Robin Wood tarot OR Mythic tarot?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Dec 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

hexadecimal	04 Dec 2003
I'm getting my friend a X-mas gift, and i can't decide which to get her the Robin Wood tarot or the Mythic tarot? Need opinions. Thanks!! :D

bunnyhop	04 Dec 2003
this response might be a little (lol) biased because i do not have the mythic tarot deck, but i've had really decent results with the robin wood deck. most people i read for really enjoy the artwork. if you really can't decide: my roommate recently bought two yu-gi-oh! posters and let me pick which one i liked best to keep. if you yourself like both decks buy them both and let your friend pick which one she likes and you keep the other. that way you get something good too :D

Mael23	04 Dec 2003
If you want another biased opinion.... I own the Robin Wood as well, but not the Mythic. I find the RW deck a good one for a beginner (like me). The images are evocative and IMHO easy to spark the meaning behind the card. Plus the cards are just plain pretty. Ultimately, though, you know your friend best and would have a sense of her preference. If not, you could always do a reading. Have fun shopping, -Mael

Indigo Rose	04 Dec 2003
That is the most excellent choice of the two, in my opinions.

Nevada	04 Dec 2003
You know your friend better than we do, so just keep in mind that the Mythic is based in symbology and stories from mythology, while the Robin Wood is based on Pagan symbolism (Wicca or Neo-Pagan, I believe). Have you read the reviews of these here? http://www.aeclectic.net/reviews.html Nevada

Kissa	04 Dec 2003
Hi Hexadecimal, Robin Wood Tarot ? It is Rider Waite Smith (= RWS) based so your friend will find many books related to it, even if they do not refer exactly to the Robin Wood deck. If you want to make your friend an even better gift, buy her/him "Robin Wood Tarot: the Book" by Robin herself. There must be some threads about it in the Books section. A wonderful book IMHO. Not to mention that Robin Wood's minors are known to be very clear. This is the deck that helped lots of ppl to finally understand the minors' meanings. Well at least it helped me ;-) I wouldn't be around this forum hadn't I purchase this deck, after many hesitations. I never regretted my purchase. I also own the Mythic Tarot. Beautiful but VERY different from any RWS clone or closely related. As Nevada34 said, it is based on greek mythology. My conlcusion is, if your friend is a beginner or hasn't been introduced to tarot yet, go for Robin Wood. The best. If your friend already owns some decks, try to search if s/he would be interested in a whole different system, like the Mythic. No, who am I kidding ???!!!! ROBIN WOOD. GET IT. ;-) Kissa

Riversea	04 Dec 2003
It depends on what your friend likes. If she has a strong interest or love of Greek mythology or likes to work with the Greek patheon of Gods, the Mythic would make an excellent choice. The majors focus on Greek gods and the suits each follow a story. For instance, the Cups tell the story of Psyche and Eros. Another (I forget which) tells the story of the Trojan War. If you know your Greek mythology, it is pretty easy to get something out of this deck. I have this deck, though I don't use it for reading much. However, I like having it, and have found it very useful when I have wanted to work with the Greek Gods. I know I always have a picture of a particular God or Goddess on hand when invoking or doing spellwork with them. The Robin Wood... I don't own a copy. The artwork is deeply unappealing to me. Her line drawings in some of Scott Cunningham's books can drive me nuts. It's pretty, but somehow bland. However.... the Robin Wood Tarot is beloved by many, and is the reading deck of choice by many people whose opinions on Tarot I greatly respect. On their raves and recommendations, I have been tempted to buy a copy, but so far have held back doing so. Best of luck in your choosing, and I hope your friend adores whichever deck you end up going with! :)

Mystic Zyl	04 Dec 2003
Robin Wood!

Shade	04 Dec 2003
I love the Mythic but agree that soem knowledge or interest in mythology would be a requirement. Ask her if she liked the film Clash of the Titans If she's never heard of it go for Robin Wood If she loved it go Mythic If she hated it because it got everything wrong go Mythic. If she hated it because it seemed preposterous get Robin Wood.

Dee	04 Dec 2003
go Robin Wood!!!!

Majecot	04 Dec 2003
Robin Wood for the beginner!!

lawguy51	05 Dec 2003
Why not just get her a Rider-Waite deck if she is a beginner? Just curious why it's Robin Wood or Mythic. BTW, I'd vote for Mythic only because that's the deck I first learned with. LG51

punchinella	05 Dec 2003
Oh come on everybody--it appears that the proverbial deck is stacked against Mythic--& it's a great tarot! I'd say, if she's a reader at all (of books that is) to definitely go for Mythic. There's just so much richness to it. Yes, it will take her a bit more time to learn (I'm just working on that myself) but if she's even remotely interested in myth, etc., then that extra time is so worth it. On the other hand, if she's visually finicky (a fine-artist perhaps?) then she might hate BOTH Robin Wood & Mythic . . . neither one is exactly sophisticated, from a visual perspective. Mythic is better, in my opinion, but still not exactly a fine-art deck . . . Robin Wood's cards can look good on-line (some of them) but when I acquired the actual deck a few months ago I felt disappointed. For one thing, the backs are hideous--very blunt/blah . . . backs matter to me, setting the mood for a reading, & I couldn't possibly relax while looking at such a clumsy design . . . It's supposed to be a celtic knot, I guess, but in reality it's just ugly. If your friend is really into things pagan (not to imply that Greek myth isn't that!), how about Tarot of the Old Path instead? --It's accessible & attractive, with some truly heart-stopping cards . . . & a lovely foliated back, really so much more appealing than Robin Wood's back . . . --Well, just food for thought--P.

hexadecimal	09 Dec 2003
Got the Robin Wood tarot deck!! :D

lark	09 Dec 2003
Excellent choice!

mercenary30	09 Dec 2003
The thing I liked about Mythic Tarot is that between the book, the cards, and what I already know about Greek mythology, it makes it farily easy to read the cards. I also have Robin Wood, which I have read with numerous times and I also enjoy that deck...... So I guess, if you are getting the whole set of Mythic, it is a good set. If it is just the deck of cards, I would say Robin Wood for sure.

dolphingirl	09 Dec 2003
Oh I just have to jump on the bandwagon and say Robin Wood. It is one of my all time favorites and is also one of the easiest decks for me to read with. I really like the artwork especially the devil, death and the High Priestess. Those are probably some of the most evocitive examples of those cards that I have. One other thing is that I found the Mythic card stock alittle flimsy.

Kissa	10 Dec 2003
that's it guys, WE WON ;-) hexadecimal got the right deck! hexadecimal, would you be kind enough to let us know how your friend likes the new deck? let's hope we didn't get it all wrong ... kissa

Witchylust	11 Dec 2003
I won both decks and I have to agree with the general opinion that the Robin Wood will most likely be easier for a beginner. When I bought the Mythic it was in a set that included a book (which I have no idea what ever happened to LOL) so if you have a feeling that the Mysthology would be of interest to your friend... look for the set and perhaps alleviate any misgivings about the potential difficulty of a deck with 'non-standard' symbology :) Happy Shopping!

nexyjo	11 Dec 2003
robin wood

The Robin Wood tarot OR Mythic tarot? thread was originally posted on 04 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.