Art Decks

Some decks are so clearly designed for looks, strictly on a theme that has nothing to do with tarot, that they simply are not good for reading. Some are extremely beautiful and well worth collecting, but not to read from. There was a very beautiful Chinese tarot that came out about 20 years ago that, to me, fit into that category.

Art decks often have very little imagery, being completely focused on a theme. That is, they are beautiful but low on the symbolism that allows true reading decks to help you get information from your subconscious mind. They have lovely but completely irrelevant images that do not form a complete system or are incompatible to tarot.

Just because there are 78 cards, and the publisher calls it “tarot” doesn’t mean it is tarot. In some cases there are not even 78 cards, and there’s no relevance, the publisher still calls it “a tarot” in order to sell it.

I know there are those who will disagree. As one artist said, “It’s the reader, not the cards. I could read sugar bags.” And she could. But then, there are readers who do not use cards at all. So that proves nothing.

There is nothing wrong with creating tarot cards as art. But if you are starting out, trying to learn the tarot, you need to know that some decks you find attractive will not work for reading.

Perhaps later, when you are very skilled and experienced, you will be able to use such a deck, so buy it if you love it, but learn on the Rider-Waite.

Reading Decks

I’ll talk about reading decks in Two Kinds of Tarot Decks: Part 2. It is scheduled to be published on November 9.

Facsimile edition of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck originally printed from plates that were destroyed during the bombing of London during World War II. The deck and book set comes with the Rider-Waite Tarot deck by Pamela Colman Smith with original Tudor Rose back design, Celtic Cross divinatory chart, and The Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward

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Image via Wikipedia

Author: Frederick Gimino

Designing your own Tarot Deck can be fun and fulfilling. Even if your artistic talents are less than masterful a fully functional, unique, and aesthetically pleasing deck can be created. Whether you choose to decorate an existing deck or create your own here are some helpful ideas to get you started down the right path.

Many people use the Golden Dawn Deck for inspiration. This is because The Golden Dawn Deck encourages people to design their own sets of Tarot cards. To do this, you can either copy the original design and redraw them with your own take on them or create your own deck with symbols and pictures from scratch.

Once you have settled on a design for your Tarot deck you should copy the design so you can construct your own. Your artwork may vary from the design of the deck you copied, but in the end you will have your own unique deck of Tarot cards.

Another method of designing your own set of Tarot cards is to color in your own deck. To do this, you can copy a set by tracing out the pictures on paper and then coloring them in, or by painting over the pictures on a deck itself.

The Magician from the Rider-Waite deck, ready to color.

You could use any deck for inspiration and many have made their own versions of the Rider-Waite cards and had them published. You may wish to create a brighter, more vivid, bold version of the deck or create a softer, more subdued version. Another interesting variation is to use psychedelic designs with abstract colorings.

If you choose to create your own deck of Tarot cards then you may wish to add your own special touches to them. These could be special symbols, pictures, colors, words, textures, shapes or letters. You may wish to leave out certain things when recreating a deck of Tarot cards. If you like the artwork for example but not the card titles you could redo the artwork and leave out the less aesthetic portions of the Tarot decks theme.

If you want to create a deck entirely of you own, the first thing you need to do is think of a theme for them. Some people use their culture, family, traditions, and favorite stories as themes for their decks. Next get some Card stock from your local art supply store. Card stock works well for creating your own deck of cards. Card stock comes in different colors, sizes, and thickness. This makes choosing the perfect card stock an easy choice.

Even if you are not Picasso you can create your own Tarot deck by utilizing photos. Pictures taken of special people,places, or events can be used. If you like have some friends or family dress in appropriate attire and use that for your decks artwork. Many photo programs also contain project templates and stock photos that you can organize, print, and cut out for your tarot card project.

You can even add special touches to your cards like adding embellishments. For example small ceramic objects, small stones, flowers, buttons, shells, sand, coins, metallic art paper, or scraps of fabric all make great additions to a project. You can even use small objects to assemble pictures on the deck instead of just using them as embellishments.

Photographs used as artwork for decks of Tarot cards work well, especially if you plan to use the decks as gifts for family members or friends. Most importantly remember that imagination and experimentation are wonderful tools to be utilized while designing your own special deck of Tarot cards that are just right for you.

About the Author:
Frederick Gimino owns and operates the Free Psychic Network. Providing Free Psychic Readings including oracles in genres like Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, video readings, And Horoscopes. Visit the Free Psychic Network your authoritative expert portal to Psychics and psychic services on the web!

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Artistic Insight Into Making Your Own Tarot Deck

A few years later, I bought a beautiful deck, but I could never figure out how to read with it. It did not seem to match up to the decks in the tarot books at all. I finally gave up, thinking that learning to read the tarot was too hard.

About 20 years ago I finally bought a Rider-Waite deck and a wonderful book, The Complete Book of Tarot, by Juliet-Sharman Burke. Wow, it was not so hard to read after all.

In continuing to study the tarot, I eventually found out that the first deck I bought was not a standard tarot deck at all. Called the Grand Etteilla deck, it was designed by a professional reader at the French royal court in the 18th Century to make sure that only he could read it. No wonder!

Eventually I began reading at psychic parties and  psychic fairs. I did that for awhile. Now I just read for friends.

I hope you enjoy this site as much as I do.

Kathleen Gresham
Texas