Cult of Tarot Forum

Hi Folks

I was recently surprised to find all my Californian Professional Fortune Teller friends only use the Connolly Tarot for customers. Enquiring, they said they found the colourful Christian medieval imagery was something the clients liked best. This is just out of interest, but do you use a particular deck for a particular reason, ie cultural expectation?

Personally I use the Visconti or the Ancient Italian.

Hi Cara,
I'm not a professional reader so only do readings for myself and family/close friends,this means that I just go with whatever deck I'm working with at the time,or whichever I feel they will enjoy seeing,often its the Centennial waite-Smith deck as I really like the colouring and its one of the easier decks to read.
If I were setting up as a professional reader,I think it would be good to have a handful of decks for the client to choose from,as I think this could give a more personalised reading.

When I did a series of readings for young adults/teenagers, I chose the Silhouettes Tarot or the Dreaming Way because they look harmless but give very good reading. Especially the Silhouettes really encourages the querent's imagination.

I didn't read "face to face" for a long time (all my work is done online), but when I read for friends, I usually used either the Thoth or the Morgan Greer because they're so clear and easy to read and understand.

CaraHamilton wrote: ↑26 May 2018, 19:31 I was recently surprised to find all my Californian Professional Fortune Teller friends only use the Connolly Tarot for customers. Enquiring, they said they found the colourful Christian medieval imagery was something the clients liked best.

Interesting! I used to read professionally in S. California before I moved out of state. I had a deck of angel oracle cards on hand for folks who were very religious and felt uncomfortable in getting a tarot reading for the first time. Just seeing an oracle like that on my table calmed them down.

For young people, I love using the Sun and Moon tarot. It's modernity really speaks to them (plus I ADORE that deck to pieces). I really enjoy its diversity which is sorely lacking in the tarot world.

When I read for others, the Universal RWS and the PCS Commemorative are my go-to decks because they're like broad-spectrum antibiotics--they can speak to any topic for anyone.

When I need a kick in the pants, the Thoth will do it for me. Plus, it was my first deck and feels like home to me.

When I read for others, I let them select the deck. When I read for myself, it depends on my mood or my current passion.

I usually bring three or four RWS or clone decks to reading sessions, along with my trusty Thoth in case someone asks for it (and they have). I find that they read best for most sitters. The RWS Centennial Edition, the Golden Universal, the Morgan Greer, the Robin Wood and the Connolly are all decks I've used for public readings.

Found the Thoth excellent for personal and family readings. My other decks are great for anything. I noticed that the Centennial is particularly good for when I read for other people.

I use my Radiant Rider Waite and Llewellyn Classic when I do face to face readings.

I will usually bring 3-5 decks (depending on the size of the event) and let my clients choose what deck they prefer. If it's a smaller event, I bring a TdM, Thoth, and RWS deck. If it's a larger event, I'll bring those 3 along with a dark and a light deck. I've had a lot of clients pick the TdM or RWS deck, but quite a few also like the Thoth. Dark decks do wonderfully around Halloween time and very light decks o well with squeamish clients. They all get a crack or two at an event, so I don't think there's a specific preference. But it would depend on the area. If it's a highly Christian area for example, I might go with a deck that has more Christian imagery so the symbols are easier for the clients to recognize and relate to. Picking a deck really depends on your clientele and the area you're reading in.