A lot of tarot readers have a deck they consider the ultimate deck for them. If you have one or two decks you feel this way about, how did you know it/they was/were the deck/s for you? Did you simply feel drawn to the art, did it fall off of a shelf and hit you in the head, etc.?
I currently have the Zerner-Farber Enchanted Tarot deck and a Dolphins and Mermaid Oracle deck. I did have the Dragon deck. I enjoyed all of them (both tarot decks and the oracle deck) and they are all special to me. I somehow felt really nice and comfortable about my Enchanted Tarot which was a gift and had been bought second hand at a flea market. I know many people don't like having their cards touched by others, but I think it actually made me feel more connected to mine. I also liked the imagery, but I don't think the imagery was the only reason for my feeling comfortable with it and being drawn to it.
Anyways, despite liking all of these decks and thinking they are all very special, and feeling most connected to my previously used deck, I think the oracle and Enchanted tarot decks are a bit lighthearted for a serious reading or one that allows negative aspects of life and emotion to show through, which is often needed. While I certainly plan to keep these decks, I have been thinking I need another deck that offers reverse meanings as well, having both good and bad aspects to a card, so I can do a more serious reading with more possible responses. I don't mean the deck needs to be dark, because being overly dark will likely only bring negative energy to my readings by the feelings they provoke in me, and they may end up turning up overly dark readings. I need something a bit balanced.
Now, it would be nice if some mysterious stranger came up to me and said, "I have something I think you might like," "I'm supposed to give this to you," or something along those lines, then produced the perfect tarot deck for me and dissapeared. Or maybe if some poltergeist activity threw the deck at me as if saying, "Take it already will you?!" Chances are, however, that won't happen. Actually, I'd be pleased if they just fell off of a shelf as if saying, "pick me." However, I don't plan to wait on it.
Well, I was looking at tarot decks on aeclectic tarot's website, and I realized that the Vertigo deck seemed to call to me. You can see the whole deck on this other site I found a link to on some forums. [link= http://www.area23.org/perdition/reverie/tarot/major_frameset.html ]http://www.area23.org/perdition/reverie/tarot/major_frameset.html[/link] Anyway, it has some rather striking imagery. I suppose the imagery is kind of dark, but not so much. At least most of them are not overly dark to me and while some of them seem dark or somewhat dark, there is something about them that is not dark, but just enaging, mysterious, magical....I don't know what word it is I am searching for here, but I like it. I like this deck and I want it. However, one reviewer at the aeclectic tarot site suggested this deck isn't good for begginers, but something says get this deck. I think it's just the imagery really. It just speaks to me. A couple of the cards are off a bit for me, but mostly it speaks to me. Has anyone here had experience with this deck?