Artist's Inner Vision

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Jan 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

contrascarpe	30 Jan 2004
Just curious to see if anyone has this deck and what their impressions of it are. It seems to be a very diverse deck due to the involvement of 26 artists. I am very tempted to make this my next deck but would like to see what others think first. The two reviews in AT are positive. Thanks in advance. Dan

Cocobird55	30 Jan 2004
I like this deck a lot. The art is beautiful, and it works well as a tarot deck. Sue

Kissa	19 Mar 2004
bump! does someone else have it? read with it? i'm afraid the different artists/styles might have an influence on the coherence of the deck, or the readings... any input welcome as usual! Kissa

galadrial	19 Mar 2004
I don't own this deck, but it's one I've thought about for some time and I was, in fact, over at the site yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find that they've changed it (the site) and that you can now view every card as well as read the descriptions from the book: www.psymon.com/tarot/about.html . I went so far as to print a copy of the order form, but the price is a little steep for me right now- otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to get it based on the pics. Some of the pictures immediately got me making associations without the book, others, the book descriptions helped immensely in my apprecitation of what the artist was trying to capture and I was able to fly along from there. There was no card I really disliked once I'd contemplated it for awhile, and several I had great rapport with- you know, that "that's exactly how I see that card" feeling.

Lee	19 Mar 2004
I think this deck is worth having just for the art. When I first got it, I thought that it still worked as a reading deck, despite the different art styles. However, these days it's not a deck I choose for readings. I'm still glad I have it, though. -- Lee

contrascarpe	19 Mar 2004
I did finally pick this one up a couple of weeks ago. I haven't read with it yet, but I don't think I will have a problem doing so. The different artwork to me makes this an interesting deck to have, something a little out of the ordinary. I'll keep you posted once I get around to doing a reading with it. Dan

lunakasha	19 Mar 2004
I really REALLY want to get my hands on this one...the artwork is AMAZING and looks like they would be very easy to read with.... I recently acquired the Fantasy Showcase Tarot, which also features cards by various artists....which I love...so I am sure I would feel the same about AIV :D :) Luna

BlueLotus	19 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by galadrial you can now view every card as well as read the descriptions from the book: www.psymon.com/tarot/about.html I think the images are stunning and I am having a great time just looking through them and reading their interpretations. One more reason why Tarot is great. And one more deck to ponder on .... :smoker: ( not that I smoke, but I think this is a cute image )

Mimers	19 Mar 2004
I have had this deck for a couple of weeks and have found it incredibly natural to read with. For a self published deck with the bag and the book this is an incredible bargain! This is a very good quality deck and book! Despite the different artists, I find the cards work together very nicely. I have not noticed any card that stands out as not fitting in with the deck. The artwork is gorgeous and the symbolism is rich, yet not overwhelming. This deck also has my favorite Death card. I highly recomend this deck. It is very readable and even though $40 it is a bargan for what you get. Mimi Kissa, yes, you will love it. Tarotgarden has pleanty.

darwinia	05 Sep 2004
I finally ordered this when Tarot Garden got their new stock in, so will probably get it in the second week of September. Can someone post the card dimensions please? It looks biggish in the picture on the order form at the web site, but I'd like a firmer idea. Any more comments on how you are finding it? It is rarely mentioned on Aeclectic compared to other decks, which can't be because of expense, as many other decks are priced higher, particularly on eBay . Is it the collage aspect that people don't like? I do collage myself, both real and digital, and I think this deck is charming and lively, and so, so FRESH looking. Or maybe it veers off too much from conventional symbolism? I notice some people find deviation from R-W depictions unsettling, or not as comfortable maybe for readings? What do you think in retrospect, having owned and used the deck for a few months?

Kyrielle	05 Sep 2004
Card dimensions: 3 by about 4/12 inches. It's a funky, energetic deck. Some of the artists apparently are more familiar with Tarot than others -- you can see familiar symbolism on some cards, while other cards are "out there" symbol-wise. But you can glean new meanings from those. Good for intuitive-style reading. The same group also has a playing-card deck out called Four Seasons Playing Cards, I think. The same wacky style in a 52-card deck you can use for rummy, poker, etc. I have tried reading with this one also and it has a mind of its own. Kyrielle

darwinia	05 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Kyrielle The same group also has a playing-card deck out called Four Seasons Playing Cards, I think. The same wacky style in a 52-card deck you can use for rummy, poker, etc. I have tried reading with this one also and it has a mind of its own. I wondered about this playing card deck, I was also considering it since I've been incorporating oddly themed playing cards into my tarot work/studies. I looked at the pictures but it was hard to decide. Okay, thanks for the dimensions I like cards slightly bigger like this. They sound great. Mimi's final remarks in this and the other thread got me to buy the deck after dithering for several months, but I am aghast that there is little discussion of it. It seems to have so much work and effort in it for such a calm response. I like to be "out there," I like it when other people are out there, we could become a satellite nation of funky, out there kind of people. Cut to Lou Rawls singing "Groovy People."

darwinia	24 Sep 2004
I got this today from Tarot Garden and Jeannette did her usual excellent packaging job! Unfortunately the Canadian government insisted on collecting its 7% GST of $1.81CDN and charging its usual whopping $5 handling fee. Such is life when things aren't available in Canada. The deck packaging was nice--I didn't expect the book in the set to be so neat, but it looks good in both information and layout and design. My impression was one of suspended excitement; a small "is that all there is" response to the strains of Peggy Lee's lovely voice: "If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing, let's break out the booze and have a ball, if that's all, there is." And yet, I have this shimmery feeling that this will be one of the loveliest decks I have worked with. Some of my decks, like my Poet's Corner Knowledge Cards, have opened up worlds of exploration and delight to me, and I had such a disappointing first response to them. It's what you put into it, always. This is definitely a keeper and I know we shall go places and learn things and examine minutiae of wonder. Because of the spirit of the deck, I think an artistic action is called for. I mentioned in this thread, a book I was buying: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31411 I have ordered it and the other book that Raven recommended and should get them next week. I think this is the deck they were born to be combined with. I draw mandalas with my Ravenswood Eastern Tarot; the Thoth likes words and word play with my word tickets and paint chip names and poetry; the art decks like history of character and art history, and the Artist's Inner Vision is going to be a deck of mathematics history and geometry. A thinking deck with swirls of colour and mind. Looking through the deck, it's hard to pick something immediately as there is so much detail. I like the Death card and The Star is one of the most interesting I've seen. The World I think is my favourite card, but the Queen of Cups is different too. The 5 of Wands looks almost painful, as thought can be. The Ace of Swords is good, oh and the two of swords is neat, I love those arches, like two paths and the choice and balance. I laughed at the lady's expression in the 4 of Coins--how apt, nobody's getting her pile. For visual beauty I really like the Princess of Coins. And I pull a random card and get the Prince of Swords with an intriguing winding staircase leading to a fancy, architecturally detailed door with a big keyhole, and a map and a postmark --postal stamps of mathematics!!, like my new book that's coming. I see twisting stairways of happenstance and longitudinal exploration in the future.

The Artist's Inner Vision thread was originally posted on 30 Jan 2004 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.