What's you favorite non-Marseilles, non-scenic pips deck and why?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Mar 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Nevada	14 Mar 2004
I'm finally ordering my first Marseilles (Ancient Tarot of Marseilles, which I believe is the Conver), but I'm also looking at the Amber Tarot (the more decks the merrier). I know there are other non-Marseilles decks with non-scenic pips out there, so I'd like to shop around a little before committing to the Amber. But I think it's quite lovely. What's your favorite and why? Of course you may feel free to sell me on a second Marseilles if you can't help yourself. ;) Nevada

Jewel-ry	14 Mar 2004
The Crystal Tarot! Here's a link, scroll down on the left to the Crystal Tarot and you can see a selection of cards. http://www.loscarabeo.com/deck.htm Quite simply, this is a beautiful deck. The artwork is gorgeous and the colours outstanding. The pips still manage to tell a story just by the positioning of the element and the use of colour in the cards. Some cards are more pictorial than others, but basically they are non-scencic. Here is another link to some of the sword pips: http://home.hccnet.nl/k.van.rijn/TarocchiDiVetro1-5.jpg Good luck with the decision! J :)

punchinella	14 Mar 2004
Brian Williams' Renaissance Deck is absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous, if you like soft colors, gold leaf, etc. & the pips are primarily non-scenic (well, there are very small mythological images which don't contribute much, or interfere w/ the pip images themselves . . . ) Also, hmmn, Scapini Stained Glass comes to mind as another breathtaking pip deck . . . Courney Davis' Celtic deck is nice too . . . really, there are SO MANY of these decks to choose from, the list would be practically infinite (& since I'm just starting to read w/ pips myself, I don't really know it that well . . . ) :) :) Punch

Logiatrix	14 Mar 2004
Nevada, My favorite non-scenic pips deck is Visconti Gold. I think it pre-dates the Marseille, but is often mentioned in the same discussions of historical decks; therefore, I think it is considered a 'Marseille-type' deck. I have the US Games edition from 1999, and it is my main deck. :) EDITED to add....I guess I couldn't help myself! :D

Nevada	14 Mar 2004
Jewel-ry, Thank you for reminding me of this one. I looked at the Crystal a few months ago, but had forgotten it in my recent search. That's definitely up for consideration. Is this the one originally painted on glass? Nevada

Moongold	14 Mar 2004
The Old English by Maggie Kneen is another charming one, and Tarot of the Sephiroth is another very powerful and "must have" deck in my humble opinion.

Jewel-ry	14 Mar 2004
Hi Nevada, There seems to be some controversy about this but I found this: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10074&highlight=stained+glass+tarot In the LWB it says it is inspired by Gustav Klimt. It is gorgeous, I have been using it for my 78 card study so you will find posts about it there under each individual card and also there are a few posts in the General Study forum. J :)

Rusty Neon	14 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Nevada Of course you may feel free to sell me on a second Marseilles if you can't help yourself. ;) Nevada ... :) It's hard not to have more than one Marseilles. Each version makes you see things that the others don't. Even between 1760 Convers, there are two different ones.

Nevada	14 Mar 2004
I looked and looked, and finally went with the Crystal Tarot. Thank you again, Jewel-ry. :) :) :) But the Renaissance is still on my wishlist. Thank you Punchinilla for that reminder. :) It's so beautiful, and I wish I could buy them ALL. Especially the Renaissance. I would also still like to get a Visconti. Thank you Tauni. :) Though I may go for the Cary-Yale rather than the Gold. ;) I've added the Old English to my list as well. Thank you, Moongold. :) Last of all I'd like to thank Rusty Neon, because I have a feeling that once I get into the subtle nuances and variations on these historical reproduction decks, and their modern variants, I may very well be hooked. :D :D :D So ... The Crystal Tarot is on its way. Also the Ancient Tarot of Marseilles, the New Century Tarot and the Morgan-Greer. These are all my reward to myself for taking a full time job when I only wanted a part time job. (Heck, I'll reward myself for putting on my socks in the morning, who am I fooling? :rolleyes: ) Soon there will be no room for people in this house, it will be so full of things Tarot. :D And hey, I still didn't get the Amber either, so it's going back on the wishlist too. Thank you all. I am so relieved that I have a place to come to for advice on this very important matter. Hugs, Nevada, addicted to Tarot and Aeclectic P.S. I may also require treatment for addiction to smilies. :P

Logiatrix	14 Mar 2004
Nevada, Thank you for sharing the adventure! Your addiction is under control, as long as you keep that wishlist going.... Your smilies make me smile, too! :D

Dark_angel	14 Mar 2004
How about the Adrian? It has pip minors, but they have keywords, colouring differences and patterns which all help in interpretation. Or... the Ananda has non-traditional scenic pips. They show landscapes rather than people, so I've found this deck really useful as a transition deck as well as a fantastic deck in its own right.

Diana	15 Mar 2004
Nevada: A beautiful deck. Everyone should own one. :)

Jewel-ry	15 Mar 2004
Well done Nevada, I hope you will both be very happy together. Don't forget to do a new deck spread. J :)

Kaz	15 Mar 2004
non marseille, non scenic pips..... my favorite would be the crystal tarot as well, though i have an ancient italian i like a lot too.

Aoife	15 Mar 2004
Ancient Italian... sooo elegant!

Strange2	18 Mar 2004
The Tarot Balbi has become one of my favorite decks for a lot of reasons, one of which is for its unique, bold, colorful non-scenic pips. Attached is a scan of an example from each of the pips. While somewhat Marseilles-inspired, the pips are presented in somwhat simplistic but very dynamic geometric arrangements of the pip icons, with various other symbols and stylistic ornamentation surrounding or intertwined the pips. Most of the pips have simple backgrounds with a dual color arc, but at least one of the cards in each suit diverge from this pattern and have a more ornate presentation (like the 4 of Cups in the attached scan). The colors and artwork remind me a bit of Peter Max and the "Yellow Submarine" style of art. Very mod and groovy, in a good way.

mercenary30	18 Mar 2004
How do I choose? Visconti Gold -- Beautiful cards. Old English Tarot -- Quaint and calm some symbolism The Egyptian Tarot -- It does have some symbolism but I am an Egyptoholic at the moment. 1JJ Swiss -- For some reason these cards just attract me. Golden Dawn Tarot -- Mystical History Ok, not much to say about these two, but all I have done with them so far is look at them......... Aquarian Ukiyoe Tarot

Lee	18 Mar 2004
If I were you I would eliminate the Golden Dawn Tarot. It doesn't have astrological symbols on the pip cards. If you want a Golden-Dawn-inspired deck, I'd suggest the Thoth, the Tarot of the Sephiroth, the Tarot of the Spirit, and I'm sure there are some others I'm not thinking of, because at least they have the astrological glyphs on the pip cards. Also, in my opinion the art is not exceptional. -- Lee

mercenary30	18 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Lee If I were you I would eliminate the Golden Dawn Tarot. It doesn't have astrological symbols on the pip cards. If you want a Golden-Dawn-inspired deck, I'd suggest the Thoth, the Tarot of the Sephiroth, the Tarot of the Spirit, and I'm sure there are some others I'm not thinking of, because at least they have the astrological glyphs on the pip cards. Also, in my opinion the art is not exceptional. -- Lee Hey Lee. I have the Thoth deck. The only reason that I don't have that here is because at least he put meanings on the cards and even has significant symbolism within them, although rookies like myself, don't necessarily see them. I could almost say the same about the Egyptian Tarot that I listed and in a small fashion, Old English Tarot, but only some of those little cartoonie things seem to hold some meaning......

Rusty Neon	18 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Lee If I were you I would eliminate the Golden Dawn Tarot. It doesn't have astrological symbols on the pip cards. If you want a Golden-Dawn-inspired deck, I'd suggest the Thoth, the Tarot of the Sephiroth, the Tarot of the Spirit, and I'm sure there are some others I'm not thinking of, because at least they have the astrological glyphs on the pip cards. Also, in my opinion the art is not exceptional. -- Lee Another GD-inspired deck with astrological glyphs is the Ciceros' Golden Dawn Magickal Tarot. Just like Wang's Golden Dawn Tarot, the Cicero deck generally follows the Order of the Golden Dawn card design specifications.

Emily	19 Mar 2004
I think my favourite non-scenic pips would have to include the Thoth and Tarot of the Spirit too. But I'd also suggest the Quest tarot, this deck is a mix of symbolism from many different decks and you can find aspects of the Thoth, Rider Waite, Osho Zen, Haindl, Sacred Circle - it makes for a busy deck, especially with all the extras on the cards like the letters, hair and eye colour indicators, gem stones, I Ching, Runes and more - very busy cards and a challenge to use but well worth the effort. :)

Nevada	20 Mar 2004
I forgot to mention that I have the Thoth, and I agree it is one of the classics of this type of deck. I've had it for about 15 years, perhaps longer, and read primarily with it until about a year ago. I still use it frequently. Thank you everyone for all your suggestions, as I'm still updating my wish list as we go along. I've received my Marseilles, New Century and Morgan-Greer and am still anxiously awaiting the Crystal Tarot, which should arrive any day. Brightest Blessings! Nevada

jema	20 Mar 2004
Gill and Thoth of course! But recently I unpacked my new Tarot of the Sephiroth and that one was rather nice as well. I still haven't tried out reading with the crystal tarot even though it is indeed very very beatiful. After reading this thread I think I will.

Moongold	20 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Nevada I forgot to mention that I have the Thoth, and I agree it is one of the classics of this type of deck. I've had it for about 15 years, perhaps longer, and read primarily with it until about a year ago. I still use it frequently. This sounds a little silly but the Thoth is so colourful and the pips full of so much vitality that I did not regard them as non-scenic. Of course, they are! Moongold

The What's you favorite non-Marseilles, non-scenic pips deck and why? thread was originally posted on 14 Mar 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.