Which Tarot remains silent for you

LeFou said:

If you have any interest in relating better to RWS, you might check out Tarot of the New Vision (LoScarabeo). Each card is drawn from "behind" the RWS figure, revealing an entire new scene which expands on the traditional meaning(s).

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Funny you mention this because it was a toss up between the New Vision and the Centennial, the latter won. As you say the New Vision may give that newer more rounded perspective that does indeed expand the cards, giving my intuition more to work with. l do like my tarot cards to have lots of depth within them when l look at them.
My hang up with the RWS could of course be due to my not being interested in the Kabbalah and other associations.

Tigerangel said:

I learned with the images from the RWS in books but this deck has never spoke to me at all I get nothing from the images on it, I have never purchased a deck, I plan to one day just to have it in my collection but I doubt I would ever use it, my first deck was the cosmic tarot, which is a blend of both RWS and the thoth teachings, and is my always go to deck as it was my very first deck.

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So l am mightily relieved l am not the only one But good on you for reading with a deck that combines both RWS and Thoth, that would definitely have my head in a spin

AnemoneRosie said:

OP, no, it's not just you. This deck (the RWS) doesn't speak to me at all either. But I do use its clones and that seems to work out just fine.
I think that my problem is that I'm not Jewish nor Christian, and so tying things in to the Bible and the Kabbalah just doesn't do anything for me at all. I'm not really able to get into the occult thing. Plus the colours are dull. There are so many wonderful tarot decks out there with astounding art! So I focus on those instead.

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Yes you have said it all and l am so glad l am not the only one who finds the RWS difficult. As l mentioned just now l do not want to get into the Kabbalah and that kind of teaching. So thereby probably hangs my difficulty with the RWS. l do love my other decks, straightforward, to the point, endearing, no hidden agenders... you name it everything l cannot find in the RWS. You have given me insight now as to why l cannot find a connection with this deck, THANK YOU

Thoughtful

The RWS has never spoken to me.
I've never liked Pam's art here (ahem - dull colouring and old fashioned), and when I eventually signed on to a lengthy Tarot study course (3 terms long, one night a week) that used it as the standard - I resisted for quite a few sessions, before finally caving in to buying my own copy - as it was impossible to keep up easily otherwise. Lol.

It was years later, when I went to a lecture about Pamela Coleman Smith's life, and saw some of her other artwork - that I finally began to warm - just a tiny bit - to the deck.
I can now look at it with the fondness of what I know of Pamela CS - but I still never use it... unless I'm at a workshop that is full of beginners.
I never read with it except in this situation.
But my default knowledge is using it's imagery.

If I have to use an RWS - I have a copy of the Commemorative PCS, which I think has the nicest colouring - or - The Diamond Tarot - which is basically RWS with a sort-of psychedelic colour and borders (OOP now).

Kat Black's Golden has never spoken to me. I enjoyed looking at the art, but couldn't read with it at all.

Couldn't read with the Hanson-Roberts either.

Tanga l have theCentennial which is the same as the Commemorative and is a lovely deck and yes the colours are much better l feel than other RWS. Having got the Marc Katz and Tali Goodwin book which goes into detail about Pamela's life and artwork, l to found a lovely connection to her. Sadly that was not enough to endear me to the deck itself.

Cocobird55 said:

Kat Black's Golden has never spoken to me. I enjoyed looking at the art, but couldn't read with it at all.

Couldn't read with the Hanson-Roberts either.

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Kat Blacks deck was the first l ever bought and used. It worked well for me at first but then for some reason went off the boil. l do try now and again to delve into it again but it does not speak to me as it used to. As you say the artwork is lovely and my favourite card is the High Priestess.

Its so strange how some tarots speak fully to us and others just leave us cold. l have looked at the Hanson-Roberts but never felt to buy it.

It took lots of different Tarots before l was able to settle on the ones l know have and can read with. Would love to know what it is within us that makes one tarot deck a reader for us and another a complete no go

I used to hate the Rider Waite. But then I learned it's a great deck. I now have the Universal Waite, the regular Rider Waite full size (two of them), the Rider Waite pocket size, the Rider Waite mini, and I've just ordered the Radiant Rider Waite in a tin and the one in the tin that's commemorative. I actually use them and can't wait to get the ones in the tin that will be here Thursday.

Ooops, I forgot to answer the question which was "Which deck is still silent for you?" Thoth is still silent mostly. I could read with it after a fashion if it was the only one available to me but I don't think I'll ever master it in the way it's supposed to be used.

The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot is one I love but I haven't devoted myself to learning that one yet, either. I will in time, though, if I find enough time to spend with it.

Came back to add that there's also a Rider Waite version that's called The World's Tiniest Tarot and I used to have one on a key chain. I'm going to get a few more to use with my sculpted dolls eventually.

BG
Every now and then I take it out of its box, lovingly shuffle it, do a spread, look at it blankly for half an hour, then put it back in the box with a sigh. Maybe if I'm lucky one card will occasionally chirp up...usually one without any skulls.
Maybe I just don't ask it dark enough questions.

Grizabella said:

I used to hate the Rider Waite. But then I learned it's a great deck. I now have the Universal Waite, the regular Rider Waite full size (two of them), the Rider Waite pocket size, the Rider Waite mini, and I've just ordered the Radiant Rider Waite in a tin and the one in the tin that's commemorative. I actually use them and can't wait to get the ones in the tin that will be here Thursday.

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Wow that was certainly a turnaround what happened, will it happen to me
Did you have to get into the Kabbalah etc.