How to Choose a Deck for Your Project
If you’ve even scanned the titles of the articles on this blog, you know most of what I write about here relates to tarot and the creative process. From drawing inspiration from individual cards and their associated archetypes to tarot spreads to give artists a boost, I’ve found working with my decks to be one of the most beneficial tools while creating.
Pictured: The Wild Unknown Tarot deck by Kim Krans
Something I’ve raised in multiple articles is my tendency to use certain decks for specific projects. For instance, I exclusively used the original Wild Unknown deck by Kim Krans while developing THE HIEROPHANT. For another project, I utilized Madam Clara’s 5 cent Tarot to better flesh out character arcs and their psychology. On yet another, the Tarot Del Toro based on the works of the incredible Guillermo Del Toro.
The number of times where I’ve used the same deck for multiple projects is extremely limited. While I’m able to use certain decks for both creative pursuits as well as readings for myself and others, it is highly unlikely that I’ll use the same deck for two different writing projects.
WHY?
Well, let’s get this out of the way at the top: I’m privileged and lucky enough to be able to get my hands on multiple decks. This wasn’t always the case, and back then, I worked with what I had. If you’re unable to acquire multiple decks for whatever reason—the area in which you live; the people with whom you reside; finances; time; anything at all—that’s 100% okay. Using tarot for inspiration isn’t dependent on buying a bajillion decks. It’s a nice perk to align themes and art, but even if you solely use the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck as a creative tool and love it, you’re on the best path for you.
If you have the resources and desire to sort through multiple decks for your projects, here are some of my thoughts on how and why certain decks seem to best gel with specific projects (and how you may be able to judge for yourself the next time you’re spinning up your next creative work):
Pictured: The Two of Cups card from the Linestrider Tarot deck
Visual Alignment
Most creators have some kind of general aesthetic in mind when they start a project. For me, my characters’ dialogue typically comes first. However, the setting and visuals follow close behind. Finding a deck that shares similar art concepts as what you’ve set out to create can help generate more ideas that are very specific to the world you’re attempting to create.
For instance, my current work-in-progress has benefited from two decks, each with the same kinds of color schemes and scenery I envisioned when I first started brainstorming the project. When pulling a card to spark ideas for the main character, it has made a difference to see alchemical symbols and sleek angles on the cards versus the soft, sweet depictions in decks like Ethereal Visions Tarot. Instead of thinking about the warmth and devotion depicted on the traditional Lovers card, my mind shifts to considering the mystical relationship between materials… the unifying undercurrents between humans as well as the elements.
Would the cards convey the same kind of message regardless of the deck utilized? Generally speaking, sure.
Would it have registered with me in the same nuanced way? Probably not.
Pictured: Aesthetic board for NOWHERE
Similar to when and why creators utilize mood boards while developing their creative projects, choosing a deck that shares the same aesthetic assists vivid recreation of the scenes and characters you’re bringing to life.
Pictured: The Hermit card from the Tarot Del Toro deck
Tone
Once upon a time, a friend invited me on their podcast to chat about how I use tarot in the creative process. Ten minutes into the conversation as I described the images on the deck I was using at the time to develop a story, I realized it would be impossible to fully convey my meaning without the listener seeing and/or holding the cards themselves.
As many times as I ran through what images were depicted on each card I pulled and why I found it significant to the story at hand, there was something missing. I’d never be able to fully relate what the mood of the deck was—how its brutalist wheels and wood-cut scenes instilled a particular sense of anxiety and urgency. The weight of the card stock in my hands betrayed its temporality, though the images harkened to centuries long past. Try as I might, I couldn’t then nor can I now explain the precise tone of the deck without handing it over for another person to sort through. Even then, I suspect the full nuance is dependent upon the viewer.
For me, decks often seem to have their own personalities. I like to call this the ‘tone’ of the deck as that wording may be more accessible for individuals using tarot as a thought-tool rather than for divinatory purposes. Essentially, this is the overarching set of emotions you feel when working with the deck.
Does it elicit joy? Are you smiling looking at the cards? Are you uncomfortable when sorting through the Major Arcana? Do you feel anxious spending time with the images?
You’re almost certainly going to glean a variety of emotions when scanning through a deck—the Sun card should probably convey a far different tone than the Devil card. However, each deck I’ve worked with has a predominant disposition, just as their users do… just as the users’ art does!
If you can find a deck that aligns with the general attitude or emotion you intend to strike with your work, there’s a special kind of magic that emerges… one which you will probably trip over yourself trying to explain :)
Intuition
Here’s where we dig a bit into the ‘woo-woo,’ though I think it’s less metaphysical than folks may believe when they first hear the word. I’m willing to bet damn near everyone has, at one point or another, felt a tug in their gut where they simply knew what was right for them even if it didn’t make sense.
You’ll hear it again and again: “listen to your gut” or “follow your gut.” That little twinge in your tummy? That’s your intuition, and it extends far beyond your digestive tract.
More than once, I’ve seen a deck in a store shop window or online and thought ‘that has the precise aesthetic of my WIP.’ I’ve then brought that deck home, sorted through each and every one of those cards, and ended up realizing that deck really didn’t jive with my work. There wasn’t really a reason I could pin down… no specific trait I could point to and say ‘now I know this deck doesn’t work well for this manuscript.’ It was all a gut feeling.
Pictured: The Elements of the Source oracle deck on display in Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart installation
Right around my birthday, I was fortunate enough to find myself in Las Vegas visiting its Meow Wolf art installation. My dear friend surprised me by purchasing the oracle deck that was created and used specifically for the Omega Mart display there. As soon as I cracked the plastic on that puppy, I knew it was perfectly aligned with my current project.
The art made sense, yes. The general vibe of the deck meshed. But it was the feeling I got when sorting through the cards that made me excited to work with the deck in relation to the project.
Unlike my use of the Wild Unknown deck, I don’t currently envision myself using this oracle deck for readings. However, it radiates a certain energy that continues to feed my imagination as I spin out this new tale. I can’t properly articulate how or why this deck waved hello and clicked with my project. Nor can I fully explain why yet another deck hopped aboard in the same manner a few weeks later (the first time I’ve had two decks resonate with a single project). Nevertheless, it’s working for me as I pull together a new story in a strange, vibrant setting.
And there you have it— my top three tips for choosing a tarot or oracle deck that works for you as an artist. As always, if you have questions or would like to chat more about how tarot plays a factor in creativity, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Until next time, stay perpetually, creatively, and wonderfully weird 🙂
~Allison
