Moon Garden tarot

[RedEarth]

Has anyone got this? I bought it, as I read the review and it was suggested as a good children's one. My first impressions of it were that is felt quite magical, soft, ethereal. But trying to read it, that is another matter! I find the individual images cluttered and confusing.
What does anyone else think?


RedEarth

[Baby Owl]

I have and use this deck. I agree that it can be difficult to read. The colors and pictures do seem childlike, but I'm not sure it's a good deck for a child to learn tarot with.

[Ruby7]

I have this deck, and like the pretty, dreamy artwork, but I cannot read at all with this deck. I agree with what you said Redearth about it being confusing and cluttered. Ruby7

[truthsayer]

maybe it's because my mind is dreamy and cluttered that i can read this deck. ;) i find it very beautiful and nice to the touch. i guess it would depend on the child whether or not the deck would work. a child that loves fantasy creatures would love it as opposed to one who does not. if you are looking for a child-like deck that's easier to read, try the halloween,whimsical or the hanson roberts. they are more reminiscent of the waite smith.

[Logiatrix]

red earth,
yes, i have this deck and it is one i use regularly.
the fantasy element and pastel colors may certainly imply that this is a "child-friendly" deck, but i don't totally agree. perhaps it depends on the child (age, maturity, interest). there aren't any scary images that i can recall, but the symbolism still strikes me as somewhat too intricate for, say, a grade-schooler. i'm thinking maybe jr. high and up for this deck (?)...
personally, i LOVE it.
just like truthsayer, i'm dreamy and cluttered, so me and the moongarden get along great!
:)

[Ruby Red Slippers]

I just acquired this deck, thanks to Dakini....AND I love it! I'm fiding it very easy to read. CJ also has a great bag for these cards with a stamp of the Fairy Garden on the front. Perfect.

Perhaps I'm like Truthsayer with a "dreamy & cluttered mind" but I see a lot in the cards. In fact found it perfect to do a tarot story with... the images open up the meaning of the cards and allow the mind to wonder/wander in.....

Personally, think the Whimsical might be better for a child, depending on the age. The book that Dorothy Morrison wrote that goes with it, also gives good advice on starting a child into the world of Tarot. The book was $8.00 on Amazon. :)

Ruby Red Slippers

[Butterfly]

This was my favourite deck for many years. There is a book that you can buy individually, that explains the symbolism. By the same author. It's lost in my house somewhere, otherwise I'd give you more details, sorry.
Still, for many cards, it really closely matches RWS.

[Maan]

I have this deck too. I don't use it much but i can read with it.
It has more depths than you would suspect at firts glance.

[punkangelgcm437]

Bringin an old thread back to life.

The book that goes with it is called "Tarot Of A Moon Garden" by Karen Marie Sweikhardt. Published by U.S. Games. Its about 150 pages long...and a pretty nifty book. For each card, there is a ritual...some of them look awesome (like the moons) but I havent tried any of them. Only thing I dont like about it, is that it doesnt consider reversed meanings...but the LWB does.

I have this deck, and have for about 2 years. It was my first and I love it so much. I find it a more of an intuitive deck...and some of the cards have different meanings to me than the more commonly known (2 of Pent for example). But, I think it's a good child deck (considering I am still a child...well...15. Childish enough.). No scary images...except maybe the devil card but even that one isnt so bad. I think it really connects the minors with people tho..cuz you can see the pain in the 10 Swords.

If you'd like to see what the book says about certain cards...PM me and I'll type it up for yuh RedEarth.

[genna]

I wouldn´t on first thought recommend The Moon Garden as a deck to learn with,because the symbolism in the Minors isn´t as clear(at first) as in other decks built on R-W´s; the Hanson-Roberts for example.(The devil in the R-W and Hanson´Robert´s IS scary,so maybe not for the young).I think he Moon-Garden is a very good second deck for both children and adults;it´s my favourite R-W clone to read with now.

Also agree with Sarah that you may use the Moon Garden as first deck if you have books that point out the symbols;like the book that goes with the deck and/or some good books based on Rider-Waite symbolism;like Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack,The Complete Book of Tarot by Juliet Sharman-Burke,Joan Bunning´s book etc.(Investing in a pocket R-W to compare with might be good too).

Moon Garden is such a lovely deck that you should get it if you feel drawn to it.I have had mine almost since I started with Tarot,and still love it,only,for me, it took some time,and an extra deck,and a very good book, to learn how to read with it.

One problem I have with the Moon Garden book is all the complicated rituals included,as if it tries to be two books in one.I also have problems with it teaching that two special cards togeather means physical death.The author might read those cards that way,but there are many other interpretations of that combination.

For a child,I would recommend The Inner Child Cards for a first deck,even if it´s not a Rider-Waite clone.

[punkangelgcm437]

Genna...
Its been awhile since I've read the book that goes with the deck...cuz Ive found better resources. But what 2 cards together did she say meant physical death??

Edited to add: Nevermind Genna...I found it myself. Death + 10 Swords = Physical Death. To me it sounds more like someone is changing and is really upset about it.

But I do agree that the book does try to serve too many purposes. The rituals are pretty cool...but if that's what I wanted I woulda bought a ritual book, not a book going with the deck.

Some of the symbolism isn't as standard or common, but I still think its a great learning deck. Genna's idea of having another one with it is a pretty good idea.

Maybe I just love the deck cuz it was my first (and only for a long time). Special feelings towards it. :)

Edited: Spelling and stuff to Genna

[Ambrosia]

Hi there, you mentioned that one thing you didnt like about the moon garden book was that it doesnt have reversed meanings. I think she has tried to incorporate both the negatives and the positives in a reading. PEACE.

[Moonbow*]

My 12 year old daughter has this deck and she understands it and enjoys the artwork. She's very artistic herself and notices very minute detail that I think some adults miss. She said she feels this deck is designed for children which is why she thinks adults can find it difficult to read with. She has 8 decks herself, 3 of which ar tarot.

Moonbow*

[Lurea]

I'm getting this deck through a trade; I didn't know there was a book available!

*runs off to check Amazon*

[seule]

I'm interested in this deck though I've never seen it for an odd reason. My only connection is that people keep telling my they search for my novel of same name (moon garden) on amazon and a taor deck comes up. Hope they buy both :-)

[tarotbear]

I had this deck very early in my tarot developement and eventually sold it! I thought there were too many repetitious images - particularly in the Wands - who can see at first glance if there are 6 trees or 7 trees in the card? Since seemed to hve almost nothing to do with the Rider - which I didn't own at the time, BTW - and I was researching meanings with Rider-based imagery - I decided to sell it to a student after working with it both satisfactorily and unsatisfactorily for about a year.

Although I do wish at times I had it in my collection - as an example of a deck NOT to buy - I thought it was too cutesy-poopsie to be taken seriously.

[Citrin]

Currently I'm not reading with this deck, not sure why actually? It feels more fall/summer'ish to me though, now that I think of it... Perhaps I'll pick it up in a few months. :)

I used to read exclusively with the Moon Garden Tarot for months though. It gave me VERY clear answers and I found it very soothing and dreamy. Amazing deck, in my opinion. You really have to "get into" the images though, and genuinly like the deck, then it will speak.:)

I liked the minors. Similar? A bit. They helped me to think more though, look for small details and make connections with the major arcana, in a way the RWS didn't do for me at one time...

[anjocoxo]

I have this deck for a while (can´t even remember when I bought it) and I just can´t read with it. I don't know, but those images don't click, if you know what I mean... I spread them and they just... stay there. They don't tell me anything.

I'm desperately trying to trade it.

anjocoxo

[Babylon_Jasmine]

My mother has the moongarden tarot deck and I will sometimes help her do readings with it. I don't really know the deck though, so I just had her describe the pictures to me and gave back my feedback. I m glad to know it is based on the RWS as that was the model I had been following.

[Grizabella]

I wouldn't recommend it for a child myself. I'd give a child something more easy to understand and relate to RWS.