Tarot "Lite"

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Oct 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Logiatrix	14 Oct 2003
Blessings and Greetings! Just musing... There are occassions, I believe, where a "light 'n fluffy" is exactly what is needed for a reading or meditation. Though they may fall into the same category, I'm not just talking about decks for children. I'm thinking more generally along the lines of those "all positive" decks that several tarotphiles openly disparage. Understandably, those who have an aversion to the Ultra-Happy decks see the lack of dark as a lack of balance. Most of the time, I agree, but lately I have also found a place for the Strictly Fluffy. I first found the need for a light deck about two years ago, when I did a reading for a schizophrenic querent. I finally turned to the Healing with the Angels Oracle. This situation piqued my interest in actual tarots that I could use for querents with emotional challenges. Of course, there are also those querents who are just sensitive to certain images, another kind of person I wanted to consider. Over the last year-and-a-half or so, I have loooked at several different light decks, and I have enjoyed having one or two of my favorites as a reading option. Personally, I have found that a very positive deck also helps me through depression and anxiety. My favorite "light" tarot is "Animal-Wise." :D I'm curious to know if there are any other proponents of the "Tarot Lite" decks out there. :) PEACE, T.

truthsayer	14 Oct 2003
based on what i've heard others on the forum say, any deck by mary hanson roberts-the universal, the whimsical, and the hanson-roberts. another good light and fluffy is the art nouveau tarot by matt myers. there's also the tarot of transformation. i think another word for tarot lite would be "gentle decks". a great gentle deck is the vision quest. that's all i can think of for now.

Rusty Neon	14 Oct 2003
I would vote for the Osho Zen Tarot. A friend of mine was once creeped by my Universal Waite but was very OK with the Osho Zen Tarot. New-agey and looking neither occult nor pagan. The Connolly deck could be another candidate for a gentle deck, as many of the cards of the RWS deck that could potentially be scary for some people have been changed. However, with its pentacles, it could arguably be viewed as pagan which still could off-put some people.

lark	14 Oct 2003
When you read for the public you always have to be prepared with some "fluffy" decks. Some that have worked well for me are The English Tarot by Maggie Kneen Moon garden Enchanted Tarot Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg The biggest thing people get freeked out about is nudity and if the devil or death cards are to ugly. My deck of choice for reading is Robin Wood. Alot of people would say this is a fluffy deck. But I have had more than one raised eyebrow or uncomfortable cough when I turn over the Lovers card. So you never know. I guess that's why there's so many decks to chose from. For my own readings when I need a little kindness I use the Holloween Tarot. It never fails to make me feel better.

wavebreaker	15 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Rusty Neon I would vote for the Osho Zen Tarot. A friend of mine was once creeped by my Universal Waite but was very OK with the Osho Zen Tarot. New-agey and looking neither occult nor pagan. I wouldn't call the Osho Zen a light deck. The artwork may look light, but some of the cards really hit home and not everyone can deal with that (for me, it's the reason why it's my favourite deck ;) ). I guess if you're looking for a "light" deck, you shouldn't just look at the artwork, but also at the effect the deck can have on people. Some people prefer the truth coated in cotton wool... ;)

Umbrae	15 Oct 2003
Although I prefer ‘dark decks’ for myself, I also understand how they appear to the public. Neutral decks work best (for me) with the public. Not too fluffy, not too dark. Many sitters have ‘expectations’ that a pure fluffy deck will not serve…but there are those times… I recently picked up a wonderful deck that I do consider fluffy…Tarot du Chat. It rocks. But then I never confuse the deck with the reading. I have gotten fluffy readings with Giger, and dark readings with the “Old English”…

firemaiden	15 Oct 2003
The Fey?

WolfSpirit	15 Oct 2003
The Ancestral Path. The cards are gentle and non-threatening without being too sugary or childish. There is some nudity in the deck though (can't please everyone ;) )

Sulis	15 Oct 2003
I find the Glastonbury to be quite a gentle deck. Love and light Sulis xx

Dark_angel	15 Oct 2003
It's not fluffy, but the Tarot of the Spirit often appeals to people who haven't been read before, or who prefer gentle decks. It gives accurate readings (or so I've found), but the negative is always balanced with the positive, and never presented in a harsh way. xxx

dolphinprincess	15 Oct 2003
Some "light" decks I know of are: The Animal Wise Tarot The Oracle Tarot The Merryday Tarot The Whimsical Tarot (already mentioned) Inner Child Cards (some consider this a true tarot, others do not) Fey Tarot (again, already mentioned) Spirit of Flowers Tarot Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot (i find this somewhat light)... oh, and the Halloween Tarot... hope this helps a bit :o) ~DP

Arora	15 Oct 2003
i think the Goddess Tarot has a "light" and "soft" look to it. although profound, as most decks are, it gets the message across in a subtle manner. I really enjoy it personally, and i've noticed friends have positive reactions to it - those who were always nervous about Tarot seem to be put at ease with the Goddesses.

Woof	15 Oct 2003
ATOR Fluffy in looks, not in readings. How could anyone be put off by these guys? Woof

ladycheryllynne	15 Oct 2003
I agree with Firemaiden. I too wanted a "lite" deck and picked up the Fey. Only problem for me is, since I'm a beginner and I'm still not familiar with the meaning of all the cards (I've mostly studied the minor arcana in the Rider deck and briefing the majors), I have a hard time reading the Fey. It's like learning a new deck. I've since gone back to the Rider deck until I have the basics down. I will admit though, that I'm really drawn to the Fey deck, so I continue to pick it back up. :)

Strange2	15 Oct 2003
The Tarot Nova deck is certainly "lite" in both presence (3 1/8" x 2 5/8") and presentation. It has a fun, casual, yet direct feel to it that is inviting.

Jewel-ry	15 Oct 2003
The Medicine Woman Tarot is very 'light' deck. The pastel colours and art work make it easy on the eye and even the meanings in the LWB are mostly positive.

Logiatrix	15 Oct 2003
Thank you, truthsayer. I was flogging my brain as I wrote that initial paragraph, trying to recall the better term, "gentle deck." ;) Also a good point... Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae But then I never confuse the deck with the reading. I have gotten fluffy readings with Giger, and dark readings with the “Old English”… This is something I will now pointedly observe. Thank you, all, for wonderful suggestions! :D

Cerulean	15 Oct 2003
Would Tarot2000 (Pagan Tarot) and Tarot of Prague be considered rather gentle, on the more light side? Sharman Caselli and the Diamond Tarot seems to have the bright, cheery and gentle aspects, not moody at all to me. Just to me, probably. Mari H.

Khatruman	15 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Rusty Neon I would vote for the Osho Zen Tarot. A friend of mine was once creeped by my Universal Waite but was very OK with the Osho Zen Tarot. New-agey and looking neither occult nor pagan. When I read Tauni's post regarding positive decks, I thought of this one, though I am still turned off by the "light and fluffy" label. The Osho Zen is indeed lacking in the dark and depressing, but I think that isn't so much a matter of new-ageyness as it is more about Oriental philosophy. Oriental systems tend to see what we Westerners term as "dark and evil" to be merely the shadow side of the "light and good". Westerners see darkness as bad, as something to be feared and/or vanquished, whereas Orientals just see it as the necessary opposite to make the whole. Where would light be without darkness? It would be a shining, blinding mass. Where would music be without non-music? A blaring cacophony of sound. Osho Zen sees the opposite sides, but they are just the necessary shadows to delineate the good. "Light and fluffy," at least to me, connotes lack of depth. That anything said is merely surface happy talk. It sounds nice, but never really says anything of substance. I use the word nice purposefully. It is one of my pet peeve words. The word really doesn't say anything, but it sounds pleasant. When you say a person is nice, you really don't say anything remarkable about him or her. Barbie's Tarot might be nice, it may give you some pleasant, sweet sounding words that make a good anesthetic, numbs you out a bit, like a good dose of Prozac, but does it really help you at all? I think it is possible not to be dark and scary, and not necessarily be light and fluffy. One can accept that there is a shadow to every surface, but not be creeped out by that bit of grey. Osho Zen, in my mind, accomplishes this. To see it simply as new-age, happy happy joy joy is to miss the depth of its philosophies. End of my sermonizing!!! Off to shoot bunnies! })

truthsayer	15 Oct 2003
this is probably just my weird sense of humor but every time i see this thread's title it's like my brain automatically sees "lite beers" like bud lite or coors lite instead of tarot. perhaps a beer bottle with the fool or temperance or the 9 of cups on it... and just for the record, i think even the barbie tarot or the fluffiest fluffy bunny deck can give a dark reading. the image on the cards is just an image. the deck you use is a tool. some tools look more threatening and some less but the key to the tool/deck always lies within the reader. }) i certainly don't agree some of my fav gentle decks are superficial. does that imply that readers who like gentle decks are superficial? i should hope not! :D ;)

firemaiden	15 Oct 2003
Well, I think you can basically use all the tradtional meanings with the fey, there is not a conflict there. It is not like some of the other Scarabeo decks which seem to derive their meanings from the Eteilla and be totally totally off from what we expect. I put Fey here with a question mark, because although the illustrations are very attractive and non-threatening, there is indeed a dark side to it if you look for it. :)

Logiatrix	15 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer this is probably just my weird sense of humor but every time i see this thread's title it's like my brain automatically sees "lite beers" like bud lite or coors lite instead of tarot. perhaps a beer bottle with the fool or temperance or the 9 of cups on it... Then we have the same weird sense of humor, truth, 'cuz I pretty much meant it, as well as the reference to "fluffy," as tongue-in-cheek and for-want-of-a-better-title. I couldn't remember the better term "gentle decks," which probably more appropriately represents all the decks mentioned thus far. I think I have finally embraced the concept that ALL tarots are good and useful--or, at least, useful. It's best not to shun a whole category of decks, which is what I was initially tempted to do, until I saw their usefulness. :)

DesertHowler	16 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Rusty Neon I would vote for the Osho Zen Tarot. A friend of mine was once creeped by my Universal Waite but was very OK with the Osho Zen Tarot. New-agey and looking neither occult nor pagan. I find some of my friends I do readings for don't like the Osho Zen because it is "too revealing." Of course, that could be me too. I like to take the meanings and RUN with them. That's why I've gone to the Rider Waite. DH

caledonia	17 Oct 2003
I have a deck that I consider a "gentle" deck. It's the Renaissance Tarot (the one that uses embossed looking gold leaf on the cards and has an alchemical theme) and I don't like it. I don't know why I bought it! Not only do I think the cards are ugly, I also consider the meanings in the companion book wishy-washy. On every "negative" meaning, it tries to do a "don't worry, be happy" spin. It seems like every "negative" card meaning in the book ends with something like "but strife is necessary to bring about blah, blah, and will make it possible for you to see a bright new dawn, day, tomorrow, beginning, whatever." (thats not verbatim.) No duh, it's necessary! Tell me something I don't know! Should be called the "spin doctor" deck. I don't want a pat on the back from my cards, if I want support I'll buy a bra. Being little more than a beginner, I think this deck was a bad choice for me. I want a "no-nonsense" deck. But I guess I'll keep it around in case I ever do a reading for someone who particularly needs an uplift. That's the only thing keeping me from turning these cards into coasters. Perhaps I got up on the wrong side of the bed today? Regards, Caledonia

Logiatrix	17 Oct 2003
...and started to use the Spirit of Flowers Tarot, per the recommendation of Dolphinprincess. As Umbrae mentioned, it is entirely possible to get a very truthful, balanced reading from a gentle deck. Honestly, for my reading last evening, I rather liked getting a spoonful of sugar along with my medicine. Life is a bit bumpy right now, and this deck is just what the doctor ordered! :)

purplelady	22 Oct 2003
How about the Halloween? I don't know if it's really "lite". But it is Cute and brightly colorful. Even the bats and ghosts , imps and monsters are fun, cute, and colorful! I don't recall any nudity either. And reading with it always makes me feel good.

Cerulean	22 Oct 2003
I liked this thread but wanted to propose a totally different tarot for me spun just for fun and Halloween and autumn-to-winter... I almost want to buy Tarocchi of the Robot and buy Robota, a sci-fi graphic novel by some noted illustrator. But it is a bit too dark and glum. So I found... Tarocchi Gitani or the Italian version of Tarot of the Gypsies. Nothing to do with any historical accuracy or the reality of anything...a dancing bear, a one-man-band, dove and owls, peacock feathers, golden coins and mostly handsome or beautiful dark eyes and hair...a few golden heads, but mostly handsome, tanned faces and warm, full-page washes of color. Lovely costumes and if I were dressing up, here's to the medieval faire gypsy! It's from De Vecchi editions. and the book is Italian, by Isa Donelli

Requiella	23 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Khatruman "Light and fluffy," at least to me, connotes lack of depth. That anything said is merely surface happy talk. It sounds nice, but never really says anything of substance. *snip* I think it is possible not to be dark and scary, and not necessarily be light and fluffy. Totally agree. Very good point. The Tarot of Transformation is definitely a positive deck, in that its emphasis is on personal growth and even healing. Even the traditionally negative cards are turned inside out, so to speak, so as to deliver a hopeful or positive message. Having said that, though, I wouldn't use the term "fluffy" to describe this deck in any way. The words "deep" and "serious" come to mind. Light-dark is a different dimension, in my mind, than serious-fluffy.

The Tarot "Lite" thread was originally posted on 14 Oct 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.