Round Tarot Decks and Energy Levels

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 02 Feb 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

divinerguy	02 Feb 2002
As some of you know, I bought the Daughters of the Moon Tarot. Its a round deck which incorporates energy levels in the readings. To use it, you read as directed by the LWB, but, in an additional step, you look at the card's orientation as compared to a clock. Example - When you deal a card, its top can be in any position, because its round. If the top is at "3 o'clock" - the energy level is decreasing, and will be at its lowest at 6. As it progresses through the "clock" after the 6 o'clock low, energy levels increase. I feel this more closely mirrors life, as people's energy levels ebb and flow. The problem is that Daughters of the Moon is very pagan and very feminist, with only two male characters in the deck. (And one of those is optional). While a powerful deck, it is not particularly friendly to men. I'd love another choice in round decks. Motherpeace is okay, but the artwork is pretty primitive. Somgs for the Journey Home is simply "way out there." Tarot of the Cloisters is almost a theme deck, and is not very inspiring. Would someone please make a good round deck? Gary

Li	02 Feb 2002
Hi Gary, I am an illustrator and graphic designer(not by nature) and I feel I will very soon be creating a deck as my feelings about decks are becoming very clear to me; I mean I feel I know what I need to create. The idea of a round deck I find very exciting - I might invest in that deck - you have intrigued me! What do you mean by, "To use it, you read as directed by the LWB?" And apart from thr feminine slant, how do you find the readings? Are they successful?

kayne	02 Feb 2002
Hmm... Thanks Gary, maybe that is the direction I should go in my next deck... I really like that concept. 8-) K

divinerguy	02 Feb 2002
Because Daughters of the Moon uses non-traditional card names, and re-distributes negative attributes more evenly across the suits, the Little White Book (LWB) is helpful in detemining divinatory meanings. The author's opinion is that Rider-Waite decks pack too much negativity into Swords. I'd be fine with Daughters' renaming of cards - people do it all the time. My problem is the wholesale changing of card corespondences; its just too much of a change from the norm. Also, the anti-male rhetoric in the literature is a big turn off. Tarot is about archetypes, not politics. Tarot of the Cloisters would be okay, but they went too far with the stained glass effect. It is distracting and is not inspiring. The Motherpeace might be a nice compromise, but the art is a little on the primitve side. One nice thing about Motherpeace is the small deck size of its "mini" version. Its very user friendly. While some might consider Motherpeace a feminist deck as well, it does include male figures, which I consider necessary for balance. Gary

faunabay	02 Feb 2002
I really want a round deck also. I even bought the Songs from the Journey Home. Just didn't work for me. I want a deck that is a bit more....I don't know....stylized I guess. I don't like the primitive artwork on the Motherpeace and you're right divinerguy, Cloisters goes too far in the other direction by being too...oh I don't know....too themed I guess. But I would really like to find a round deck that is a bit more generic I guess is what I mean. Not necessarity generic but accessable to more people, not such a narrow focus. Motherpeace - feminist. Cloisters - Christian. Songs - ???

purplelady	05 Feb 2002
I totally agree! There should be more round decks!!! BTHDC (before the huge deck collection :-D ) I mainly used the motherpeace , I think I will always Love that deck. Then I discovered Daughters of the Moon , and while it is a truly beautiful and unique deck , I too find the card changes difficult to read with lately. The other decks I don't have . Though songs for the journey home looks nice , I just don't care for the broken up stained glass effect of the cloisters. I LOVE round decks and wish there were more of a variety out there.

divinerguy	05 Feb 2002
I going to give the Motherpeace a try. The Mini-Motherpeace seems to be more convenient than the pepperoni pizza size. I looked at her website, and exchanged e-mails. She seems like a nice enough person, so I'll give it a whirl. GAry

raeanne	06 Feb 2002
I have the Motherpeace and Tarot of the Cloisters. I also have a round non-tarot deck called Oracle of the Dreamtime by Donni Hakanson. I really like this non-tarot deck. The review on Aeclectic states that it has 78 cards but it doesn’t. It only has 45 cards. The pictures are created by Aboriginal artists and depict stories and legends from the Australian Aboriginal people. The book explains the stories very well. Each card has a small picture of a hand on the top edge of the card so you can tell if the card is upright, reversed, or somewhere in between. The little hand picture can also be used to see if two cards are reaching for each other, reaching in opposite directions, both reaching for a third card, or many other combinations. These little hand symbols add another level to understanding the interaction of the layout. My only complaint with this deck is that the card stock seems a bit thin. But, it shuffles OK for me and I have had it for about 3-4 years and they seem to be holding up well. Anyway, I too would like to see a good round tarot deck.

amyel	06 Feb 2002
Hi raeanne, I have been looking at the Dreamtime Oracle on Amazon for awhile now. I did my undergrad thesis in art history on contemporay Aboriginal art, so these attract me. I really like how you described the hands "reaching out for each other". I'll have to give these a try. Now if I just wait for the Cdn dollar to increase in value!!!!!

RedEarth	01 Apr 2003
I have these round cards and I think they are wonderful. They were my first (well technically second but I don't use the first one at all) deck of cards and I love the way the cards interact with each other. The artwork is amazing, and the book that comes with the cards could stand on it's own with out the cards as insight into the Australian aboriginals teachings and traditions. The cards seem to be alive with power and wisdom, and the animals and images depicted speak volumes. Thoroughly recommended. Sharon

truthsayer	01 Apr 2003
the star that never walks around by stella bennett is a round deck no one has mentioned. i believe when it first came out some of us looked at the scans of the cards and dissed it. being the tarot loonie bird i am, i bought a copy. the art isn't the best i've ever seen but stella is very ernest about her work. she learned about tarot and the native american culture from her NA grandmother at a very young age. she isn't just a new age flake who wants to be NA. she at least has genetics and family history on her side. She has been reading tarot over fifty years. WOW! i don't think anyone here can top that in years experience. gender seems to be balanced. i haven't done a reading on it yet but stella's tarot has a clear heart to it and no hidden agendas that i can discern. give it a try. focus on her book and knowledge and i really believe that the art will grow on you.

Astraea	01 Apr 2003
This is another really nice round deck. It's not a tarot, but a collection of beautiful colored mandalas for meditation and divination, and it is surprisingly easy to read. The deck was created by a student of the Alice A. Bailey material and has a high-level energy, IMO. You can read about it here http://www.wicce.com/cosmicdeck.html I agree with truthsayer, The Star that Never Walks Around is not the best artistically, but it is very sincere and the energy is clear.

Cerulean	01 Apr 2003
Has anyone used the Oracle of the Dreamtime as a supplemental oracle to another tarot? I like the suggestions posted. Here's a few ideas. And for curiousity's sake, is there a square, small or mini-deck that someone might put on round cards to try for interesting readings? It's be quite a job to mount large cards on a template of a circle, but I'm curious enough to try this with a small deck. I'm tempted to do this with an Egyptian or Celtic theme deck or an astrology oracle, if I find the right one. Liz Greene authored an astrology set that has two packs of the same images, so that might be a good start. If you have scans of your art and are developing a set of majors already, maybe trying a round format would work. I do have a set of collaged/painted majors almost ready to scan and post somewhere...so I'm interested if other people think this is a good project for discussion on the making tarot cards section. Mari H.

darwinia	01 Apr 2003
I can't believe you guys don't like Songs for the Journey Home. I don't find it "out there" at all. I've used it for both exercises and one card readings, stories etc. and I love it, it always makes sense to me. I just used it this morning for a 4-card thingy and was so pleased that I could read with it without consulting the book (although the book is a small treasure itself.) It takes a bit of getting used to, but as a deck that tells a story rather than emulates the R-W deck religiously, I like it. I also love the softness of the coloured pencil artwork. This is the only round deck I own but I agree that there's something neat about round decks. Perhaps just the physical focus of the shape? Cardstock is cardstock, I don't think it has any special energy because of the shape, but it definitely focuses the eye and seems a fresher frame for the colours and message. You feel like you're working with something special. It's a fabulous deck, I love it.

HudsonGray	01 Apr 2003
I wonder if the Tarot Garden site has a breakdown of round decks in their database? They seem to know every deck on the planet.

Ellie	02 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by freesiaskye It takes a bit of getting used to, but as a deck that tells a story rather than emulates the R-W deck religiously, I like it. I also love the softness of the coloured pencil artwork. Freesiaskye, I really enjoy this deck too - for the same reasons you discussed. This is indeed a Storyteller's deck. I like decks that let you rely on your own intuitiveness rather than fall back on a set of standardized interpretations. The 'Songs' deck is very well thought out - it does have a feminine feel to it, but it's not feminist as in Motherpeace or D.O.M. (IMO) It's my favorite round deck...and among my top favorites of all the other shaped decks. ;) Be well, Ellie

RedEarth	02 Apr 2003
[quote]Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki [b]Has anyone used the Oracle of the Dreamtime as a supplemental oracle to another tarot? I have started using Glastonbury tarot alongside Oracle of the Dreamtime. The dreamtime cards are the main focus,however i may draw the first card from the Glastonbury tarot deck first, or last, depends really! It's funny because when I told my friend that I felt the Glastonbury tarot and Dreamtime cards got along well, she commented that there are alot of Australians living in Glastonbury! Danni Hakanson, the author of Dreamtime, uses a 'kobong' card as the last card in most of her spreads.Kobong is an aboriginal word loosely meaning ‘totem’. The kobong card can show you how you are influencing your life. It applies to your own actions and personality, and how you directly influence the course of the situation you are inquiring about. It nearly alwys ties everything together, so I donot want to replace this card, though I might draw a tarot card along with it for extra insight. HTH Sharon (RedEarth)

RedEarth	02 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Astraea This is another really nice round deck. It's not a tarot, but a collection of beautiful colored mandalas for meditation and divination, and it is surprisingly easy to read. The deck was created by a student of the Alice A. Bailey material and has a high-level energy, IMO. You can read about it here http://www.wicce.com/cosmicdeck.html I looked at the link, they look beautiful! Thanks for letting us know. Sharon

Molly	06 Apr 2003
Hey all! I really love the motherpeace deck, but I can totally see how it is not for everyone.... I had the tarot of the cloisters and traded it away, as it was so busy... and I thought I was crazy because I don't really like the SFTJH deck - I thought I was the only one who felt that way. I mean, I LOVE the art on some cards and just get nothing out of others. So, I too think there should be more round decks to choose from. I did come across this review at tarot passages http://www.tarotpassages.com/rishisvsb.htm for a round deck in progress. My father-in-law is Indian so I was especially excited to see this culture portrayed... alas, it is still not published. Hopefully, this, and others to follow!

Ravenswing	08 Apr 2003
Hey Super D-- I'm working out a hexagonal deck. Creates nice tiling-- there's nine different patternings for a three card reading. The cards can fall in six positions-- read them as you will, I look at them as a possible time factor... You can check out the alpha version-- a little over half finished-- in Tarot Decks > in progress: tarot of the four worlds... Hopefully finished by the end of '04... fly well Raven

The Round Tarot Decks and Energy Levels thread was originally posted on 02 Feb 2002 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.