Thinking about cards of my own and therefor joined the forum

[petra]

Hi and hugs you all!
Ive lived with a taroist for a about six month and have gotten intrigued. She always knew her way (and mine) through her cards. So now she's away i try to get some feeling (and knowlege) for the cards of my own. I am am still not sure if a "traditional" deck can be the answer to each and every person, or if i should try to feel my way into my own symbolism. I want to look around on Angel Paths to gather some knowledge first and want to see where it leads me...

[Aoibhegreine]

Hello and welcome

We have plenty of knowledge and people to help. I've only had my cards 9 months so technically a newbie but in that time I have learnt much. There is no set answer to what card deck to use. You just have to find one that speaks to you. Hit google and see what images caputre your heart and imagination. I use the Gilded Tarot, others use Thoth. Another deck I love is the Legacy of the Divine. there are also oracle cards and angel cards. I'd say as a newbie it would be far easier to learn with a 'traditional' deck with all the suits as there is more info available on those decks than any other. Once you have the hang of things, experiment.

Good luck with your journey.

[Jan]

I think it's true that using (for example) a Rider Waite clone is a good starting point. There are enough interpretations out there now that you will probably find one that appeals to you visually - and that really is important....the place in our heads where we enjoy and consider art seems to be quite closely connected to the intuition.

Welcome to AP.

Loadsa love

[petra]

Thank you Aoibhegreine, thank you jan! I certainly do love the art - and the process of creating it. But in this case, it should be the second step, shouldn't it?
On the other hand, as long as I do not know the differences between the different decks, I might as well start with the "nicer pictures"...

[Aoibhegreine]

Thank you Aoibhegreine, thank you jan! I certainly do love the art - and the process of creating it. But in this case, it should be the second step, shouldn't it?
On the other hand, as long as I do not know the differences between the different decks, I might as well start with the "nicer pictures"...

Nope, finding a deck that appeals, either visually or intuitively, is the first step. If you don't feel, hear or see what the cards are saying then you won't understand them. As Jan said, art is pretty close to the intuition so it becomes easier to understand what the cards are saying. A picture paints a thousand words. Plus most people learn through visual stimuli. So seeing something will help them remember something more than merely hearing it. I can remember when I was looking for my deck I went through hundreds, going, boring, boring, boring, yuck, don't think so but when I stumbled onto the Gilded Tarot my whole body sang. I just knew that was my deck, we connected and understood each other. It understands me far better than the reverse but that connection is there. Some cards are easier to understand than others but I see them all now. Trust me, working with a card you adore makes it far, far easier to learn.

Good luck

[Jan]

Agreed. I started with one of the toughest decks on the market, courtesy of the person who bought it for me. Yet to this day 45 years on I STILL find new secrets. I think the art is everything.....even if you pick a swine ;-)

Depends really what calls to you....and believe me.....one will.

We've a fair number of decks here on the site.....but it only scratches the surface....gives you a place to start though....scanned full decks here:

http://www.angelpaths.com/decks/index.html

And all decks on the shopping cart have 12 images with each here...

http://www.angelpaths.com/apshop/produc ... gory_id=45

And Beebop_Aubie is right....find a card that draws you to it and then Google Images it....

Loadsa love

[Maria]

hiyah, there is something very special about your first deck, i'm sure you will find a wonderful deck that you love, i hope you enjoy learning about the tarot. Its a wonderful way to see life, a working whole that we are all part of.

see you around the forums, share the one you chose. i have a few decks but the only one that i really like is the Thoth. for me it is so beautiful, and i do steal a few ideas from the deck for making things too. other decks seem to disappear on me.

maria x

[petra]

@Aoibhegreine, you are right. The name of a card is a word; a word is a representation of a concept. The picture of a card is a picture - which is also a representation of a concept. Initially i deemed the art just to be beautyfull decoration. But why should one representation of a concept be more important than another? The art certainly links better to the intuition.
@Jan: Thanks for the Links. I love the art of the Art Nouveau Tarot Deck. I wish i could paint like that. But the "Law of Attraction Tarot" seems very... well - *honest*. With view exeptions (nine of coins seems to be symbolistic and the five of coins looks just cheesy) the artist seems to care more about actual connection than anything else.
@Maria, I will have to look Thoth up. It is more than just other artwork, it is another concept, isn't it?
[url removed by admin]

[Aoibhegreine]

@Aoibhegreine, you are right. The name of a card is a word; a word is a representation of a concept. The picture of a card is a picture - which is also a representation of a concept. Initially i deemed the art just to be beautyfull decoration. But why should one representation of a concept be more important than another? The art certainly links better to the intuition.
@Jan: Thanks for the Links. I love the art of the Art Nouveau Tarot Deck. I wish i could paint like that. But the "Law of Attraction Tarot" seems very... well - *honest*. With view exeptions (nine of coins seems to be symbolistic and the five of coins looks just cheesy) the artist seems to care more about actual connection than anything else.
@Maria, I will have to look Thoth up. It is more than just other artwork, it is another concept, isn't it?
[edit: oh, wiki is good: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth_tarot_deck]

Fair warning, Jan will remove your link as only certain people are permitted to post links.

It's not about one concept being more important than another, merely the one concept that speaks more clearly to you than another. Within the traditional Raider Waite style cards (of which mine is) the image is merely the artists interpretation of a long standing tradition. All the cards will have a similiar depiction of a concept, it's at this point you need to find one that stands out and you feel, rather than see, the meaning. It's also about focus of will and intent. Within meditation, tarot reading, even wicca, visualisation is essential in projecting your intent, and therefore fulfilling your wish, to the world. The images are merely a way for your intuition to speak to you more easily. Lets take my nemesis, the 3 of swords. In the Gilded Tarot the card is merely a heart with 3 swords stuck through it and a sun in the centre. Pretty boring and doesn't really resonate with me. It doesn't shout sorrow, or grief, or pain, or broken heart, the image is understandable yes, but that idea doesn't immediately spring to mind. Now the 3 of swords in the Legacy of the Divine Tarot, you can't miss the meaning. Yet both are the same concept. The cards are merely your intuitions way of communicating with you, so you want a means that's easier than another. If one concept is more easily read than another, then that's the deck you want.

[Jan]

Petra just as a matter of interest, this entire site uses the Thoth deck.....all of it...

Regards