Shining Tribe Tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Aug 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Solandia	27 Aug 2001
The Shining Tribe Tarot is Deck of the Week on Aeclectic Tarot this week. Do you have this deck, or its predecessor, the Shining Woman Tarot? What do you think of it? My full review of the Shining Tribe Tarot is available here. I wasn't that keen on it originally, but it grew on me. ~ Solandia

truthsayer	27 Aug 2001
i have both. at first the art turned me off but as i read her books, i saw what was behind her drawings and they became much deeper and meaningful to me. it is like learning an entirely new system of card reading because there aren't any reference points to traditional cards in the art even tho i can see traditional meanings in the card definitions. basically, i've been reading it like an oracle deck until i get her system down better. rachel pollack clearly put more creative thought and originality into this deck than one usually expects to see in a tarot deck. i really do like it but it's definitely not one of the decks i can do a quickie with.

Talisman	27 Aug 2001
Some offbeat thoughts on this deck . . . I think it is always interesting to read about how the artist created the deck. The best example I've seen is the Robin Wood deck. In her book, Robin explains exactly why and how she created each card, right down to her tool and methods. Wouldn't you love to have a book by Pamela Smith about the hows and whys involved in creating her deck? (I've read Waite, and holy cow! In my mind this will always be the Smith deck.) Anyway, Rachel Pollack tried to work with different artists, but it seems their symbolism and vision crept in (gosh, I should hope so) and changed her vision. So, she did it herself. Well, just looking at the scans online, her efforts are pretty awkward. But, without ever having read a word of it, I'll betcha the writing is wonderful. Rachel Pollack is a good writer. (Actually, anyone who has normal hand-eye coordination can learn to draw well. All it takes is thought and practice, and junking the "I can't draw at all" mentality. Rachel never allowed herself the time to do this practice -- her art is inept. But her conception is, well, Rachel Pollack.) Talisman

Dee 04	27 Aug 2001
I used to have the Shining Woman Deck ... and I agree with Truth...it is like learning a new system. Althought I really liked it as a "pretty interesting" deck, I found it difficult to read. I assume Shining Tribe is the same ... have never seen it up close. :)

Melvis	01 Sep 2001
I recently purchased the Shining Tribe Tarot, having put it off for awhile because the artwork didn't really 'sing' to me (as someone else on this forum put it. ;) ) But like truthsayer, Rachel Pollacks words really inspired me to look a little deeper. It is going to be more work than I'm used to doing with a new deck, but I know I'll gain in the end from all of the different cultural viewpoints Rachel illustrates. I also agree with talisman's assessment of Rachel's art skills (or lack therof). The artwork of a deck is very important to me, so I had a tough time overcoming that to get this deck. (Not that I am an artist myself, but the excellent book, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain," made me think that I could be one someday.) In the end, it was the fact that I had learned so much from reading her "Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom" that helped me decide to buy the deck/book set. Peace, Melvis _________________________________ "I always do the first line well, but I have trouble with the others." Moliere, 1659

The Shining Tribe Tarot thread was originally posted on 27 Aug 2001 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.