Forest Folklore Tarot - Deck insights

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Cerulean	23 Jan 2005
I've seen only two other threads, but none on those welcoming this deck and pulling insights. Anyone exploring this deck? Hope the information below might strike someone for discussion on the pictures.... The reasons I like this is because there are blends of styles I like in both a photographic and a painterly way, yet still retaining the ambiguity of the thoughtful faces within its RWS Anglo-English inheritance. The twists that I find that make it unique also work for it's blends that I see: - photographic face or petal/leaf shadow etched in delicate relief, without distracting black drawn outlines - in most scenes, there's an extra twist or detail that makes it unique. The swords have their imps; the people in the minors have wings or rings or perhaps a sprite or luminicent addition that suggests otherworldly touches - the booklet is suggestive, but leaves meaning and detail to your mind's eye and feeling. A book of RWS icongraphy would assist beginners not familar with poses and ideas present in the PCS paintings or line drawings with color. - outdoor settings are rich and there are plenty of plants and animals and people of many ages--some ambiguity in shading and form can make it work for most people that I'd like to read for... - there's some bared skin, but presented in a naturalistic way and in context that suggests reflective, old-fashioned paintings--the spirited forest dwellers are comfortable in their skins and clothing, however they are presented. Whether human, dwarf, sprite or imp, they are not distorted. My first reading, along with some poetry passages, was Six of Wands; Two of Swords and Six of Cups. Six of Wands: Completed work, completion. The mature masculine figure in green has wings in back and illuminated light in front of him. He's just putting the final bang on the board he is fixing. Two of Swords: Solution available, person blind to it; impasse. The blindfolded woman in a lovely rose dress under a canopy of pink flowers has a red imp sitting at her feet. The imp giving her a foot-ache could use a good swift kick as she stands up and unlocks her arms and then pulls the blindfold off. Six of Cups: Regret and loss; something preventing you from moving forward. The man looking at his shadow doesn't look at the small fairy sitting at the edge of the water and the beautiful cloudy sky. They are not looking at each other... I really like the additional twists to the lovely outdoor settings, a kind of pastoral interaction between nature and humanity...I believe the minors are as strong as the original paintings used for the U.S. Games greeting cards. Beautiful to me, integrates forest/nature as Druidcraft, has additional twists good for me and is nicely portable for my contraints and bikebag. This reading works for me; I've started cleaning out clothes and books and boxing old stuff out. It's a New Year, I finished many First Month Goals and can move forward. I'm not waiting and I'm not hanging on to things that don't work for me. What I like about this is also I can start bicycling to work again and getting my workout for health things back on track...my time is more my own and I've fixed my car and finished my jury duty/work schedules...and not restricted by having to balance work/jury duty/husband's need for my car... That's my take. Only other thing about the deck is needing to air it out; the soy inks or lacquer-style coating smell chemically a bit strong. But this usually subsides in a few weeks, so I'm okay with it. Cerulean

faunabay	25 Jan 2005
I really like this deck too. I actually preordered it from amazon in October! I finally received it a week or so ago! Talk about waiting for a deck!! LOL I love the artwork - the watercolor art mixed with the photographic faces really gives it a realistic dreaminess. If that makes any sense. :) I also like that this is not just another RWS clone. Some of the pictures vary, but still get across the meaning so it's not too hard to read for someone who knows the RWS decks. For instance the 6 of Wands does not show a guy riding a horse in a celebration-type parade. It shows a older fairy putting the finishing touches on a wooden fence around the house he built. The LWB says "The end of a long project. The final finishing touches. The competition have admitted defeat and you can survey all you have achieved. Rewards." And I like all the animals! I love animals and like to see them mixed in with people in decks. I absolutely love the Wheel of Fortune card. I had a black cat (he died last year :( ) and I can see him calming sitting on top of the wheel like that, ignoring the dog barking and barking below him. :D The Judgement card is different as well - kind of spooky but I like it. I've only done two readings but both of them were right on with what I needed to know. Since this is a deck that has mythical beings, and I love my Froud faery's oracle, with both readings I first drew a faery oracle card to help pull the readings together and it worked wonderfully. Someone (sorry don't remember who right off the top of my head) posted a "Life Balance" spread and I used this deck. Boy did it make sense!! Like I said I drew a faery oracle card first - it was The Friends. And guess which area of my life was totally out of balance? Relationships outside of work and family. So pretty much friendships!!! (giggle) And truthfully I don't do much with anyone outside of work or my family. (shrug) I guess I better start huh? :)

Cerulean	25 Jan 2005
And you have us as fellow chat buddies, especially friendly fans of the Forest Folklore Tarot. It does go with other theme decks that I have, and is quite friendly in terms of readings and pictures. I'm quite charmed by the pictures and I do like the Wheel very much as well! I've seen the funny cat and the eager dog on the card and like your descriptions. I like how the leaves and flowers and trees and these animals and otherworldly human-like beings all seem to be alive and together...this deck mixes a lot of things I like in other decks in a lovely way. Regards Cerulean

bleuivy	26 Jan 2005
Urgh. I was on the fence about buying this deck or not, but you guys are making me really anctious to get it. Especially since Amazon is selling it for $12.74.....Arg! Should I buy it or shouldn't it? Decisions, decisions. Question: the scans of the deck in the AT archive show the cards having a dark green border that I'm not so fond of, but I know those images are several months old, from before the deck came out. Do the finished products retain the border? If so, do you find it distracting? The pictures themselves are quite gorgeous, so I'm not so happy about a thick border taking up space that is better left to drawings themselves.

SongDeva	26 Jan 2005
I was pleasantly surprised myself. When it arrived even, as I'd forgotten I'd preordered it! LOL The laminate is gorgeous, sensuously smooth and cool, and really sets off the drawings...which are almost like older, sepia tinted photos, or colorized black/white movies. I had a really in-depth, connected reading with this deck, so my guides are able to speak to me through it. I wouldn't have expected this somehow, as I don't have an immediate, visceral response to it. Points to ponder for self. Anyway, I'm enjoying it! The lush greens and blues and all colors really, are imaginative and well done. Love the forest green backs.

Cerulean	26 Jan 2005
That's the tone of the borders to me and the pictures are much more dreamy and clear to me, with a few etched shadows and lines in the right places so that I see..a small incised center of a leaf, a few flower petals, the incline of a head or eyebrow...and also a softer blur of colors in the background at the right places. For instance, in the Wheel card, I see the lazy slouch of the cat, the white of the eyes of the dog's anxious gnawing and the delicacy of the figure in the far background. That might just be me, though. Hope the borders don't distract you. Regards, Cerulean

faunabay	26 Jan 2005
The borders don't seem to bother me at all. Usually I don't like borders, but the colors on this one work out wonderfully. Actually IMO they set off the pictures and allow the artwork to just pop out at you. I went back and looked at the scans and, on my computer at least, the green border looks brighter than the actual cards do. But you know how monitors differ. (shrug) And they aren't nearly as thick as the scans lead you to believe. When you look at the card you see the artwork not the border. As for some of the other cards: I really like the way the 9 of Wands is depicted. A small fairy sits on a toadstool tying her shoe while a black cat sneaks up behind her. She's not being watchful enough. You can see the cat's eyes focused on her completely. Oh Uh! :) And the 9 of Cups has an older grey haired lady with a basket full of fruit dipping her feet into a stream. I like that it shows an older lady instead of a man. And the artwork is just so dreamy, but her face clearly shows her contentment.

faunabay	26 Jan 2005
Cerulean wrote: For instance, in the Wheel card, I see the lazy slouch of the cat, the white of the eyes of the dog's anxious gnawing and the delicacy of the figure in the far background. Wait a minute.....What figure in the far background??? I see the cat, dog, and snake obviously. But I only see the sun rising over the hills in the background. And the leaves and branches.

Sulis	26 Jan 2005
I had this deck on pre-order at Tarot Garden but cancelled it when the first scans were posted on the net. I thought I wouldn't like the mix of photographs and painting. Now I'm changing my mind. I'm really enjoying reading your comments and you're just making me want this deck now. I like the thought of a deck that's not a RWS clone. That's one of the reasons why I really like the World Spirit - there are just enough differences in the cards to make it interesting. These cards look so whimsical yet I'll bet they pack a punch - the scans I've seen of the 2 of Wands is just gorgeous. Well a month or so ago I didn't have a wishlist and I'd stopped buying decks. Now I'm talking myself into clicking that little red x on Amazon.co.uk :) Love Sulis xx

Cerulean	26 Jan 2005
...the delicacy of the snake's tongue and the spoke of the wheel in shadow still manages to show me the rising or setting sun with some gentle rolling hills...excuse me for inserting a figure! Regards, Cerulean

lark	27 Jan 2005
Did my first reading with this deck today. And had an interesting experience. My little dog Daisy has been having a health problem this week. Nothing major but I didn't know if it warranted a visit to the vet. I started to do a three card spread and the first question was. Is it necessary to take Daisy to the vet? 4 of Swords rx Then the phone rang and I got interupted. So after my phone call I put the 4 of Swords back in the deck, shuffled many times, cut three pile, put the middle pile on the top ... Asked is it necessary to take Daisy to the vet and pulled...you guessed it 4 of Swords rx! OHHH spooky......:) The picture on the card is a girl in a red dress asleep under a canopy of autumn leaves. The four swords are stuck in the ground behind her and look like they are protecting her by not allowing anyone to come up behind her as she sleeps. Daisy had been spending a lot of time in her bed sleeping and not playing and interacting with the rest of the family. By the card being RX it conveyed to me that a vet vist was what would set her right and get her back out in the world. That I was her protector and needed to do all I could to set things right. I asked if she would need medication and got the Knight of Rings. The man on this card looks EXACTLY like my brother! (Except his ears aren't that pointy. :D ) But it was the snake or adder as they are calling it, that got my attention. It is holding a ring in its mouth and offering it to the Dwarf. That ring turned into a pill in my minds eye and I knew she would be getting medication from the doctor. Outcome Sun RX- a happy outcome but tempered by the need to have her rest and take her medication on schedule. So we went to the vet and we did get medication and found out how to handle the problem if it occurs again. And I feel so much more at ease and didn't realize untill I got back home how much I had been worried about her. I didn't know if I would like working with this deck. There are a few cards that I don't like. (I will elaborate on this if anyone is interested, in another post.) But it does give you a different perspective on the cards...it's close to RWS but it has its own twists and personality. I did a bigger spread on another issue and the cards look so beautiful all layed out in a big spread. When a new deck gives me a first reading experience that is very memorable it usually winds up being a favorite reading deck for me. Just as the Golden the Gilded and the Housewives Tarot did. I'll be working with this deck more to see what other insights it has to share with me.

Cerulean	27 Jan 2005
...your readings amaze me because of how good they are, no matter what the deck... I'd love to hear more about what you posted: Lark said: "I didn't know if I would like working with this deck. There are a few cards that I don't like. (I will elaborate on this if anyone is interested, in another post.)"" Please tell us more when you have time--I gather it's been a long day. Thank you, in advance, whenever you have time to talk more... Cerulean

lark	27 Jan 2005
Thank you for the nice compliment Cerulean. :) I would love to discuss some of my likes and dislikes and will tommorrow. That is the fun of getting to know a new deck. And all the more fun when you have others who are interested to share it with.

lark	28 Jan 2005
When I look through a new deck I tend to make piles Cards that I like. Cards I don't like. Cards that confuse me. In this deck I had lots of piles. The Cups suit gave me the most trouble. 5 and 6 of Cups have switched meanings. The Six of Cups even has a picture that is the same as most RWS 5 of cups pictures. Very confusing. Makes me wonder if the artist just got the meanings mixed up. 3 of cups had a spooky other world feeling to me like a ritual was being preformed. 8 of cups and 10 of cups conveyed little or no meaning to me at first. After reading the LWB I could see what she was going for in the 8 (soul searching) but the 10 still made no impact. The 7 of cups is the card I disliked instantly. A mortal boy looking at 7 cups filled with naked water nymphs. Trying to decide which one to pick. It seemed so sexist to me. The Knight of Sword I don't like. The Knight of Swords is pushing his sword through the body of a little red imp. I imagine we are to see the imp as evil and the Knight is protecting us by getting rid of it. The LWB says getting the upperhand. Just struck me as to limiting. On most of the other sword cards the imp seems friendly and non threatening. So it seems inconsistant to portray him as the enemy on the Knight of Swords card. The Queen of Wands.....I know this lady and I know her kid and she is no Queen of Wands to me. I found the faces inconsistant and dawn in two different styles. For example compare the Lady of Rings and the 3 of Swords. The first looks very drawn the second more photographic. This is a pet peve of mine faces need to be consistant for me. I also don't like it when they look like real people I know or could know. I understand some like this, but for me it makes the deck feel ordinary. There a several cards in this deck that look exactly like people I know. That limits my flow of intuition it's like I get caught on the known persons character traits. Now on to some good stuff. The Majors are very good I like almost every card. The Tower, Moon, High Priestess, World and Wheel are especially good. The Wheel is probably my favorite Wheel out of all the decks I own. The 8 of Wands is magical my favorite card of the deck. The 3 of Wands has a strange affect on me like a dream I had once and is now remembered. The 4 of Cups a little fairy offering a sad man a cup. The 3 of Rings an elf, three rings plided by his feet studying a book. You feel like he just might be learning how to do something with those rings from that book. 9 of Wands a fairy sits on a toadstool tying her shoe as a black cat creeps up behind her. I guess I have more negative than positive with this deck. My apologies to those who really like it. :) I am very picky about decks that get chosen to go in my stable of reading decks. This deck I have spent more time with because although I am not crazy about all the images it has given very good clear readings. And that sometime happens for me. It is almost as if the negative feelings opens up a different outlet of seeing. So I will work with it some more. And it might be a nice compliment to the Druidcraft when I get it.

Cerulean	28 Jan 2005
The odd thing is I wondered if this deck would be appealing to young men and women alike for some unique scenes. I also found at least two card where the figures are reading and it seemed rather cosy, as if the otherworldly beings also read stories of these strange human beings, in a once upon a time... A different take, I sometimes like to see the differences as a shifting filter that tells me something else about a possible meaning of the card. I am glad to read such insights and think about them for myself... Regards, Cerulean

Ulfdis	28 Jan 2005
I've read this thread with a lot of interest, since I'm thinking of buying this as a present for my beautiful wife :) Shhhh, it's a secret! She reads with a very intuitive style, much more so than I do. Her deck collection includes Tarot of the Spirit, Universal Waite, Cosmic Tribe, and Osho Zen. None of these are quite as earthy as she is (my Queen of Pentacles!), so I think Forest Folklore would be nice. I showed her the samples here on Aeclectic, and she was pleased with all the cards shown. I really get a kick out of the Knight of Wands, the fairy riding the chicken.

bleuivy	29 Jan 2005
Ulfdis wrote: I really get a kick out of the Knight of Wands, the fairy riding the chicken. That card alone makes me want to buy this deck. It's not every day you see a fairy riding a chicken in a tarot deck, and I love it! I wish I could see the full deck to see if that good nature flows through the rest of the deck. But even if I don't see the whole deck, I might end up buying it based on the strength of the Knight of Wands alone. Do let us know how if you give your wife the deck, and how she likes it. :)

MAR	29 Jan 2005
Well, I don't have this deck, but what I have looked it seems a great and beautiful deck. Below, for those who has no this deck or haven't seen these samples cards, take a peek :) http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/forest-folklore/ http://www.tarotpassages.com/Pages2/forestfolk-po.htm Blessings, MAR

rosyelf	29 Jan 2005
Ulfdis, what a lovely man ! I think it's wonderful when people nip around arranging beautiful surprises for folk. And I've got quite a kick doing this myself a bit lately. I've just got am email from Amazon.co.uk telling me my own copy of this deck has been dispatched. Yeah ! Looking forward to seeing the fairy ride a chicken. love to all, rosyelf

lark	29 Jan 2005
About that fairy riding on a chicken. I know I've seen that picture before. If someone has the Spirit of Flowers deck please go through it for me and let me know if the same image is in that deck.

Ulfdis	30 Jan 2005
rosyelf wrote: Ulfdis, what a lovely man ! I think it's wonderful when people nip around arranging beautiful surprises for folk. And I've got quite a kick doing this myself a bit lately. I've just got am email from Amazon.co.uk telling me my own copy of this deck has been dispatched. Yeah ! Looking forward to seeing the fairy ride a chicken. love to all, rosyelf Awww, shucks, rosyelf... only thing is, I'm not a man :) LOL After taking a peek at the sample on tarotpassages (Thank you, MAR!), I'm definitely ordering this deck as soon as I have some discretionary funds. Come on, IRS... baby needs a new deck!

Cerulean	31 Jan 2005
I'm glad to hear of someone who might be able to read with it intuitively...I agree if you are used to the RWS style of illustrations., this feels like a deck I can read out of the box. So I'd be glad to hear of updates and if the fairy child riding the chicken in Forest Folklore might be similar to another tarot image. One of the Forest Folklore images, the smiling lady with a hood, reminded me of a Lo Scarabeo Enchanted Folk scene of a cross-legged elfish figure whose face seem to be lighted by a nice fire...turns out the Enchanted Folk scene was more masculine...the smiling face was just at the edge of a familiar idea. I just decided that if the scenes might be at the edge of familiar or otherwise remind me of other scenes of elvish tarots, and that works for me... Regards, Cerulean

rosyelf	31 Jan 2005
Ulfdis, apologies for mistaking your gender. The rest of what I said still stands-you are a wonderful person ! I think this deck would be a lovely choice for an earthy kind of person, but then I'm biased. love rosyelf

faunabay	31 Jan 2005
Cerulean wrote: ...the delicacy of the snake's tongue and the spoke of the wheel in shadow still manages to show me the rising or setting sun with some gentle rolling hills...excuse me for inserting a figure! Regards, Cerulean Whew!! I was beginning to think there might be two versions - and of course I'd have to find the other one too!!! ROFL

faunabay	31 Jan 2005
Cerulean wrote: I just decided that if the scenes might be at the edge of familiar or otherwise remind me of other scenes of elvish tarots, and that works for me... This is exactly the way I look at it. This deck is very familiar to me - in a good way. I have (or have had) alot of the other fairy decks so this is familiar but gives my readings a different twist than the other decks. I like it alot!!

Cerulean	08 Feb 2005
I looked at the U.S. Games site of the Moon greeting card and where there should be a crab climbing out of the pool in my deck is different. It is a blur that can be taken for a soft moonlit haze near the water. I was reading for someone online and noticed the lack of a crab... I am slightly amused that it would be a sign "not to be crabby" and wondered if those who received the deck--do you have a crab or blur? Tapping her nail with prehensile snap, Cerulean

lark	08 Feb 2005
No crab in my pond just two green blurs that could pass for seaweed.

Xarokys	09 Feb 2005
I also have no crab on my moon. I read in the LWB that there's supposed to be a crab coming out of the water, but I couldn't find it! I thought it was time for new glasses. Also, on the Wheel, there is a little gray figure-shaped smudge that looks like a person in the far distance. It could also be small leaf in the forground. It's on the left side of the card, right where a plant intersects the horizon. As I was looking over my cards, I noticed that two of them have ink splotches. The Queen of Wands has a small blotch in the border which doesn't bother me really, but the 9 of Rings has several black blotches on the back. That bothers me a little because I'll always know when I get that card. And something else that kinda bugs me a little, The Knight of Cups has one arm longer than the other, at least that's how it looks to me. I have to say though, in spite of its imperfections, I really really like this deck. The few readings I've done with it so far have been right on, and the deck was very talkative and gave good advice. ~Becky~

Cerulean	09 Feb 2005
The note I sent said we were fans of the art of Kessia Beverly-Smith and we noticed the difference between the moon card in the greeting card and the moon card description and card design in the deck. I said there was a blur noticed where the crab should be in three different collector's decks bought in separate areas and asked if that was an error. I was hoping to review the deck, I guess this flaw should be mentioned. Regards, Cerulean

WolfSpirit	10 Feb 2005
I just received this deck, and my first impression is very positive. the deck just feels very good to me, earthy and friendly. Just love the whole nature feel of the deck. Love the black cat that makes it presence on several cards. I notice some cards don't show the meaning very well, but as my over-all feel is so good I will still love the deck. The only card I do not like is the Knight of Swords threatening to harm the imp. And the 6 of cups looks like the RWS 5 of cups (these were already mentioned by lark), that's also annoying to me. Cerulean wrote: I looked at the U.S. Games site of the Moon greeting card and where there should be a crab climbing out of the pool in my deck is different. It is a blur that can be taken for a soft moonlit haze near the water. I was reading for someone online and noticed the lack of a crab... I did not see the crab on the greeting card either, but I can only see the greeting card on-line. After close inspection of the tarot card I saw a crab-like shape at the bottom of the card the same colour as the ground (which is probably correct as river crabs have a muddy colour, don't they) but then I always see faces in trees too ;) but hey, doesn't the lwb say "It is a card of imagination". I also noticed the woman in the Strength card aged a lot since the greeting card (she is a young woman on the greeting card) and the Star has taken off her clothes. Anyway I think I really will enjoy working and playing with this deck.

dolphinprincess	01 Mar 2005
I drooled over this deck for MONTHS waiting for it to be released. I was convinced I would adore it - but now that I have it, I am not so sure. It is a really pretty deck - but I think my expectations were too high. There are many cards that I like alot - such as the Lady and Knight of Wands, the Wheel, the Moon, and the animals for Aces.... I find Judgement to be haunting, but I love it. But I find the move between photographic looking faces and painted faces odd at times. I also find that a lot of the minor cards don't have as much "detail" as I expected (ie. there are a lot of watercolor backgrounds that just look hazy to me). I am beyond picky with decks and sometimes I can be too hasty. I think I may need to work a bit more with it..... as it does have potential. And, I do love the 'elemental' theme of the deck.

Elizabeth Genco	04 Mar 2005
The thing about taking some time off from buying Tarot decks is that there are tons of new decks to dig into once you come back. Such is the case with this one. I just ordered it from Amazon and I cannot WAIT to lay my hands on it! All of your comments merely heighten the anticipation. :)

Jewel-ry	01 Apr 2005
I live on the edge of the New Forest (its just 3 or 4 miles down the road) so when I came across this deck today I just had to buy it. How could I live so close and not have it? It would be madness. There are obviously mixed views here but I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. I am an unillustrated pip girl usually but I do really like this deck. The Aces are some of the best I have seen and include a New Forest Pony on the Ace of Wands a Kingfisher on the Ace of Cups an Owl on the Ace of Rings a Deer on the Ace of Swords For anyone who has been to the New Forest, the artist has captured most of the forest and woodland colouring quite beautifully IMO. There is confusion between the five and six of cups but since I don't particularly read RWS meanings, it doesn't bother me too much. I don't like the mountains in the Emperor card because we have no mountains and most of the New Forest is pretty flat and there are a few other cards which I am not keen on for different reasons but on the whole my positives outweigh my negatives ;) I really like :)

NYCTeen	01 Apr 2005
This deck is very beautiful. Some pictures seem very soft and in a way, kind. For example the Two of Wands. I love the way it makes me feel when I see it.

Cerulean	01 Apr 2005
I mean it has good and dark balances, mostly lovely messages in my eyes. All the outdoor scenes and moods usually work for me. I have more high art decks, exotically exploratory decks...this is a deck I like to keep around. I don't quite know why, but it made me like my funny greeny Thoth as well...everything looks new-dyed in Spring, perhaps. Best regards--I'm really glad for hearing the commentary. Cerulean

Bev	16 May 2005
Hi all, I just purchased this deck over the weekend. I was drawn to it because I am a US citizen residing in the UK and feeling very much out of my element. (This will help clarify any confusion for someone noticing I am from the UK...but don't spell things like "color" properly!) :) I have been to the New Forest and I felt more "connected" there than I have most of my time here and thought the deck may help deepen that feeling of connection. Time will tell if this is the case. I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments and have been sitting here with my deck finding cards as they have been referenced and sort of comparing notes. In most decks there will be at least one card that doesn't sit well with me for one reason or another, often several will stand apart from the rest of the deck. With this deck, the only thing I noticed straight away, as has been mentioned is the rather drastic difference in style between some of the cards. It almost seems that some of them were done by a different artist, or were perhaps rushed and not up to the same caliber as the majority of the cards. But overall, I do like this deck and can say there were no cards that I felt genuinely put off by. Generally I don't put much credence in LWB's, but I will read through them to find out the artist's take on any special symbolism they may have included. In reading the LWB for this deck, I noticed something that I believe must be an error, because I can't see what they are describing no matter how I look at it. The entries in question are for The Empress and The Emperor. The book describes The Empress as facing to the left, and The Emperor as facing to the right. That is reversed from the way the images are on the cards and it leaves me to wonder if the cards were printed as mirror images of what they were intended, or if the book is wrong. Brain malfunction on my part is a possible issue ;) but I cannot see how these cards can be seen as described. I will be most likely using these cards for meditation, to start with anyway, to see if they do help me connect with my new(ish) home. I haven't been doing readings recently, but I may give them a try to see how well I can "hear" them. Bev

Emily	03 Jun 2005
I've been away on holiday for the week and went into my usual New Age shop that sells LS decks only and they had the Forest Folklore in, I didn't notice it was US Games until I'd left the shop lol. I'd noticed the threads on here just before going away but I hadn't seen any of the cards. But I liked the card shown on the box, the High Priestess, so I bought the deck. Once I'd opened it I knew it was a deck I would love. It has such a friendly feel to it, I like Moon cards and the one in this deck is quite lovely. The artwork of the cards is very unusual too - a mix of watercolours and photography, it has a very surreal dreamlike quality about it. There is a little bit of nudity in the Cups cards but after reading the LWB I understood why they had used the images like that. The borders are a very dark forest green but they match very well with the artwork, the cards handle well but have a very thick laminate that reminded me of the Radiant Rider, they also have a very high chemical smell that hopefully won't be around for much longer. It is a RWS clone but some of the images are very different - I haven't done any readings with it yet because I wanted to wait until I came home but I think its going to be a fun deck getting to know. :)

magpie9	03 Jun 2005
I want to thank all of you who have posted on this thread. You have cheered me up a very great deal! A few days ago I ordered this deck by mistake, on Overstock.com. There was no picture, and I thought I was ordering the Secret Forest deck. OOoooopps. It turns out that Overstock.com does not allow you to cancel orders. It also has a high re-stocking fee, and what with the shipping and all that, it was almost more expensive to return it than keep it. They never refund your money, you get a store credit. So I thought I would just not open it, and sell it and get back some of the money, or trade it for something I really wanted. But after seeing what all of you have to say about the deck, I find my mind has changed, and I anticipate it's arrival with some interest, after all. I will open it, and give it the chance to enchant me-- or at least to make friends! :D

The Forest Folklore Tarot - Deck insights thread was originally posted on 23 Jan 2005 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.