Help! A Tarot Conundrum! Need Advice...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

All Is One	21 Sep 2003
I am trying to decide whether or not to buy the Sacred Circle Tarot. It appeals to me in a deep way - I love the name, and the book is supposed to be great. I like the colors as shown on the computer screen...not washed out at all. I also like the borders and the overall look. BUT: I really have never been able to like a photographic deck - at least not yet. Even the Gendron, as much as I loved a few of the Majors, was a huge flop with me because of the photo cut & paste artwork. The Goddess Deck is perfect for me because even though her art is not brilliantly colored, or sharply delineated, her style emanates from every card. So I ask your help - good or bad or on the fence... please give me your feedback on the Sacred Circle Tarot Deck, I'd so appreciate your help in making this choice!

Dark Inquisitor	22 Sep 2003
I have both the Sacred Circle & the Fairy Ring by Anna Franklin. I have never regretted buying either one. They are beautiful & the Sacred Circle is a nice change from the average tarot deck. The colors are definitely rich & vibrant. In the worst case scenario, the Sacred Circle is pretty trade-able so you would have little trouble getting something you might like better in exchange if you changed your mind. Tarotphelia

truthsayer	22 Sep 2003
i think if you are interested in a celtic and goddess oriented deck you'll like this one. i do think you'll need to prepare yourself to study it to really understand what it is all about. the book is very useful explaining the various celtic myths behind each card. it was done in photoshop so some of the images might seem a little off. it's much better than the gendron so i don't think it's fair to compare the 2. i could read it only b/c the rws meanings are so thoroughly ingrained in my head. i would prefer to read it as the creators intended it be read per the celtic mythology. if you are already familiar with celtic mythology you are better off than those of us who aren't. i'd say take a chance on it. you can buy it post that you are looking for it in the trading section. maybe some kind soul out there would trade with you for it.

HudsonGray	22 Sep 2003
A friend has this one & the learning curve is a bit steep for beginners. If you've got experience, then no problem, but as a first deck it's going to take some work.

anjocoxo	22 Sep 2003
The Sacred Circle was one of the first decks I've ever bought. I saw it here on aeclectic, and it just struck me "I gotta have that deck". I finally bought it, and discovered that I dislike deck witg photographs. That's why I seldom use it. I like painted decks, especially because the cards that show people (most of the major arcana, court cards, etc) are with photographs of real people... and I didn't like it. I still have, it has a very especial meaning to me, but I really don't like images with real people (for instance, the star is one of the most beautiful cards I've ever seen... it doesn't have people). Like others said before, it is an easy deck to trade, so if you don't like... The book is very good, I liked it a lot. Anjo

mondk	22 Sep 2003
The Sacred Circle is my newest deck. I am currently reading the book that it came with and love the book so far. I feel the images are very pretty and the whole deck feels "deep" when I hold it and look at the cards. I hope that makes sense. I rarely ever read my own cards, but my plans for this deck are one of working with it, to improve my self in regards to introspection and meditation. I feel this deck has a lot to teach me. I've discovered, along my journey, that when decks "speak" to me whether it is by physically touching them, or by poring over the images of the cards, that they usually end up with a lot to tell me. But that is just me. Blessings, Michelle

truthsayer	22 Sep 2003
if you look in the trading section, there is one up to trade if you are interested and have something to trade.

All Is One	22 Sep 2003
This is good input, it is really helping a whole lot. I am still on the fence, what I really need to do is find a bookstore where they have those sample decks (you know - the ones with the sacriledgious paperpunch holes in top of each card...ouch!) This would let me see all the cards and then I would absolutely know. I have bought so many many decks I didn't like (and many I loved) so I am re-reading everything you have to say on this one. TS - Thanks! I finally found where it is offered, I doubt I have anything they want that is equal, but I'm trying :-)

zorya	22 Sep 2003
i didn't care for the photographic people either, but to tell the truth, the deck has really grown on me. the borders on the majors are really beautiful. the colors are rich. the pagan themes and the focus on nature speak to me in a very clear and personal way. this is the deck i use when i have shamanic type questions. the one big downside, in my opinion, is that this deck has keywords printed across the top of all the minor cards. they are very hard to ignore. as the others have said, this is a popular deck and one you should have no trouble trading if you would decide to.

Requiella	22 Sep 2003
I apologize for cross-posting this. I saw your post here only after responding in what was probably the inappropriate thread. The Sacred Circle deck was my first, and I chose it because of the Celtic theme. I had it for a couple of years before buying any other decks, so I really didn't have much to compare it with. The photos always bothered me too; "cheesy" is the word that comes to mind. It was very difficult to use the cards for meditation for this reason. As I've started to accumulate more decks, I've realized that I prefer imagery that's more surreal and fantastical (and the face of an actual person is about as antithetical to this as you can get!). Despite this problem, I feel more positively toward the SC deck than negatively. The other thing I like about the deck is the obviously pagan feel: The Fool has become "The Green Man," The Hanged Man has become "Sacrifice" (a corn dolly), The Wheel of Fortune has become "The Wheel" and represents the Wheel of the Year, and so on. So, all in all, I'm still glad I got the deck.

All Is One	22 Sep 2003
Hey, R, I know what you mean: a pagan deck that sticks to pagan theme is surprisingly difficult to find. The fact is, I see that you and so many others either love the SC in spite of the dreaded cut & paste, or love it flat out (no deck is perfect - that's why we must keep seeking!) and there are certainly great possibilities here. I think I'm basically off the fence and heading out of the corral of indecision towards the Sacred Circle. The info about how good the book is, and the green man and all are huge pluses! Can anyone comment on the thickness of the cardstock and the size of the cards? Curious what is on the backs, too. These are not criteria, really, but I always wish the AT deck section included a photo of the back of the cards. Well, I guess I should confess, I am a "back of card junkie" sometimes that alone is enough to obcess me.

RedWood	22 Sep 2003
I think the cardstock is good..The cards are a bit large..but not overly so.the back is..to me like stonehenge rock..with a shield a touch of ping and a slight green..with the sword and spear crossing behind it..and the Cup on top...Non reversable backs.

All Is One	23 Sep 2003
Sounds beautiful.

Requiella	23 Sep 2003
Hi All is One -- Thanks for your personal replies to my posts--I feel like I've been welcomed to the board. :) Quote: Originally posted by All Is One Hey, R, I know what you mean: a pagan deck that sticks to pagan theme is surprisingly difficult to find. The fact is, I see that you and so many others either love the SC in spite of the dreaded cut & paste, or love it flat out (no deck is perfect - that's why we must keep seeking!) and there are certainly great possibilities here. Absolutely. Maybe one day I'll actually create the perfect deck for me; it seems like such a monumental undertaking! Quote: I think I'm basically off the fence and heading out of the corral of indecision towards the Sacred Circle. I hope you're not disappointed. It sounds as though the pagan theme will fit well for you, and perhaps the Celtic as well. Quote: Can anyone comment on the thickness of the cardstock and the size of the cards? I agree with RedWood: The cardstock is good and the backs really are quite nice. I actually like the larger size of the cards. They're easy to work with, unlike some decks like the Templar deck, which has large cards that are very stiff.

Wildwood	23 Sep 2003
Hi All is One, Sorry if I'm late into this and you've already made your decision - been off the boards for a wee while. I was like you - not overly keen on photomontage or computer-generated decks - but I bought the Sacred Circle deck about 6 months ago, and I love it. It's very pagan, which helps :) Cardstock is good, the colours and printing excellent - altogether a quality product - and the book is the best accompanying book I've seen/bought/used. Only quibble is that some of the faces (or at least the models) are re-used between cards (and actually used again in some of Anna Franklin's other decks I think), which I think a pity. And some of the super-imposition of the photography is less that could be achieved these days. But I can't help but love the deck anyway..:) So - my pennyworth is buy it!! I've also just bought her Celtic Animal Oracle deck - and although the designs are fabby, I'm a bit disappointed with the quality of the card, and the white borders around them - this means it doesn't give the quality feel that Sacred Circle does imho. Anyway, I'm still a big Anna Franklin fan. Hope this helps. Blessings, Wildwood

The Help! A Tarot Conundrum! Need Advice... thread was originally posted on 21 Sep 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.