Pet Peeve Cards?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Jun 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Le_Corsair	07 Jun 2003
It is always a crapshoot buying a new Tarot deck for me, because in every deck I own, there is one card that I don't like, for one reason or another. It is not that I am psychically disturbed by the card; it is just that the artwork has some element that bugs me, for reasons real or imagined. In the Rider-Waite deck, for example, I find that Key 13, Death, is too cluttered and busy, so the archetype of Death is diminished. In the Aquarian Tarot, the Seven of Cups is ruined for me by a diver's helmet; it clashes with the more archaic imagery shown in the rest of the deck. In the Morgan-Greer Tarot, Death is shown with a black cape with a square of white at the collar; the impression I receive is that Death is a priest! In the Simplified Tarot published by Carta Mundi, all of the cards employ black-and-white images with white backgrounds, save for Key 12, The Hanged Man, which has a black background. Why? My question is this: Do you have a card that marks or otherwise ruins a deck for you, and which deck? Which card?

baba-prague	07 Jun 2003
I like the Victoria Regina, but I've just about stopped using it because of the Courts - I mean, they are mostly Prince Albert, which gets just a bit samey! (yes, okay, okay, I'm exaggerating). I suppose it may depend on your view of him. When I was an art school in London I had to look at the truly hideous Albert Memorial every day (bang opposite the Royal College of Art unfortunately) and perhaps that's why I always think of him as a nice but stodgy and fussy old codger (good British word that). It does get in the way of readings when he keeps turning up - I mean, he was terribly "proper" wasn't he? It's like having your prim maiden aunt suddenly show up - and I wish VR had limited the use of him to one card - the King of Pentacles perhaps. Ah well, like I say, depends on your attitude towards the British royal family maybe.

wavebreaker	07 Jun 2003
I don't like the Sun card in the World Spirit Tarot. It doesn't ruin the deck for me though, it's still my favourite, but I just don't like that one particular card... And the Hierophant and the Lovers cards in the Robin Wood, they are really horrible...

WolfSpirit	07 Jun 2003
In the Legend Arthurian, I hate the Hanged Man because the card shows a man hanging from a tree with a rope around his neck and I HATE it when they do that with this card, to me it just looks so totally wrong. In the Sacred Circle I hate the Strength card because it shows a warrior woman. Too agressive IMO for the meaning of this card. In the Tarot of the Spirit, I don't like the High Priestess or the Chariot because you can't see the faces. I can understand why the HP is behind a veil but I still don't like the card. In the Robin Wood I don't like the Empress - she is all motherly and nothing sensual, and I like my Empress to be both. In the Celtic tarot (deBurgh) I don't like the magician, because he does not look very powerful to me. Just looking at the person, I would say he was a page. And the Shapeshifter deck...well this deck has some special artwork some people don't like at all. I like most cards except the hierophant (a woman shapeshifting into an elephant looks so weird), 6 of pentacles (a man with goat legs to me does not show the meaning of this card very well) and the two of swords (a snake attacking a head stuck in the sand - weird card).

divinerguy	07 Jun 2003
Yeah - The Devil card. I know its not the best card to get, but most everyone draws it like some monster (the Rohrig excepted). I don't see the Devil in a christian context, so the boogeyman portrayal is a bit melodramatic for my tastes.

Astraea	07 Jun 2003
There are some cards that I find consistently uninteresting in their rendering, chief among them the Emperor. In terms of particular decks with cards that are spoilers, I would have to say the Legend's High Priestess and Moon -- it irks me to no end that the HP is aligned with Nimue, and Moon with Morgan Le Fay -- this should be reversed, IMO. I love the deck, though, so I just pretend not to notice.

SingingTarot	07 Jun 2003
Well, I just purchased the One world Tarot, and all the suits are me pet peeves. I was so so disappointed. They all look exactly alike, especially the court cards, where basicallly only the color is different... They don't reflect any of the characteristics of each card... Sorry, it's off topic, I just had to get it off my chest. Alice

Mimers	07 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Le_Corsair In the Morgan-Greer Tarot, Death is shown with a black cape with a square of white at the collar; the impression I receive is that Death is a priest! Ahhh the author of the review! Very nice review too. To answer your question, The 'Master' card from Osho Zen. Whose master? certainly not mine. Makes a nice bookmark though The Page of clouds from the Osho Zen Uck! The Sun and the 10 of Pents World Spirit But these cards by no means deter me from loving these decks.

skytwig	07 Jun 2003
Wouldn't it be nice if there was some kind of industry agreement that all cards have the same backs and be the same size - then we could just mix and match 'til we have a deck we like! :joke: I have to agree with Diana, the pips are too much in most decks. I like the Marseilles deck simply because of its lack of story in the minors. Just the simple representation of 'energy' in each suit is enough for me. I can actually 'see' more clearly without someone elses interpretation hitting me in the eyes!

RedWood	07 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by WolfSpirit In the Sacred Circle I hate the Strength card because it shows a warrior woman. Too agressive IMO for the meaning of this card. I really like that card. It is one of my favorites! The Devil in Durer...the saggy boobs and penis put me off. The Queen of Pentacles in durer also..Her breasts are showing..which i can live with..but then they have her tongues sticking off to the side..I just dont get it..

C.N.	08 Jun 2003
The Emperor - RWS - Probably one of the most anti-social looking Emperor cards. The Devil - Robin Wood & Morgan-Green - I feel that some of the (more positive) meanings of this card got cut out in these decks. The High Priestess - Hanson-Roberts - The one in this deck is probably one of the most stuffy looking HPs. The Hierophant - I dislike this card of general priciples, but I agree that Robin Wood has one of the worst ones.

ihcoyc	08 Jun 2003
I've griped about the Wheel of Fortune in the RWS deck before. It's a straightforward mediæval allegorical image, and all of that Egyptian and Hebrew stuff just clouds the meaning. Judgment in the Robin Wood deck seems a serious distortion. (And she actually managed to clarify/improve the RWS Wheel of Fortune.) If she's going to do that to the Last Judgment, she could at least be consistent and give her Pope/Hierophant the same favour. I suspect her Hierophant is disliked largely because she drew an essentially traditional image without sympathy, casting a cloud over the meaning of the card.

Silverlotus	08 Jun 2003
The Empress from the Robin Wood Tarot - WolfSpirit has it right. She is not sensual at all. Goddess Tarot in general - I do like all the cards in this deck, but the art is just a bit to loose and flowy. Three of Swords from the Thoth - In general, the Three of Swords is my favourite card in a deck. But, I like the RWS type, not the Thoth type.

BoomVoom	08 Jun 2003
i don't like the sun in the Fantastical Tarot. it's not consistant with the style of the rest of the cards. i don't like the king of wands in the robin wood tarot. he's out of preportion, his legs are too short. i realy hate it when that happens that's why i won't get the hanson roberts deck. i also can't stand the jugement ihcoyc!

spoonbender	08 Jun 2003
i really don't like the sun card in the world spirit (i just cán't get over that chest-hair!), I really like all the other cards though (even the 10 of Pentacles!) i also don't like the Lovers in the Robin Wood, the anatomy is totally off! and i hate that Hierophant too, Robin Wood has some serious issues with christianity! the anatomy of the woman in the Star-card doesn't seem quite right either (such long arms, such short legs!) i don't like the 5 of Cups in the Fey Tarot Deck... some people seem to like it though (it's on the front of the Deck), well - not me! and I don't like the High Priestess in the RWS, I just don't

Maan	08 Jun 2003
My biggest pet peeve is usally the backs of the cards! I love the fey tarot but the backs a very very ugly...the robin wood must have the most horrible backs ever. They say that some artist put little effort in the minors...well i wish they would put some effort in the backs. It is a big part of the deck and nothing is more offsetting in a deck than having to look at awfull backs. Look i'm getting all irritated again...;) The fist thing that i did when starting my own deck( for the 10st time) was creating a back. Love Maan

CompassRose	08 Jun 2003
I agree with both Astraea and WolfSpirit on Legend Arthurian; High Priestess and Moon are wrong, and that Hanged Man is icky. Igraine on Legend is also a particularly bad example of the generally really bad rendering of the human form on this deck. So is Guinevere, who seems to have no legs under her dress. The Devil? Well, much as I dislike the generally Xtian emphasis of many Rider-Waite clones, with their angels and devils, I have to say that I'm even more down on the Paganically Correct decks which replace the Devil with a shiny happy Cernunnos/Horned One figure, thereby revealing that the creators don't understand the card at all... I actually like the image of the Robin Wood Devil, though I hate the card itself (the perspective is all off, and I don't think it's deliberate). I've never seen a really good Empress. She's just... sort of... there. I don't like the Chariot in the Rider-Waite; it's so static and lumpy. The Emperor in the Universal Waite specifically is yucky; for some reason, he's looking off to one side instead of straight out of the card, and turns thereby into a totally shifty character.

Astraea	08 Jun 2003
Quote: originally posted by CompassRose: Igraine on Legend is also a particularly bad example of the generally really bad rendering of the human form on this deck. Agreed -- and what is even more irritating, is to compare the imagery of the Legend deck (which I love for its mood) with the art on the author's website http://www.annamarieferguson.com/ which is wonderful and demonstrates her ability to draw the human form with grace and precision.

felicityk	08 Jun 2003
I have a problem with The Moon from Aleksey Kluev's Magic Tarot because it's not done in the same style as the rest of the majors. The apparently hand-drawn columns are out of place with the collaged artwork, and the roman numeral isn't in the same font. It's hard to describe, but if you have the deck you know what I mean. My issue with the Crystal Tarot by Elisabeta Trevisan, apart from the reversed printing of several of the Majors, concerns the Minors. While the majority of them are unique, several simply re-use the artwork from a lower card and add a suit symbol or two. This is most annoying on the 9 and 10 of Cups, which are identical except for one cup and are therefore extremely difficult to tell apart. It feels like the artist was rushed, and if she had only had the time to draw five or six more Minors from scratch the deck would be much improved. Felicity Edited to add: I didn't have the Crystal deck in front of me when I wrote this; it's actually more Minors than I thought. Wands: 7, 8, 9, 10 Swords: 8, 9, 10 Cups: 8, 9, 10 Pentacles: 8, 9, 10

Fiona Blackwolf	08 Jun 2003
My issue with the World Spirit isnt the Sun card but the Judgement card. It shows Anubis wieghing the soul and feather when in Egyptian mythology Anubis is the guide to the Underworld and Ma'at is the actual judge who weighs your soul against her feather. It is a beautiful card but I am bothered by the wrong mythology.

Candle Shadow	09 Jun 2003
I don't like the Magician in the Enchanted Tarot deck. He looks small and weak--overshadowed by the background. He doesn't look like someone who can make things happen.

Hedera	09 Jun 2003
Great thread! Most decks for me have one or two pet-peeve cards, which keep them from being 'THE deck'. In the Robin Wood, I dislike the Hierophant and the 4 of Pentacles, but the card that really makes me go 'eeeeegh' is the 10 of cups. Way, way, waaaaay to sweet and sappy and Hallmarky for me! In the Mountain Dream, which I otherwise think is a great deck (just a pity the cards are so floppy and thin), I really don't like the Empress. It's a very old, skinny lady, who looks nice enough, but just not Empressy at all to me. She would make a great High Priestess, but not an empress. Also, I find it a pity when decks portray the Fool as Parsifal, like the Haindl and the Spiral. It feels like a portrayal of *a* fool, not *the* Fool; it's a bit too particular, not archetypal (is that a word?) enough for me. Also, some important elements in my understanding of the Fool are, I think, missing in Parsifal. I never thought of him as being carefree, for instance.

Le_Corsair	18 Jul 2003
so our many new members can contribute to it, and I'll add a few words about my favorite tarot artist, David Palladini: the man can NOT draw a staff! In the Aquarian deck, the staves look like giant pussywillows, and in the New Palladini deck, they look like celery sticks! What's up with that? Bob :THERM

Hedera	18 Jul 2003
I love (well, sorta, kinda not, really - but I don't own the deck, so it's no big deal) the 'pissed off hamster' in the New Palladini's 2 of Cups. :D

genna	18 Jul 2003
I learnt with the Hanson-Robert´s,but can´t use it now because of the King of Pentacles and the King of Swords looking like a not-very-nice man I once knew.

truthsayer	18 Jul 2003
my pet peeve is the 10 of pentacles in the world spirit. i know many furumites have defended this card but to me when i look at it i still see a pervert with a shirt on and no pants watching children play. i've never done a reading with this deck for anyone other than myself b/c of that card. the rest of the deck is okay except the baby on the sun who looks like a sleazy politician.

Little Baron	18 Jul 2003
Wouldn't be great if you could customise decks - the way in which you get the three Magus's in Thoth and the three lovers in the Cosmic Tribe. If there was an alternative to all cards, maybe we could make it THE deck we always dreamed of. I don't like the (CD) disc shapes in the Fantastical. That always bugs me a bit. The minors in the Pagan 2000 don't do it for me either. A couple of models in the Cosmic Tribe don't feel right either. Would be good to change some of them around. Best wishes Yaboot

ncefafn	21 Jan 2004
I'm coming very late to this discussion, but I absolutely cannot stand the Empress in the Robin Wood deck. She's old, she's frumpy, she's plain -- I like my Goddesses to be beautiful, sexy, and radiant, not some old hausfrau who couldn't be bothered to change out of her houserobe for the painting of her portrait. Jeez, if that's what I wanted to look at, I've got plenty of mirrors in my house! Kim

Le_Corsair	21 Jan 2004
Wow, this one takes me back! This is one of the first threads I ever started at Aeclectic. I've discovered at least a few other peeve cards since my original post: the Hierophant in the New Palladini looks like a lizard; the 7 of Swords in the Sharman-Caselli doesn't look sneaky enough; the Lovers card in the Robin Wood with its bent banana. :joke: :laugh: :D Thanks for reviving the thread! Bob :THERM

Sulis	22 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Hedera I love (well, sorta, kinda not, really - but I don't own the deck, so it's no big deal) the 'pissed off hamster' in the New Palladini's 2 of Cups. :D *LOL* Hedera, I've just had to go and have a look to see what you mean and yes it does look like a pissed off hamster. My pet peeve cards are: The Sun in The World Spirit The Star in The World Spirit - Ugly, this should be a beautiful card. 10 of Swords in The Cosmic Tarot - It's just too negative, I can't get any feeling of the end of a cycle from this card and it looks a bit like my ex who was psychotic :( Love and light Sulis xx

Bean Feasa	22 Jan 2004
The two of swords in the Gendron deck has a weird grinning head floating above the crossed swords - what's that about? I can live with the Sun card in the World Spirit deck, but I agree with Truthsayer that the 10 pentacles is quite bizarre - it makes me really uncomfortable. I think the fact that the guy sitting near the children has a vest on but no underpants makes it even more peculiar - if he was totally naked, I don't think it would be so bad. (Don't ask me what my reasoning is there, though, 'cos I don't really know!) Still it's a gorgeous deck in every other way, and I try to trust that it's creators knew what they were doing, and have some reason for depicting the man in that way. The minors in the Spiral deck are a bit off-putting, the ones that show the Civil War era race-goers, so much so that I'm thinking of trading it away. A pity because the Majors are awesome. Ah well...!

Imagemaker	22 Jan 2004
Here on AT, one of the World Spirit artists answers this question: Quote: About the Ten of Pentacles: why does the man in the picture have no pants on? Lauren – I have been waiting all these years for someone to ask that, you win the prize! It is to imply that the man in the Ten of Pentacles is at a state of luxury and liberty in a life of richness, emotional fulfillment and leisure; he doesn't have to wear pants! And he can wear earrings too if he wants to! I must say, my first thought about being in a state of luxury would not be to take my pants off in public!

Kiama	22 Jan 2004
For me, a deck is either made or broken based on the... Hierophant card!!! This card is very close to my heart, very very close indeed. (And here comes the rant...) And I really wish some of the Tarot deck creators out there would get over their immature hatred and misunderstanding of Christianity that leads to such an ignorant and disgusting portrayal of the Divine on Earth. So what, the Hierophant traditionally was a Christian authority figure? That doesn't mean he's evil, constipated, and stick-in-the-mud. It just means that at the time Tarot was 'created' the Hierophant or Pope was the main religious authority figure, representing God in manifestation. These days, we have other options, why not use them? Why not acknowledge the positive side of the Hierophant instead of filling the card with one's petty dislikes? (Rant over...) As you can probably guess, I am thinking here of the Hierophant card in the Robin Wood deck. I love that deck to bits, but I wish there was a different Hierophant card... Kiama

Emily	22 Jan 2004
I'm not overkeen on the Devil card in the Morgan Greer. Most decks will show a devil doing something or people chained but not the Morgan Greer - just a big old goats head with yellow eyes, pentagram and a candle stuck on top lol - To me its the occult image of the Devil and its not really what the Devil card is about. It is a shock if you've not seen the deck before you'd expect the Devil to be in the same Rider Waite image as the Tower or Death but its not, its totally off. I had seen the card online and wondered what kind of reaction the card would give once I was looking at it in the hand but once the shock has wore off, I just read it like any other Devil card. Its not something that should put someone off the Morgan Greer - the other 77 cards are very good and easy to read. :)

Imagemaker	22 Jan 2004
Though different sizes are a problem, would those of you with many decks consider (radical thought!) combining your preferred cards into a personal deck? It would certainly be one of a kind!

lunakasha	22 Jan 2004
The strangest card I have ever seen, as far as being completely disconnected from the rest of the deck, would be the Six of Swords in the Witches Tarot. Anyone else with me on this??? I don't own this particular deck, but have seen scans of it here at AT and on other websites. The artwork for this deck is really striking and very well-done...except for that one card, which features a (badly-drawn) cartoonish eagle on one side, a stork (?) on the other, divided by a diagonal line of six swords. The card just does not fit with the rest of the deck...it looks like it was done by another artist. What were they thinking??? :) Luna

Shade	22 Jan 2004
I really get annoyed by decks that soften the Death and Devil cards to the point where they don't seem to carry any weight in a reading. This is especially true for me with decks where death is now entirely about transformation... and nothing else. The Connoly comes to mind. I also usually think people don't try very hard with the chariot. Usually that card stands out like a sore thumb because the deck creator didn't think of any way to bring the chariot in line with the theme. An example of decks who tried something fun are the Mage tarot and of course the Rohrig.

Chronata	22 Jan 2004
First of all, a BIG Thank You to whomever resurrected this thread! Even pouring through the archives, I still managed to miss this one! And I had no idea that there were cards that bothered me so much until I read through this ...and oh yes...there are those cards that make an otherwise fine deck just not work for me at all... First off...the whole tarot of the New Vision is a mix of great,well-thought-out insights and stunningly bad concepts. There's just a lot of cards here that are pet peeves...but the glaringly obvious are all the cards that feature thrones...the Emperor, the King of Swords, the Queen of Wands...where the artist felt that they just HAD to include the image on the front of the card, drawn in to look like a perfect shadowy photo of the person's exact pose, Are we supposed to believe it was carved on the back of the throne?...like anyone who bought this deck had never seen the original Rider Waite Smith that it's based on? Like we so had to be reminded what was on the other side of that big stone slab for the card to work? I also really dislike the Emperor Rasputin in the Enchanted Tarot. He's just dangerous and creepy looking, and if I saw him on the corner, I might think about crossing the street so I wouldn't have to pass him. And then there's Mr. Mustache the Magician in both the Morgan Greer and the Aquarian decks. O.K....the Morgan Greer's Magician's mustache is pretty bushy, but it does match his vaguely Middle Eastern look, so I'm good with that. But the Aquarian? That guy just looks so cheesy...why am I constantly reminded of a 70's porn star? On to the Buckland Romani...and the only card that really really bothers me in that deck...the Star. That girl HAS NO LEGS!! Maybe it's just me...I realize that she's near water...but to me at least, it doesn't look like she is standing in the water...it looks like she is standing "in" the land...which would mean that the GIRL HAS NO LEGS!!! And finally, my biggest peeve card of all...resides in the Tarot of the Golden Dawn. Some fabulous symbolism, paired with some of the most lackluster art to ever grace a tarot deck. Now, I have zero problems with homosexuality, but there are some gay stereotypes that really kind of annoy me. There is not a "gayer"card that I have seen in ANY deck that rivals the GD's Prince of Swords. From the expression on his face, to the dramatic and inexplicable overuse of the color purple...to the half naked fairy boys that pull the chariot...I mean really...what were they thinking? This card just seems to have this weird Liberace vibe to it. It does not gel with any notion I have about what a Prince, or knight of Swords looks like... Allright...I have ranted enough...this post has scared me,so I am now going to go have some little quiet time...just me and my Hanson Roberts...(which incidently does not have a single card that I dislike in it. :) )

WolfyJames	22 Jan 2004
Even though I love The Gothic Tarot by Vargo to death, there are still a few cards I don't like. The first is Justice, too blunt on the card, no scene behind. She is underdressed, has way too much muscles too. Then, there is the Hanged Man, who is holding on on the border of the card. Just like Justice, he's placed there bluntly, with no scene behind. He would have looked nicer hanging on a dead three in a cemetary. The Nine Of Cups has a sarcaphagus as the wish card, I still don't get this one.

Woof	22 Jan 2004
The Victoria Regina has two cards which just screech Monty Python to me: the Hanged Man and The Heirophant. I think MP used the same image (hanged man) in one of their animations where his legs go flying all around like he's dancing. And if they didn't use the image of the H, there is something about the juxtaposition of the figure and the background that just makes me laugh. That was one deck that had great elements but I just couldn't deal with it. Woof

Khatruman	22 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Woof The Victoria Regina has two cards which just screech Monty Python to me: the Hanged Man and The Heirophant. I think MP used the same image (hanged man) in one of their animations where his legs go flying all around like he's dancing. Yes, I am now hearing the Monty Python theme in my head, and I remember that dancing guy. *L*... Actually, to me, it makes the hanged man work better, brings a smile to my face. To me, that is what the hanged man is about. Turn it upside down. Give it a new perspective. Turn that frown upside down!!! I like to think of the Hanged Man as a positive card, a wonderful irony to its name. So many querents see "The Hanged Man" and gasp, and they pick it up and look at it the wrong way!!! It's all pretty funny, and certainly hanged man. Gets you off kilter and laughing in a situation where you are dead serious (pun intended). Ohhh, and back to the topic of this thread. A card that irks me is The Star in the Ancestral Path. To me, the Star should be quite serene. Looking at her face, she seems pissed off...or constipated.

sunflowr	29 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by wavebreaker I don't like the Sun card in the World Spirit Tarot. It doesn't ruin the deck for me though, it's still my favourite, but I just don't like that one particular card... And the Hierophant and the Lovers cards in the Robin Wood, they are really horrible... Yep, that Sun card.. looks like Baby Nixon! ;) And I don't like that Lovers card from Robin Wood neither.

ncefafn	29 Jan 2004
You know, I never really noticed the banana in the Lovers card until someone mentioned it, and it still doesn't bother me. What amazes me is that there are so many cards in the Robin Wood deck that I don't like, and yet I find myself using it more and more for readings for others. Now if there's one card in the Cosmic Tarot I don't like, it's the Clark Gable card. I don't remember which one this is, one of the Kings, perhaps of Wands, but at any rate, he looks like some sort of Play-Doh freak, and a greasy one at that. Yuck! Kim

raeanne	29 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by sunflowr Yep, that Sun card.. looks like Baby Nixon! ;) And I don't like that Lovers card from Robin Wood neither. Hi Sunflowr, The Sun card in the World Spirit deck used to bother me a lot! Then, someone said it looked like Nixon and I laughed so hard I thought I would split! The Nixon years were some happy times for me so I came to like this Sun card. Now, the Robin Wood Lovers card is something else. In her book she shows some of the earlier drawings of the cards. There is an earlier version of the Lovers card that is so much better, I cannot for the life of me understand why she picked the one she did when there was a much better one available!

mercenary30	29 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by skytwig Wouldn't it be nice if there was some kind of industry agreement that all cards have the same backs and be the same size - then we could just mix and match 'til we have a deck we like! :joke: I was considering what it would take to get plastic sleeves (similar to the ones used by Collectable Card Game Players) that were big enough and stiff enough to contain most tarot cards in print. The back would be opaque. Then you could do exactly that!!!

sunflowr	17 Jun 2004
This is a cool thread.. needs ressurecting every so often! :) Hanson Roberts: some of the court cards (the kings) look too sad. The Lovers look sad too. And the HP looks like Snow White, or someone from Disneyland. ;) (otherwise, I love this deck). World Spirit: featuring Baby Nixon! Robin Wood: featuring the banana! ;)

Island Dreamer	17 Jun 2004
The Emperor in the Gendron deck is an image that I disliked on sight and I'm still not keen on it :( For a start, he's wearing what can only be described as an ankle-length dress, he doesn't look very imperial at all and he has to have the silliest, most inane and cheesy grin I've ever seen on a tarot card. It makes me squirm with embarassment :| Can't think of any others for the time being but I'm sure I'll find more soon :) Great thread! Dreamer

HudsonGray	17 Jun 2004
Robin Wood: the banana AND Luke Skywalker (on the 4 of Cups) The Medicine Cards all feature North American animals EXCEPT the badger, which for some mysterious reason (they couldn't find a reference pic?) it's drawn as a European Badger, not the North American variety. RRR! Plus they should have included a Wolverine, but he's not in there.

Rhiannon	20 Jun 2004
I think the card that usually bothers me the most is the Justice card. It has way more potential than most artists put into it. I think it is usually one of the most boring cards in any deck. Will someone PLEASE draw a nice Justice card???? On to deck specific pet peeves: Devil in Hanson Roberts, I think it is the only scary looking card in the whole deck, so it seems out of place to me. Temperance in Nigel Jackson, she looks stunted, her legs aren't long enough and her arms are too long. It just becomes odd looking. R :)

Jeanette	20 Jun 2004
OH, my goodness, this thread is so funny. Now I can add the 5 of Cups from the Spiral because of her mustache (which was pointed out in another thread).

purplelady	20 Jun 2004
The moon in the Nigel Jackson deck. In most decks, I like the moon card. But in this one the moon has a "fanged Medusa-face" And it's tounge is sticking out. It's hard to get past that tounge!

Rhiannon	20 Jun 2004
That is so funny purplelady, because that is my fave moon card ever! R :)

northsea	21 Jun 2004
I'm okay with the diver's helmet in the Aquarian 7 of Cups because it signifies fantasy... and even sci-fi because it's anachronistic in the medieval-themed deck. Some of my pet peeve cards are: Londa 8 of Wands: is it a guy or a girl? It doesn't convey speedy change for me Londa Judgment: the hair or something (I really do like most of the Londa deck :) ) Londa Fool: too serious New Palladini Chariot: looks like the bird is riding the man, sometimes he overplays the closeups and new angles Robin Wood Temperance: a.k.a. the juggling Bataleur Lord of the Rings Page of Coins [?]: page on horseback = knight Osho Zen 8 of Swords: looks like the 9 of Swords nightmares Fantastical Sun: childhood innocence zilch Fantastical Moon: okay, I can barely see the moon above that weird lady's head Fantastical High Priestess: there's no book! I suppose she stores her wisdom in that hideously large cranium of hers Fantastical Hanged Man: not supposed to hang the man by the neck, he's alive Legend Arthurian 9 of Coins: need to read the book because it looks like some kind of ghost is doing a strip tease That's it for now. I'll add more critiques later. :)

purplelady	21 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Ceol Some of my pet peeve cards are: Fantastical Moon: okay, I can barely see the moon above that weird lady's head see, I really like the fantastical moon!

ros	21 Jun 2004
Leonardo Da Vinci Tarot Death and the Devil look like these are two relatives and I just feel like it is a sick joke. I like this deck but it bugs me at the same time. Also another thing someone else mentioned, the backs of the decks. omg some of them are uuuuuuugly! and that's what we are looking at when we pick our cards so how do we pick positive cards when we are looking at something uuuuuuuugly!

WolfSpirit	22 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Khatruman A card that irks me is The Star in the Ancestral Path. To me, the Star should be quite serene. Looking at her face, she seems pissed off...or constipated. Hehe, I use the Ancestral Path all the time, I don't even notice it anymore :laugh: Some more annoyances: The Robin Wood Hierophant. Talking of constipated !! ;) The Robin Wood 10 of cups: too much perfect family, looks artificial The High Priestess and 9 of cups in the Gothic by Vargo: What are these Egyptians doing in a deck filled with vampires, graveyards and medieval castles ? Also I don't think they represent the meaning of the cards well. They just seem out of place.

Razoxane	23 Jun 2004
Well, I only have the one deck so far, so I'll pick a few holes in it and try to convince a family member to get me either the CEltic Dragons or the Sacred Circle decks. Sharman-Caselli Beginners Guide to Tarot magenta backs and the book cover -thing-... I just don't understand the magenta.... there are basically NO pinks in the deck (mostly yellows and blues and reds), yet the backs are this horrid solid colour, with nothing interesting.. If you're going to use one colour, have it something more muted! A nice royal or sky blue, perhaps a muted green, or something like that. And too many yellow backgrounds. The Emperor - red and purple in robes? Eww. He doesn't look like a father, more like a misguided, fanshion blind old amish man or something. The bared leg on the hierophant - a very odd knobbly knee! The oh so serious expressions on the lovers - come on, where's the love! How the maiden in the Strength card has her fingers up the lion's nose... icky! The King of Pentacles seems too young - cute, but doesn't convey stability and However, I adore the Hanged Man, Temperance, Queen of Cups, and Queen of Wands cards. Griping over with - now for a new deck to pick apart!

The Pet Peeve Cards? thread was originally posted on 07 Jun 2003 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.