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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.

Even though I love nature and all animals, I've always had a very special sense of connection to cats. When I see one, I just have to stop and pet it. If I meow to it, it usually meows back to me, and sometimes follows me, purring and wanting to be petted. When I can, I will usually pick it up and hold it for a while. If a friend insults cats, I come to their defense as if they were my best friends, and I can't help but feel angry if they are misjudged. If I see a hurt or abandoned stray, my heartstrings tug at me, and if there's no way for me to help, I will say a prayer and ask the Universe to guide the cat. Even though I don't have a cat at home now because none of my other family members want one in the house, I know in the future I must have three or four cats to keep me company. I'm not sure why I have such an affinity to cats, and I'm curious to know the underlying reasons. Could this be related to a past life, to my spirituality, or to a life lesson I need to learn? I hope I don't sound too crazy! I was born on October 4, 1982, at 7:53 p.m. in New York City. Thank you so much for your time!

- Ana

Dreamchaser:

You don't sound the least bit crazy to me, but then, I am the "animal woman" who talks to every living creature that crosses my path, so maybe we both seem crazy to the outside world.

You have a number of things going on here. The first is that you have had cats as helpers in many other lives prior to this one. You were what some may call a "witch" in one life, and you had quite a few cats with you then.

I'm sure you're familiar with the idea that cats are spirits or "familiars" that accompany witches. Some even believe that witches can assume the form of cats.

In reality, cats have always been attracted to people with special "gifts." Cats soak up the negative energy around those people then go off somewhere and sleep off that energy. They are psychic protectors.

The second thing is that you had at least one life in ancient Egypt, when cats were considered very important "God-like" creatures. The law protected cats at this time, and anyone who harmed or killed a cat faced dire consequences.

Diodorus Siculus said, "Whoever kills a cat in Egypt is condemned to death, whether he committed this crime deliberately or not." When someone broke this law, the people would gather around him and kill him. The goddess Bast was often depicted as a cat, or sometimes she would just have a cat's head.

In this life, the Cat is your main animal spirit guide. You do not have to have an actual living cat around you to be able to pick up on this special energy. I think that is why you are compelled to defend cats so staunchly when someone is insulting them.

The cat is here to teach you things like love, independence, how to see the unseen, and how to fight when cornered. The cat will help you with meditation as well, so if you want to start, now would be a good time.

She will also come into your dreams and assist you there. I am quite sure that you have a lot of dreams that somehow involve cats.

I think it would be great for you to find a way to spend more time around cats. If the people you live with don't want one, then you could always volunteer at your local humane society, or find some other way to spend a lot of time with living cats.

Then study their movements and listen to them "speak" to each other, for this will really help you learn the spiritual lessons that cats have to teach you. We can learn from animals so easily, for their traits are simple and obvious, and easy for us to adopt ourselves.

That is one reason why humans and animals co-exist here. In this lifetime, a lot of animals (not just cats) will be wonderful teachers for you.

I wish you wonderful cat encounters, both in this world and beyond.

*****

Astrea:

I know that you adore ALL animals, for you Libras are well known for the love, compassion, and strong connection you have with other species. Many veterinarians are Libras - in fact, about a third of all the vets in the United States were born under that sign. That is one reason you are such an animal lover.

You very cleverly included your exact birth date with your question, and I found your chart FASCINATING! At first I didn't understand your cat connection because of the lack of balance in where your planets fall in your chart, but after studying the graph, or the "Sky Map" of your birth date, time and place, it was revealed to me why you have this uncanny connection.

Numerous aspects in your astrology chart point to communication with the animal kingdom. Part of this is due to the disappointments you have endured from other PEOPLE, but most of it arises from the nature of your own inner spirit.

You can FEEL what those little "furry snakes" feel in your own Heart. (Thatís what the Egyptians called cats because of how they weave in and out of our feet.) While most people communicate with kitties from the outside in, you connect with them from the inside out.

To discover your bliss, you really should consider working as an animal communicator with an emphasis on felines. I think if you did that, you would find that there is no cat too big or too small to speak directly to your spirit.

Lions and tigers and kittens (oh my!) could benefit from the work you would be able to do in terms of bringing them closer to their human "mothers" and "fathers." Now that the world is more accepting of the notion of animal communication, you could actually develop a well-paying career in this field.

You say that you know you'll have three or four cats later on in your life. Believe me, there will be a LOT more than three or four! I see you operating your very own "no kill" shelter, and placing over a thousand cats in terrific homes over the course of your lifetime.

The first step in this journey is for you to go back to school (sorry, Libra, it's your karma) to be come a Veterinary Technician. (Don't worry, that doesn't mean that you'll have to put anyone to sleep!)

When you're done with that, the perfect vet will come into your life, and you'll be off on an exciting and rewarding new career. Money to get that going will just fall into your lap, because your Guides and Angels (one is a Tiger, have you seen him?) will help you find it.

Your career will benefit two-legged and four-legged critters alike. Start researching this idea TODAY, and get started on your Life Path, for you'll enjoy many rewards by answering your calling.

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.