I was talking to a friend the other day, and he started talking about
the Tarot and how certain people were like various cards (i.e., he
equated himself and his personality with the Knight of Swords)...
So, anyway, what references would be the best to explore this aspect
of the Tarot? I'm not as into the divination aspects.

225 responses total.

Just about all of the Tarot books I have go into this in depth, but
my recommendation would be _The_Tarot_Workbook_ by Emily Peach, mainly
because After Words has it on sale for $4 right now.  >8)

Other than that, it would depend on which deck you wanted to work with.
Did you have any particulars in mind?

I was looking at the Robin Wood Tarot, 'cause I like the art, but I just
don't know. The traditional ones look so...bland, or something. Suggestions?

I like the MotherPeace deck.  (The round ones that sort of look like little
pizzas.)  In general the men I've talked to haven't liked them at all, but
many of my women friends find thwm positive and affirming.  They have a very
spiritual bent, though, so if you like a "hear and now" answer they might not
suit you either.

I assume that by "the traditional ones" you mean the Rider Waite deck...and
while I like her art better, Robin Wood's deck is pretty much based on the same
symbolism.  

What angle do you come at Tarot from?  Knowing a little more about that would
make it easier to make useful suggestions.

Actually, I have no angle yet! I've "known" about the Tarot for a blong
time, but I'd never touched one.  Lately, it's just been coming up all 
over, as it were... Like I said, it was my friend John's comments about
equating personality with the cards that really sparked an active interest.

I prefer the Tarot of Transition to all other Tarot decks.

Tarot of transition, I'm not familiar with it. Describe it.
-phaedrus
P.S. Is the God of silence your magical name??

The Tarot of Transition is the deck with all the Egyptian gods and goddessed on
it, replacing the normal characters that would be there.  Unfortunatley, the
instruction booklet for the deck only teaches you how to use it for Yes/No
questions.  The God of Silence is a Norse (Viking) god, and his name is Vidar.
Though he is the silent god, he was able to communicate with me through TK and
thereby granted me the use of his name and title for E-mail and BBS purposes
only.  Though the Norse gods had magic items, the didn't have magic spells.

What is TK...??
They had magic items, but not spells. So, can you draw on the energy of these
items, or do you create your own??
What tradition is this based on, norse, but is there a more descriptive
name for it?
-phaedrus

TK (Abv.): Telekinesis.
I don't think so, unless Viking is a little more descriptive.

Do you communicate with Vidar daily/weekly/monthly, or is it random. Do you
initiate the communication, or does it just happen??
It sounds similar to many traditions, but it sounds like you've got a very
personal  personal relationship with this God.  Do you practice alone or do you
belong to a group? -phaedrus

Telekinesis is being able to move objects with your mind.  Talking mind to
mind would be telepathy.

Ok so I messed up.  TK is doing anything with your mind (save talking) you
can'tdo physically.

I communicate with Vidar every Onsdag (Odin's Day) since Odin was slain during
Ragnarok, and Vidar is one of his surviving sons.  

I'm scared....

...??...why are you scared Sorceria?
-phaedrus

If there is to be Ragnarok Part II, I will take no part in it.  After all,
I will become a new God after testing in Valhalla.

Huh...???I am admitedly a confused, and/or confusing person, but this seems
way too weird!
What is a Ragnorak part II??
Jazz, schmazz, yes I'm sorry but I'll have to go that far, jazz, schmazz...
-phaedrus

The same as the Orignal Ragnarok, but this time Midgard is utterly destroyed

Hmm, those Rune Cards looked pertty nice.  I think I'll have to get 
a deck.

     Has anyone else seen or used the Visconti-Sforza deck that was being
sold at I think it was Falling Water?  For those unfamiliar, it is a
reproduction of a tarot deck from 15th-century Italy.  73 of the 78 cards
were recovered, and the other 5 (I don't know which ones) were created to be
in the style of the originals.  I myself don't use Tarot, but my fiancee
Sara does, and this was the deck of all decks that reached out and grabbed
her, a good indication it seems to me that she could work well with it.
     Chris

Nay, I do not, sorry.

I have a deck of the Hermetic deck.. I'm still having trouble
translating the cards; the guide book that i have isn't very
helpful.  Anybody have a knowledge of the tarot cards that
they would be willing to share with me by mail/posting?

Ask some questions, about specific cards or spreads, etc.. I'm sure you'll 
get more answers than you'll be able to handle!
-phaedrus

Bite of more than we can chew?

goody, goody, this should be fun! <biiiig grin, slobber>

I'll pull out seven random cards from the deck.  If i told you
what they were, could you interpret that?

great idea- tell us the layout (a line- from the right or left? a circle? a
cross and rays? part of a "celtic cross", what?) or better yet, show us with
"ascii art", placing the cards on the screen by number then listing their
names by number (did that make sense?)

These are a few of my favorite decks...la la la
1. Robin Wood.  Much like Rider-Waite 'tis true, but I find it
easy to read.  Easy is important for me.
2. Mythic Tarot.  I'm surprised no one has mentioned this one.  
It is a Jungian/Freudian deck whose suits each follow a greek
myth.  Psychological.  Kinda dark.  Maybe it's me.
3. I want to say "Barbara Walters" but it's just a name like that.
Smallish cards, rather medieval like Rider-Waite, very light.  Maybe
it's just me.
4. Rider-Waite.  It works.
5.  The Aquarian Tarot, The Thoth Deck(designed by Aleister Crowley)
and the Secret Dakini Oracle have all been useful to me at one
time or another.  Crowley's attempt to synthesize hermetic,
cabalistic, numerological and alchemical and astrological
symbology into one deck is amazing.  Salvador Dali painted a deck,
prints of which can be had for a pretty penny.  
Favorite books:  Tarot For Your Self  by Greene
       Pictorial Key to the Tarot

Gee, I've used most of those.  My favorite and reliable standby is the
Sacred Rose.  Had a copy of the Mythic, loved it, and one day discovered it
had laminated itself.  Sigh.  Finally broke down and got Robin Wood's, but
gave it to a friend.  Not willing to spend the $20.00 twice.  Some I'm back
to the Sacred Rose.  I have a copy of the Barbara Hansen, but I just haven
't gotten into it- too pastel.  Had the Morgan Greere (sp?), but passed it
on.  It had rather a dark and fatalistic flavour.  I've also used the Aquarian
deck- a bit capricious, but fun.  I had a copy of the Tarot Classic deck, but
the best use I ever got out of it was playing Gin Rummy...  Believe it or not,
I learned on the Thoth deck, and me with tiny hands.  Hard work but not bad.
Favorite book: Butler's Dictionary of the Tarot- because it gives a number of
options.  I kind of like the various booklets that have come with my decks-
they show the creators' rationales.

Neat idea someone suggested- look at a question through a number of divinatory
systems: tarot, runes, i ching, etc. to get perspective on different aspects.
I'm going to try it.  Previously, I'd try to think what one system was most
suited to a question.

i do not belive so much in divination through tarot as in my own
strange system.  weird branch off of dream interpretation, but its
worked for me sometimes

I'm really not much of a tool user, there are just a few I've managed to come
to terms with, including tarot.  I tend to see it as a convenient interface
between my direct impressions of a person/situation and that person (i.e., a
safe shared language) and a way of clarifying those impressions.  I've also
read a mural a person had done as if it were a dream, done a bit with dreams
(back in my younger days), etc.

Even though noone has been here in a while....I would suggest Tarot of the
Old Path and The Herbal Tarot.   The latter has been very helpful to me.
I do not really connect with the cards, but I am an amateur herbalist.  I
found that it answered health related questions amazingly well.  I work best
with I Ching and Runes.

Hm, I thought the Herbal Tarot was pretty, but it didn'
(sigh, try again) didn't really grab me.  I like the idea of using it for
health related questions- I think I'd have to make up a new layout, maybe
based on Chakras or meridians or something.  Hm, I may have such a one tucked
away in old notes, eve.  I've never much taken to I Ching- too fuzzy, but I'm
working with rune-sticks of late.  Kind of neat to look at different aspects
of an issue with runes and cards; sometimes they reinforce one another adn 
sometimes they give different perspectives.

There is indeed a chakra layout that works almost *too* well with the Herbal
deck.  I like the I Ching due to the fact that it makes me think...hard
It is intentionally obscure...but you already knew that. ;-)

hmm.. the i-ching is fuzzy? maybe i should check it out.

Absolutely, fuz...right up your most unclear alley...:->

i just got the witches tarot deck.  it's really cool, but their card
explainations stink.  where can i get decent ones?
(or standard ones, if there is such a thing)

The Witches' Tarot is one of my favorite decks for meditation,
since it ties in both Pagan and Qabalist symbolism.  Still, I
can see how people might not like it.

There are umpty-bazillion books available for general interpretations
of Tarot cards, go to Borders or Crazy Wisdom, browse through
the selection, and pick one that suits you.

(If you're not in the Ann Arbor area, most big bookstores should
have some available.)

If it is the Witches TArot by Ellen Cannon Reed, there are books.  If it
is the Witches' Tarot by Barbara Walker (which i personally find awful)
I don't think there are books.  Try sitting with the cards and seeing
what your impression of them is.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss