Newbie here, do I have to learn on Rider waite?

GlamGemini

Hello!

Am a newbie here, and very new to Tarot. I've a couple of decks, mythic tarot from years ago which never gets used, and I've just got the Celestial Tarot, which is really right up my street with all the astrology as i've been into astrology for years and it really speaks to me.

However, I'm panicking as I'm wondering do I have to learn on a rider waite deck first? would that be best? Yet I just can't get anything from RWS, the pics don't do anything for me at all.

Help please! Also i'm finding tarot apps really good and really helpful in my learning as well which is something i didn't expect.
 

Cocobird55

No, you don't have to learn on the RWS. Go with the deck that resonates with you.
 

GlamGemini

Think thats what I'm going to do, with my Celestial Tarot, it seems to be the one i'm having the most fun with and it seems chatty and light.

I'm just worried I'm not going to learn it 'properly' by not starting with RWS, and learning all the meanings? but just seems so boring. I'm learning well this way, just playing with my deck and looking up the meanings online. And playing on various apps and getting to know new decks. The Druid Craft one has really surprised me, lovely meanings and interpretations from what I've seen.
 

Redfaery

You do not have to learn on a RWS. You do not even have to own a RWS. It's *useful* to have one and to be familiar with the imagery and symbolism, because it's so common, but you're not doing it "improperly" by starting with a deck you like. The way you're going now sounds like it's working perfectly well for you. IMO, that's what matters.
 

GlamGemini

Phew, thank you. Its good to know. I can see how we all learn in such different ways, that's what's so good about it all.

Am having lots of fun learning and that's important that its not boring!
 

Astraea

GlamGemini, I started with RWS and Thoth, because those were the only readily available decks at the time - two very different systems and approaches, yet I learned both without difficulty because no one told me I couldn't.

As Redfaery says, you'll run into many discussions about RWS history and meanings, and several hundred decks are built upon that system - so it's helpful to have a basic understanding of those matters, if only for the purpose of following discussions (knowledge is never wasted). But in terms of learning how to read, you'll do very well working with a deck that speaks to you and which you truly enjoy.
 

rwcarter

You do not have to learn on a RWS. You do not even have to own a RWS. It's *useful* to have one and to be familiar with the imagery and symbolism, because it's so common, but you're not doing it "improperly" by starting with a deck you like. The way you're going now sounds like it's working perfectly well for you. IMO, that's what matters.
This. My first deck was the Mythic, my second was Eileen Cannon Reed's Witches Tarot and my third was the Robin Wood. Don't think I added a RW until somewhere around the 10th. I started back when your deck choice was limited to what was on the front and back of the box, as there were no sample decks or internet sites that showed the cards. I chose the Mythic cause I like Greek Mythology and that deck spoke to me where I thought the Rider Waite was fugly.

You are more likely to learn and work well with a deck that you connect with. I would suggest being aware of the Rider Waite equivalents of the Celestial so that you can speak the Rider Waite language when talking with users of that deck. If you ask for help with cards from readings, you'll probably end up getting RWS interpretations, so it'll be helpful if you can see how those interpretations relate to your deck.

Rodney
 

GlamGemini

This. My first deck was the Mythic, my second was Eileen Cannon Reed's Witches Tarot and my third was the Robin Wood. Don't think I added a RW until somewhere around the 10th. I started back when your deck choice was limited to what was on the front and back of the box, as there were no sample decks or internet sites that showed the cards. I chose the Mythic cause I like Greek Mythology and that deck spoke to me where I thought the Rider Waite was fugly.

You are more likely to learn and work well with a deck that you connect with. I would suggest being aware of the Rider Waite equivalents of the Celestial so that you can speak the Rider Waite language when talking with users of that deck. If you ask for help with cards from readings, you'll probably end up getting RWS interpretations, so it'll be helpful if you can see how those interpretations relate to your deck.

Rodney

Thank you Rodney. I do have the Mythic tarot, yet I have great difficulty with it, not getting anything out of it. I've actually had it for years though and not done much with it.

I'll definitely learn the rider waite as well as i go as then as you say i can speak the language and it will help me learn other decks that are similar.
 

CharlotteK

I DID learn on a Rider Waite, because that's what I assumed was best, but I've since spoken to people who started with Thoth, and I read an article recently strongly advocating beginners start with Tarot de Marseille! I am finding moving to Thoth and TdM quite difficult having burned the RWS meanings into my brain and I have questioned if I would have fared better starting with something else and acquiring RWS learning later. But I don't know if that's answerable. I agree with others who say start with the deck you feel most drawn to.

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
 

Edward Tarot Hands

Yet I just can't get anything from RWS, the pics don't do anything for me at all.

I don't own a RWS as such, I use The Morgan Greer which some may say is a clone of the RWS and yes while it does share most of it's symbolism there are many differences especially the style of the pictures and the colours. I wasn't very inspired by the RWS images either.
Have a look at The Morgan Greer, bright colourful but with multiple layers if you're willing to do some research.
Whatever you go with have fun!