Quintessential Decks for the Well-rounded Reader

[Grace]

If you were to choose three to five decks for the keen tarot student, who wanted a well rounded education with a good cross-section of styles/general philosophy/card meanings... what would be your selection? 

[Jewel]

I would honestly have to tell said keen student that it would really depend on their interests and tastes.  There are a lot of great decks out there, as well as a lot of busts, and even more in between.  They type of art and system you have the most interest in will keep your interest a lot longer and over time you will branch out to experience other types of decks.  It really depends on what you mean by well rounded.  If by that you mean academic (for lack of a better word) many of which are either full of esoteric symbolism or that are considered historic I would say:   Rider-Waite-Smith deck (Radiant or Universal), a Thoth deck, and Marseille deck.  I think it would take a lifetime to truly study and understand those three Tarot systems.  To me these are the text-book decks of Tarot.  A couple I think fall in this realm to round out the 5 deck request are the Tabula Mundi, and SolaBusca.

 

It all really depends on your definition of keen student and well rounded.  I consider myself both, but I personally enjoy themed decks, pagan decks, and faerie decks a lot, as well as decks that give different tarot perspectives so a list for someone like me would be quite different.  Personally I never connected with the RWS, Thoth, or Marseille.  I don't know enough astrology to be able to enjoy decks like the Tabula Mundi as they should be, and don't care that much for the historical decks for personal use so that wipes out the SolaBusca for me.  I did a lot of trial and error with the RWS and Thoth, and I found that I like both (illustrated and what I call moody minors) but I enjoy other decks better that follow these systems without being THE deck that is the basis for the system.  Sorry I am rambling now.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Jewel

[katrinka]

On 3/7/2020 at 3:42 AM, Grace said:

If you were to choose three to five decks for the keen tarot student, who wanted a well rounded education with a good cross-section of styles/general philosophy/card meanings... what would be your selection? 

Thoth, RWS and TdM, of course!

[Grace]

Thanks @Jewel and @katrinka

 

I half expected RWS, Thoth and Marseille to make the list! As I've only really properly started to study RWS, and would like to branch out and start playing with some others - I thought I would put the question out there before I bought another deck or two.

 

To clarify, yes I did mean from a purely academic standpoint. I guess the RWS/Thoth/Marseille are almost too common/popular to skip, at least from a theoretical understanding point of view. Practice is something else entirely, and experienced practice something else again.

 

I was thinking about the Herbal tarot (from purely a personal interest)… but as it's based on the RWS, I wonder if something completely different might be more 'interesting' from a new knowledge perspective. Also looking at The Hermetic tarot for a bit of variance. I will ultimately choose decks that I feel called to, but wanted to get a good foundation also.

[Flaxen]

11 hours ago, Grace said:

I was thinking about the Herbal tarot (from purely a personal interest)… but as it's based on the RWS, I wonder if something completely different might be more 'interesting' from a new knowledge perspective. Also looking at The Hermetic tarot for a bit of variance. I will ultimately choose decks that I feel called to, but wanted to get a good foundation also.

There are quite a few older decks which explore tarot from a different perspective. It depends if you want something to complement your RWS knowledge or something completely different to stretch your understanding of what tarot can be.

 

Some 'study' decks I have which have an alternative system:

Dame Fortune's Wheel (Eteilla based)

Haindl (comes with comprehensive books written by Rachel Pollack)

Navigators of the Mystic SEA (Qaballah focus)

 

For another deck which is rooted largely in Golden Dawn ideas try Spirit Keeper's - really well thought out and with a wealth of study material if you want to delve deep. I'd also recommend the Tabula Mundi mentioned previously.

 

 

[Grace]

Thanks @Flaxen!

 

I'll have a look into your suggestions too. 😀 I'm open to something completely different. I am enjoying the RWS, and fully expect to explore similar decks - but I do want to widen the scope quite a bit. 

[Jewel]

There is also The Fifth Tarot which adds a 5th suit and Dreams of Gaia which has some extra majors. There a lot of RWS and Thorh decks that are based on the system but do give different facets of the cards meanings and will enhance the scope of card meanings. Not “clones” of those decks. Each deck can broaden knowledge due to their perspectives. 

[Barleywine]

I find that once you begin to deviate from the RWS/Thoth/TdM triumvirate you start to creep into "oracle" space. The Chrysalis Tarot is a good example. I enjoy working with it but I can't take it seriously as "tarot." It does give some remarkable oracle-style readings with a subdued tarot flavor. Another variation is the "Etteilla-based" deck, with the Tarot of the Holy Light and Dame Fortune's Wheel as prominent examples.

[katrinka]

8 hours ago, Barleywine said:

I enjoy working with it but I can't take it seriously as "tarot."

There's more than a few of those. 
Most theme decks are RWS based. Some deck artists have a good understanding of RWS and put a lot of thought and effort in. Others just throw something together that ends up conveying a completely different idea.

[geoxena]

10 hours ago, Barleywine said:

I find that once you begin to deviate from the RWS/Thoth/TdM triumvirate you start to creep into "oracle" space.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but isn't the tarot a type of oracle?

 

 

[Guest]

This is a question that has several layers of consideration. The classics — Ancien Tarot de Marseille — are good all rounders. The French and Besançon patterns benefit somewhat of no theme or concept.

 

The 1jj has become my primary deck and I would not hesitate it.

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, geoxena said:

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but isn't the tarot a type of oracle?

 

 

Yep. It’s also a set of playing cards. 

[katrinka]

23 minutes ago, geoxena said:

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but isn't the tarot a type of oracle?

 

 

Technically, an oracle is a person or one of several other things, none of which are decks. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oracle
But the way the word is currently used, yes, logically it should be. And also, as @leroidetrèfle says, a playing card deck.
But people are using the term "oracle deck" as a term or non-predictive affirmation decks, something that has nothing to do with oracles.

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by katrinka

[Wheel of Fantastic]

Got to go with the triumvirate of RWS/Thoth/TdM

 

Within those categories my specific in-print choices would be:

 

RWS: Either Centennial RWS or Premium Tarot of A.E. Waite. Both of these are excellent choices using original Pam A artwork with muted colours that won't damage your eyesight. I consider these two decks to be the current actual RWS gold standard.

 

Thoth: Large edition Thoth for study and medium size Thoth for actual use. Also in this category I consider the Cosmic Tarot - the minor arcana reflect Thoth meanings clearly. Other Thoth influenced decks would include the Haindl but, even by Thoth standards, that deck is heavy going. I do enjoy using it though. The Hermetic Tarot is not really Thoth based but I'm including it because it is pure Golden Dawn - people say the Thoth is a complicated deck to learn; The Hermetic Tarot says 'Hold my beer' but it's a crucial deck to own to understand where Waite and Crowley were coming from.

 

TdM: Lots of really good Tarot de Marseille decks to choose from but for the best in-print mass market deck I would choose the CBD TdM. If you want to go in-print but more authentic I would go with Flornoy Noblet and Yves Reynaud's Pierre Madenie 1709. I've used the Pierre Madenie in face-to-face readings and it was superb.

[Barleywine]

For me the basic distinction between a "tarot" deck and and an "oracle" deck is a structural one, in that the tarot deck has 78 cards consisting of 22 trumps, 16 courts and 40 minor (or pip) cards with a lengthy interpretive tradition behind it, while an oracle deck is something else, often with a set of titles and meanings devised by the creator. (Obviously, Lenormand and Kipper are in a class by themselves here). Any form of divination could be considered oracular, of course, but in current usage, tarot decks and oracle decks are different animals.

[Grace]

15 hours ago, Jewel said:

There is also The Fifth Tarot which adds a 5th suit and Dreams of Gaia which has some extra majors.

That sounds interesting!

 

15 hours ago, Barleywine said:

I find that once you begin to deviate from the RWS/Thoth/TdM triumvirate you start to creep into "oracle" space. The Chrysalis Tarot is a good example. I enjoy working with it but I can't take it seriously as "tarot." It does give some remarkable oracle-style readings with a subdued tarot flavor. Another variation is the "Etteilla-based" deck, with the Tarot of the Holy Light and Dame Fortune's Wheel as prominent examples.

I think I'll definitely be adding an Etteilla to the list now.

 

6 hours ago, katrinka said:

Some deck artists have a good understanding of RWS and put a lot of thought and effort in. Others just throw something together that ends up conveying a completely different idea.

I can see how that would be the case. 
 

5 hours ago, leroidetrèfle said:

The 1jj has become my primary deck and I would not hesitate it

🤣 I thought this was a typo until I googled what it could be. 
 

2 hours ago, Wheel of Fantastic said:

RWS: Either Centennial RWS or Premium Tarot of A.E. Waite. Both of these are excellent choices using original Pam A artwork with muted colours that won't damage your eyesight. I consider these two decks to be the current actual RWS gold standard.

 

Thoth: Large edition Thoth for study and medium size Thoth for actual use. Also in this category I consider the Cosmic Tarot - the minor arcana reflect Thoth meanings clearly. Other Thoth influenced decks would include the Haindl but, even by Thoth standards, that deck is heavy going. I do enjoy using it though. The Hermetic Tarot is not really Thoth based but I'm including it because it is pure Golden Dawn - people say the Thoth is a complicated deck to learn; The Hermetic Tarot says 'Hold my beer' but it's a crucial deck to own to understand where Waite and Crowley were coming from.

 

TdM: Lots of really good Tarot de Marseille decks to choose from but for the best in-print mass market deck I would choose the CBD TdM. If you want to go in-print but more authentic I would go with Flornoy Noblet and Yves Reynaud's Pierre Madenie 1709. I've used the Pierre Madenie in face-to-face readings and it was superb.

I love this - thank you! Your descriptions are so funny, yet informative. 
 

[ShadowMoon]

Some diverse options moving away from the norm would be:

- Sola Busca 

- Mantegna 

- Cary-Yale Visconti Tarocchi 

[katrinka]

1 hour ago, iMoodyCrab said:

Some diverse options moving away from the norm would be:

- Sola Busca 

- Mantegna 

- Cary-Yale Visconti Tarocchi 

Yes, the's some beautiful old Tarots available. I'm particularly fond of the Vacchetta and the Perrin. 

[Grace]

3 hours ago, iMoodyCrab said:

Some diverse options moving away from the norm would be:

- Sola Busca 

- Mantegna 

- Cary-Yale Visconti Tarocchi 

Oh I would love to explore the Visconti-Sforza (any of them, as I enjoy that period of Italian history)… how do you deal with the missing cards? Are there 'fillers'?

[Grace]

@Jewel @katrinka @Flaxen @Barleywine @geoxena @leroidetrèfle @Wheel of Fantastic and @iMoodyCrab

Thank you all so much for your input!!! After much deliberation and research based on your recommendations, I purchased The Hermetic Tarot Deck. I can't wait for it to arrive! 

I am having a hard time choosing a TdM based deck - navigating the missing cards etc, still not quite sure how that works. But I'm leaning towards the Sola Busca for the moment. 
It will be a treat to myself next week.... so you never know.... I might change my mind before then. lol. 

 

[katrinka]

34 minutes ago, Grace said:

I am having a hard time choosing a TdM based deck - navigating the missing cards etc, still not quite sure how that works. But I'm leaning towards the Sola Busca for the moment. 

Wait, what? What missing cards?
Do you mean the Visconti? That's not a TdM. It predates the TdM, and it's Italian.
And by all means get a Sola Busca if you like that one, but I just want to say it's not "TdM based".

TdM, in the strict sense, refers to decks originally manufactured in Marseilles. In the looser sense, it can be any similar old woodcut pip deck, including examples from Flanders, Switzerland, etc.

And in the VERY loose sense (and this is where I REALLY get off the bus) it's virtually ANY pip deck, like the Knapp Hall or the Lasenic. (I love the Knapp Hall and the Lasenic. But they are NOT TdM.)

Exactly none of these bear any relation to the Sola Busca.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot_of_Marseilles
 

[katrinka]

On 3/12/2020 at 7:18 PM, Wheel of Fantastic said:

RWS: Either Centennial RWS or Premium Tarot of A.E. Waite. Both of these are excellent choices using original Pam A artwork with muted colours that won't damage your eyesight. I consider these two decks to be the current actual RWS gold standard.

While the Centennial is nice, it's a matter of taste. I LIKE colors - the strident turquoise of the old University books deck. and the Paul Foster Case color scheme of the Albano.
I don't like the loud yellows in the regular USG edition. It almost hurts to look at those.
The "Original" RWS has some lovely greens, I like the pallette. I just can't do the linework. (It's a Pam B, I believe? Eve on the Lovers has a Dudley Doright chin.)

On 3/12/2020 at 7:18 PM, Wheel of Fantastic said:

 

Thoth: Large edition Thoth for study and medium size Thoth for actual use.

Neither for me. I prefer my vintage Greenie and my gold box mini.

On 3/12/2020 at 7:18 PM, Wheel of Fantastic said:

TdM: Lots of really good Tarot de Marseille decks to choose from but for the best in-print mass market deck I would choose the CBD TdM. If you want to go in-print but more authentic I would go with Flornoy Noblet and Yves Reynaud's Pierre Madenie 1709. I've used the Pierre Madenie in face-to-face readings and it was superb.

The CBD has softened facial expressions. I prefer my TdMs not to smile at me.
Flornoy is good, Yves - ANYTHING from Yves - is top of the line.
And the Heron is nice.

 

See how subjective this is? 😉

[Grace]

3 minutes ago, katrinka said:

TdM, in the strict sense, refers to decks originally manufactured in Marseilles. In the looser sense, it can be any similar old woodcut pip deck, including examples from Flanders, Switzerland, etc.

I don't know why, I got the impression somewhere along the way that the Italian decks were based on TdM. I must have got jumbled up somewhere there. My apologies - and thanks for picking that up.

But yes, the missing cards in Visconti, and some of the other older sets, and how people work around that. It doesn't seem to be an issue if people are using them, just trying to get my head around it all. I think I'm trying to digest too much information in too short a time.
 

[Grace]

7 minutes ago, katrinka said:

The CBD has softened facial expressions. I prefer my TdMs not to smile at me.
Flornoy is good, Yves - ANYTHING from Yves - is top of the line.
And the Heron is nice.

 

See how subjective this is? 😉

So subjective. I suppose that what makes it fun..... but sometimes I want someone to say 'here, learn this'. lol

[katrinka]

26 minutes ago, Grace said:

I think I'm trying to digest too much information in too short a time.

That, and you've got a whole committee feeding you information and suggestions.
There's a saying that "A giraffe is a horse put together by a committee." 😄