medieval scapini or tarot of the spirit

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Dec 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

jog1118	08 Dec 2003
i browsed through aeclectic's tarot decks, trying to decide which deck i want next. it seems i've caught the tarot fever you guys here have :D i can't decide: medieval scapini or tarot of the spirit??? (i only have the tarot nova, tarot of the hidden folk, celtic tarot-gaudenzi/tenuta, and thoth in my collection) opinions pls... :smoker:

Thea Lynx	08 Dec 2003
Hi Jog, I have both decks - the Medieval is in the Rider tradition and Tarot of the Spirit is set up like a Thoth - I love working with the Spirit and if I had to make the same choice, I would definitely get the Tarot of the Spirit first (but then again I'm a deck junky!) Enjoy Thea

Bean Feasa	08 Dec 2003
Hi Jog, I have both these decks and I like both in different ways. Tarot of the Spirit is quite heavy duty (or so it seems to me, as a beginner!), some of the cards have semi-abstract illustrations - it has a very 'deep' feel to it, and a rather hefty book going with it. The net result for me is that I've put it aside for a time when I can really study it. The Medieval Scapini, on the other hand, I started using as soon as I opened it - it's Rider-based, as Thea Lynx has pointed out. It has lovely, very detailed illustrations, soft rich colours backed by a lot of cream and gold, and the cards feel good to the touch. Some of the illustrations don't seem to relate to traditional Rider-Waite meanings though. For instance the Nine of Wands shows a lot of rather tipsy looking characters dozing between the nine wands - seems the very opposite of the extremely alert and wary guy in the RW 9 wands. But overall it's a very likeable deck. I guess which one you choose will depend on what stage you're at with Tarot, and what you're looking for from your deck. Good luck with your decision - hope these impressions will help a little. Blessings, Kate

Umbrae	08 Dec 2003
Depends on what you’re going to do with the decks. If you’re going to read for others, by all means get the Medieval Scapini. If you’re going to be using the deck for personal growth, use Tarot of the Spirit. Why not both…

jog1118	08 Dec 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae Why not both… ha!ha!ha! :D ...a true tarotholic's answer, if i may say so, Umbrae. maybe i'll get both...once i have enough dough... :smoker:

The medieval scapini or tarot of the spirit thread was originally posted on 08 Dec 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.