Tarot curiosity

milkBoxx

Just wondering,

This is mostly for those on this forum who have been around the block, but what would most people hear consider to be the three most "traditional" decks. Not excluding antiquated decks either. I've done my own research but I would like to compare my notes with others.

Thanks,

Takamba

This depends on what you mean by traditional. Waite began his own tradition, whereas I prefer the Thoth, Dr. Wang's Golden Dawn, and the Marseille that order.

Danica

@Takamba said

"This depends on what you mean by traditional. "

Exactly.

In any case, my absolute favorite is Thoth Tarot.

milkBoxx

I suppose if we could set personal preferences aside and look at it from a historical vantage,
which decks would you suppose had the most influence? I apologize if my prior question was
inadequate or misleading.

Thanks

Takamba

iirc, the Marseille tarot is the oldest known design (but I don't recall if there was ever an intact 78 cards and so the modern version Marseille is probably an approximation). Eliphas Levi described some cards, but only a few. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn showed us a fully working tarot device and I do believe this was the first ever, and their design instructions are similar to the Marseille style. Dr. Wang's Tarot of the Golden Dawn follows those instructions. When you view the Marseille, Wang's deck, and Thoth side by side you see the tradition.

I forget where I read it. I'm thinking in is one of the Equinoxes (volume 1) but I haven't been able to find it. Crowley reviews (possibly under a pseudonym) the then newly released Waite tarot and he loathes for having altered, destroyed, or made useless the tarot by painting static pictures in the Minor Arcana. That's why I say Waite "began" his own tradition (by breaking with the one he was taught by).

Hermes

@milkBoxx said

"I suppose if we could set personal preferences aside and look at it from a historical vantage,
which decks would you suppose had the most influence?"

There are histories, influences, worlds, perspectives, and different layers of them.

The most traditionnal in the highest is Thot deck, while in the lowest it is Marseille's. Same could be said concerning influences. An adept of middle age using Marseille's probably had a more Thot-like reading perspective than a probationer today using Thot's... Not to mention in those days, advanced material was kept secret.

Another food for thought is Jean Louis de Biasi Aurum Solis deck. According to him it is historically the oldest and most traditionnal. Though it is completely different in its tree of life correspondances.

The dynamic principle may be more similar to the Yi King in some ways. It may be true it's most traditionnal even though less known. You may gradually come with your own living and ever changing still same tarot.