Edward Tarot Hands
Yes exactly!
Newbie here, do I have to learn on Rider waite?
Yes exactly!
Nemia
Do you have to use the Bible in order to learn to read? Do you have to use the books by language school X to learn French? Do you have to use a ball from Brazil in order to learn football?
No, of course not. In order to learn what you have to learn, what your heart wants you to learn, you have to follow your intuition. If the deck you work with doesn't speak to you, the cleverest books won't help you.
Connect to your deck, learn to understand its language, and read about the structure and history of tarot as much as you think is necessary. But don't feel restricted to one certain deck only because it's most popular. It's a good deck although I got along perfectly well for 15 years with other decks (Thoth, Haindl, Cosmic were my first three decks) and learned to appreciate RWS only here on AT which lead me to buy the Commemorative edition (which I promptly trimmed and edged in black to make it suit my idea of how it should look LOL).
But it's the alpha and omega of decks.
I'm glad to see others think like me.
No, of course not. In order to learn what you have to learn, what your heart wants you to learn, you have to follow your intuition. If the deck you work with doesn't speak to you, the cleverest books won't help you.
Connect to your deck, learn to understand its language, and read about the structure and history of tarot as much as you think is necessary. But don't feel restricted to one certain deck only because it's most popular. It's a good deck although I got along perfectly well for 15 years with other decks (Thoth, Haindl, Cosmic were my first three decks) and learned to appreciate RWS only here on AT which lead me to buy the Commemorative edition (which I promptly trimmed and edged in black to make it suit my idea of how it should look LOL).
But it's the alpha and omega of decks.
I'm glad to see others think like me.
SunChariot
Welcome to the world of Tarot AND to AT.
No, you don't have to. I have been reading over 15 years. I have 118 decks now, soon to be 120 (2 are in the mail on their way to me) and I have never ever owned a Rider Waite deck.
In fact, to tell you the truth, I did not even learn to read on a Rider Waite clone.
The deck I learned to read on is called the Haindl Tarot and it is not even based on the Rider Waite, it is based on the Thoth deck. It was the only deck I had for the first 8 months or so. I promise you it never hurt my learning in any way to learn to read the way I did and I would not change a thing about it. I now read professionally, btw.
The Rider Waite just never "called to me". The imagery doesn't do anything for me personally. Although over time I do now have a few clones of it.
The truth is, if you want to learn then you will no matter where you start. There is no set way you have to learn. Follow what feels right to YOU. That is always a good rule of thumb. Tarot has not real rules, either in learning or how you have to do things. Its up to you to learn to listen to what feels right for you, from inside you.
Babs
SunChariot
That IS what's important. Learning Tarot (or practicing it) should always feel like fun and never be boring. That says to me you are exactly on the right track. When it stops feeling fun or starts feeling boring, stop what you are doing and try something new (or maybe take a break if tired). But learning and reading Tarot should never feel boring or stop being fun (after over 15 years, I've never seen it happen yet....such a totally fascinating thing!!!)
Babs
RNDeanna
Hi all,
I started with the RSW because the books and references are so easy to find. I also took a course in reading Tarot and the instructor used it among others but not Thoth.
I just started using the apps although I've been pulling daily cards from a website for a while now. It's funny how I can pull a card physically one day and get the same card from the website.
The Apple store has a selection of options in apps- who knew?
Now I've actually given 2 Rider Waite decks away to people I know who were starting to learn Tarot. I've ordered another but meanwhile have really gotten to love the Arthurian Tarot and am doing more intuitive readings because I don't automatically go to the learned meaning of the cards. I find myself using the Hanson Roberts for love readings and the Arthurian for other.
That is something else.. you may find that certain decks speak to you on certain issues.
So many paths to learning. This thread has been an interesting read. Thanks for the question.
RND
SilverFirePrime
While it's definitely the most tradtional, you don't have to learn on RSW. It's all about finding a deck that speaks to you and interests you. The more you are intrigued by the deck, the more you're going to have fun with it, and the more you're gonig to learn from it.
A few suggestions based on my experiences that can help aleiviate some confusion.
1) Still keep a resouce of the RSW cards and their meanings handy. I've seen some decks whose cards and provided explanations veer a little too far from the tradtional meanings for my tastes.
2) Make sure that major arcana and suit cards are close/exact match of RSW to prevent confusion. While this is a cool looking deck - http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/baseball-lerner/, I can see it being very confusing for a new reader.
3) It's not uncommon for the decks to color-code the suit cards based on suit. If the deck does, be sure that the colors match appropriately. Swords/Air/Yellow, Pentacles/Green/Earth, Wands/Red/Fire, and Cups/Blue/Water.
A few suggestions based on my experiences that can help aleiviate some confusion.
1) Still keep a resouce of the RSW cards and their meanings handy. I've seen some decks whose cards and provided explanations veer a little too far from the tradtional meanings for my tastes.
2) Make sure that major arcana and suit cards are close/exact match of RSW to prevent confusion. While this is a cool looking deck - http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/baseball-lerner/, I can see it being very confusing for a new reader.
3) It's not uncommon for the decks to color-code the suit cards based on suit. If the deck does, be sure that the colors match appropriately. Swords/Air/Yellow, Pentacles/Green/Earth, Wands/Red/Fire, and Cups/Blue/Water.
Nemia
Excuse me but where did you learn that the RWS is "definitely the most traditional"? That's an interesting notion but it's wrong. RWS is only 100 years old and while it's commercially most successful, it's NOT the most traditional.
It is possible to learn tarot without the RWS tradition. It's perfectly possible to buy a TdM or Thoth or some other deck, French, Swiss or Spanish, study it and never touch a deck from the RWS tradition.
It is possible to learn tarot without the RWS tradition. It's perfectly possible to buy a TdM or Thoth or some other deck, French, Swiss or Spanish, study it and never touch a deck from the RWS tradition.
GlamGemini
Thank you for all the lovely replies
So far i have a learner RWS deck with the meanings on, a mythic tarot deck, and the Celestial Tarot, the Celestial i love it so far, but can't get my hands on the companion book, yet there is plenty up online about it! I also have the Ellen Cannon Reed witches tarot with the book, this one I cannot get into yet at all, not a beginners.
Have been enjoying playing around on apps though as well. I've got the fools dog sampler one, and have bought the Druid Craft Tarot App which is amazing and the book on the app as well, lovely intepretations! <3 its amazing how much i'm learning that way.
Am having fun so far and thats the main thing!
So far i have a learner RWS deck with the meanings on, a mythic tarot deck, and the Celestial Tarot, the Celestial i love it so far, but can't get my hands on the companion book, yet there is plenty up online about it! I also have the Ellen Cannon Reed witches tarot with the book, this one I cannot get into yet at all, not a beginners.
Have been enjoying playing around on apps though as well. I've got the fools dog sampler one, and have bought the Druid Craft Tarot App which is amazing and the book on the app as well, lovely intepretations! <3 its amazing how much i'm learning that way.
Am having fun so far and thats the main thing!
Emeraud
I'm new to tarot as well, and am not learning on a Rider-Waite deck. When I went shopping the gentleman who helped me led me to the tarot deck section and told
me to take my time and choose a deck that resonated with me. He said that if I didn't like the deck I wasn't likely to work with it. I chose the Afro Brazilian Tarot Deck by Alice Santana, which I love so much, and look forward to working with every chance I can!
me to take my time and choose a deck that resonated with me. He said that if I didn't like the deck I wasn't likely to work with it. I chose the Afro Brazilian Tarot Deck by Alice Santana, which I love so much, and look forward to working with every chance I can!
Gwynydd
What is great about this community is that there are no tarot police here 
All types of readers are welcomed.
I don't think you necessarily need a rider Waite smith deck, unless you plan on reading books about tarot that refer to it. In that case, it can be useful to refer to.
On the subject of not relating to the rider Waite smith artwork, I used to feel the same way until I got the centennial tarot commemorative set. It has a book about the artist and her work, and after reading it, I found myself loving the artwork. Not saying this is a requirement, just that it was a nice thing to happen.
All types of readers are welcomed. I don't think you necessarily need a rider Waite smith deck, unless you plan on reading books about tarot that refer to it. In that case, it can be useful to refer to.
On the subject of not relating to the rider Waite smith artwork, I used to feel the same way until I got the centennial tarot commemorative set. It has a book about the artist and her work, and after reading it, I found myself loving the artwork. Not saying this is a requirement, just that it was a nice thing to happen.
