Buckland Romani or Wild Spirit?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Rhiannon	04 Jun 2002
Help me pick my birthday present! I just can't decide between these 2 decks. The Wild Spirit is just gorgeous, but I'm concerned about what I've read.. that the book is a little vague. And the BR is also a beautiful deck. Somebody please help me decide! Rhiannon :)

Lee	04 Jun 2002
If you like a more traditional tarot structure, then I would definitely vote for the Buckland Romani. -- Lee

Scorpion	04 Jun 2002
Hmmmm - there's a recent post somewhere on the Buckland: I think it's one of Truthsayer's. I'll see if I can bump it up to give you some opinions from that. I've got it but I'm not mad keen on it - maybe I need to work with it. As I think Kiama mentions elsewhere, it was one of those cases where I fell for the artwork on the box only to find that the cards didn't match the promise. Fraid I don't have Wild Spirit so I can't pass an opinion on that.

Scorpion	04 Jun 2002
And I've just noticed the reference Truth made to Eileen Cannon's Witches Tarot - I agree, but of the two I think I prefer the Witches Tarot.

Violet Gargoyle	04 Jun 2002
Maybe you should go with the first instinct. Do you like naked and wild, or sophisticated and organized? I myself would be affected by the seasons I think, when spring fever first hit I ended up getting the Wild Spirit tarot, Whereas a few months before when the snow settled in I gave in to the itching of something proper (the Victoria Regina in my case).

truthsayer	05 Jun 2002
i would have a hard time choosing b/t either deck. i love the images themselves of the cards. the book tends to sound a bit preachy/self-righteous at times. the cards supposedly tell their own story but i think diane wilkes review at passages hits the nail on the head about the author having a point to make and uses the book/cards as a vehicle. most of the cards traditional names have been changed and are barely recognizable as what we expect to see in a deck. i don't regret getting it b/c i enjoy seeing the creativity expressed in it. read it? i don't know. my cat really likes the buckland romani. the cards are nice. i haven't had time to really get into the deck/book yet. i will more likely be able to read this deck b/c it follows more traditional patterns. the names of the suites have been changed so i have to get set in my mind what the correlations are. there are some really nice changes like the magician is a woman. the high priestess is an older woman. i found what i read in the book around romani life/social structure in relation to these cards interesting. i look forward to learning more. i must advise you, rhiannon, that as a tarot-holic it is my duty to encourage you to get both. your life will not be complete w/o both. your friends here will be so happy for you to have both. you will help us all feel less guilty for the 2 dozen decks we bought in the past month-so you have to do this for us!!!! :D LOL okay, playing my hand as devil's advocate-#15. ;) :D }>

Rhiannon	05 Jun 2002
Thanks guys! That helped. Especially you, truth, since OF COURSE you have both. I should have just asked you tarotholics right way because I'm sure that all of you have both! LOL The problem is that if I get both that I can't go to the bookstore and pick up all the sequels to some of the new books I've been reading and I can go through a book in about 4 days... so I'm home all day with nothing to read!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHH! That's a very scary prospect. I'll get one now and one for X-mas/Yule and then I'll have both and still have my books too. So, for now my life will be imcomplete, but at least I won't be bored to death, and my bank account will thank me. ;) Rhiannon :)

Jewel	05 Jun 2002
~Smiles at Truthsayer~ ... well Rhiannon, that is a tough choice, they are two totally different styles of decks. I also have both decks, and since you seemed to want Taro-holics to come forward, here I am. Like Truthsayer, I believe you should have both ... now ... *LOL*. Like you I also love reading, and go right through books, so I do understand your dilema. So trying to respect the fact that you are only going to buy one of these decks now, and that I really do not know what you like most about a deck, here goes my 2 cents: I love the Tarot of the Wild Spirit. I agree with what Truthsayer and Diane Wilkes say about the book now that I have read through the whole thing, however the cards are so bright and beautiful that once you read through the book you will choose to read this deck intuitively ... that works well for me. I primarily use this deck for spiritual development work. If I could only have one of the two decks now, I would choose the Wild Spirit. To me this deck is vibrant. Now ... I really like the Buckland Romani too!, then again I am fascinated by Gypsy lore. It is a beautiful deck and although I have not read the book for the deck yet, I have read other books by Raymond Buckland and I like his writing style. The suits have been renamed, but stay within traditional correspondences so if you prefer a traditional deck you should get this one over the Wild Spirit. Hope my rambling helps, and hope you get lucky and get to get both decks plus your sequels!!!! Happy Birthday! :)

truthsayer	05 Jun 2002
i have to agree w/ jewel that despite the agenda of the wild spirit i like it better than BR. the art is just wonderful and vibrant. i really love the involvement of nature. i have always enjoyed gypsy lore, too. i look forward to learning more. the art isn't as alive as the wild spirit tho. btw, rhiannon, what books are you reading that are so important to read that you can't get another deck? if they're that good, i may want to read them, too! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Kaz	05 Jun 2002
dunno when you have b-day, but congrats :-) may you have many decks as pressies ;-) kaz

Lee	06 Jun 2002
Sorry to be a big 'ole meanie again, but I've taken the three most recent posts for this thread and moved them to Chat under the title "Summer Reading" (for want of a better title), as they were conspicuously non-Tarot-Deck-related! :D -- Lee

Jenny-Li	06 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Rhiannon Help me pick my birthday present! I just can't decide between these 2 decks. The Wild Spirit is just gorgeous, but I'm concerned about what I've read.. that the book is a little vague. And the BR is also a beautiful deck. Somebody please help me decide! Rhiannon :) Happy Birthday! :D Actually - I have the Buckland deck, and never use it. It's beautiful and I LOVE the art, but the things I don't like about it is actually the very same thing you write as concerns for the Wild Spirit! Gorgeous, but with a vague book...! I think it's a wonderful deck, but you need to be more experienced (probably) than I was when I got it. Still, the artwork is stunning, some cards are just so amazing...! Jenny :)

Kaz	06 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Lee Sorry to be a big 'ole meanie again, but I've taken the three most recent posts for this thread and moved them to Chat under the title "Summer Reading" (for want of a better title), as they were conspicuously non-Tarot-Deck-related! :D -- Lee LOL @ lee :P you wish you did..... :) have a look,they are at the tech-support forum , rofl kaz

Lee	06 Jun 2002
Well, now I guess I'm a big 'ole CLUMSY meanie. I've PM'd Solandia and asked her to move it to Chat, which is where I was *trying* to move it. So by all means post away on the thread in Tech Support, and then hopefully it will soon be in Chat. Boy, that thread sure is getting a great tour of Aeclectic Tarot Forums... -- Lee

Jewel	06 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kaz LOL @ lee :P you wish you did..... :) have a look,they are at the tech-support forum , rofl kaz I had been looking for those all day!!! *LOL* no wonder I could not find them ~looks at Lee and giggles~ ;)

Sam	18 Jun 2002
i have a simple answer: get both!

The Buckland Romani or Wild Spirit? thread was originally posted on 04 Jun 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.