Favourite tarot deck themes and why?

[MagsStardustBlack]

I get greedy with fairy decks. And I am always on the lookout for a new fairy/fantasy deck to adore.

Iv been fascinated with the fae my whole life so I feel drawn to this theme. I do have other themed decks but when I see faeries mine mine mine mine

 

[Zephyros]

My niche is definitely esoteric Golden Dawn decks, especially the Thoth and its derivatives. Once you learn their language, they open up dramatically and speak a common tongue.

 

[rachelcat]

Oh, good question! Let's see, for me, favorite themes are:

Cats (Easy to collect these!)
Science (Does this include Hexen2.0?)
Animals (Still searching for the perfect animals deck.)
Literature (Shakespeare, LOTR, steampunk, Bible, Dante, you name it!)
Mythology (Norse, Egyptian, Mesoamerican, Celtic, Welsh, goddesses, etc.)
Modern/contemporary scenes (Don't really know why . . .)

And GD and Thoth clones, too!

Oh, and I have actively avoided fairies, but I caved, and the Hidden Realm is now a favorite!

ETA: I forgot the why!

I really like theme decks, and I think they add a very important dimension to the tarot world. They bring variety and a fresh look at the old cards. They're not just another artist's interpretation of RWS scenes. They really make me think. And I like to think. Usually . . .

 

[MagsStardustBlack]

Sounds wonderful. I must admit I'm very interested in esoteric symbolism. It's just too big a study area for me to fathom at this moment in time.

 

[dancing_moon]

Not sure if it's a 'theme' but I just love old facsimile decks (think 14th to 19th century). They have that mysterious 'old times' feel to them that I simply can't resist.

 

[Sayadina]

I have an obsession with Brian Froud. I haven't bought other faerie decks just his. I guess it's because of the art style. I'm totally drawn to them.
I also love Will Worthington's work as well. Wildwood being my fave at the moment.

I tend to focus most on artists who use a lot of detail because I feel that I can look at the cards and see something new every time. I am an extremely picky collector though.... I don't know why.

 

[Richard]

I like restorations/reconstructions of Conver TdMs. They are thematically neutral, in a way, although they reflect the European culture in which they arose. Maybe I like the fact that no particular theme has been deliberately imposed on their design.

 

[cardwitch]

I used to just buy random decks that caught my eye, no particular theme, until I got my first Marseille Tarot and fell in love. Now I collect historical Tarot decks (TdM, Visconti, Minchiate, etc.). I also recently bought the lovely Marseille-style Old English Tarot.

 

[Darkmage]

I pretty much buy what I like. If I like the art, it goes home. I have a few where I don't like the art but they're rare and collectible, so they stay here.

As for themes, umm...cats and Egyptian themes are my main ones. Cats are easy. I'm a cat lover, and ironically in one hell of a cosmic joke, allergic to cats along with anything else with fur or feathers. :/

Egyptian decks can be campy, awesome, a combination of both, or anything in between. My fave here is the Nefertari tarot. The gold ink can be blinding, though. I like the Church of Light tarot and it usually reads well. Miss Cleo's deck, oddly enough, actually reads quite well although the art is reminiscent of those crappy cartoons the nuns would show us in Sunday School. :/

I also like dragon decks and vampire decks, though I wouldn't really say I collect these as themes. I just get what I like. I have a little bit of everything. *shrug*

 

[Chronata]

I used to collect themes...

Masquerade was one, circus/sideshow is another.


I think right now I'm really just drawn to interesting artistic styles.

and I always have my little collection of awful tarots