Back in July I saw an excellent YouTube video on Oracle Decks by Imogen Walters with the hashtag #OracleObsessed. You can view the Original Video Here. I'm not on YouTube, so I did a blog response instead. You can see my #OracleObsessed blog post HERE. Since I'm also really into Tarot, I decided to do a Tarot version of answering the questions as well. So here are my answers to #TarotObsessed.
1. What was your very first Tarot deck?
My first Tarot deck was the little novelty deck you found in the checkout line at Barnes and Noble or Borders Books. It's called Tarot Nova. I felt so daring and even a little scared to purchase it. I had relatively recently left Christianity, where Tarot cards are taboo, evil, of the Devil, etc. My heart was pounding as I included it in my purchase and paid for it. So funny to think of now...
The first deck I got to actually learn Tarot with was Ciro Marchetti's Gilded Tarot in the Easy Tarot Kit.
2. What is your current favorite deck?
I can't pick just one. Currently, it's a tie between the Ceccoli Tarot, the Happy Tarot, and the Joie de Vivre Tarot.
3. What's your most used deck?
Probably the Joie de Vivre Tarot. Though at the moment, possibly the Ceccoli Tarot.
4. What's your least used deck?
I have to admit I have a few (well, more than a few...) decks that I just don't use very often. That's something I should remedy. Maybe I'll take this question as a kick in the butt suggestion to use them more often. The least used one is probably the Thoth Tarot (literally never been used), but there are a few others used just as infrequently, much to my chagrin... Fantastical Creatures Tarot, Zerner-Farber Tarot, Whimsical Tarot, Fairy Tale Tarot, Animals Divine Tarot...
5. How did you learn to read Tarot cards?
I started off by reading books. I'm a HUGE bibliophile and learn best by reading. So I started with Mary K. Greer's Tarot For Yourself and her book 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card. At the time, the deck I was trying to learn on wasn't working for me, at all. Things weren't sticking and I wasn't understanding. I got so frustrated that I set Tarot aside for a while. I still had the desire to learn Tarot. I found a deck that ultimately worked incredibly well for me, the Sun and Moon Tarot. Meanings just started popping into my head when I looked at the cards. I finally understood what others meant when they talked about intuitively reading the cards. So I went back to the books and my learning progressed rapidly. I read more books and lots online. Then I took a class at a metaphysical shop, which gave me even more information and I connected with others interested in the cards too. My learning has never stopped. I continue to read books, websites, blogs, participate in Facebook groups, and more.
6. What do you use Tarot cards for?
I use Tarot cards for all sorts of things, lots of different types of questions. The thing I use them for the most is for helping me cope with chronic illness. It's difficult, living with chronic illness. Sometimes I need to hear a supporting and encouraging message. I like to combine them with Oracle cards. I spend a lot of time at home and don't often have a specific question I want or need answered. An Oracle card gives me a topic or message and Tarot cards give me more info on that message. I also enjoy giving professional Tarot readings to help others.
7. How do you read the cards? Guidebook, intuitively, a bit of both?
When I read for others, I read intuitively. When I read for myself, it's a combination of intuitively and the guidebook. When I'm working with a new deck I lean a bit more heavily towards the guidebook. I really like to learn about the cards through the author's perspective.
8. Do you use spreads?
Generally, no. I usually draw 3 or 5 cards to answer a question. If I do use a spread, it's usually a small one, typically a 3 card spread. I had difficulties using spreads with Tarot for a long time. Then I found a suggestion by Barbara Moore to try using 2 or 3 cards per spread position, instead of just one card per spread position. That actually helped me a LOT. This meshed well with my experiences working with card pairs and triplets, which I explored after learning about the technique being used for Lenormand card readings. So if I use a spread I use 3 cards per spread position.
9. Do you mix Tarot cards with other divination systems (Oracle, Lenormand, Runes, etc)?
YES!!! I LOVE combining Tarot cards with Oracle cards and Runes. One of my favorite methods is to pull an Oracle card for a topic/message. Then, I pull 3 Tarot cards asking what else I need to know about that topic/message. Last, I draw a Rune asking for anything else I need to know. It's a favorite combination method that I came up with. I combine them in other ways too. I just LOVE combining them. I also combine Tarot and Oracles together in more freeform ways as well.
10. In your opinion, what makes a great deck?
The artwork. If I can't connect with the artwork then the deck is a no-go for me. Different things appeal to different people or even appeal to the same person at different times. Fully illustrated Minor Arcana, not just pip cards. Good cardstock is a must too. No keywords on the cards. I HATE keywords on Tarot cards. They really distract me, sometimes making it impossible for me to read with the deck.
11. What do you feel are the differences between Tarot and Oracle cards?
Tarot has set systems and Oracle cards do not. Within the few Tarot systems (Rider-Waite-Smith, Thoth, Marseille, etc) the decks within each system will have a similar structure. So, for the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot decks, they're generally going to have 22 Major Arcana, 40 Number cards of Ace-10 each of some version of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Coins, and 16 Court Cards, some version of Page, Knight, Queen, King for each suit. Working within a system, there's transferable knowledge between decks even though the theme of the decks may vary.
Oracle decks don't follow any set system. Each deck is a system into itself. Decks can have any number of cards, have any theme, have any meanings or messages within them that the deck creator chooses. There doesn't tend to be specific transferable knowledge between different Oracle decks.
12. Do you have any super unusual/unique Decks?
The Justice League Tarot is pretty unique, having all the cards based on Justice League characters.
Emily Carding's Transparent Tarot is VERY unique. It's literally transparent and made from plastic. It comes with a white reading cloth. You can layer the cards on top of each other to create a unique image. 3-5 cards layered together is about the maximum that will work. She also has a Transparent Oracle as well.
13. What's your current deck crush?
The Mesquite Tarot, Monstarot, and the Aquarian Tarot. If also LOVE to find a decently priced copy if the Margarete Peterson Tarot
14. If you could only use one deck from now on, what would it be?
I don't think I could ever stick with only one deck. But if I HAD to choose, probably the Joie de Vivre Tarot.
Well, these are my answers to the #TarotObsessed hashtag. Do you work with Tarot decks? What is your favorite Tarot deck? Feel free to reply in the comments.
Head on over to Twitter and join the conversation with #TarotObsessed!!
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