Robin Wood

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Zev	10 Oct 2002
I hope someone can give me some kind of reflection on my words here... I have had the Arcus Arcanum for seven years now. I have gotten very close to it and I feel that I really want another deck now. The arcus is good but sometimes a bit hard to read. I always forget the meaning and I always need a interpretation-book beside me when I read. I want a beginners deck that has nice pictures and easy-to-read symbols. As you already have guessed, I think, I am thinking of buying the Robin Wood deck. Is that a wise choice? I donīt want a deck that will lay in my drawer and collect dust. I want a great deck that i can get somewhere with. Of course, I have learned a LOT from the Arcus, but I want a deck that speaks to me directly. I also would like to know if I should get the book as well? I think I might have to... Thanx in advance! /z

faunabay	10 Oct 2002
I really believe you'll find the Robin Wood a great deck to learn with. It's a wonderful all around deck. Many of us here on the forum use this one regularly. It's one of our favorites!!!! :) I definitely recommend getting her book as well. It's easy to read and gives lots of information. Plus it's just an overall fun book to read!!! I can't recommend the Robin Wood enough!!! :D It sounds like you're already drawn to it. I say "go for it"!!!! LOL

Zhritza	10 Oct 2002
I also find the Robin Wood unbelievably clear and comfortable. I have a few small caveats. First, it is very, very Wiccan. You certainly don't need to be Wiccan to connect with it, but if you have a specific ambivalence or dislike toward neo-paganism and/or Wicca, you may not be too thrilled with it. Also it has a fair amount of nudity, most notably in the Lovers card which features full-frontal maleness. (We're not as accustomed to this as to images of naked women, so it seems more startling at first.) Oh, and everyone in it is very white and WASPy -- not that that's very unusual. Other than that, yes, yes, get it! I do not have the book but I understand it is extremely well done.

Jewel	10 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by faunabay I really believe you'll find the Robin Wood a great deck to learn with. It's a wonderful all around deck. Many of us here on the forum use this one regularly. It's one of our favorites!!!! :) I definitely recommend getting her book as well. It's easy to read and gives lots of information. Plus it's just an overall fun book to read!!! I can't recommend the Robin Wood enough!!! :D It sounds like you're already drawn to it. I say "go for it"!!!! LOL I strongly second this! I used the Robin Wood as my primary deck for 7 years and I cannot say enough good things about this deck. I learned more than Tarot with this deck. Through it I discovered so much more. The book is also excellent, if you get the deck get the book too! I think you will really enjoy them both and find them useful.

Minderwiz	10 Oct 2002
I also have the Robin Wood deck and the artwork is excellent - better than Rider Waite Colman. I know some people believe it is too 'nice' and that 'negative' energies are not well represented but that's a matter of taste. In terms of books, I used Tony Louis' Tarot Plain and Simple, when I was beginning and I still reach for it fairly regularly now. He uses Robin Wood as his illustrations and his meanings can easily be applied to it (along with any RWS clone). Even if you try something like Tarot for Yourself or Tarot Reversals, they can be reasonably easily adapted to Robin Wood. Indeed I would think that most introductory books could be reasonably easily adapted. You might have to think things through a bit more with something like Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Minderwiz

truthsayer	10 Oct 2002
i think switching from the cartoonish style of the arcus arcanum to the robin wood would be a pretty smooth transition. i think you'll find it easier to read w/ RW. you're the first person i know that learned on the AA. the robin wood book is difficult to get but worth having. i found it very entertaining and not dry reading. you can buy it off her website or at amazon shops or e-bay. it runs around $15 then s/h. let us know if you get robin wood. it's pretty popular here. i'm curious about how you get on with it. it's not my fav deck but a deck i do feel comfortable using.

catlin	11 Oct 2002
I am also very fond of the Robin Wood deck and suggest you to get it.

Jenny-Li	11 Oct 2002
I think the Robin Wood-deck is really great, as others have mentioned, it's clear and easy to connect to. The good thing about getting the book too, is that the book tells the story of why the artist put a specific object in the picture, and why she chose that specific colour etc, etc. I think it's a good choice for a really accessible deck! Good luck! Light and love, Jenny :)

Maan	11 Oct 2002
hello zev...i'm withe everyone here! :) Robin wood is a great deck and one of my favourites!

Zev	11 Oct 2002
I love you all for being so kind and nice! I thought that I would get this reaction from you. The RW-deck seems very popular and I have now decided to get it! Itīs in the mail as we spek!! I canīt wait to hold it and look at it. I am a witch with many "wicca-vibes" so I think that this deck will be perfect for me! Thank you once again for all your good advices and encouraging words! /z

Zev	11 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer i you're the first person i know that learned on the AA. Really?! Do you think that itīs good or bad to learn tarot by using the Arcus Arcanum? I have often felt that this thing with tarot is too hard. That I will never learn! Do you think that my choice of deck has influenced this feeling? I hope that the Robin Wood deck will take me further into the mysteries of the Tarot-jungle... /z

truthsayer	11 Oct 2002
i don't know if AAs a particularly difficult deck but i'm sensing you have some frustration w/ tarot that resulted from it being time to try another deck. i believe that as we evolve our interests in tarot decks changes. AA was probably the right deck to start w/ for you b/c you didn't give up on learning tarot. i have the AA but i don't read w/ it. i like the comic strip like art. i think i could read with it if i tried b/c there is enough similarity with the rider waite smith that i learned on. some ppl here prefer learning w/ minor arcana being pips. some prefer to have an illustrated minor arcana. everyone has different learning styles. i'm glad you ordered RW. :) it's a great deck particularly if you are into wicca. some of us are on a don quixote like quest to find the ultimate right deck. some of us look some and then settle on a certain deck(s) indefinitely. which will you become? tarot is fun and should never feel like a chore. if it's a chore it's time to do something differnt! we have lots of tarot-holics just itching to corrupt you!! LOL ;)

MystiqueMoonlight	17 Oct 2002
Just to let you guys know I am about to engage in an interview with Robin Wood and it should be up soon..... ;) :cool:

Maan	18 Oct 2002
OO great mystique I'm looking foreward to it:) Thank you

Demonesse	18 Oct 2002
"Accessible" is definitely a word I'd put to the Robin Wood, although I'm one of the opposing camp, believing it's far, far too "nice" as Minderwiz put it...it's very idyllic in a Wiccan/Pagan manner, but the art is good and and there's a sense of life and abundance in those cards. The meanings are very clear...(the Devil card especially), and should be a fairly good choice for a second deck.

The Robin Wood thread was originally posted on 10 Oct 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.