Juggling different decks

AraLuck

Hey everyone!

Am a new reader (just over a year)... it's been awesome here on both the forum and exchange with my RWS... and although I know there's so much more to get out of it, I am thrown seeing everyone else always seeming to juggle a ton of decks.

I am not trying to be a copy cat, but I'd like to hear from readers how they juggle different decks, especially of the same tradition (Tarot, TdM, Thoth etc)... and how to bring in the additional value, when you are yet to master the RWS?

Or is the RWS absolutely essential (I bought it because didn't know much about any other deck) before moving on to new decks? Does one not become confused with the imagery and symbolism in-between decks?

Any tricks to this particular juggling trade? :D
 

nisaba

AraLuck said:
I am thrown seeing everyone else always seeming to juggle a ton of decks.

I am not trying to be a copy cat, but I'd like to hear from readers how they juggle different decks, especially of the same tradition (Tarot, TdM, Thoth etc)...
Click to expand...

<grin> I *own* a lot of decks and they're all a part of my working collection, but I don 't ever feel that I'm juggling them. None of them is taking time away from the others, and I never worry about giving them fair time or even what deck I am going to choose. I just use them and enjoy them. I don't really perceive a dilemma - that probably just shows how thick I am. :)
 

lumen.hilare

Hi AraLuck!

I am a new-ish reader myself (I gained Tarot knowledge and read cards from 11-15 years old... years later in my late 20's I am starting again). I think it's quite possible to learn different systems simultaneously if you can do it.

When I first started learning many many years ago, I bought a RWS, Crowley's Thoth deck, and the Universal TdM. I wasn't confident with the Thoth, but was able to easily switch between TdM and RWS.

I mean, most Tarot decks work from these three basic systems, and knowing one alone gives you access to so many decks evolved from them. The differences are negligible, and mainly stems from imagery and the creator of said deck.

I guess whether you feel you are ready to jump right away, or wait until you've mastered RWS is a personal thing, lol.

Sent from my SM-G530W using Tapatalk
 

Citrin

I have a collection of about 40 tarot decks and 14 oracles and to be honest I don’t find it difficult to go back and forth between them at all. Most of my decks are based on the RWS, some closely while some very vaguely. I personally don’t read with pre-set meanings. Yes, I do know what would be considered ”standard/traditional” meanings, but to me they are a part of my study of archetypes and the tarot in it itself, while when I read cards I simply read the cards.

I don’t go searching my brain for keywords or phrases fitting the Empress card everytime I see an Empress card, I rather look at the card in front of me. What does THIS Empress say? What symbols are around her? Where is she looking? What does her clothes say? What cards surround this card? Etc…

So when one reads the cards the way I do it’s always up to that individual reading and not really the deck itself if that makes sense. :) Then again, it took me many years to build my collection and my year or two I only worked with the Goddess Tarot, the standard RWS, Universal RWS, and the Robin Wood, and at least the three last decks are very similar… In the beginning I personally think it’s good to connect with one deck and learn about that one, just to not get confused and overwhelmed. But if you’re drawn to a RWS-based deck I think you should go for it! :) Give it a chance, and if it feels too much, put it away and wait a bit longer.
 

AraLuck

nisaba said:
<grin> I *own* a lot of decks and they're all a part of my working collection, but I don 't ever feel that I'm juggling them. None of them is taking time away from the others, and I never worry about giving them fair time or even what deck I am going to choose. I just use them and enjoy them. I don't really perceive a dilemma - that probably just shows how thick I am. :)
Click to expand...

That's very interesting... and I have seen some readers do it too... so it's kinda seems like magic to me! :D Or the said super-skilled juggler in a magic show! So, I bow down to you. I am in the process of selecting a few more decks, because I want them to be very different in nature. I also do not want to rush into buying them, they have to absolutely appeal to me before I do... and practically too, in India, although everything is available in the realm of everything else, it isn't quite the case for Tarot and co.

But, awesome! Thank you for this wonderful insight. Will let you know if I manage to juggle well when I decide on the decks I want ;-)
 

AraLuck

lumen.hilare said:
Hi AraLuck!

I am a new-ish reader myself (I gained Tarot knowledge and read cards from 11-15 years old... years later in my late 20's I am starting again). I think it's quite possible to learn different systems simultaneously if you can do it.

When I first started learning many many years ago, I bought a RWS, Crowley's Thoth deck, and the Universal TdM. I wasn't confident with the Thoth, but was able to easily switch between TdM and RWS.

I mean, most Tarot decks work from these three basic systems, and knowing one alone gives you access to so many decks evolved from them. The differences are negligible, and mainly stems from imagery and the creator of said deck.

I guess whether you feel you are ready to jump right away, or wait until you've mastered RWS is a personal thing, lol.
Click to expand...

Thanks for thsi input... and I totally resonate with all of this... I also started with the oracles, about 5 years ago (am 38)... but didn't really pick up a formal Tarot deck until last year, when I was under great distress and frantically kept screaming at the Universe - what do I do, what do I do?? Hahah, but the Universe does send you a big bold deck (mine RWS is giant) and the rest is history.

I think am ready to jump. The incredible thing with this forum is how much you learn, and more decks and divination tools, spreads etc is what I am just gulping up from here. I have bought a Lenormand and am deciding on other decks of the RWS, as I don't think I resonate much with the Thoth.

Yes agree it's a personal thing. But other's experience is always valid.
 

AraLuck

Citrin said:
I have a collection of about 40 tarot decks and 14 oracles and to be honest I don’t find it difficult to go back and forth between them at all. Most of my decks are based on the RWS, some closely while some very vaguely. I personally don’t read with pre-set meanings. Yes, I do know what would be considered ”standard/traditional” meanings, but to me they are a part of my study of archetypes and the tarot in it itself, while when I read cards I simply read the cards.

I don’t go searching my brain for keywords or phrases fitting the Empress card everytime I see an Empress card, I rather look at the card in front of me. What does THIS Empress say? What symbols are around her? Where is she looking? What does her clothes say? What cards surround this card? Etc…

So when one reads the cards the way I do it’s always up to that individual reading and not really the deck itself if that makes sense. :) Then again, it took me many years to build my collection and my year or two I only worked with the Goddess Tarot, the standard RWS, Universal RWS, and the Robin Wood, and at least the three last decks are very similar… In the beginning I personally think it’s good to connect with one deck and learn about that one, just to not get confused and overwhelmed. But if you’re drawn to a RWS-based deck I think you should go for it! :) Give it a chance, and if it feels too much, put it away and wait a bit longer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this! Yes, this is exactly how I thought I would feel - totally overwhelmed! But now I am feeling more like drawn, after serious addiction to the forum and reading for a long list of avid and wonderful sitters :) I just feel like I need to open this world up a bit. And I love this description of your reading. I tend to be a bit similar. I don't have books. I have used a couple of guides, but I am more into getting the meaning myself, even though I go back to a couple of guides/posts for clues of meanings in specific situations.

Great input, thank you :)
 

rylla

I read Marseilles in the same way I read an RWS (I'm not even sure of the difference between those 2 systems) , I learned Thoth after I learned the RWS; once you get there it doesn't matter which system you use (I mean when I am choosing a deck for a reading which system is it from it's not even a point or criteria for choosing that particular deck for reading). Give it some time, things will work out for you on their own :) Learning tarot is a long process (at least for me it was/is), many answers I had in the beginning came with time.
 

bonebeach

I really don't think you have to "master" any one tarot system before going on to another. Some people read tarot very well doing entirely their own thing. Nor do I think the RWS is *essential*, exactly, except to the historian, or someone who wants the most written about deck.

I learned an the RWS as a child and I mostly read TdM now, and I basically read the majors the same over any deck I'm using, meanings shaded slightly by the artwork. For the minors, I read RWS styled minors...the RWS way. And I read pip decks and basically everything else in my own way, which is heavily influenced by some of the pip advice on these boards.

(The Thoth is a kind of special thing for me in that it's the only deck I enjoy pulling out books for and making into a big deal.)
 

fractalgranny

i have 60 decks right now (impatiently waiting for two more to arrive :)) and read with pretty much all of them. in most cases, i try to intuit which deck is best for which question/situation. over time, some decks seem to be good for certain questions, for example, the herbal tarot for health related questions, the cat's eye for very practical questions, the zerner-farber for romantic questions. but it all depends. like others have said, most of my reading involves looking directly at the card, the images in it, the colours, how they relate to other cards in the deck, etc. dusty white talks quite a bit about that method of reading. of course i also consider things like suits, numbers, etc. memorized keywords don't work for me. one of the best things i ever did was to go through mary greer's 21 ways to read a tarot card. a fantastic book!
 
Trimming cards? trimmed Wildwood rounded or square corners?