Should I start with a specific tarot deck?

[stratamaster78]

Personally, I've been using one with goetic demons on it

If you mean the Occult Tarot by Travis McHenry that is a really cool deck and very nice looking.

I’ve thought about picking one up for Goetic work.

 

[Robert Ramsay]

Basically, see if you can find a deck that "speaks" to you. How you relate to the designs is more important than what they actually are.

 

[Xenophon]

For some folks, making one's one deck seems to open the sluices. Of course, this takes time and study and some practice with other decks first.

 

[neilwilkes]

For me it's the Thoth deck, as every time I pick it up it makes my arms tingle.
The details in The Equinox should be ignored, as they were abrogated by The Book of Thoth (which later got an Equinox Vol. III No. 5 designation) and the little booklet that copmes with it can only be described as comical.
Yes, it has a steep curve due to the changed attributions & order as dictated by Liber Al - but I found it to be well worth the effort. It's also never ceased to amaze me just how much is adapted from Dee's work - the whole LVX concept just for starters, but that's a whole different thread.

 

[Shade]

Honestly I don't really know if there's much of a difference between these. Google gives me a lot of differently designed tarots, with different themes. I've seen anime tarot cards, traditional japanese tarot cards, native american ones... I've figured that they would have the same function and the only difference would be the designs of the pictures. But I've seen people express preferences, but I could never tell if it was a preference for the designs or if it actually affected the magick done.

I'm looking a the Rider Waite deck which seems to be the most popular, and I've considered going with it but I don't know if it would make a difference compared to a Thoth deck, or anything else...

I don't have any specific spiritual beliefs or philosophies, I mostly go with "whatever works."

Take what I say with a grain of salt, I wasn’t big on tarot although dabbled, I’d choose the deck you think looks the best but sticks close to the original imagery (I’m about to check out the Deck the other person posted sounds cool) imo, which again… take with a grain of salt, it’s better to get an intimate understanding of the cards, imagery and meaning before deviating too much. So I’d personally would avoid anime decks or anything like that. Just because a deck is beautiful doesn’t mean the imagery is too far off from the original though. At the end of the day, an understanding of the name/number of the cards, what they represent ect. Is the most important. It’s just my personal preference to go towards beauty and imagery but that’s up to you. Just make sure to understand the cards. There are really good writings and videos on each individual card so whatever deck you choose, I’d recommend studying that above all else. The rest is mostly preference.

Post automatically merged: Aug 2, 2024

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Yeah, Rider Waite works too tough.

That deck is gorgeous, not my favorite but definitely in the top 3 for imagery but looks close to number 1 or 2 for quality, I’d recommend it as well. So I don’t blame ya.

 

[Butterfly Affect]

I mean, you can technically even use a deck of regular playing cards...

I actually did use playing cards a few times, though I haven't used it enough to really see any results.

I did get the Golden Serpent deck, I sort of felt it in my hands a little and used it once... and then put it back because I didn't want to accidentally mush up the cards too much. I know cards are meant to be used but they were too pretty for me to want to accidentally dent.

It's been a while since I've dabbled, (I've mostly lurked here), I may keep trying and see what happens.

 

[Lurker]

It's been a while since I've dabbled, (I've mostly lurked here), I may keep trying and see what happens.

I'm glad you've found a deck, but if it isn't calling to you, then you might start looking for one that does. And don't dabble, practice daily if you can. Magick works best when you really put your heart and energy into it.

I'd say it's better to make a start with "what works" and tweak it later. Go with what piques your interest.

Basically, see if you can find a deck that "speaks" to you. How you relate to the designs is more important than what they actually are.

I agree with these remarks wholeheartedly. My first deck was the Dreampower deck (1st edition) by R.J. Stewwart and Stuart Littlejohn, which is a non-standard deck. I knew nothing about Tarot or magick, but I had become interested in Tarot because of a personal crisis. As soon as I saw the Dreampower box I knew it was for me. It is still my favorite deck to this day. It has always told me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it.

I've only used the Book of Thoth once, but it worked well for me, even though I'm not a Crowleyite. Again, you just need a deck that speaks to you on a deeper level through the symbolism.

Another thing that helped me out was finding Robert Wang's book Qabalistic Tarot - though it is more geared to the Golden Dawn cluster it does delve into the history behind the images and compares RW, BOT, GD and Marseilles.

I have that book too, although I'm still reading it. I like it a lot, although he assigns water to Briah and air to Yetzirah, which is non-standard because it disrupts the pattern of the increasing densities of the Four Worlds as one moves down the Tree of Life. But that's an easy work-around, and overall it's a very good book.

As for the RWS deck, of course I have it and did work with it for a while, but it made me realize that I prefer decks with labeled pips. Also, Dr. P.F. Case wrote that Waite included blinds in the deck and that he (Waite) made changes based on his personal preferences [Case, Dr. Paul Foster, The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages, p.20]. I recommend Case's book to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the Tarot. The deck used by BOTA remedied these problems, and BOTA's students are expected to color in the cards themselves as part of their training, which seems like a fine idea for tapping into some of the deeper aspects of the cards.

Obviously, whatever changes or blinds there might be in the RWS deck haven't stopped generations of people from working with it successfully since it was first published in 1909.

 

[stalkinghyena]

I have that book too, although I'm still reading it. I like it a lot, although he assigns water to Briah and air to Yetzirah, which is non-standard because it disrupts the pattern of the increasing densities of the Four Worlds as one moves down the Tree of Life. But that's an easy work-around, and overall it's a very good book.

Lol, I hope the planetary assignments of the Hebrew double letters (& etc.) don't also throw you off. There's a work around there too, I have found. Air and water don't seem to mince well in the GD system, I've noticed, but I feel there is a method to the madness of variations if one is not inclined to dismissal. Sometimes it is a just a change in emphasis that implies "hiding and revealing", but I've had my share of annoyances followed by revelation. I mean in the sense of a very broad and fluid interpretation the Sefer Yetzirah's admonition to "engrave them, carve them, weigh them, permute them, and transform them..."

Tarot can be a handy tool in that regard in this Art.

 

[Lurker]

Lol, I hope the planetary assignments of the Hebrew double letters (& etc.) don't also throw you off. There's a work around there too, I have found.

Thanks for the heads up, that would have gone right over my head. You're much farther down the rabbit hole than I am yet, but I plan to start working with the angelic realm (through more traditional rituals than modern grimoires) soon so I'm also reading The Book of Sacred Names by Jacobus Swart, which is rather encyclopedic. It's good to know there is a workaround . . . once I look up the problem in the book.

There was a lot of food for thought in your post, thank you for taking the time to share your experience.