Re-censored decks?

Hi. I got this term "recensored decks" from the "which deck style resonates with you ...." . I opted to put a separate thread because I need to understand this more.

Is "re-censored" the same as "censored"? I'm also curious ... when people create new decks, is there some sort of a screening committee that decides which decks or cards are allowed and which are not? (is it like in the advertising industry where there is an organization who screens the ads to determine if the ads are credible, truthful and so on? - at least in my country, they say there's such a thing although some ridiculous ads still come out.)

After reading through the other thread, I had missed several posts, I now see what you mean. I think they are talking about the artist censoring the meanings to make them more positive. It's not that there is anyone who says what can and can not be used as a definition or what can and can not be used as artwork on the cards. Not that I know of anyway. It's just that the artist wanted to put a positive spin on the definition of an otherwise "negative" card.

One example in the other thread (sorry I forget who posted it) was the tower meaning "surprise party" rather than "abrupt changes".

Soaring Eagle said:

One example in the other thread (sorry I forget who posted it) was the tower meaning "surprise party" rather than "abrupt changes".

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I hate when things are changed... It takes away so much.

Hrm, I guess I don't see a problem with it. I mean, there are some decks that go for the "darker" side of the cards and they aren't seen as censoring. I don't like the idea that all things are warm and cuddly either, but I also don't like the idea that the world is only dark and scary. It's a balance. I love my Bohemian Gothic and my Kitchen Tarot equally.

I'd love a mix, perhaps equally a mix of dark and light symbolism among those cards. Light enough so that, if doing a f2f reading the questioner doesn't get a huge sense of dread at seeing the art upon the card, but not so bubbly happy.

Yes, the other thread was definitely talking about when deck creators decide to change the traditional titles (or meanings) of cards so there are no 'scary bits'. For example, quite a few decks change the name of the death card and call it 'transition', I've also seen a deck change the name of the Devil to 'materialism'. Some people like it and others don't. I expressed my thoughts in the other thread. But there are lots of arguments for and against and at the end of the day, if you don't like it then you don't buy the decks. Ultimately though, if you're an adult and still struggling with the concept of death, then buying a prettied-up-no-scary-bits tarot deck probably isn't going to help you anyway.

There is definitely no censorship body for tarot, it's up to the deck creator/publisher what they decide to do.

I'm sure it would come under the same censorship body as books, should you suddenly decide to create a tarot showing hardcore, graphic sex acts. I mean you can't put *just anything* you want on a tarot card.

sapienza said:

Yes, the other thread was definitely talking about when deck creators decide to change the traditional titles (or meanings) of cards so there are no 'scary bits'. For example, quite a few decks change the name of the death card and call it 'transition', I've also seen a deck change the name of the Devil to 'materialism'. Some people like it and others don't. I expressed my thoughts in the other thread. But there are lots of arguments for and against and at the end of the day, if you don't like it then you don't buy the decks. Ultimately though, if you're an adult and still struggling with the concept of death, then buying a prettied-up-no-scary-bits tarot deck probably isn't going to help you anyway.

There is definitely no censorship body for tarot, it's up to the deck creator/publisher what they decide to do.

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Yes. That.

It was me who used the expression, off the top of my head. I'd never seen it used elsewhere in terms of an external body which censors tarot. I meant deck makers who think we can't deal with the truth. Or that we're all reading for 7 year old childen or something.

It always seems such a downer. I know so many people whose first experience with tarot was seeing a spooky death card and all the magic and eeriness that this image can provoke in us and then to go and change this most fundamental image in tarot. It really is the most dramatic, most fundamental card in the pack. Why wrench the heart out of something like that? Or that excrutiating Devil card in the Robin Wood.

I think that in some cases renaming certain cards could work out well, providing some thought has been taken as to what to change the name to. For example, I think "materialism" for the Devil is just lazy and shows no vision.

On the other, if a deck were to change the card, for example the Devil, to some other meaningful archetype that in popular imagination parallels the original Devil, then I could come to live with it, since it is done not only for the sake of doing it, but with something to say and an original message.

Say, change Death for, oh, I don't know... Winter? Autumn? An empty cake tin? Or if you want to get biblical, Mozes parting the Red Sea?

In my most favorite deck, Vision Quest, Death is Transformation. To me this makes more sense than if they had named it death. This is a native deck, and I don't know the beliefs of EVERY nation of native peoples, but my people (yes, I'm native) believe that the spirit is transformed upon death of the body. It goes to the Great Spirit (God if you will) and is transformed to somethings else. This makes sense to me, so if this card were Death, it would not make as much sense.

I also was not raised with the "Devil" in my beliefs and in it's place is Torment. I see this as following the native belief system. Is it wrong, maybe for someone who doesn't know this belief system, but for me no. But I don't think the overall definition of the card is changed.

I don't consider this a "censored" deck, just renamed cards as appropriate. It would all depend on what they changed the name and pictures on the card to.