Different decks for different needs?

Hi all,

I have a question for those of you who use a variety of different decks. Some background: I've been interested in tarot since my teens, but only started reading and learning seriously in my early thirties when I discovered The Golden Tarot. Then, like many of you, I had a long hiatus of about five years where I didn't read at all. This winter, The Wild Unknown brought me back and I've had a little deck-buying spree.

So here's my question: Right now, The Wild Unknown is my everyday go-to deck. It is clear and dead on every time. But I'm also finding that the William Blake (revised) speaks to my creative process as a writer, so I'm using that one for questions specifically related to my writing projects. And now I've ordered the Tyldwick because I want a deck for intuition-only readings--I often find that inspiration is like a kind of peripheral vision, seeing ghosts in language, so I have high hopes for that one for free writes, etc.

Do others here use decks in this "right tool for the right job" kind of way? If you are willing to share, what decks do you use for what purpose? In my crazy deck buying spree, I also bought the Mary-el and the Haindl, but I haven't figured out how to use them yet.

Thanks in advance for sharing!

Yes.

The Gay Tarot is my most used deck because it cuts straight to the heart of matters. Whenever I want a plain and simple bare bones answer, I use it, and it gets a lot of work. Most of the time it is extraordinarily honest, but sometimes it feels utterly ruthless in its honesty, breaking down my defences and laying out plainly what I'm trying to deny and don't want to hear. Gay also serves as a clarifying deck for when I don't understand a message from a different deck.

If I want to ask a spiritual or philosophical question, I use Stained Glass Tarot or my Universe Cards oracle. Both decks concern themselves with journeys: SG about transformation of one's inner elements, and UC about leaving our puny world behind and heading for the edges of the universe. These are decks that explore where my personal opinions are evolving as steps in a process with an end goal.

For creative inspiration at work, I use the Bright Idea deck, my "business" Tarot. It's helped me get out of ruts when dealing with co-workers or roadblocks with work being accomplished.

I do this, but in a more whimsical way. Each deck seems to have a tone or mood, and depending on what I want or need, I pick accordingly. Similar to how you might wish to talk to one friend regarding relationship matters, but another friend is better at giving you advice about work.

Lately most of my readings have been with tarot apps, so those are freshest in my mind. Do I want a direct and humorous answer? Housewives Tarot. Do I want a gritty and truthful response? Darkana. Spiritual/metaphysical issues? Wildwood. Interpersonal concerns? Steampunk, Druidcraft, or Hidden Realm. My favorite generalists: DruidCraft, Galaxy Tarot, Illuminati, and the Victorian Fairy which I just got. When I'm in a thinky mood: Rosetta, Holy Light, or CBD TdM.

My favorite physical decks at the moment are the Darkana (as above,) International Icon (for just about anything), and the Wild Unknown (for more introspective readings when I have more time to ponder.)

Aeric said:

Yes.

The Gay Tarot is my most used deck because it cuts straight to the heart of matters. Whenever I want a plain and simple bare bones answer, I use it, and it gets a lot of work. Most of the time it is extraordinarily honest, but sometimes it feels utterly ruthless in its honesty, breaking down my defences and laying out plainly what I'm trying to deny and don't want to hear. Gay also serves as a clarifying deck for when I don't understand a message from a different deck.

If I want to ask a spiritual or philosophical question, I use Stained Glass Tarot or my Universe Cards oracle. Both decks concern themselves with journeys: SG about transformation of one's inner elements, and UC about leaving our puny world behind and heading for the edges of the universe. These are decks that explore where my personal opinions are evolving as steps in a process with an end goal.

For creative inspiration at work, I use the Bright Idea deck, my "business" Tarot. It's helped me get out of ruts when dealing with co-workers or roadblocks with work being accomplished.

Click to expand...

Oh I really like the idea of having a deck specifically for philosophical questions. And I know exactly what you mean about having a deck that just won't allow you to deny a blunt truth. I get this sometimes with the Wild Unknown, though I do think the edges are a bit softer perhaps because there are no people. The 10 of wands hit me hard today!

Thanks so much for sharing!

kalliope said:

I do this, but in a more whimsical way. Each deck seems to have a tone or mood, and depending on what I want or need, I pick accordingly. Similar to how you might wish to talk to one friend regarding relationship matters, but another friend is better at giving you advice about work.

Lately most of my readings have been with tarot apps, so those are freshest in my mind. Do I want a direct and humorous answer? Housewives Tarot. Do I want a gritty and truthful response? Darkana. Spiritual/metaphysical issues? Wildwood. Interpersonal concerns? Steampunk, Druidcraft, or Hidden Realm. My favorite generalists: DruidCraft, Galaxy Tarot, Illuminati, and the Victorian Fairy which I just got. When I'm in a thinky mood: Rosetta, Holy Light, or CBD TdM.

My favorite physical decks at the moment are the Darkana (as above,) International Icon (for just about anything), and the Wild Unknown (for more introspective readings when I have more time to ponder.)

Click to expand...

Choosing a deck according to mood makes total sense to me. I think I just haven't been a multiple deck owner for long enough to have different decks appeal to my mood. The Golden was my solo deck for years. It's so great to branch out. Thanks for sharing!

Well...

I use decks for non-traditional purposes sometimes; such as picking a yoga routine that my body's needing at this particular moment, (frankly i could use a plain deck of cards to do this, but i correlated a list of routines that match the cards) anywho, i find when i have a deck that doesn't get a lot of play, i'll put it in this v. non-threatening situation to sort of see what comes up.

As i primarily read for myself, not having a lot of family or friends who are interested in my 'hobby,' i tend to get into emotional ruts w/ decks, and i think that's okay. backbone decks that i can read fairly easy, (now that i've invested a lot of time to learn their individual predispositions): journey into egypt, elora are almost always in circulation. There's usually a third in the mix and its either something i've gotten recently, or something that i'm just in that emotional rut with. I say rut, because, if i'm going through a particular issue i'll usually stay with the same deck I came to, queried, in the beginning. Usually what happens, especially if its a painful issue, is i'll need to take that deck out of circulation for a while after its wound its course. What i've learned just within the last year, so that i don't give that deck a stigma that it doesn't really deserve; is to take that deck out again at some point when i'm having a great day, just to see how the world of tarot would describe that 'moment of greatness,' and that helps break up former negative associations. Example: love the ellis tarot to death, but went through a heartbreaking situation that lasted a month, where that deck was used exclusively, and now several months down the line i'm still having a hard time seeing its wonderful flipflopped black and white backs-- what are they? cats, bearded foxes-- i don't know what they are; anyway that design i love so much, still has the residue of an emotional hangover.

Irischacha said:

Do others here use decks in this "right tool for the right job" kind of way?

Click to expand...

<grin> Sometimes, yes. But I'm also very vain, and I like to believe that I can do everything Tarot-related with every deck. <cackle>

When I read publicly, I have four workhorse decks (and it's time to change one of them, after a few years I'm fed up with its face), plus every time I bring along a random fifth deck. I display all five on my table, with the same Major Arcana card showing, and get the client to pick the deck based on which of those images they like the best.

Again, that's my vanity showing up: I truly pick the fifth deck at random, often not knowing which deck it is until I'm away from home and I unwrap it, and I let the client choose, whether I'm happy with the choice or not <grin>.

This is an interesting thread, Irischacha. I have several decks and I can definitely see how one deck might be energetically/artistically/allusively more sympathetic to specific subject material within the context of the question. One thing I am finding helpful is to lay out the cards from one reading alongside or nearby the same cards from another deck. I've found that kind of cross-fertilization yields rich fruit for the psyche.

rose~geranium said:

This is an interesting thread, Irischacha. I have several decks and I can definitely see how one deck might be energetically/artistically/allusively more sympathetic to specific subject material within the context of the question. One thing I am finding helpful is to lay out the cards from one reading alongside or nearby the same cards from another deck. I've found that kind of cross-fertilization yields rich fruit for the psyche.

Click to expand...

I love this idea! I'm going to try it today with my Tyldwick and Wild Unknown!

I hope it's rich for you. I've been doing it with Illuminati and Universal Waite. In some ways that would seem obvious because Illuminati is very Waite-based as well as Waite-inspired. But I find the two decks dialogue with each other in such a compelling way almost as though they're dance partners.