Warning: Side effects include random urges to learn ancient Hebrew, staying up til 3 AM trying to figure out if that symbol is a phoenix or just a really fancy chicken, and forgetting that The Lovers card can just mean… love.
This deck will drag reasonable tarot readers down rabbit holes so deep, Alice would need GPS. Next thing you know, you’re buried in hermetic symbolism and your intuition is outside waiting in the car, wondering if you still know what a gut feeling is.
When I first used the Hermetic Tarot, the alchemical and astrological symbols really stood out. Each card has so much detail, they’re basically like little spell books that give you exact meanings instead of being all vague and mysterious.
Every tarot deck is its own way of showing the same universal energies.
Some say certain decks are ‘dark’ or have bad vibes, but people can get superstitious about anything. I’ve seen people avoid decks because of the back color, who gifted it, or even if they seem too cheerful. Go with what feels right to you. If a deck is calling your name, there’s probably a reason behind it.
The cards tend to find the right person when the time is right. Just follow your gut and not what others might fear.
The Hermetic Tarot can be pretty intimidating at first. Maybe try starting with Rider-Waite, Smith?
It’s way more beginner-friendly. After you’ve got the basics down and feel confident with readings, the Hermetic deck becomes much more approachable. Then you can really dig into all those complex symbols and meanings.
Maybe the Hermetic works better as a reference deck rather than an everyday reader for some people? Because sometimes I feel the same way. I’ve noticed some decks seem to want to be teachers while others want to be companions. Maybe it’s more like having an encyclopedia - you don’t read it cover to cover, you just look up what you need when you need it. I wonder if the deck becomes more conversational once you stop trying to decode every single glyph and just let the overall image speak first.
What feels ‘dark’ to one person might feel scholarly or even light to another. I think that’s why we have the thread on popular decks and not the “best” deck because it is highly personal.
Maybe the Hermetic’s black and white aesthetic actually strips away distraction rather than adding darkness. There could be something to be said for a deck that makes us work a little harder - might that discomfort we initially feel actually be the deck pushing us to grow as readers?
I used to avoid intense decks like the Hermetic. Thought they’d be too much to handle. But I ended up learning more from the complex symbolism than I did from simpler decks and someone asked the same thing about the Threads of Fate deck here. I don’t know if any deck is too hard or too intense. I think it might be highly unique and personal.
I like the symbol-heavy decks now.
I’ve been working with the Hermetic deck for a few months now and I think I’m struggling with this exact thing. There are SO many symbols and correspondences to learn. Not the easiest deck for a beginner, that’s for sure.
Did a spread with a bright deck and noticed I depend on color cues. If you use the Hermetic, how do you connect with the black-and, white imagery? Any tips on what you look for?
Pick one symbol per card to focus on during readings-maybe the planetary glyph or the Hebrew letter-and ignore the rest until that feels natural. I learned the Hermetic over about six months by adding one symbol system at a time. It kept the pile of details manageable.
Yeah, the Hermetic has a lot going on, but beginners can handle it if they don’t overthink it and don’t keep hopping to different decks! I think it’s fine, you just need to commit to it for a while.
I’d say just focus on what the cards make you feel rather than trying to decode every symbol. Your instinct often gets it right anyway even if you don’t know the official meanings. The detailed hermetic meanings will still be there whenever you feel like learning them.
Or try doing a deck interview spread when you first get it! Ask questions like ‘What can you teach me?’ or ‘How do you communicate best?’ Might turn that initial discomfort into a conversation.
When I use the Hermetic, I find myself paying way more attention to body language and positioning - like watching an old Twilight Zone episode where every shadow and gesture carries weight. The figures’ poses become super important. Are they reaching up or down? Facing left (past) or right (future)? The density of symbols in different areas of the card also creates its own kind of ‘weight’ that replaces color intensity.