Sacred Circle... Yay or nay?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 24 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Riversea	24 Oct 2002
Landon spotted a used copy of the Sacred Circle in a bookstore while he was down visiting his folks last weekend. He wants to know if I am interested in it if it is still there this weekend. I'm not sure... what I've seen of the artwork here on-line, I did like. But I also read that the numbering of the Majors are rather funky. How do people feel about this? And is it Arthurian? I thought I read somewhere that it was. I'm not a big fan of Arthur, not that I have anything against him either. I just don't know that much about him. Thanks! :)

catlin	24 Oct 2002
I love my Sacred Circle tarot dearly although I am usually no fan of computer generated artwork but this one is one of my fav reading decks. It is not so Arthurian like the Legend or the Hollowquest deck but I think you need at least an interest in Celtic/Druidic symbolism to get full profit out of this deck although the book is really well done (see that you'll get the book for this deck!)

Lee	24 Oct 2002
Hi Riversea, if you go to the very first thread in the Tarot Decks forum, called "Partial Table of Contents," in it you'll see an alphabetical listing of much-discussed decks, and there are several threads listed for the Sacred Circle, with lots of very interesting opinions. Have fun! :) -- Lee

Kiama	24 Oct 2002
Hmmm... Yay for the Majors of this deck, Nay for the Minors... The Majors are stunning, and very easy to read of you are Pagan. The Minors are very difficult to read... This deck isn't so much Arthurian as pre-Christian Celtic Pagan... It uses sacred sites in the British Isles in it's cards, and it's symbolism and concepts are all based on the Celtic way of life/belief. The artwork for the Majors is very beautiful aswell, but they are ordered differently to the traditional Majors... Kiama

Demonesse	25 Oct 2002
The Majors are gorgeous, and the deck has an extremely pagan feel to it, BUT the majors are ordered and named (Druid, Shaman, Web) extremely differently (excuse the bad phrasing) - while this is a collector's deck for sure, I don't think it scores high on the readability scale.

WolfSpirit	25 Oct 2002
I would definitely get the deck if you are interested in paganism and want to read more about it (the book is excellent) or like a deck for meditation. I never read with this deck but I use it for meditation, I see so much in the cards I could stare at them for hours. Some people do read with this deck, but you will have to get used to renumbering and renaming.

Bings	25 Oct 2002
I do read with this deck with very good results. I love the Pagan feel it has and the cards are truly beautiful. The book that goes with the deck is wonderful and IMHO a must have for anyone new to this deck. Dianne

Keslynn	25 Oct 2002
I have this deck and have read with it a few times with no real problems. I love the artwork, but I must confess this deck simply doesn't click with me as well as others. The reordering and naming of the majors didn't really cause any problems for me. I only had to refer to the book a couple of times due to that. Actually the new depictions and names convey their meanings fairly clearly to me. It's the minors that are a little problematic. They're "moody minors" which convey a definite feeling, and there are keywords. Once you get used to the deck, there should be few problems reading it. The minors were difficult for me because they just seemed a little distance. However, if this is a deck you really feel a bond with, you shouldn't have any problems. Mine was a lack of connection rather than the artwork or setup, which is very well done. Also, as others have mentioned, the book is really quite good. So go get it! :P :) Kes

Mystica	25 Oct 2002
I love this deck, it's one of my favorites! I think the majors are beautiful!! I do wish the minors were a little more detailed. As far as reading, I use it for majors only readings, 3 to 5 card spreads and the readings have been very clear. The majors are named and numbered differently, but the book is so well written that it's not really a problem. I've learned a lot from the Pagan symbolism, and really treasure this deck.

truthsayer	26 Oct 2002
i think the sacred circle is a beautiful deck. the accompanying book is thick with lots of info on celtic myths and legends and how they relate to each card. i've had the deck over 3 years but haven't found it a readable deck. i am glad to have it for my collection plus the information in the book is worth reading even if you don't use the cards. i think the deck's main problem is that the minors just don't tell me anything. i have to glance at the book often to see if i'm on track with what's going on w/ each card. that's okay for tarot study and self readings but i just can't do a good job reading it for someone else. i consider it a deck for the collector or the advanced reader. however, i'm known to be wrong about these things... ;)

Kazz	26 Oct 2002
Yay...Yay!!! I have this deck with the accompanying book still on lay-by (paying it off rather slowly) I haven't yet seen all the deck, but I was drawn to it almost instantly when I first saw it. I will not know whether or not I will like it for readings, but I don't care as I would be just as happy to have it in my collection. I feel that this deck will be more for me personally, rather than to read for others. Cheers Kazz :TQC

Cerulean	26 Oct 2002
I was curious if those who owned the Sacred Circle also owned the Fairy Oracle...I had a sneaky idea when I read a thread title called Hybrid Decks...what if the majors of the Sacred Circle were the same size as the Fairy Oracle? Even if the backs were a different pattern, I really really like the Fairy Oracle and wouldn't mind 22 majors to add to that deck...so I could do tarot-like readings... I gave away my Sacred Circle years ago because I didn't like the minors very much. But I'd be willing to buy the kit again sometime if the card sizes of the majors were similar to the Fairy Oracle...does anyone think this might be too kooky an idea? Mari H.

WolfSpirit	26 Oct 2002
Just rushed off to check... but the Sacred Circle has bigger cards than the Fairy Ring. Maybe you could still combine them by using one deck for a spread and the other for clarification...

kayne	26 Oct 2002
The Sacred Circle is a lovely looking deck but I can't read with it. I think of it as one of those decks where the idea for the image came before thinking about away of reflecting the meaning clearly... If you are starting a collection - get it, get it, get it but if you want to read with it... there are definately clearer decks around... :)

Demonesse	26 Oct 2002
I didn't notice that the minors looked rather disappointing next to the majors until recently - the swords and cups especially look VERY 'plasticky' (to quote Qolus in another thread), and they don't reflect their meanings well, either - at least from what I've seen. Bah.

The Sacred Circle... Yay or nay? thread was originally posted on 24 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.