Hanson-Roberts:cute? I don't think so!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Nov 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

ShyButSly	20 Nov 2002
Hi everyone, A few months ago, I was reading posts about H-R deck and most people thought of this deck as being cute. Some thought that it was too childish and not for serious readings. Anyway, I saw pics of the cards and decided to get it. After a few readings, I realized that this deck tells the truth. Even when the truth was hard to hear, this deck did not try to spare my feelings. And it was also there for me when I really needed advice a few nights ago. I feel there's a lot of emotion in this deck, which is good because I'm an emotional person. Is there anyone else who feels this way, or am I alone on this one? I would love to hear your opinions.

Phoenix	20 Nov 2002
Most of the people here know my opinion on the HR. I am glad it works for you, and that you like it. That is important when reading tarot. But I still think that this deck is too cutsey. It makes me want to slip into a diabetic coma, and the big heads are a real turn-off. I am glad you like it though. Happy reading!

MystiqueMoonlight	21 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Phoenix Most of the people here know my opinion on the HR. I am glad it works for you, and that you like it. That is important when reading tarot. But I still think that this deck is too cutsey. It makes me want to slip into a diabetic coma, and the big heads are a real turn-off. I am glad you like it though. Happy reading! Oh Phoenix :) I have never seen this deck before. So I took a look to try and understand your diabetic coma analogy. I just want to make one comment though, has anyone noticed the children in this deck (take a look at the 10 of Cups) look like cabbage patch kids :) ShyButSly, I'm glad you find this deck works for you. Don't let anyone distract you from it.

Keslynn	21 Nov 2002
Shybutsly, I definitely had similar experiences with this deck. I got it because of the great artwork and the small size of the cards. I never really expected it to be a main deck of mine, and that's a good thing! I only use this deck when I want the absolute no-holds-barred, tough love truth. Every time I read with this deck, it gives me a good slap to the old Leo ego (that's not cute!). While I know that I need it once in a while, I don't need that kind of honesty on a day to day basis. On the other hand, this is one of my main reading decks for others. First of all, the images are generally easy for even complete newbies to understand, and they're relatively non-threatening. As for the honesty, well, I usually only get to read for people once so I figure I should make it hard-hitting and meaningful. But I would never use it if I knew the querent needed sympathy more than a much-needed shove. If that makes any sense... Hope you continue to enjoy this deck, despite the tough love! I don't use mine often but it fills an important role for me. :) Kes

Maan	21 Nov 2002
I like this deck too. Its was my maind deck for a couple of years. And although it looks sweet is certainly does not give sweet, cute ore nice answers. Its tells it like it is :) O and the backs..i really thinks there the nicest backs i know:) Enjoy your hanson roberts

fairyhedgehog	21 Nov 2002
Okay, some of the pictures are cute or sweet, but by no means all. The ten of swords is very bloody compared to the Universal Waite for example. I find HR a kind of fairytale tarot - and I'm talking Brothers Grimm, not pc modern fairytales :) And, yes, it is honest. It is full of emotion and easily readable. When I want comfort I use Moon Garden, or Whimsical or even my new Renaissance by Trevisan. I really don't turn to HR for comfort.

Kiama	21 Nov 2002
I find the Hanson Roberts deck is very childlike, in that it is always open and honest and truthful... Kids can be fun and sweet and nice, but they are little b***ers when they want something... ;) I am quite sad though, cuz I had this deck, but lent it to somebody and never got it back.... :( Kiama

Silverlotus	21 Nov 2002
I just got this deck in a trade a little while ago and I haven't done a reading with it yet. It sits patiently beside me right now, just waiting. I have had time to study the cards, and I think I can see what some of you are talking about. When studying the High Priestess and Empress cards, I can see a harder edge in their sweet faces. And the cards showing conflict are a lot tougher then they seem at first glance. I look forward to having a deck that gives tough love. :) And I Kiama’s observation very much! lol! I hope I get better reading from it then I do from my Robin Wood. That deck just seems to be giving me very harsh readings, without any real good points. Maybe I haven’t given it enough time.

napaea	21 Nov 2002
I just recently got this deck (kisses to Faerie) and while i will agree that some of the cards with kids on it are cute, really what do we expect? a bunch of scary ugly kids?? one thing i truly love about this deck is the sword suit. that's really the reason i wanted it. swords are often intimidating, but i was so fascinated with the detail of the swords in this suit. every single card in the swords has a different sword style than the one before. i really appreciated the originality of that. i also love the sheer beauty of the difficult ones, 9, 10, the bodies just lying there bleeding, in deep, ominous tones, and heavy skies above. i rather like this deck a lot. my biggest complaint is the goofy hairdo on the queen of coins!!

Laurel	21 Nov 2002
Cute but effective has always been my opinion of the H-R. I'd include it in a list of my personal Top 10 decks. Laurel

Emily	21 Nov 2002
I thought the Hanson Roberts was cute until I bought it lol - I've found the deck to pack as much punch as the R/W, some of the images are childlike but then look at the deck closer - the five of Pentacles, nothing cute about that, the ten and three of Swords again the images are very strong. I like this deck, I do use it as a comfort deck, but its as strong in imagery as the Spiral, my favourite. :) (Plus the size makes it ideal for carrying around )

Myrrha	21 Nov 2002
Some of you have said that this deck is especially honest even when the truth is difficult. What is it about this deck that does this? Is it the innocence of the figures and atmosphere of idealism that makes it more difficult to lie to yourself when reading with this deck? Something else? I am curious about how images inspire us and influence us. I won this deck on ebay, it hasn't arrived yet, can't wait to see it! It was partly the beautiful backs that made me want it and also the fairy tale quality of the images. Myrrha

HudsonGray	21 Nov 2002
The artist had done comic books in the past, that's where her style developed & it's coming through the card images very strongly. Cute, yes. But if the deck reads well, I see no problem with it.

Keslynn	21 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Myrrha Some of you have said that this deck is especially honest even when the truth is difficult. What is it about this deck that does this? Is it the innocence of the figures and atmosphere of idealism that makes it more difficult to lie to yourself when reading with this deck? Something else? I am curious about how images inspire us and influence us. Myrrha I don't think that it's any sort of quality inherent in the images that makes this more of an "honest" deck. Strangely enough, for me, it's the cards that come up in a spread. With 78 cards (and I read reversals as well), there are plenty of different ways to get the same message across. With this deck, the cards always come up so that the message is put across in the most direct/blunt way possible. I don't know quite how to explain it, but that's how it seems to work for me. :) Kes

fairyhedgehog	21 Nov 2002
For me, the 'honesty' is the immediate emotional punch of the difficult cards like 10 Swords or 5 Pentacles. The Universal Waite is much calmer and more cerebral by comparison. The UW goes for the brain, the HW goes straight for the gut ;)

Maan	21 Nov 2002
I think its like Kiama says..its like a child, the cards are simple clear and not overly crowded with symbols. So maybe thats what makes it so honest?

violinlily	21 Nov 2002
I think the HR is a good beginner's deck, and that it is cute. I was drawn to it at a bookstore, and it is very blunt and truthful, when need be. I really liked the deck, but the some of the faces are Cabbage Patch Kids, it's exactly what I thought the first time I saw the Sun card. The 9 of swords almost reminds me of a card from the Vampire deck. well anyway, ttyl

Myrrha	21 Nov 2002
Thanks for answering. I am looking forward to working with this deck even more now. Myrrha

ShyButSly	21 Nov 2002
Thanks for your opinions! Phoenix, you're too funny! I totally agree with what Kiama wrote. I had never even thought of it that way. Yes, this deck tells the truth. (but the truth isn't always bad). And I like hearing the truth, even if it is painful sometimes. Right now it's freaking me out a bit because I keep getting the Death card(which is not one of the cute cards, in my opinion). Ya, I like this deck a lot and it's easy for me to use since I'm a beginner.

Phoenix	21 Nov 2002
I aim to please ;) But I was serious, though. :D

truthsayer	22 Nov 2002
HR has been my fav general readings deck for around 3 years now. it never really called me nor did i feel attracted to it. i never planned to buy it. however, a store was going out of business and the sale price was too low to refuse. i played around with it and really liked the readings i got w/ it. eventually i found i used to for readings w/ friends and family. it's gentle in its way and hasn't intimidated anyone to date. children can appear naive or immature but sometimes they can stun you with the bare honesty of their words. HR is like that. don't let the childlike characters and pastel colors throw you and cause you to discount it or consider it too syrupy. every time i proclaim to dislike a deck, i end up changing my mind and finding redeeming qualities in it. if you don't like HR ask yourself--what is it that threatens you about this deck? every deck i disliked at first has been a message of an issue i need to face in myself. has your naivete about something ever been taken advantage of by someone to the point it angers you every time you notice sweetness and innocense in someone or something? i know everything doesn't have a deep rooted psychological reason but questions like this are the most interesting to me. ;) })

Phoenix	22 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer if you don't like HR ask yourself--what is it that threatens you about this deck? every deck i disliked at first has been a message of an issue i need to face in myself. has your naivete about something ever been taken advantage of by someone to the point it angers you every time you notice sweetness and innocense in someone or something? i know everything doesn't have a deep rooted psychological reason but questions like this are the most interesting to me. ;) }) Nothing threatens me about it, I just don't like the use of colour, the sweetness, or the big heads. There is no deep rooted psycholgical reason about why I dislike this deck. It just doesn't appeal to me. But for those who like it, I say good for you. Remember truthsayer, everyone has their own tastes in decks. :)

Cerulean	22 Nov 2002
There is a very pretty new packaging that I see in some of the bookstores that carry the H-R, a great and colorful stationery-style box with a nicely sized book. Fun and tempting, but I gave away the deck before. Did anyone pick it up? Is it a new book? Just curious. (HR doesn't threaten me, I just realized that my preferences for illustration styles does not favor Connally, Robin Wood, Gill or H-R. Sometimes I'm less inclined to look at my Merlin/Arthurian Tarot. My RWS workalikes include Diamond, Hudes, Renaissance and some art tarots.)

ShyButSly	22 Nov 2002
I agree with Phoenix. You don't have to like every deck. I've seen a few decks which didn't appeal to me(mainly because of the art work). And Phoenix, it's totally understandable that you don't like H-R. It's true that the people have big heads. lol

truthsayer	22 Nov 2002
i never said it's not okay to have differences of opinion. opinions are like noses--everybody has one. it's what being human is all about. what i am saying is that whatever you think pro or con against a deck says something about your personality and belief system. just like the kind of clothing and colors you choose to wear or cars you choose to drive or the food you eat says something about you the individual as a member of a family unit, a culture, a nationality, gender, etc. liking sweet decks says as much about you as not liking them does. the same if you prefer moody decks over light decks or liking or disliking erotic decks. yes, it's a difference of opinion but it's also a sign of who you are. differences of opinion don't occur by accident. they are the result of the sum of our experiences.

Demonesse	22 Nov 2002
I think deck preference is almost wholly based on artistic preferences, but obviously one's tastes not only change with time and the influence of outside factors, we can grow to like things (some arranged marriages actually work...) I think the artwork is technically very good, and I like the rich colours; the Swords suit is a wonderful balancing factor to the deck's overall brightness. The oversized melonheads are a bit of a turnoff though. Cute? Not reaaallly. Pretty? Yes. I have never had the opportunity to use it, though - it's on my wishlist :)

truthsayer	22 Nov 2002
true, demonesse. it's kind of like everyone doesn't liking picasso but that doesn't lessen him as an artistic genius. not everyone likes hanson-roberts for whatever reason but that doesn't diminish it's viability as a tarot deck artistically. so you don't like melon head ppl, some ppl do! ;) LOL the world is so crazy and wonderful! where would we be w/o the freedom to disagree w/ one another.

Demonesse	23 Nov 2002
Off-topic, but of course you are perfectly free to agree to disagree on the issue of melonheads! :D I am a huge supporter of agreeing to disagree, as well as freedom of opinion, within certain limits, without backlash.

aeonx	23 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by ShyButSly Hi everyone, A few months ago, I was reading posts about H-R deck and most people thought of this deck as being cute. Some thought that it was too childish and not for serious readings. Anyway, I saw pics of the cards and decided to get it. After a few readings, I realized that this deck tells the truth. Even when the truth was hard to hear, this deck did not try to spare my feelings. And it was also there for me when I really needed advice a few nights ago. I feel there's a lot of emotion in this deck, which is good because I'm an emotional person. Is there anyone else who feels this way, or am I alone on this one? I would love to hear your opinions. I haven't read the whole thread, but I just had to reply! :) ShyButSly: I totally agree with you. I have loved this deck since the day I got it, and no deck has told me the truth better than my beloved Hanson-Roberts. I know some think it's childish, but I don't think so at all. It's beautiful and the images speak to me in a way I've never experienced before. I'm glad someone else thinks so too. :D :D :D ~aeonx~

Magic Bean	26 Nov 2002
I want a Hanson Roberts deck for Christmas!

The Hanson-Roberts:cute? I don't think so! thread was originally posted on 20 Nov 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.