Decks you can´t connect to

It's themed decks with me. The ones with characters we all know. I'm a huge Arthurian fan but could only think about the people on the cards. I had the same problem with Robert Place's Vampire deck but managed to draw the line at buying the tarot of Jane Austen, knowing I'd never use it for readings.

The stories and atmosphere just clog up my mind!

Having said that, there have been plenty over the years that I've had and let go, but the themed ones, I was very disappointed with. I was looking forward to reading with my favourite things but it didn't work out that way.

Le Fanu said:

For me, don't connect with isn't the same as "don't like". For me it relates to those decks that you really thought on the surface you were going to work with, and tried and it's a bit like bashing your head against the proverbial brick wall. I'm following this thread carefully, racking my brains as I know there are quite a few. Maybe the Chrysalis. It just doesn't work for me. I really thought Id connect with it. Too wide-ranging. Too many disparate references. Like constantly having to change channel to get reception. And the Swords suit is too mauve, too gentle, too Crystal Visions. And yet the artwork is beautiful.

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That is, I think, a vital distinction, as far as "liking" and "connecting." Off the top of my head, the Eden and the Golden Botticelli are two lovely, lovely decks I simply cannot read with. (Well, I can look at the cards, parrot memorized meanings, and try to combine those meanings into some kind of story that makes some sort of sense, but I don't think that's Tarot reading.) Decks such as the Anna K and the Light and Shadow, on the other hand, have much cruder art for my personal taste, but read wonderfully.

There is also a case to be made about decks one develops an instant "I won't touch that" feeling. It has happened to be with a few: Giger's Baphomet and the Buckland Romani are two of them. The reasons are different, but the feeling is there.

FLizarraga said:

Giger'sBaphomet and the Buckland Romani are two of them.

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I'm a huge fan of Giger's work but I won't even consider to buy this deck. Giger's interest in the occult may have been honest (or not.... He was a bit like the Black Magic fanboy) but this deck is just made up of paintings which already existed and have nothing to do with Tarot in the first place.

I can see why this doesn't work for you.

I didn't expect to connect with the Etteilla decks, and I was right. However, I do love the artwork of the Grand Etteilla, but not that of the Book of Thoth, which is too dark and heavy. Those decks are for reference only.

The Regardie-Wang Golden Dawn leaves me almost completely cold, but it has historical interest.

The Legacy of the Divine is too symbolically barren to enter into consideration, although I think Ciro's art is delightful.

Most Marseille facsimiles look a bit diseased from the crude printing and coloring techniques. They rarely even merit consideration, although I am tempted by a few of the newer offerings, but for study, not for reading.

Shadowscapes. I loved how it looked so I bought it. But using it..? Nope. It didn't speak to me in any way.

I finally gave it it my sister. She seems to like it.

I just got my Thoth deck today. I think it is going to take some getting to know each other to get the most out of this deck.

I love a lot of the TdeMs , but can't connect to the minors. They just don't speak to me.

rylla said:

I love a lot of the TdeMs , but can't connect to the minors. They just don't speak to me.

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It's easy. Try post #1 in this thread.

Busy images or too many shades leave me with nothing. I'm shade colour blind so that's a no brainer that I can't connect with those particular style decks. Busy images (Celtic, Thoth, etc) just don't jump at me. There's too much going on and I seem to be unable to see anything because of it. I still own a few decks like that but I won't be using them!

I love the simplicity of TdM's.

blackkat said:

Shadowscapes. I loved how it looked so I bought it. But using it..? Nope. It didn't speak to me in any way.

I finally gave it it my sister. She seems to like it.

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I still have Shadowscapes and I still think it is utterly gorgeous but sadly it just has nothing to say to me either. I am still very fond of it. Maybe someday.