On November 6, 2011, Carolyn Cushing of Art of Change Tarot joined your Tarot Tribe: Beyond Worlds, to talk about different tarot decks being used for different purposes.
Hear that show HERE.
Below is the handout to accompany that episode.
The TAROT TIP can be found HERE.
We'll discuss more in-depth details, but here is a
Brief Overview of some of the Tarot Deck Survey Results
Overview / Highlights
The survey was set up to gather and generate ideas of how different decks might be used to address different questions that people bring to the Tarot. It was not designed to be scientific or provide definitive prescriptions for deck use. 86 people from the Tarot community answered the survey and generously shared ideas, opinions, and practices.
The majority of those who responded see the value in using different decks for different reasons but a significant number (about a third) primarily use one deck, sometimes drawing upon a different deck for a particular purpose.
All Purpose Decks
Rider Waite Smith and its variations emerged in multiple ways as the favorite all purpose deck of this group. It received the top number of votes on the All Purpose Deck question and was mentioned in every other area on the survey.
The Divine Legacy also came up in the All Purpose and key categories of romance, work, and spirituality and often with significant votes. The Gaian and Gilded came up in the All Purpose and key categories of romance, work, and spirituality with at least one vote in top category and mentions in Also Good For.
Relationship / Romance Decks
Qualities to look for in a deck for questions of relationship and romance:
-The images or feel have a romantic or emotional quality or are particularly beautiful.
- Having expressive and diverse people on the cards is important in this area. Pay particular attention to the court / people cards when assessing if a deck works well for romance and relationship. One person mentioned liking a deck for these issues because it was a “people oriented” deck.
-Shows / contains a balance of feminine and masculine energies.
-Consider the issue of nudity. There are decks that are wonderful for relationship and romance because of their beautiful nudes, but not all seekers are open to this. It can be off putting.
- Adjectives to describe a deck good for relationship and romance questions would be: pleasing, romantic, beautiful, expressive.
Decks particularly mentioned to check out in this category are:
Work / Money Issues
Qualities to look for in a deck for questions of work and money:
- Look for a deck that shows people doing things in the world and allows you to pick out concrete actions to be taken.
- Look for a more basic or down to earth deck for these questions.
- Particularly check out the suits of pentacles and wands to see if they offer ideas for work and money.
- Adjectives to describe a deck good for work/money questions would be: honest, practical, no nonsense, clear.
Decks particularly mentioned to check out in this category are:
Spiritual Issues
Qualities to look for in a deck for questions of spirituality:
- Is rooted in a philosophy / system / belief and expresses it well. Take a look at how this is expressed in the Major Arcana.
- Speaks to the spirituality of the person who is being read for / doing the seeking.
- Symbolism and images on the cards invite you to go deeper.
- Adjectives to describe a deck that is good for questions of spirituality would be: deep, mystical, intuitive, celestial, symbolic.
Decks particularly mentioned to check out in this category are:
Making Difficult Choices:
Thoth topped the list
Decks for Working with Kids / Young People:
The Fairy Tale Tarot by Lisa Hunt was a favorite
Sacred Practices of the Gaian Tarot
Prep: Separate your deck into 3 piles:
Pile 1:
The Majors and the Aces
– These cards show the sacred / divinity being lived out to its
fullest expression in the world and the cosmos.
Pile 2:
The cards numbered 2 to 10
– These cards show the contemplative practices we can use
to live into the sacred perfection of the Majors and the Aces.
Pile 3:
The People Cards
- The figures here guide us in the attitudes and behaviors we to adopt
toward doing the practices.
PATH:
Use Pile 1 / Majors and Aces to pull a card for the question:
What sacred path would best
serve my _________
(examples: making my current transition, healing, growth, living into my deep purpose) for/in ________ (this season, year)?
PRACTICE:
Use Pile 2 / numbered cards for this question:
What contemplative practice will best
serve me to move along this pathway?
POSTURE:
Use Pile 3 / People cards for a question such as:
What attitudes and behaviors will be
most helpful to me in undertaking this practice?
Sample Reading:
The Gaian Tarot is published as a collector's deck, available through www.gaiantarot.com,
and is now also available as a mass market deck through Llewellyn Publications.
At left, the same cards as above,
but from the
Osho Zen Tarot, Copyright US Games, 1995, used with permission.
Further reproduction prohibited
To learn more about Carolyn Cushing,
visit www.ArtofChangeTarot.com.
