I have homework this week. Yes, one of my assignments from the Tarot class I am taking was to find a working deck to bond with and to use for readings with myself and others (yes, others at a later date).

Over the past five months, I have amassed a collection of 22 decks (and one Oracle).  My collection isn’t the focal point of this post. I simply love discovering new ones and knowing that I have options to read with a variety of decks depending on my mood or situation.

I have been focusing and learning using variations of the RWS and have played with daily drawings from some of the decks that I feel comfortable with at this stage. But, I’m yet to find the deck. Yes, the deck, the one I want to make mine. Sure there are no deadlines with this. And, the homework assignment is just a point in this short four-week long class. I knew that I was going to have to bring one deck with me to learn with. I didn’t even do that for the first class; I brought two decks since I wasn’t sure.

See, I want make Aquarian Tarot one of my special decks; it was my first. But, it isn’t the deck. I love the imagery, but some of the drawings are difficult for me to interpret right now and I am doing my best to learn with my intuition as opposed to memorizing. My second deck was Universal Waite Tarot and while the drawings are taken from the Rider-Waite Smith deck, the gentle shading of the colors weren’t my style.

After Tarot came up with my mother who used to read, she gave me her deck, Hoi Polloi Tarot (read all about that here). A RWS clone–with bright colors and details taken right from the ’70′s which was when it was created–I love it, just like she did. I knew it was special and decided to reserve it for special readings for myself (or maybe even her). After all of these years–37 to be exact–no one but my mother and I have touched the deck.

I kept buying, and adoring the decks I have acquired. They are all unique and hold a special place right now. However, I found myself wanting to use the Hoi Palloi. I was just to afraid to use it daily and wear it down even more than it was. That’s the beauty of it, but it’s been through some rough times and I would hate to ruin it.

Fast forward to class last Wednesday night. I find myself intrigued by the instructor’s deck, The Sacred Rose Tarot, a deck created in the early ’80s. It doesn’t directly remind me of the Hoi Palloi, but I start thinking about wanting to use the Hoi Palloi as the deck. I even bring up my desire to use the Hoi Palloi with the instructor at the end of class! I ordered the The Sacred Rose this week, and the bold style also causes me to trade for the Morgan-Greer Tarot, another 70′s deck, which I should get sometime this week.

Thursday morning. I am searching the Aeclectic deck trading forum using my iPhone. I don’t normally visit regular web sites via a mobile device since the interface is rather clunky. And, what do I see in one of the threads? A Hoi Palloi for sale for $45.

Thoughts: Do I buy it? Do I buy it now? Do I buy it when I am on an actual computer? Nicole, what would be the odds?

I sent a PM for the deck from my iPhone. I received conformation. It was mine.

The deck?

I paid once I was at a computer. Upon viewing the thread later on that day, there was another inquiry for the deck. Had I not looked when I did, I would have missed out. I received the package on Saturday. The deck was in pristine like-new condition! The cards are smooth and shuffle with ease. Pictured above is the new deck and my mother’s copy in the top right.

Is this the deck? It may be. I’ll know it if it is, right? Sure, it was her deck too, and while that’s part of the reason I am fond of it, I feel comfortable with that. It’s just that now, I have my own copy.

© 2009 – 2010, aurarcana – A Tarot Blog | Tarot Journaling & Tarot Cards. All rights reserved.