multicultural deck & book suggestions for gift
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 15 Oct 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| seaofclouds |
15 Oct 2004 |
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Hey everyone, I want to give my friend a tarot deck for her upcoming birthday. I recently read cards for her and she was blown away (her first reading ever), and then disclosed that she was interested in getting to know the tarot.
I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what deck would be right for her though. I know that the RWS won't cut it. It would have to be a multi-cultural deck, with strong feminine themes (she's a hippie woman!). I would also like to find a fairly "tame" deck because she has her young child with her all the time.
Does the World Spirit deck come with a book? Is it a good LWB?
If I can't find a good deck with normal people on it, any suggestions for one with animals?
I just really don't want to give her a WASPy or violent tarot deck.
Any ideas?
Seaofclouds
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| Grizabella |
16 Oct 2004 |
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The Ancestral Path is multi-cultural. The art work is very beautiful and it's a nicely sized deck for shuffling. Getting the book that goes with it would be a good idea.
I think Haindl is, too, but that's a pretty deep deck for a beginner, so I'd not recommend that one for her. I've got that one and all three books for it and I'm still not able to actually use it much yet.
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| Myrrha |
16 Oct 2004 |
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I recently got the Tarot of the Animal Lords in trade. This is all characters with animal heads and human bodies. I would not recommend it as a first deck. Like the Fey tarot it doesn't include the suite's objects in the picture, but these pictures are are a bit busier than the Fey so it doesn't really *feel* like a tarot deck at all. There is no real difference between major and minor arcana cards. It is wonderful deck, but maybe not for her first.
Some of the animals with very dark or black heads, the crow, badger and bison are painted with white hands and legs, which is a little disconcerting. Over all though this deck does avoid the "Tarot of the Blondes" syndrome.
I would look carefuly at so-called multicultural decks and think about what messages they are sending. For example compare the Queen of Wands and the Queen of Disks in the Wheel of Change Tarot
--Myrrha
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| seaofclouds |
16 Oct 2004 |
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Hmm. I had considered the Animal Lords deck for a minute.
I think that World Spirit is the best looking one so far.
What about the Goddess tarot? Is that a good one for a beginner? I know there are several books out to go with it. I haven't personally looked at the cards.
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| Apollonia |
16 Oct 2004 |
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I just started using the Goddess Tarot to read, only for myself, and I love it for a lot of reasons--the cards are beautiful, they're definitely multi-cultural, and I'm enjoying getting to know the different goddesses. That said, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner, because while most of the Minors correspond fairly well to the RWS symbolism, some of them are a bit stark and lack the detail that helps one get a notion of what the card is all about--for example, the Ten of Swords just shows a grouping of, well, swords, in a desert-like setting. Many of the Majors, each being a different goddess, are just entirely different from the usual symbolism--as in XIII Transformation, which depicts the Japanese goddess Ukemochi, whose body was transformed to provide food for the entire world when she was unjustly murdered. She is shown lying in what I first took to be a courtesan-like pose, while the right half of her head seems to be turning into that of an ox. As I say, it's an absolutely gorgeous deck, and I feel sort of disloyal saying anything against it, but personally I wouldn't give it to a beginner. If I did, I would probably give it to her with the suggestion that she use it for meditation rather than reading at first.
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| Sulis |
17 Oct 2004 |
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The World Spirit is the one I'd recommend. It comes with a small book which is the same size as the deck so you can carry both around together. It's been my favorite deck since I got it a few years ago - multi-cultural, fat and thin people, pagan feel to it - it's a wonderful deck - your friend will love it.
Love
Sulis xx
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| 13thFaeChylde |
17 Oct 2004 |
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Another vote for World Spirit here!
I too carry them around together, in a small purse that belonged to my daughter, they fit perfectly, and can fit into one of my bigger bags for a day-trip.
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| Alta |
17 Oct 2004 |
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Another vote for World Spirit. It would meet all of the critiria you were concerned about. And it had quite a decent little book.
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| WolfyJames |
17 Oct 2004 |
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Others:
Light And Shadow Tarot (Goepferd & Williams)
Guardians of Wisdom (Universal Power Cards) (Emy Ledbetter and Todd Hershey)
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| Myriantha |
17 Oct 2004 |
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Have you considered the Motherpeace deck? I don't care for it personally, but it matches your description rather well.
Since it was published in the late 70s, it could be better described as "multi-racial" rather than being truly multi-cultural. A vast range of skin tones appear throughout the deck ... sometimes you can attach a label to what is being represented; other times you can't. However, the deck draws primarily on the standard Greco-Roman, Egyptian, and generic Native American mythology that you probably managed to pick up in school.
It has lots of nudity, but the art is so, uh, "primitive" that it comes off in a cartoony, sweet way. Very non-graphic, if that makes sense.
It's also a feminist deck, but it's not anti-male (a miracle considering when it was made). The Emperor and the Hierophant appear as the secular and religious faces of The Current System Which Oppresses Us All (a.ka. the patriarchy). However, half the court cards are still men -- rather than being "revisioned" into the Maiden-Mother-Crone or something -- & they are not portrayed negatively. (The titles are Daughter, Son, Priestess & Shaman, so they are actually fairly equivalent in status.) SO: strong focus on females & lots of pictures of them, but males are still there & only some are jerks.
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| seaofclouds |
17 Oct 2004 |
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I did consider the Motherpeace deck, but I don't want to give her round cards. The thought of round cards makes my skin crawly for some reason. :)
I will look into the other suggestions as well! I'm going to do some shopping early this week and see if I can't find a store with an opened World Spirit so I can get a sense of what the cards *feel* like.
Don't you hate it when you can't look in the box!
xoxo-
Sea
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| SongDeva |
18 Oct 2004 |
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I think the World Spirit is fabulous, and for some reason around your friend I see the 2 of Pentacles from this deck.
The book is GREAT, and I am always discovering new stuff in each card. This Empress really brought home the concept of the Empress for me.
Anyway, the Goddess is actually used quite successfully by many beginners, and transmits a lovely divine feminine energy, at least for me.
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| Flavio |
18 Oct 2004 |
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Another vote for the World Spirit! you'll get women, men from many races, shapes and ages. The court system was changed to show different wisdom levels. Goddesses and Gods from many cultures and historic periods appear.
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| seaofclouds |
18 Oct 2004 |
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Originally posted by SongDeva
I think the World Spirit is fabulous, and for some reason around your friend I see the 2 of Pentacles from this deck.
The book is GREAT, and I am always discovering new stuff in each card. This Empress really brought home the concept of the Empress for me.
Anyway, the Goddess is actually used quite successfully by many beginners, and transmits a lovely divine feminine energy, at least for me.
That's strange that you would bring up the 2 of Pents. She's very much in a Temperence year-cycle, and I'm encouraging her to balance her working-life and her mother-life with some fun-life!
I have heard the same thing about the Goddess deck. I think the artwork is lovely. It may be one of those decks that I'll have to see for myself before I'd gift it to anyone else. For some reason I think I would feel strange about giving someone a copy of a deck that I am very close to. Does that make any sense? lol
I'm excited about the World Spirit deck now. It's good to know that the book is good too!
~Sea
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| Seed Crystal |
18 Oct 2004 |
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Originally posted by seaofclouds
That's strange that you would bring up the 2 of Pents. She's very much in a Temperence year-cycle, and I'm encouraging her to balance her working-life and her mother-life with some fun-life!
I have heard the same thing about the Goddess deck. I think the artwork is lovely. It may be one of those decks that I'll have to see for myself before I'd gift it to anyone else. For some reason I think I would feel strange about giving someone a copy of a deck that I am very close to. Does that make any sense? lol
I'm excited about the World Spirit deck now. It's good to know that the book is good too!
~Sea
I LOVE the World Spirit deck, I think it's a well thought out deck, certainly multi-cultural, and it WORKS together. I think the small book that comes with it is exceptionally good. The figures in some cards often are surprisingly translatable as male OR female - but comfortably so, it doesn't feel strange to me or anyone I have read for.
Just one thing - there's some nudity in this deck. I don't think it is in any way offensive; this is not at all a raunchy or racey deck; but if your friend might be put off by seeing pubic hair in some images, this might not be the perfect deck. On the other hand, I would then think any museum would also be too uncomfortable to visit.
To see many World Spirit images, see http://www.llewellyn.com/free/tarot.php
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The multicultural deck & book suggestions for gift thread was originally posted on 15 Oct 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.
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