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by Barbara Moore

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

With so many wonderful tarot decks available these days, it would be difficult to have just one. I try to imagine how it feels to be a complete novice today and be confronted with so many decks; it would be overwhelming.

I do know some people who only have one tarot deck. That is all they want, and they are fine with that. If you are one of those people, this article is not for you...however, if you do read it, you may find yourself inspired to buy another deck or two. You've been warned!

Basics
To start a collection, and really to start a solid study of tarot, I would make sure I had one each of the various editions of the following:

• Rider Waite Smith
• Thoth Tarot
• Marseilles Tarot

These are the three main traditions that are used for reading today.

To have a very complete collection, you would probably want a Visconti deck as well, since it is one of the earliest tarot decks we have, and a Minchiate Tarot (which has more cards than a tarot deck, but is a close and very interesting cousin). Also, throw in a Sola Busca deck, as that is a 15th century deck with illustrated minor cards...compare them to Pamela Coleman Smith's and you'll see some surprising similarities.

Suit Yourself
There are decks that play off either the RWS tradition or the Thoth by following their structure but adding another layer, usually by incorporating a theme. What are some of your interests outside of tarot? Fairies, Celtic studies, the environment, Paganism, a historical period, tattoos, science, Jane Austen, vampires, goth, magic, Arthurian legends, fairy tales, baseball? Yes, there are tarot decks that explore all these themes. Add a few decks that combine your personal interest with tarot.

This is a great way to learn the cards, because these decks take a subject you already know and apply it to the cards.

Something Completely New
Once you understand the structure of the tarot deck, it becomes a framework that will allow you to learn new subjects very easily. If you know tarot very well but do not know, say, science, then The Quantum Tarot can be an easy and fun way to learn.

If you want to learn more about Welsh mythology, then the Llewellyn Tarot would be a great choice. Because the myths are matched up with cards that you already know the basic meanings for, it gives you an instant connection.

Different Decks for Different Purposes
People use tarot for things other than readings, and consequently find that one deck may not work for every purpose. That is certainly the case with me. Here are some potentially different uses that might require separate decks.

• Reading for yourself
• Reading for others
• Reading at parties or psychic fair or in loud/busy places. For these situations, I find that simpler, lighter decks are easier to read. I save the darker, more complex ones for other situations. (By lighter/darker, I mean the coloring, not necessarily the themes.)
• Journaling. I actually use lots of different decks for journaling. I like ones that have more intricate art or that are non-traditional. I like my journaling to challenge and push me, so I pick decks that do that.
• Spiritual study. Of course, for this you'd want a deck that somehow reflects your spiritual beliefs. For me, the Gaian Tarot suits my needs beautifully.
• Meditation
• Magical work
• Brainstorming or Creative Inspiration. I like using tarot to help me write, particularly fiction (I also use Corrine Kenner's book, Tarot for Writers). As with journaling, I find that the more interesting, complex, and non-traditional, the better.

Different Types of Readings
Personally, I do not use different decks for different types of readings, but many of my colleagues do, so for completeness, I'm including that idea here:

• Romance
• Financial/Career
• Brainstorming
• Spiritual
• Seasonal. I like using my darker-themed decks (such as the Bohemian Gothic Tarot from Magic Realist Press) in the late fall. I prefer my lighter-themed decks, such as Shadowscapes, for spring. I have a hand-made Christmas deck of Major Arcanas that I use at holiday parties.
• Family-friendly or Child-appropriate. Certain events or reading situations call for a "non-scary" deck or one without nudity. These are not always easy to find. The Mystic Faerie Tarot has no nudity and is quite family-friendly.

To Grow
It seems that we work so hard at getting comfortable with the cards. But then, once we are, we run the danger of becoming stuck in a rut or stagnant. The most important thing to remember about tarot is that it is always evolving. The cards change, the way we use them changes. If tarot ever settled into an unchanging thing, it would lose the power to transform us.

As a tarot reader, you'll want to keep pushing yourself. You don't have to agree with every new deck or technique or idea...but approach them all with an open mind. By honestly exploring them and weighing their pros and cons, you will only strengthen your own beliefs. There is nothing bad about that.

To feed your own growth, every once in a while spend time with a deck that is outside of your comfort zone.

One that is sure to push some kind of button on every reader, no matter how forward-thinking, is the Tarot of the Silicon Dawn. Emily Carding's Transparent Tarot is another that is really unusual with the potential to shake up your world.

Other ideas:

• Decks about subjects that make you uncomfortable or that you think are silly (what can you learn from, say, the Gummi Bear Tarot?)
• Round decks
• Decks that follow no recognizable tradition

Oracle Decks
Many tarot purists do not care for oracle decks. Oracle decks are any sort of divination deck that does not follow the structure of a tarot deck. Oracle decks may have some sort of internal structure or none at all. They can be whatever they want! And this really bugs some people.

However, oracle decks can play a role in the life of a tarot lover. Get an oracle with a similar theme or art as your usual tarot deck and add a position in your spread for a "secret message from the Universe." Pull the card for that position from the oracle deck.

Find an oracle that you like and use it to end a session with a client, having them pull a card as a final message.

Use an oracle deck for an inspirational message of the day.

Lenormand Decks
Lenormand decks are really coming into vogue now. Some readers are frustrated because their clients want mundane, clear readings about their everyday lives. Tarot readers sometimes find that tarot is not well suited for such readings, or at least they are having trouble using them in that way. Lenormand cards, however, are made for those sorts of readings.

I am currently studying Lenormand cards. I hope to create a process whereby I can begin with the Lenormand deck and answer mundane questions in a mundane way. Then we can move on to the tarot cards and add depth, understanding, and power to the reading, and consequently to the client's life.

Maybe you should try that, too, and in a few months we can compare notes!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2011. All rights reserved.

I am a professional medium and belong to a development circle. I don't feel very good about my work lately. I find myself asking my clients a lot of questions, which I know is a sign of a lazy medium. The other night I asked Spirit if I should give all of this up and do something else. I asked for a sign, but I've not yet received anything. Do you think I should give it all up? I'm a Gemini born 6/17/59. - Suzanne

Dreamchaser:

Life is not a straight, level ride; it's full of hills and valleys, highs and lows, twists and turns, and it's the same way with our spiritual gifts and abilities.

There are times when our psychic senses are very strong, times when they are peaking at amazing levels, and times when we do not feel so open and connected. We have to accept that this is going to happen.

I often liken "down periods" to the way bears hibernate in the winter: sometimes my gifts go into hibernation or go on break for a little while. They always come back, however, as will yours.

I have to disagree with you on one thing you wrote: I do not believe that asking questions is a sign of a lazy medium (or psychic, reader, counselor, etc.) In some readings I do not ask questions, and in some readings I do. It all depends on the energy of the individual I am reading for and the nature of the reading itself.

For example, I was channeling a client's husband who died very unexpectedly in his 30s, and I would always see a patch of red and black-checked flannel when I was reading for her. Finally one day I asked her what it meant to her, and she said that she buried his favorite shirt with him, which was (of course) red and black-checked flannel. Over the course of their marriage, she would put it in the rag bin, and then he would pull it out.

I also often saw a golf ball around him, and when I asked her about this, she told me she also buried him with his hole-in-one ball. So as you can see, those two questions proved quite important to her. It is not wrong OR lazy to ask questions, to a point. We are not expected to know all. If clients have a problem with that, then they are the ones who are wrong in their expectations.

When you ask Spirit for a sign, sometimes it takes more than a couple of days for you to get your answer. In fact, sometimes it takes quite a while. Sometimes the answer is different than we expect or anticipate, so we don't even recognize it when it comes. I think you should just sit back, relax, and wait for a sign, and keep your heart and mind open to all the possibilities.

I also don't think you should make any rash decisions while you are in a "down" period. You should wait until you feel like you're back on track again, then ask yourself if you still want to quit.

If you have lost satisfaction in the job itself, if you feel you are not making a difference anymore, or if you feel you are being led to do something else, then you should consider quitting. If you feel you have "lost your power," however, then you should wait for it to come back so you can use it to make a wise decision on this matter.

I wish you clear awareness of your next step forward.

*****

Astrea:

You're just in transition in terms of the way you approach your psychic work. This sort of change can be quite disconcerting for a medium! Unfortunately, there isn't any way to speed things up; we must trust spiritual processes to unfold in their own perfect time and way.

It's awful to feel unsure of ourselves, but everyone who does readings of any kind goes through these transitions. You have probably been through half a dozen since you started, but because you've gained so much mastery, you now notice little nuances in your abilities more than you did in the past.

Being a medium isn't something you can just "give up" or turn off and on like a faucet! If you are a medium, you're one for life. If you want to take a break from doing it professionally, that might be a good idea for now. I know that when I feel I'm not doing my best for my clients, I have to STOP. Usually it's just for a few hours or a few days while I rejuvenate myself.

I seriously doubt that you are being lazy in your work! Asking lots of questions just means you're trying to get all the issues straight before you start. I don't think that's lazy - it just feels THOROUGH to me.

I'm sure as long as you get results, your clients don't mind the questions. Sometimes it helps mine to talk about things before we go to work. I'm sure you know very well that sometimes people come to us when they just need to talk.

Your uneasiness may also stem from the energy of the LIVING people for whom you're reading. Are you getting a group of particularly lonely clients at the moment, or do you have one problem client who makes you feel TIRED the second he or she walks through the door? Sometimes the people we see are very draining because they are in great need.

If you can channel the Departed, you can't help but feel the vibrations of living people too. If you feel fatigued by certain clients, try to suggest they find help elsewhere, then pass them along.

Here are two personal issues I have with being a medium. If I have a client who is really greedy about some money or material possession that they want a loved one in Spirit to help them secure, it wipes me out to speak to them.

Also, I find people who cheat on their spouses very hard to read for. Selfish questions don't lure the Departed away from their Heavenly Pursuits to help us. It would help all of us readers if clients were better educated about what we can and cannot do.

Most of the time when we get burned out like you are, it's just temporary. Try taking a break for a week or two, and then see if you miss your spiritual work. If you do, go right back! If you don't, THEN you can start looking for a sign about what you should do next.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.