips. That deck is based on the Celts (gods, arthuric legends, real places...) so i decided to do a full deep dive.

 

I created my own guidebook in my Grimoire. I followed this structure:

 

• ✍🏻 An introduction page with the names of the deck, the name of it's creator, the number of cards, any relevant detail of its structure.

• 🫡 The personality/deck interview or just my thoughts right now about the deck. How do i see it now.

• 🗣️My intentions with this flipthrough. What would I like to achieve, and why am I doing it?

• 🍵Then i resized and printed the cards, and put each one of them in a page. Those pages followed the same structure: a small paragraph of internet research about the god, place or legend that appears on the card or legend. Then a mindmap of associations, symbols, keywords, and connections of that card, based on the info obtained AND my own view of it. So yes, just a small paragraph and a mindmap.

• 🦇 To finish the flipthrough i had a new interview spread and some reflections of the process. Did i enjoyed it? Did i achieve my objective?

 

It took me around 2 months aprox, it was really fun. It wasn't a regular and daily process. One day i could do 4 cards, and the next 2 none. Be flexible and mindful with the energy that you have at the moment.

 

✍🏻So my recs for all of you would be:

• Do a Deep dive when you feel like it. When you are feeling called and motivated to do so.

• Follow a structure (so you can sintetize the information) but be flexible enough to enjoy the process. Is not a race.

• Don't be afraid of making your own associations.

• Take a day to put all the small card prints in place. This way the process will be easier, just filling.

• BE PRACTICAL. You aint gonna remember 100 pages of associations per card. Just a few keywords and a small "what is this?" will do the work.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Good Lord & Lady!   😮...

I'll umm... just file this away for now.

Thanks.

 

 

37 minutes ago, Nemia said:

 

Confession time: I struggle with the Spiritkeepers as well. Benebell Wen is such a creative and erudite person, and her deck is so well-thought-out - I even feel a bit intimidated by it. 

 

😄 ☝️

I didn't even buy it. Too complex for my simple hedge witch brain - and no colour. 

[Troll]

I would submerge myself in the surroundings that made the deck .If this is Cathar deck I would read everything I could about them and treat reality as illusion made up by evil good .If this is Russian deck  I would read Ouspensky ,Blavatskaya and watch Russian ballet or figure skating .But finding that deck core you need to decode it is hard .I love Cathars and Russia  so these two would be easy for me ,but I don`t know what I would do with bird tarot ,because I hate birds 

[Chariot]

I take a 'life is short' approach to headscratcher decks.  (At least life seems short now that I'm pushing 77.)  I want to read with a deck, not try to figure out what in heck the creator of the deck was on about, or learn some new religion, etc.  Perhaps if I was 40 years younger I'd be more curious, but at this point I'm afraid I'm not.  I'm learning constantly about new ways to read spreads and cards, but I'm not interested in 'starting over' with decks that don't grab me.  Life is short.

[Troll]

1 hour ago, Chariot said:

I take a 'life is short' approach to headscratcher decks.  (At least life seems short now that I'm pushing 77.)  I want to read with a deck, not try to figure out what in heck the creator of the deck was on about, or learn some new religion, etc.  Perhaps if I was 40 years younger I'd be more curious, but at this point I'm afraid I'm not.  I'm learning constantly about new ways to read spreads and cards, but I'm not interested in 'starting over' with decks that don't grab me.  Life is short.

I understand you  this is reasonable sound approach you have .For me this isn`t issue at all because I read all the decks the same ,without any difference . But it is very interesting how others see and think about Tarot even if this way is far from my path .There are many ways to to read and think about Tarot . And learning that is big part of fun at least for me 

[Mi-Shell]

Over the last ?? 40 some years I have ended up with quite a few "head scratcher decks"

Right now - for the last 2 weeks I am chewing on one of them - Tarot of the Orishas-  in the deck of the Week threads.

It involves me learning about a whole previous not well known spiritual path.

 

Other headscratcher decks I occasionally bite into for a while are the Anieth Nature Tarot and the Stone Nature deck, both by A.E. Stone. 

Beautiful artwork -but card titles in ??Gaelic"?? and LWBs that have a none-system that is dark and accusatory and has absolutely nothing to do with Tarot. 

I am sure, my list of headscratcher decks is longer, but - it is dinner time and I better feed my pet monster..... 😉 

[gregory]

My Anieth Nature has English titles.... The Stone Nature - yes - the titles are in Gaelic, but easily translated. They are based around her novels.

 

https://anieth.com/anieth/making/tarot/tarot.html

[Marina]

On 2/13/2026 at 2:36 PM, Nemia said:

The book is intriguing, but I can only read it in small instalments, then my brain shuts off. Has anyone successfully worked with this deck? How can I get the hang of it? 

 

I'm super late for the conversation, but I wanted to say that The Grail Tarot is one of my all-time favourite decks! I have been using it for years, and find it incredibly insightful and accurate. And. of course, I love the mediaeval art style. There is a simple 2-card layout in the book, called The Brothers Spread, that has worked very well for me most of the time, and it's a nice way to get to know the deck. I recommend trying it, if you'd still like to give The Grail Tarot a chance.

 

And it's interesting how one person's 'headscratcher' deck can be the other person's 'BFF deck', isn't it?

 

A popular deck that many people love but I could never really get into was the Druidcraft Tarot. I think it's gorgeous, I love the pagan symbolism but… nope. I owned it two or three times and could never really use it. I just drew a blank whenever trying to read with it. Same with the Thoth tarot - gorgeous, but unreadable. 

 

Now, I have culled my collection A LOT over the last decade (went from 140 decks to around 20-30), and I don't usually keep decks I cannot read with. UNLESS I happen to truly love the art, or if I think I'd still like to learn it better, or the book that accompanies it is really good for reasons beyond teaching the deck itself (two that come to mind is the Legend the Arthurian Tarot and the Yggdrasil: Norse Divination Cards)... these are some cases in which I might keep a deck I don't really use. 

 

But it's rare. Most of the time, if a deck remains a 'headscratcher' that I really can't get into, I end up selling it and making room for decks that will be more loved.

Edited 9 hours ago by Marina
typos :(

[Nemia]

Oh, @Marina, that's so great to hear. I am still fascinated by the Grail Tarot, I love the art as well, and I will give it a try. It's up on my tarot calendar right now, so I have the Hierophant and the Seven of Stones in front of my eyes, and it does have a mysterious and wonderful feel to it. It's so encouraging to hear that it works well for you. 

 

For me, the Thoth is my workhorse deck. It has never let me down. I take my trimmed little pocket Thoth everywhere. 

 

Crazy how that works. 

[Troll]

On 2/13/2026 at 7:36 PM, Nemia said:

There is a number of decks in my collection that I don't read with, that I don't completely understand, that would require a lot of work to get into - but I don't want to get rid of them. I hold on to them in the hope that one day, I'll kick my own lazy ass, dig into the deck and start working with it. These decks interest and somehow fascinate me, yet I never really get into them. 

 

One of these decks is the Tarot of the Holy Grail for me. The Grail story is interesting, and the deck is very beautiful. 

 

 

The book is intriguing, but I can only read it in small instalments, then my brain shuts off. Has anyone successfully worked with this deck? How can I get the hang of it? 

 

A similar case is the Cathar Tarot. Again, medieval lore, Christianity and heresy - all very interesting to me. 

 

 

As in the Grail Tarot, the card names are changed, and without the book, they're really difficult to understand. Furthermore, I'm not really fond of the art; it's some kind of computer graphics that's supposed to look like medieval drawings but doesn't. 

 

There are more... but these are the two decks that baffle me the most. Actually, I like decks that require some work, that nudge me into expanding my horizon and getting to know fairy tales, mythologies or belief systems that I didn't know before. So why do I hold on to them? Are they "fantasy self" decks? Probably. But they hold some promise. I'm sure that if I just could get into them, they would reveal something to me. 

 

I have a number of books, in addition to the books that accompany these decks, that I could use. I have recommended often three work books that have helped me getting to know some decks better, and I'll repeat myself here. 

 

Andy Matzner, The Tarot Activity Book, reviewed here by Benebell Wen - a great well of ideas to work differently with the tarot, and certainly many ideas can be used as ways into a deck you haven't found access to yet. 

 

Lynda Cowles, The Tarot Playbook. Like Matzner, Lynda Cowles has a lot of great ideas on how to approach the cards from different angles. More playful and light-hearted, it's also a good resource when you're in a tarot rut (a tarut! I just invented a word!). 

 

Alison Cross, Tarot Kaizen. This book is specifically for getting into a headscratcher deck. Maybe I should follow my own advice, get this book and the Tarot of the Holy Grail out, and work through them! 

 

What about you? Do you have such decks? Do you let them go at some point? Did you have a breakthrough with a deck? Any tips? 

 

 

Hi .I wanted to ask about Cathar Tarot .I like The general Cathar idea that everything is Love and Light ,but we just don`t see it ,because we are all in simulation of Evil Devil .My question how it speaks to that idea and you see this through these cards?