Why do I Need New Decks!

[Aldor44]

I know this sounds like something that belongs to the de -enable thread but it isn't.

 

So, I own about 7-8 decks most are RWS clones which is what I like using.

 

Out of these decks I used about 3-4 for most of my readings- some I really liked but couldn't connect to yet- like the Wild unknown and the Hidden Realm Tarot.

 

originally, when I started I got the original RWS deck- which I used a bit but quickly stopped using- moving to more " modernly designed decks".

 

A few weeks ago, when I returned to Tarot on a more regular basis- I opened my closet that housed the decks- and this one kinda called me...

 

So I picked it up- for the first time ever- and started reading with it- rather accurately and feeling like - in most cases- It is in sink with my intuition.

 

One would say : "Great you have a deck that is working well with you".. but lately I started having the urge for  a new deck... I don't even know why ( I haven't purchased one in at least 6-7 months).

 

I put the decks I wanted in my basket on Amazon.. and ended up ordering them all ( 5 in total for a little less than `100$ total.)

 

Now, It's not that I can't afford to spend 100$ from time to time, but the question is... Why do I even need/want more decks... I have a deck with which I feel a nice connection- AND it has the original symbols which appeal to me.. and yet, I want new decks... with which I may or may not be able to read ( granted 2 of them are RWS versions with different shades so almost a perfect clone) .

 

Maybe it's my dream to be able to connect and read with what ever deck I like- similarly to lets say @Saturn Celeste who has TONS of decks and seems to use most if not all in her readings, or maybe it's something else...

 

What do you all think....

 

any insights would be appreciated- as well as tips you might have to bonding with decks 😄

 

UPDATE : I removed 2 decks from the order ending with 3 new decks- two are a perfect RWS clones with different coloring  and one the Golden Wheel Tarot- which as a former Russian I REALLY like ... BUT the question still remains.. WHY 😛 

 

  

Edited September 14, 2019 by Aldor44

[Guest libra]

For me, a new deck with different imagery helps me to stretch my understanding of each card by allowing me to see it through the imagination and definition of another artist and diviner. I'm not sure that I personally would get the most bang for my buck in that sense by getting 5 new decks at once - I tend to prefer to explore each deck in depth as I fold it into my collective, so a bunch of new decks all at once mean I don't have the time to explore each like I like to! But, making a concious choice to add a deck or two and knowing why I'm adding that one in particular is really useful to my practice. Just buying decks for the sake of having more leads to decks shooting unloved on my shelves for years though! 

[Jewel]

I agree with Libra. Different decs can give you new insights into the depth of meanings of cards. I also like that different decks have different “voices” and can deliver messages in different ways because of this.  For bonding I like to what I call my “deck of the month project” where I primary read and journal my readings with it for at least a month. I use it for myself as well as tradings for others and if it has companion book I read that as well.  I like having variety so I can use different decks as the mood strikes me.

[odd_soul]

I agree that different decks can give you new insights. That's definitely true, and why I always like to read the guidebooks, if a deck comes with one. However, that isn't the reason I buy more decks. I tend to buy more decks because I have a restless spirit. My moods and preferences change frequently, so I tend to be attracted to different decks and art styles at different times, so I like to have a variety, and I also seek out variety.

 

I also have a materialistic nature and tend to collect things in general. There are so many beautiful decks out there these days, I just can't resist collecting the ones I find most beautiful! I don't buy every deck I'm attracted to, though. I have a few RWS clones now, so I usually look for things that are a bit different, but that I can still connect to and that I know I'd read with. 

 

Another reason I buy more decks is because some feel more suited to different scenarios or people I might read for. If a deck reminds me of a friend, or if I know the friend would like it, I might end up buying it so that I can use it to read for them. Or if the art is very calming, I'll get it so I'll have something comforting to read with when I'm feeling down.

[Saturn Celeste]

7 hours ago, Aldor44 said:

Maybe it's my dream to be able to connect and read with what ever deck I like- similarly to lets say @Saturn Celeste who has TONS of decks and seems to use most if not all in her readings, or maybe it's something else...

My secret is I learn to read the deck from the LWB or companion book.  I use the definitions that belong to that deck.  Some of the older ones are terrible but most definitions lend a different perspective to how each deck is read.  Each deck has its own personality.  I notice @Aldor44 you have the Osho Zen deck.  Do you use that deck?  I actually love using it for romantic readings!  You don't have too many decks at the moment so make sure you have read with all of them before buying more.  You'll learn a lot about yourself and how you want to read!

7 hours ago, Aldor44 said:

I put the decks I wanted in my basket on Amazon.. and ended up ordering them all ( 5 in total for a little less than `100$ total.)

I do this too.  I can't buy them all at once but I do try to purchase one a  month.  I have 2 preorders open now though.  The In-Between tarot and The Wild Unknown Archetypes.  I have all of the past, present and future decks so the In-Between will complete my collection!  And I'm going after Archetype decks for past life readings.  So the decks I buy now are really geared toward certain goals. 

[katrinka]

9 hours ago, Aldor44 said:

I know this sounds like something that belongs to the de -enable thread but it isn't.

 

So, I own about 7-8 decks most are RWS clones which is what I like using.

Now, It's not that I can't afford to spend 100$ from time to time, but the question is... Why do I even need/want more decks... I have a deck with which I feel a nice connection- AND it has the original symbols which appeal to me.. and yet, I want new decks... with which I may or may not be able to read ( granted 2 of them are RWS versions with different shades so almost a perfect clone.)
 

 

It sounds as if you want more decks. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as you recognize it and call it what it is.
We were just talking about something similar in this thread:

@Flaxen brought up the way it was when a lot of us started: "I’m glad I discovered tarot at a time when most people just ended up with whatever deck the local shop sold. For years I only had two decks and it helped me hone my reading skills without the distraction of the ‘next big thing’. It meant having to work through all the tricky phases when learning a new skill instead of thinking that the next deck would be ‘the one’."

 

And where I lived, there wasn't even a local shop. I stumbled on an ad for the Mystic Arts Book Club that sent you a University Books RWS if you joined. It was the only deck available to me in the beginning, so it's a good thing I liked it!
There were other decks being sold *somewhere* out there (the Albano and the IJJ Swiss come to mind) but I never saw them or knew that they existed prior to seeing them on the internet.

So in the beginning it was just me, that RWS, a LWB excerpted from the PKT, and a copy of Eden Gray's Mastering The Tarot. And I'm not trying to run that old "Back in my day we walked 40 miles to school barefoot in the snow and it was uphill both ways", lol. There is a reason for mentioning how it was then:
Any Tarot obsession I had was channeled into those two things. And so I learned to read cards. Not well (for a good while, I was under the impression that the Celtic Cross was mandatory, lol), I hadn't yet learned to combine cards, and I had very little life experience at that age. But it was a solid foundation. I learned the basics.

If I'd only had that one deck my whole life, would my reading ability have suffered? Yes. But not from lacking RWS type theme decks.
Rather, the things that would have really held me back had I missed them are Lenormand (and, by extension, Kippers, Sibilla, etc. This is where I finally really learned to read combined meanings) and Thoth, if only because it opened up the things Waite was hiding. (There is a famous legend that Robert Johnson went to the crossroads and sold his soul in exchange for the ability to play guitar well. It never happened (and his song "Crossroads" is actually about hitchhiking), but the fact is that he wasn't very good, he dropped out of sight for awhile, and when he came back, he was great. "Crossroads" as a metaphor for something that makes all your prior study click into place is a great metaphor. I definitely think of Lenormand and Thoth as "crossroads decks".)

I do have a number of RWS-inspired decks, but I got them because I liked them.  IOW, they were wants, not needs. The core meanings are the same. (And if you have a good grasp of core meanings, you can read virtually any deck of this type.) The different images can offer a fresh perspective, and I enjoy reading the creators' commentary about why they chose a particular image and their reason for using it. But we don't need them.

Like Ariadne's thread, there is very little that we actually need. Some of the best readers make do with a battered deck of playing cards!
 

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by katrinka

[Aldor44]

1 hour ago, Saturn Celeste said:

My secret is I learn to read the deck from the LWB or companion book.  I use the definitions that belong to that deck.  Some of the older ones are terrible but most definitions lend a different perspective to how each deck is read.  Each deck has its own personality.  I notice @Aldor44 you have the Osho Zen deck.  Do you use that deck?  I actually love using it for romantic readings!  You don't have too many decks at the moment so make sure you have read with all of them before buying more.  You'll learn a lot about yourself and how you want to read!

I do this too.  I can't buy them all at once but I do try to purchase one a  month.  I have 2 preorders open now though.  The In-Between tarot and The Wild Unknown Archetypes.  I have all of the past, present and future decks so the In-Between will complete my collection!  And I'm going after Archetype decks for past life readings.  So the decks I buy now are really geared toward certain goals. 

@Saturn Celeste I would Love to read with the decks I have But some don't click- like the hidden realm and wild unknown- It seems I find it SUPER hard to deviate from the RWS so for now I use very close clones.. If you have tips of how to use the said decks I would highly appreciate it 

[Saturn Celeste]

11 minutes ago, Aldor44 said:

like the hidden realm and wild unknown

Decks like the Hidden Realm, Aquarian Tarot and many others that have close up of faces I use for readings that deal with other people; in a sense those types of decks with faces become court cards when needed.  Decks like the Healing Light, I use for a more spiritual reading and the Wild Unknown is when I want to study that deck.  It is one of my least favorite decks but when I use it I like it.  I bought that deck to have in case clients request it.  Remember, Aldor, I don't read for myself!  I use my decks in my practice. 😉

[bookshop]

@Aldor44 some decks you're not supposed to click with. Some decks just don't fit your personality or speak to you in the same way they speak to others, in exactly the same way that not everyone has the same taste in art, movies, or clothes. That's totally okay!!

 

Like Saturn, I keep some decks around mainly because people I know like to get readings from them. I don't personally like the Wild Unknown at all, for example, but I'm ordering a copy of it (a very cheap copy from China haha) because it's so popular and so many of the people I read for like it. I also get lots of requests for the Ophidia Rosa, which is a deck I really liked until I examined it more closely and realized that the flowers have no symbolism and the LWB is terrible if not an active hindrance to meaning. I still use it on request, but it's not for me.

 

I love getting new decks, though! It gives me interesting things to talk to friends about, and it's interesting to learn and explore the meanings and contexts and histories associated with each deck I acquire. For example, today I spent an enjoyable time learning about the history of vintage Penguin classics because I wanted to more fully understand the deck I'd just gotten my hands on. There are all kinds of reasons to own decks, and all of them are valid even when they don't have much to do with expanding your meaning of the tarot itself. 🙂

 

That said, I do think most good decks expand your meaning of the tarot! But what really works is just to practice with the cards you feel drawn to. And I think the more you practice with some decks, the more comfortable you're going to feel with others. just give yourself time, there's no rush!

[katrinka]

27 minutes ago, bookshop said:

Like Saturn, I keep some decks around mainly because people I know like to get readings from them. I don't personally like the Wild Unknown at all, for example, but I'm ordering a copy of it (a very cheap copy from China haha) because it's so popular and so many of the people I read for like it. I also get lots of requests for the Ophidia Rosa, which is a deck I really liked until I examined it more closely and realized that the flowers have no symbolism and the LWB is terrible if not an active hindrance to meaning. I still use it on request, but it's not for me.

That's really...irregular. And I'm NOT saying you're making it up (the rustic cackle of my burgh is not the murmur of the world, obviously), but I've been reading for other people since Al Green and Humble Pie were charting, and I've never had a client request a specific deck. Maybe in a very broad sense, like "a Lenormand reading" (no particular deck) but never "I would like a 30 minute Tarot reading using the Twerking Cats (or whatever) Tarot. Oh, you don't have it? Order it. I'll wait."

Who are you reading for???

[bookshop]

Oh, @katrinka, I just read for my friends and people who follow my Tumblr and ask me for one- or two-card readings!  But I always show everyone the list of my decks first and tell them to pick which deck they want a reading from. And people rarely choose any of the decks I love most! But I've had multiple people ask me if I own or plan to buy the Wild Unknown tarot. There's just so much interest in that deck.

 

I was really surprised when I got the prisma visions deck that it didn't become one of my most-requested decks given how popular it is, but i think it's probably not something that appeals for one- and two-card readings.

Edited September 15, 2019 by bookshop

[Raggydoll]

2 minutes ago, katrinka said:

That's really...irregular. And I'm NOT saying you're making it up (the rustic cackle of my burgh is not the murmur of the world, obviously), but I've been reading for other people since Al Green and Humble Pie were charting, and I've never had a client request a specific deck. Maybe in a very broad sense, like "a Lenormand reading" (no particular deck) but never "I would like a 30 minute Tarot reading using the Twerking Cats (or whatever) Tarot. Oh, you don't have it? Order it. I'll wait."

Who are you reading for???

I am sure it depends on the clientele and how a person markets themselves. Some are doing a lot of readings for other tarot readers and it wouldn’t surprise me if those would appreciate getting to pick a deck. I usually don’t let anyone pick but I did try it once - with a close friend. She’s such a sweetheart and she doesn’t mind me sharing this story, but the following was uttered by her (with wide eyes and an amazed delight)

- I get to choose?!!!

- I get to touch them?!!!!

- I get to SEE the cards?!!! 

 

Bless her heart, she thought she could not look at the table as I laid out the cards. And I was like “if you prefer to lay down on the couch with a drink then we can totally do that too, but don’t you want to see for yourself?!” We had a great reading that went on for two hours. But that’s obviously not what I would do with anyone else. She’s special that way 😊

[Guest libra]

49 minutes ago, katrinka said:

That's really...irregular. And I'm NOT saying you're making it up (the rustic cackle of my burgh is not the murmur of the world, obviously), but I've been reading for other people since Al Green and Humble Pie were charting, and I've never had a client request a specific deck. Maybe in a very broad sense, like "a Lenormand reading" (no particular deck) but never "I would like a 30 minute Tarot reading using the Twerking Cats (or whatever) Tarot. Oh, you don't have it? Order it. I'll wait."

Who are you reading for???

I rarely get first time clients asking for a specific deck, but I often have regulars who have their favorites and will request another reading with one deck or another! 

[Raggydoll]

4 minutes ago, libra said:

I rarely get first time clients asking for a specific deck, but I often have regulars who have their favorites and will request another reading with one deck or another! 

I can totally see that. When I worked professionally on a phone line that was of course a non-issue and I only ever used one deck. But for face to face or video/emailed readings then the visual play a definite role. And here on the forum it’s certainly fun to experience many new decks. 

[katrinka]

1 hour ago, bookshop said:

But I always show everyone the list of my decks first and tell them to pick which deck they want a reading from. And people rarely choose any of the decks I love most! But I've had multiple people ask me if I own or plan to buy the Wild Unknown tarot. There's just so much interest in that deck.

 

1 hour ago, Raggydoll said:

I am sure it depends on the clientele and how a person markets themselves.

Ah, OK.
Yes, I've never put up a list of decks and said "pick one".
 

1 hour ago, Raggydoll said:

Some are doing a lot of readings for other tarot readers

LOL. I get that kind of thing sometimes. I got TONS of those types of requests during the time people were piling on the Lenormand bandwagon. And the thing is that the people requesting readings were, for the most part, perfectly competent readers, not newcomers. They were just researching, seeing what I had to offer.

1 hour ago, Raggydoll said:

Bless her heart, she thought she could not look at the table as I laid out the cards. And I was like “if you prefer to lay down on the couch with a drink then we can totally do that too, but don’t you want to see for yourself?!” We had a great reading that went on for two hours. But that’s obviously not what I would do with anyone else. She’s special that way 😊

LOL.
I had someone ask if I could read cards when it's raining, Apparently they'd been told that it can't be done.
If one is to fall into such beliefs, I'm sure that laying on the couch with a drink is MUCH nicer than waiting for the rain to stop!

[Raggydoll]

48 minutes ago, katrinka said:

 

Ah, OK.
Yes, I've never put up a list of decks and said "pick one".
 

I know that method works for many but I actually prefer to choose the deck myself. It’s part of the “connecting-process” for me. 

48 minutes ago, katrinka said:

LOL. I get that kind of thing sometimes. I got TONS of those types of requests during the time people were piling on the Lenormand bandwagon. And the thing is that the people requesting readings were, for the most part, perfectly competent readers, not newcomers. They were just researching, seeing what I had to offer.

I know Kelly-Ann Maddox has a lot of tarot readers as her clients and I believe (i don’t know for sure so don’t quote me!) that it’s a lot of spiritual topics they are requiring about - like their own spiritual path and practice. 

48 minutes ago, katrinka said:

LOL.
I had someone ask if I could read cards when it's raining, Apparently they'd been told that it can't be done.
If one is to fall into such beliefs, I'm sure that laying on the couch with a drink is MUCH nicer than waiting for the rain to stop!

Hahaha!! I will say that a rainy day is the perfect day for readings, as far as I’m concerned ☺️

 

[gregory]

3 hours ago, katrinka said:

That's really...irregular. And I'm NOT saying you're making it up (the rustic cackle of my burgh is not the murmur of the world, obviously), but I've been reading for other people since Al Green and Humble Pie were charting, and I've never had a client request a specific deck. Maybe in a very broad sense, like "a Lenormand reading" (no particular deck) but never "I would like a 30 minute Tarot reading using the Twerking Cats (or whatever) Tarot. Oh, you don't have it? Order it. I'll wait."

I'm not in business, but when I read on a forum, I very often have people saying would I read for them, and telling me what deck they want. (Especially the Savage, for some reason....) Of course, there is a good chance that I will have it.

 

As to why more decks - for me, and this is only me, YMMV, I find that some days I will need to use a particular one, sometimes even one I haven't used in ages. Mood, resonance, the question asked.... And yes - I do learn something new from every single one - even the horrors (remember the Charmed, people ? I read with it as a joke on AT and it was spot on.) And the ones I think I don't like (Mystic Fairies are SO not fluffy; I said they were and someone challenged me. They were VICIOUS !)

[bookshop]

7 hours ago, gregory said:

I'm not in business, but when I read on a forum, I very often have people saying would I read for them, and telling me what deck they want.

I also frequently see people online selling tarot readings from a choice of specific decks that the querent can pick from. To me that's pretty much the same thing as what I do.

 

In fact, I usually tend to post to Tumblr specifically when I get a batch of new decks, so I can share pictures and gush about them all, and that always causes an influx of requests for specific decks from people excited to get readings from the new ones! It's very fun.

[Grizabella]

I've found that clients don't really care what deck I read with. If I were to offer a choice, some of them would be up tight wondering if they could pick the "right one" or something. I read with whatever deck I choose at that time, for whatever reason it seems to me that's the deck to use. Same with not explaining history and symbolism and this card means this and that card means that. They want answers to whatever questions they have and they're paying me to provide the answers, not teach them Tarot, show off my Tarot collection, or put my knowledge of symbolism and history on display (not that I have much of those last two anyway.) My clients trust that I know what deck is best for that reading and I don't get requests.

 

That's just me, though. Aldor44 does get  requests but if I were Aldor and got a request for a deck I didn't have and didn't especially feel was for me, I wouldn't spend money on getting the deck. I'd just pass it on by.

 

 

[bookshop]

I think I just want to clarify that I only read tarot for fun, and part of the fun of tarot for me is communing with people about decks I own, and sharing them, and totally showing them off to my followers when I buy new ones, because I get excited about the new decks, and then they get excited and ask me for readings with the new decks, and I get excited by their excitement, and it's loads of fun, and I do think that fun and social interactions count as a compelling reason for why you might want a new deck 😄

 

Also, I'm not saying anyone should buy a copy of every deck they get asked for. I mentioned the Wild Unknown — the only reason I bought the Wild Unknown is that I saw a deck listed on Ebay for $5.  An easy decision, knowing my followers would enjoy getting readings from it. This and the Deviant Moon are the only decks I've bought specifically because i knew other people might enjoy me doing readings from them, and I caved on the Deviant Moon only after falling really hard for the Trionfi Della Luna and thinking it might be nice to have them both. I also mentioned the Ophidia Rosa — that was a deck I already owned, but knowing that my followers like to request it means that I don't want to give it away, even though it's not a deck that really speaks to me.

 

So my point is just, if you are already waffling on a deck, and you run across a cheap copy, and you know there's interest in it from people who you do readings for — we've established this scenario won't apply to everybody, but I just mean if it does apply to you and your friends — then I vote for getting the deck! At worst, you can give it away to someone who appreciates it and at best, you have a great communal experience sharing it with people around you. (That includes people around you here on this forum, too!)

[Carla]

Well, the question might actually be, why do I want and feel the compulsion to buy new decks? The answer to which is probably, you just do. New, shiny things are rich with possibility. Clicking buy is exciting, getting a parcel is fun. All those little shots of endorphins are their own reward. 

 

If this is a behaviour you'd like to stop, then my advice would be to put decks in your trolley and then enforce a 24 hour cooling off period before you go back and complete the order. 24 hours is a LONG time when clicking buy is so easy and so instantly gratifying. When you go back, try taking something out of the trolley and see how you feel when you do? Relieved? Unburdened? Victorious? Give those feelings due consideration the next time you are tempted to start a new trolley full of decks... Or do you feel bereft? Punched in the gut? Paralysed by FOMO ('fear of missing out')? Don't click buy yet. Go away for another cooling off period and them come back and see if you still need to put the item back in your trolley, or if you've forgotten what the fuss was about...

 

If this is a behaviour that you genuinely get a lot of enjoyment out of, you can afford, and you have plenty of storage to keep all your pretties, then don't beat yourself up about. Buy all the things! 

Edited September 20, 2019 by Carla