My go-to decks

Tarot readers can be a capricious crowd when it comes to their decks. There are just so many to choose from, and all so luscious! But even the most fickle of us have our tried and true, and for me, here are my top three...

Number 3: Morgan Greer

Morgan Greer, 1979

This deck was first published in 1979 by Morgan Press, by artist Bill Greer and Lloyd Morgan. It is distinct in being one of the earliest borderless decks, and is noted for both its vivid coloring and its 70s-tastic sensibility. Predominately of  mustardy yellows, oranges, blues and greens, the deck could be made up of paint chips your mother used to decorate the lounge in 1973. Using the deck makes me want to put on a pair of flair-leg trousers and play a Joni Mitchell LP (vinyl of course!) Most of the characters are shown in close-up, with limpid-eyed women and luxuriantly mustachioed men. Flowers and vegetation abound--roses, lilies, oak leaves, acorns, lotus blossoms, grapevines, sunflowers, even the occasional palm tree. The deck is a straight talker, imminently readable and forthright. It is very popular and widely available.

I also have to add, this is my favourite deck to shuffle! The cardstock and size are just perfect for riffle shuffling and I can sit and shuffle this deck over and over and over and over...it's hypnotic!

Number 2: Anna K Tarot

AnnaK Tarot, 2008

 Self-published by Anna Klaffinger in 2008, this deck has developed a loyal fan base and following. The first edition is now out of print, but there are still copies available of the second edition (2010) at Anna's website and a few other online sources. When that sells out, chances are there will be no more copies of this lovely deck printed. Anna has said that the process is very trying, and I cannot imagine how much work and devotion is required to raise the money for and oversee such a project as this.

The deck is simply a joy to behold. Nearly borderless, the cards are remarkable for their complete lack of esoteric symbolism. While based on the Rider-Waite-Smith system, Anna has managed to reflect the meaning of the cards in scenes unlike any other RWS tarot deck. Her homely interpretations of the cards speak directly to daily life experience. The people depicted in the cards have been described as almost hobbit-like--a simple, earthy people going about the business of their daily lives. Anna is from Austria, and I can get a sense of the place, because there are several cards set in a cold climate, with snow abounding, and many of the cards are dark in coloration, reflecting the long winters there. All seasons of the year are well-represented in the deck, and the deck is dominated by yellow and dark blue. I can't really tell you how much I love this deck. It is a very special thing!

Number 1: Druidcraft 

Druidcraft, 2005

I have to say, though, that my number one go-to deck is the Druidcraft Tarot, by Stephanie & Phillip Carr-Gomm with art by Will Worthington. Published in 2005, it has remained a very popular deck amongst many readers.

To begin with, it is a very large deck, and may people trim off the outer and inner borders to create borderless cards. This makes the cards easier to handle. It is a very colorful and beautiful deck, filled with green, gold and blue. Nearly every card is set outdoors, with grass, wildlife, trees and stones. It is a so-called Celtic deck, and takes many of its card interpretations from Celtic lore and familiar setting on the British Isles and Ireland, such as New Grange in Ireland or the Long Man of Wilmington.

As with all my favourite decks, it is RWS based. I find the characters in this deck beautiful and endearing. They are bit more 'noble' than the hobbity characters in AnnaK's deck. One of the curiosities of the deck is the large feet on some characters, but I have noticed that most of the big-footed people are on cards that represent authority or power, such as Justice, Empress, queens and kings. There are many barefooted figures in these cards, suggesting, I suppose, connection to the earth. It is a self-consciously earth-based deck (ie, pagan) rather than an earthy deck, as with the AnnaK, and some people object to this as smacking of distastefully romanticised/sanitized neo-paganism. Well, it isn't nature red in tooth and claw or anything, but I don't care, I love this deck and find it wonderfully insightful.

At the moment I have some 25 or so other decks that I also use, but these are the ones I select when I need a clear answer with no messing about. I love them!