Reflection of society...

I was going to post this in the nudity thread but i think this is a more general question/query.

why are the majority of the decks not a true reflection of society? most decks seem to only depict people with european features (not sure how to say that without affending anyone). I know there are a few that are a bit more diverse, and some decks thats their selling point...but on the whole its disappointing to see soo many modern decks that dont reflect society, but the way the media portray society.


any comments?

I think for most publishers it is a major "hot potato" issue. You want to provide your target audience with products that they will buy. The choice of artist and style would be paramount for me. I like varied body types, but I don't want an overly cartoony or "naive" style for something like that. I'd like to see the quality of classical or medical text art, but without the archaic posing. I would prefer a diverse deck, but a simple race to suit will bring down wrath if people think the choice is demeaning or too simple. And if you alternate by pip/number qualities, you will still get the criticisms of "Why did you choose X for that!"

I posted in a different thread about how I'd like to see magnetic tarot "paper dolls" where a set of clothing & accessories for each card could be fit on 5 different bodies.

ETA: I can't remember who or which thread, but someone also brought up the point that historically tarot was created in Europe and for white European clients. (My apologies if I've mangled the concept!)

cardlady22 said:

ETA: I can't remember who or which thread, but someone also brought up the point that historically tarot was created in Europe and for white European clients. (My apologies if I've mangled the concept!)

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i understand historically, but now, and still too many standard decks are simply european and we have all be intergrated for decades now

i stopped buying womens magazines, and one of the main reasons was that there were no black faces i could identify with, i dont want to have to start doing that to tarot decks. It also severely limits the choice you get

I wonder if some publisher could have a multi-deck designed and let people specify which suit of Minors they prefer for each?

Hi, 214red. I'm sure I remember integrated-society tarot decks from when I was cruising the Cards listings. If you give me a wee while, I'll go back and look for them, and reference them here by name.

swimming in tarot said:

Hi, 214red. I'm sure I remember integrated-society tarot decks from when I was cruising the Cards listings. If you give me a wee while, I'll go back and look for them, and reference them here by name.

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there are a few, i know a handful, but compared to the number of decks out there i feel its a small percentage, and even the new ones being created are often still often very european

Here's one:

African American Tarot

And this one:

African Tarot

The Deviant Moon, if I recall, has some black people. And the World Spirit and the OOP Ancestral Path has one suit that depicts black people.

Another one:

Afro-Brazilian

The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot is another one.

I'm back!
Grizabella has offered a list of decks which feature, primarily, black-skinned people. Here are some that are more multicultural, which include black-skinned people:
Bright Ideas, World Spirit, Les Adorables, Maat, Gaian, Daughters of the Moon. The Women, Goddess, and Multicultural theme lists seems to be good places to look.

214red said:

I was going to post this in the nudity thread but i think this is a more general question/query.
why are the majority of the decks not a true reflection of society? most decks seem to only depict people with european features (not sure how to say that without affending anyone). I know there are a few that are a bit more diverse, and some decks thats their selling point...but on the whole its disappointing to see soo many modern decks that dont reflect society, but the way the media portray society.
any comments?

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Well, I think I can promise that what you are complaining about is going to change. I've done the words and the thinking, someone else is doing the pics as we speak ... all very hush-hush, but as we're a multicultural and multi-racial society, I too wasn't happy with the balance of skin tones I was seeing.

There are some other decks that try: there are a couple of token Asians in a deck I saw recently (can't remember what one) and the Klimpt, which I recently reviewed has a few Asians and one recurring black man (who isn't black - he's a fairly light mixed-race). I'm hoping my collaborator and I get that, plus a sense of the 21st century as an exciting place to live, right.

There's also the Motherpeace. I forgot about that one.

And maybe Tarot of the Crone, but I'm not sure I'm remembering that right.