The Wild Unknown for a beginner

I see TWU deck as a kind of bridge between RWS decks and pip-style decks like Marseilles. There aren't a lot of books in English about Marseilles decks and reading, since it came out of France, which is why a lot of people will tell you to stick with the RWS system when you're learning. I love how the minors are more stripped down, but still have enough detail to sink into and get a lot of meaning out of. I think it can add another level to your tarot practice, especially if you study the cards next to their RWS and/or Marseilles counterparts.

Personally, I like the fact that I can read TWU deck with a RWS style (hi, 3 of Swords), a numerology style (focusing on the numbers and how the combinations relate to each other), or a purely intuitive style (this I mostly do for myself as a way to meditate).

Never let anyone tell you a deck isn't right for you. If you feel drawn into the art and compelled to work with it, then go for it. One of my favorite decks to study and work with is The Sherlock Holmes Tarot, which a lot of people will say it's just a novelty deck. But I connect with it, and that's what makes the readings work for me.

Since you just started a week ago, what you could do is compare decks. Do small readings with the Wild Unknown, then pull out the same cards in the Rider Waite so you are at least familiarizing yourself with RW at the same time. Or get a good book of meanings that has RW-based card images for reference. I like Tarot Plain & Simple.

RW imagery is boring, and I don't connect to the deck either, but the illustrations do help you remember the meanings. I love the WU and read with it intuitively but I can't see it being too helpful as far as learning the standard meanings from scratch.

flyingfoxtarot said:

I see TWU deck as a kind of bridge between RWS decks and pip-style decks like Marseilles. There aren't a lot of books in English about Marseilles decks and reading, since it came out of France, which is why a lot of people will tell you to stick with the RWS system when you're learning.

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YES.

In my case, I learned on a RWS when I was 12, and I fell out of love with it and tarot entirely by adulthood. It was TWU that freed me from the RWS and eased me into pips, and now I read TdM decks with ease. My go to deck is the LoS print of the 1880 soprafino. I have learned so much about the history of tarot because of my love of older decks, but it was absolutely TWU that unlocked that for me.

It does not have to hold you back or handicap you at all. The best tool is the one you use; the best workout is the one you actually do. The best deck is the one that you use, so if it speaks to you, go for it.

As a general point, it may also be a good idea (in general) to look into the kinds of practices used in art appreciation. A lot of the "pretty" decks are, in essence, done in a style that is aesthetically unchallenging, and appealing to popular taste. That is not bad, but appreciating the subtleties of more challenging artworks as having depth and sophistication is a skill that can be developed. RWS looks simpler, but people that stick with the deck (or other less "popular" artistic styles) start to see the internal logic, aesthetic, and expressive character of the artwork, and that can bear additional rewards, and the more popular artisic styles can come to be distractions.

This is not to say not to engage with the deck that appeals to you, but to hold a place in your mind to try and approach the artworks that might not be as immediately appealing, and taking it as the development of a skill of art appreciation to "unlock" them.

Wow, so many helpful answers. This is really a great forum. I am so glad that I discovered it so early in my learning journey.

MareSaturni said:

Honestly, I fail to understand the appeal of this deck.

Is it the exotic, fountain pen-like artwork with carefully minimalistic colouring?
Or is it the fact it looks cool on Instagram photos?

In any case, yawn. I have been in the tarot world long enough to know that a huge mass of people go crazy over a deck, and then in 5 years it's forgotten an almost no one is using it anymore. The tarot community seems to move is waves of deck-mania, lol.

So, if you feel attracted to the deck, get it. Who cares what the reviewer says, you don't have to sign a pledge with your blood swearing to be faithful to one deck only. That said, if you truly want to learn tarot, you'll probably go back to one of the basic ones (like the RWS) because they tend to be more consistent in terms of symbolism.

Good luck!

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Haha, I can totally see your point. I personally like the style but I can imagine that it comes off as a hype.
I really like "pretty" decks.
I also like The Fountain Tarot but that's difficult to get in Germany.

sevenfires said:

I'm also new to tarot and I also hate the RWS artwork. TWU is my first and only deck and I absolutely love it! I think working with a deck that has art you love makes learning tarot so much more enjoyable.

I very much agree with Aeric that while the imagery is different, the card meanings don't differ much from RWS.

I also agree with everyone who's said that the TWU guidebook isn't particularly helpful. Carrie Mallon has been a great resource for me. She has her own interpretations of the symbolism of each card on her blog, and she has a video that discusses the use of lines in the deck's imagery. I'll link both below.
http://carriemallon.com/blog/the-wild-unknown-tarot-card-meanings/
https://youtu.be/O1wF26GDeQw

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Thank you for these links, Sevenfires!

scholarlost said:

As a general point, it may also be a good idea (in general) to look into the kinds of practices used in art appreciation. A lot of the "pretty" decks are, in essence, done in a style that is aesthetically unchallenging, and appealing to popular taste. That is not bad, but appreciating the subtleties of more challenging artworks as having depth and sophistication is a skill that can be developed. RWS looks simpler, but people that stick with the deck (or other less "popular" artistic styles) start to see the internal logic, aesthetic, and expressive character of the artwork, and that can bear additional rewards, and the more popular artisic styles can come to be distractions.

This is not to say not to engage with the deck that appeals to you, but to hold a place in your mind to try and approach the artworks that might not be as immediately appealing, and taking it as the development of a skill of art appreciation to "unlock" them.

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Thanks, scholarlost, what a good idea. I never looked at it that way. I'm no artist in any capacity but I can see that it is an interesting way to look at the cards.

At the moment, I will continue studying RWS to get a solid foundation. I have ordered TWU but it will take some time to arrive. I hope to have a better understanding of RWS by then which I might be able to apply to TWU.

Thanks again for all your posts. It has helped me a lot and encouraged me to explore.

As a Tarot reader of 15 years and teacher of 5 years of those, my recommendation is actually that the first deck should be one that the person is absolutely in love with. Absolutely. In the beginning, it will be overwhelming anyway and I've never really seen the point in forcing the RWS on anyone - I would recommend a pretty RWS clone instead that the fresh reader can really relate to. This will make the already challenging learning process a lot more enjoyable.

The second most important recommendation - choose your system wisely. Read about RWS, Thoth and Marseilles, find out if any of them works for you, or maybe you want to go with a totally separate system instead (like Blake or Osho or whatever).

Now when you have the deck that speaks to you, there is literally NOTHING that stops you from learning a "core system" to go with it. Why not study Thoth with a Rosetta instead, right?

My good friend has been dabbling with the idea of learning Tarot for years, and I've never really quite been able to inspire him. That was until I did a fun Samhain reading with the Steampunk Tarot. Oh dear was he excited! He ordered the deck + book set immediately. So: the artwork works for him, the book is amazing and really good for the starting reader, plus it's an RWS clone: it is very-very easy to use online resources and just relate them to the Steampunk.

So, in short, yes it is a good idea to follow a well-honed system at first, but do not feel bound to the literal RWS/Thoth deck only.


NOTE: if it's not clear how all of this is connected to TWU, I still feel that TWU draws enough from the RWS system. Okay, the imagery is really different - but you have a lot of study materials online (here on this forum for example), and it is very easy to use with knowledge on the RWS, which leads me to believe that you can study with generic RWS resources and just use the cards until you feel comfortable enough to intuit your own feelings.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to find JOY in the entire process - so choose a deck that speaks to you!!!

BTW - my first deck was the Sacred Rose, original edition. Definitely not the usual "beginners" deck, but hey - here I am

The RWS was the last system I learned. I hated the imagery with a passion. It was only through loose clone-type decks that I learned the system at all.
Personally, I started on the thoth and moved on to the necronomicon tarot. I didn't start with the RWS and tarot reading worked just fine for me.
Pick what works for you. While the RWS is a popular learning method, it's not set in stone and not mandatory to learn right off the bat. Experiment with different decks and systems and see what you prefer. If TWU works better for you, run with it!

I learned with the RWS deck. Now I can pick up just about any deck
and read with it. Not the Thoth obviously but once you know the basics
you can move on from there.
Personally, I can't stand the Wild Unknown. I think it's too stark, too
minimalist. I don't care for the animal violence in the deck either. jmo
Besides, the Wild Unknown counts on you knowing the RWS deck.
It's set up just like the RWS so why now start there? Buy the WU if
you like it and work with it but definitely learn the RWS.
just my opinion

I agree with many here that TWU is a great intuitive deck and I would think if you are drawn to the images can be a great jumping off point for the tarot.

Heads up; if you order the box set off the official website over the next 48 hours, it comes with a "free" Spirit Cloth ;

https://www.thewildunknown.com/prod...-96730185&mc_cid=3fe690b41d&mc_eid=6696b41d91

delinfrey said:

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to find JOY in the entire process - so choose a deck that speaks to you!!!

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Sounds obvious, but this is such a valuable reminder. It's supposed to be fun!