2_Journey
Oh my goodness! I'm away for 24 hours and the thread is so much longer. I need to start checking in more than once per day....
I don't have time to respond to everything, but I did want to comment on my experience with the RWS, which is where many people say to start. (This is sort of a riff on yukinkoicy's RWS question from earlier today.)
thorhammer and I seem to have similar taste in decks, the "wacked out" variety.
I started with the Universal Waite. (Dear god, was it really a decade ago now??) I didn't get along with that deck, and doubt I ever really will. But everywhere I looked people said, "start with a RWS, it will be easier." And so I started with UW and worked with it for months before I finally gave up. I didn't pick up a deck of cards again for a few years, and when I did I finally went with cards that spoke to me. None of the decks I like and use regularly are the RWS or RWS clones.
My favorite decks are (in no particular order): Fey, Archeon, Four Elements, and the Wheel of Change; the newest addition to the list is the MRP Fairytale. Tarot didn't really start to click for me until I broke away from the RWS formula and started using other decks. That might mean the deck is not as popular, not discussed as much, or not used often, but they work for me and so I've learned to go with what works. (Really, how many people even own the Four Elements? Show of hands?? lol)
Going with what works has opened up a whole new world for me. You'd think this would be an easy realization, but it wasn't.
I don't have time to respond to everything, but I did want to comment on my experience with the RWS, which is where many people say to start. (This is sort of a riff on yukinkoicy's RWS question from earlier today.)
thorhammer and I seem to have similar taste in decks, the "wacked out" variety.
I started with the Universal Waite. (Dear god, was it really a decade ago now??) I didn't get along with that deck, and doubt I ever really will. But everywhere I looked people said, "start with a RWS, it will be easier." And so I started with UW and worked with it for months before I finally gave up. I didn't pick up a deck of cards again for a few years, and when I did I finally went with cards that spoke to me. None of the decks I like and use regularly are the RWS or RWS clones.
My favorite decks are (in no particular order): Fey, Archeon, Four Elements, and the Wheel of Change; the newest addition to the list is the MRP Fairytale. Tarot didn't really start to click for me until I broke away from the RWS formula and started using other decks. That might mean the deck is not as popular, not discussed as much, or not used often, but they work for me and so I've learned to go with what works. (Really, how many people even own the Four Elements? Show of hands?? lol)
Going with what works has opened up a whole new world for me. You'd think this would be an easy realization, but it wasn't.