uh…I may have gone a little overboard…

Have you ever started a project, with a really simple idea in mind of how it would look, but once you’re 90% of the way done with it, you decide well, hell, that was easy, lets make this twice as hard! That’s how this tag went for me. What started out as an easy, fun conversation with Val, my fellow tarot aficionado, turned into a whole afternoon of hysterical laughing and not a small measure of inappropriate conversation.

Part of why I am so late to this Tarot-tube tag is I simply went overboard. Not only did I follow the prompts of the tag, but Val and I stole additional ones from others, and made up a bunch of our own.

The Fling: A deck with which you had a short period of wild times.

The Medieval Europe Tarot

I’m grabbing on to the “wild” part of this prompt–I FORCED myself to stop using this deck because from the time I got it to about a month in, it was the ONLY deck I wanted to use. Now I try use it in pretty specific situations. It’s good in that Game of Thrones its-so-violent-you-can’t-look-away good. It’s darkly funny, has wonderful hand-feel, and kinda not nice!

Puppy Love: A deck with which you were infatuated, but couldn’t make a long-term commitment to.

The Oak Ash and Thorn

I don’t think I’ve wanted to love a deck more than I wanted to love this deck. I actually waited a YEAR before finally breaking down and getting it, but when I got it, it was NOT AT ALL a soft fluffy sort of deck! It is really blunt, gets right to the point, and nothing like I imagined it to be. Its a great deck, make no mistake, but I’m still a little butt-hurt it wasn’t what I imagined.

Friends with Benefits: A deck you care about, but sometimes get extremely passionate for.

The Llewellyn Tarot

When I have really vulnerable emotional questions for Tarot, I typically reach for my Llewellyn Tarot. It’s truthful like a friend, but gentle like a good lover. I find that really does it’s job well AND I will linger with it for a long time. What might be a three card reading turns into a multi long spread that I spend time with soaking up the various imagery and thoughts that come from the spread. I also tend to find its readings are eerily true.

Love At First Sight: A deck you loved from the start. (Self explanatory)

Seasonal Fox Tarot

That was the shortest amount of time I’ve ever took to think of purchasing a deck! It just includes so many things that I love, it was a no-brainer. Foxes? Check. Japanese myth and cultural references? Check. Bright colors? Check. TWO DECKS IN ONE WITH A DARK AND LIGHT VERSION??? Yes ma’am! Corresponding seasons with the various major and minor arcana that can make a panorama? OH HELL YEAH!

One Night Stand: A deck you tried out, but moved on from almost immediately. Sometimes, you still think about that deck.

The Threads of Fate Oracle

It was so beautiful. I tried to love it! I tried for nearly three years, but I couldn’t. I just did not connect with the imagery nor the keywords nor the messages. I sent it to a long deserved loving home.

“We Were On a Break!”: A deck you’re separated from for any reason.

Moonlight Tarot by Inessa Bondarenko

We shouldn’t be on a break! I don’t know why we are–I think I was trying to use other decks more and set this one aside. I freaking love this deck! It’s going into my April monthly decks!

Marriage Material: A deck that has proven its value to you.

Ask The Witch Tarot

I feel like I have an unfair amount of decks that I can slot into this category! Even though I’ve had this deck for a very short time and I haven’t used it nearly as extensively as other decks, AND the cardstock leaves much to be desired, I just cannot get over how wonderfully unique the art of this deck is. It marches proudly to its own beat even though it is still traditional enough to be a super easy and blunt reader. I find this deck both fascinating and down to earth and very funny. It is a deck I could bring on a three month vacation and never get tired of it.

Happily Ever After: Your true love in a deck.

The Slavic Legends Tarot

Its beautiful, it feels GREAT, it’s compassionate, its complex, its a little mysterious, it’s the deck out of fairy tales! I could spend hours looking at all the art and images and am always wanting more. I’ve heard there’s a fan who is compiling all the stories she’s familiar with and I’m ecstatic to read them one day!

And this is where the official tag ends and we became unhinged. Val and I had such a good time with this tag, we borrowed some suggestions others made and came up with several of our own:

Friendly Ex: A deck who is still a reliable friend even though you are no longer in love.

Trionfi della Luna, Illustrated pips edition

I purchased this deck last year and I was just OBSESSED with its silly, devil may care attitude. I loved it so much I got both the standard and the black inverse edition. It has such a shameless humor it makes me smile even when the reading is bad. While I’ve moved on in my obsessions, it is still very dear to me, and it always brightens my day when I use it.

Soul Connection: The deck you thought was only a crush and ended up connecting more deeply with.

The Oriens Tarot

This animal deck just really tickled a lot of my fancies in art and tarot. It is not what I’d consider an easy reader, but it really helped me develop my tarot reading skills and bring them to the next level. I find that of all my decks, this one is the most accurate reader and it’s very neutral and beautiful. I would never have guessed that I’d so completely fall for this deck.

It’s Not You, It’s Me: The deck whose value you see, but just cannot connect with.

Visconti di Modrone Tarot

This deck is arguably the most beautiful deck I own, and, I’ll be honest, I dislike pip decks. I thought that its historical intrigue and significance would lead me to start learning it and push through the difficulties like I did with the Sola Busca, but I just can’t. I like to look at it, and I’ll ask it financial related queries, but that’s about it.

Platonic Love Pact: The “if we’re still single at 40 we’ll get married” deck XD!

The Spacious Tarot

I am so fond of this deck, loyal, simple, honest, it’s my Samwise Gamgee deck. While I’m not head over heels in love with it, it’s so reliable and personable, I’ll certainly have it at 40!

Enemies to Lovers: A deck you hated, now love

The True Black Tarot

I really loved it when I first saw it, my husband bought it as a gift to me and my first reading with it was SO TRUE AND SO MEAN! It took me some diligent work and time, but now I freaking love this deck. It would be a deck I save from a house fire no doubt.

The Failed Relationship: A deck you had such high hopes for but it let you down in every way imaginable–its not you, its THEM!

Sefriot Tarot

I feel like I need to write a whole rant review about this fricking deck/game/Kickstarter fail. This deck had such potential and promise that I put good money into, and the developers just totally dropped the ball and as a result it’s a POS that I vindictively hang on to so as to write a review some day. The art work is great, but everything else was such a huge FAIL it’s hard to get over.

The One That Got Away: You had a chance to get this deck, but you didn’t and you regret not taking a chance.

See here: https://baba-store.com/collections/tarot-of-prague

Baba Studio’s Tarot of Prague

I mean, the title is pretty self-explanatory. I waffled because I’d never had a deck that was so quirky. Major loss on my part. 

The Widow Deck: The deck you got because you lost a person in your real life, or the deck reminded you of them or otherwise helped you move on from a relationship ending.

The Forhaxa Tarot

This strong, feminine deck helped me process and move on from my mother’s death. I still think of it as a “Mom” deck.

The Slow Burn: A deck that takes a lot of time to get you “warmed up” but is well worth the wait!

The Nameless One Tarot

I’ll keep saying it, this deck requires time and effort, but it is so worth it! A wonderful, witchy, symbolic-rich deck that still is rather simple in its imagery. It’s definitely not a deck you can do a “quick-ie” reading with, but if you need something deep late at night to help you get to sleep with a clear head, this is my deck.

Out of My League: A deck that you’re simply not a skilled enough as a reader yet to grasp.

The Mary El

Maybe one day! In a way, I’m glad I have this deck because it reminds me that there is a point in which I give up trying to understand a deck, and this reminder prevents me from buying other modern, heavy handed esoteric decks I really want to be able to read but won’t put in the effort to learn.

The Toxic Relationship: A deck that you’ve done stupid things for or because of, or has otherwise elicited bad emotions/behaviors.

The Fyodor Pavlov

Let me explain myself…I wanted this deck SO BAD, and I was not using Kickstarter when it was on Kickstarter, so I had to buy it when it was limited indie print released prior to US Games releasing the deck. The decks sold INSTANTLY on Etsy, and thank goodness he did staggered releases because I’d hit the refresh and it would say SOLD OUT. It took me FOUR tries, setting my alarm to get up or set aside my work and try to snag a copy. Honestly, while the indie version is slightly nicer cardstock, I should have just waited for the mass market release.

Left You at the Alter: A deck that consistently leaves you hanging unresolved in a reading no matter how many cards you pull.

The Cosma Visions Tarot

Okay so perhaps I haven’t dedicated the time to learning this decks own unique structure, but that is due to, at least in part, the fact that this beautiful tarot/oracle deck never gives me even a remotely straight answer! It’s so fricking whimsy and all over the place and not at all rooted in any system I’m familiar with and so handwave-y, every reading I do I end up feeling frustrated and let down. But it’s SO beautiful!

Look but don’t touch!: The deck you have fantasies of using, but understand its very surface level and risks turning into a fling.

See here: http://www.tabulamundi.com/

The Tabula Mundi Tarot

I’m not a Thoth gal. I have only minimal Thoth decks (ah-hem, Mary El), and it’s not exactly a system I’m chomping at the bit to learn, but gosh darn it am I so intrigued with the Tabula Mundi!

The Kink: A deck that toes the line of too edgy for you to feel totally comfortable with, but you still like using to experiment.

The Lost Hollow Tarot

This is a deck of radical acceptance and totally turns traditional ideas of gender and sexuality on its head. I find it a deck that asks me “but what if…” and I love it for that! And it does suggest various “kink” flavors in a very respectful way. It’s kind of a bad ass deck, imo.

The Hot and Cold Lover: A deck that waffles between extremes and you are uncertain what it will give you.

The Fantastic Menagerie

I mean, this should not surprise anyone. This wry deck spares no one from its scathing remarks, but it also is dead honest and isn’t afraid to tell you good job, and when you hear that, it means all the more because you know how nasty it can get.

I Can’t Take You Anywhere!: A deck that is so over the top dramatic you don’t feel comfortable using it for reading for others.

The Bloodmoon Tarot

I love this deck. A lot. Perhaps more than I should. But I’ll be honest, it is so raw and over the top that I cannot use this in the public sphere. It hits so hard in every card, I could easily see this deck making someone cry. Not for the faint of heart at all.

My Secret Lover: A deck you don’t want to share with anyone and are even hesitant to tell others you have.

The Lubanko Tarot

Like the Bloodmoon Tarot, this deck is very raw. To me, it’s almost as if the deck means the reversal or “dark” meanings to all the cards. It’s the shadow-self deck in a way. It really challenges me and lets me safely explore, but it is very edgy and I feel like I might be judged by other tarot nerds if I mention I have it and use it.

You Could Do Better: A deck that is undeserving and you’ve probably already ditched.

The Tarot of Cloister (knock off)

I don’t have this in my possession any more, but I purchased this knock-off deck through Etsy. I learned a valuable lesson: if a deck price is too good to be true, it probably is a knock off. Yep, I got scammed! I can do better than that ;-).

First Love: The first deck that made you fall in love with Tarot.

The Shadowscapes Tarot

I had to pick the lovely large Czech version to highlight here. I was introduced to this deck by Val, and after watching her for years use it, I received a copy from my partner and then my obsession for tarot and card art began!

Did anyone else do this tag? What decks are you crushing for these days?