My First and Last Tarot Decks
My first tarot deck was actually the Osho Zen Tarot, but I got rid of that a long time ago. I consider Universal Waite Tarot to be my 'first' tarot (in photo on right). It is a Rider-Waite-Smith 'clone', and considered by some to be a 'prettier' version of the RWS. I am very fond of this deck. It seemed so BIG to me when I bought it, but now you see the deck on the left is much larger, and when I unpackaged it the other day, I thought the cards were relatively small. I like big cards.
When I bought the Universal Waite, I had lots of fears to overcome. It all seems so silly to me now. I had to reconcile myself to the pentacles. They looked like Satanic symbols to me. I had to confront my fear of the Devil card. Was tarot Satanic? Would I go to hell? I wondered this, even though I'd given up a belief in hell! What about all I'd been taught as a child about divination? 'You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying,' Leviticus 19:26. 'As for the person who turns to mediums and spiritists, I will also set My face against that person,' Leviticus 20:6, 'There shall not be found among you anyone who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, for whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord,' Deuteronomy 18:9-11. Well, there are just so many Scriptures against divination. I bought a tarot deck out of curiosity and because I had a journal that had a page in it for a 'card spread', and I was like, 'What's a card spread?' That's how this whole thing got started. I wasn't even a practising Christian when I bought the deck, I was practising Buddhism and just discovering Sanskrit mantras, but all my childhood training came flooding back the first time I saw a card with pentacles on it! But then I looked up the word 'divination' and found this definition, which I wrote in my journal (I just went back and found it) -- 'perception by intuition; instinctive foresight'. Well, how could that be a bad thing? So I started using the cards, and reading about them. I could not have known that my research into tarot would lead me down the path I currently walk. I am thankful for it.
The deck on the left is the Byzantine Tarot by John Matthews and Cilla Conway. It's a lovely interpretation of the tarot in the style of Byzantine art.
My First and Last Oracles
My first oracle deck is actually two decks combined, Druid Plant Oracle and Druid Animal Oracle. I always call it 'Druid Plant and Animal Oracle'. I trimmed it to borderless back when both were widely available. Now of course the Plant Oracle is nowhere to be found, so of course I wish I had one with the borders. I also wrote on the cards which seemed like a good idea at the time but now I don't like that. I never used these decks much, because even with the writing I could never really remember what everything was supposed to mean, and now I don't use them at all. I lost all interest in herbalism and lore. They're just part of my Worthington collection. I bought a second Druid Animal Oracle to use with borders and no writing, because I have some intuitive knowledge about animals, but plants? Not really.
My last oracle is Journey to the Goddess Realm by Lisa Porter. It is a colorful and fun goddess deck, and features a few goddesses you don't see in other decks. I mostly use goddess decks as altar decorations and this one is lovely for that.
Other
I've pretty much abandoned divination tools other than tarot cards. I have tried runes, witch's runes, playing cards, dice, and even tried briefly to learn tea leaf reading. I scried with a mirror once and scared the bejeebers out of myself, candle-gazing gives me a migraine, and ceremonial magic just seems pompous and funny to me. I take little notice of natural omens, and have no memory for folklore about them. I do have this glass ball (I am too poor for an actual crystal ball) which can be good for staring into, particularly by candlelight. So I use this occasionally.
Well, that was fun! I would love to hear about your first and last decks and other systems, so if you do write something or make a video, could you link to it in the comments so I can go and read or watch?
Thanks!
I could relate to your discomfort when you first started reading - digging out the deep roots of a fundamental religious upbringing can be tough even after you've left it behind. I bet that's why many people turn to the soft colors of a Mary Hanson-Roberts deck for their first one. I've had no luck with scrying either, but your glass ball is lovely!
ReplyDeleteI read that Universal Waite uses a Hanson-Roberts coloring on the RWS lines, more or less. I know when I was choosing an RWS back then, it seemed the nicest to my eye. :)
DeleteI had TOO good luck with mirror scrying, it scared me so bad I never tried it again. That's not where I want to go. Cards are best for me.
Thank you for sharing your first and last decks with us!
ReplyDeleteIt seems we all had to overcome some fears and uncertainties when starting our journey with tarot. You RW deck was actually my second deck. I am happy to say my Worthington collection is complete accept for his tree oracle which is now OOP :(
Keep looking around for a tree oracle, they're out there. :)
DeleteThank you for sharing, this is so much fun to hear about people's experiences! That Byzantine deck looks stunning. I definitely had the same religious issues to overcome even though I was not a practicing Christian, I was raised Fundamental Baptist and had been to many book/ouija board/records/tarot card burnings and those brain washed ideas are often difficult to shake! That is why my first deck was the Llewellyn Tarot because I really didn't want Christianity layered into it at the time. Now I do enjoy my Rider Waite though I use it mostly for study.I would also love to get ahold of the Druid Plant AND his tree oracle but both are hard to find!
ReplyDeleteI was brought up in the Southern Baptist church. Every Sunday half the church got saved --again!
DeleteAs someone whose mum had three tarot decks back when I was a kid, the only conditioning I had to get over was thinking tarot was a 'kooky mum' thing :) I'm loving reading these posts, will join in if I can :)
ReplyDeleteYour mum was very kooky wasn't she? :D I wonder what it would be like to be raised by a mum who drums and wears a kaftan -- have you ever seen a TV show called 'Dharma and Greg'?
DeleteHa ha, I'm not sure she had a kaftan, but she did have lots of long, swishy skirts, and she drummed. And yes, loved Dharma and Greg :D
DeleteI ditto the comments made here. My father is part Native American and my mom's auntie read Tarot and was a healer. My Grandma spoke to Angeles, but I still had the same problem reconciling the Christian way with my family. I now consider myself a Pagan, but I still struggle with the ideas of Heaven and Hell. Anyway, the first deck I bought was the RWS deck, original and the last one I bought was the Tarot of the Origins. The first Oracle I bought was the ISIS Oracle by Alana Fairchild. The last one I bought was the Celtic Oracle by Caitlin Matthews. Thank you so much for posting this. It seems like many of us are searching for deeper meaning in life, another way to the Creator.
ReplyDeleteHow are you getting on with the Isis Oracle? I had it, but I just didn't like the art and had to sell it on. Shame...I like the idea of it.
DeleteI like the Isis Oracle a lot. I have done several readings with it. I understand what you mean about the artwork. There is no diversity in the body shapes in the deck. Have you ever thought about creating one?
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