Trendy decks and decks that need updating

I was looking at the thread on the Metrosexual Tarot. I kinda like the Metrosexual deck. Who knows, it may even be readable.

However, in five years the images and the meanings will be passe. The images are archetypical, maybe, but only in a pop culture way. Hey, Pia Zadora was a cutie, but she's as stale as last week's box of Krispy Kreme's.

Think about all those 1970's era decks that are becoming dated, e.g., the Yeager, Mountain Dream, Aquarian, New Palladini. To some extent, the failure to update the back of the Rider-Waite falls into this category too.

Some of these decks would be pretty cool if they came out with new editions. Look at the Robin Wood, and the goofy looking hairdos on the Wheel of Fortune. Definitley needs a layer cut, and maybe a multi-tonal weave job.

The mullet haircuts in my Cosmic Tarot are starting to wear a bit thin, as well as the 1980's silicone hotties in the Rohrig. I'll still ogle the teddies and the cleavage, but I won't be using them for readings, having relegated them to the collector's box.

Methinks that the old decks are still the best when it comes to everyday readings.

Hehe. I understand what you're saying, but I don't any of my decks feel dated like that... Perhaps some of the people in the SOL look a little 80's, but it's nothing I think about while reading.

The back of the RW has to be one of the worst tarot back in existance. I refuse to buy a new deck, because even if my old one is a little bit damaged, it is one of the few RW-decks who did not submit to the terror of blue diamants. Please, let somebody tell the publisher that blue diamonts are not only the mark of the devil, but also very, very dated.

some of the (pseudo'") dated decks are fun, though. Think of the housewifes tarot!

My guess is that in a few years the obviously computer made decks will look dated. The gilded tarot is pretty good, so that might be an exception, but many decks that are published right now have colors that are to bright, and shapes that are to smooth.

divinerguy said:

Think about all those 1970's era decks that are becoming dated, e.g., the Yeager, Mountain Dream, Aquarian, New Palladini.

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The New Palladini is actually relatively recent, from the late '90s, I believe, and could be thought of as an update itself (of the Aquarian).

The Mountain Dream is now being sold in a new edition with some modifications, and so could be thought of as an update, although it retains the funky feel of the original.

-- Lee

Lee said:

The New Palladini is actually relatively recent, from the late '90s, I believe, and could be thought of as an update itself (of the Aquarian).-- Lee

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Hi Lee,

I agree with you on the New Palladini, but when I see it, it gives me that 1970's ambiance - complete with Peter Max and Three Dog Night flashbacks.

I´ve just rediscovered my old Cosmic Tarot,and I do love it so much.However,the Hermit looks like a hippie,but that also makes you think a bit more about the card...The 10 of Swords shows that the attack is mental,not physical,the 7 of Cups shows a man suffering from such ambivalence you feel sorry for him..
I think I prefer it to stay the same.Today I ordered the second book for that deck from amazon;the one by Laura Clarson,that says who all the moviestars are.I already got the first (very good) book by Jean Huets,but I recently read a pretty good little Tarot-book by Laura Clarson.

When looking at artistic style and composition, it seems to me that all decks become “dated” at some point. Certainly the Marseille and other historical decks -- including the RWS -- are executed in a manner consistent with artistic trends and the printing technology of the day. But they have become so far removed from our current "cultural climate" that we view them as "classics." So -- why not contemporary decks? The ones with real substance (and I personally think the Rohrig falls into this category, despite the silicon-chested ladies with impossibly perfect hair) from today may become the "classics" of tomorrow.

Novelty-themed decks are another matter, however. Personally, I love the novelty decks -- but I agree that from a reader's standpoint, they likely would "wear thin" after a while (if not almost immediately). [Sidenote: I love cats as much as the next tarot enthusiast, but I think I've seen all the cat-themed decks I need to see for quite a while!]

But this thread raises an interesting question, methinks. What would it take for a deck to avoid becoming "dated?" You'd have to pretty much stay away from focusing on anything from one's own cultural and temporal surroundings, as styles and icons inevitably change. I think it would be a pity for all tarot creators to strive to separate their creations from the cultural environments that shaped them; seeing tarot's evolution is one of the things that makes it a fascinating study, as each generation reinterprets the base archetypes and translates them into their own "space-time."

But it certainly would be an equally interesting exercise to see if one could create a deck that had a rather "timeless" feel. To that end, I would posit that the images would need to be rooted in symbols whose relevance has survived through the centuries, or "steps outside" established symbol systems to create its own powerful yet meaningful set (the latter would be much harder, I imagine, but not impossible). Characters and settings would need to have a classic and/or fantasy feel, in order to minimize their "cultural bias."

As for contemporary decks that have achieved this: that most certainly is open to debate. I would perhaps offer up Ciro's Gilded Tarot, because of the eclectic imagery and "fantasy" feel that transcends any single culture or timeframe. Or perhaps one of the better-done collage decks that utilizes existing classic art, such as Kat's Golden Tarot or Karen and Alex's Tarot of Prague.

I think I shall be looking at my decks with a slightly different eye for a while, thanks to this thread!

-- Jeannette
The Tarot Garden

Im thinking some of the cards on the robin wood, like the wheel of fortune. Maybe even the backs of the rws. There is a version of the RWS that has the original backs, I'll see if I can find it on amazon. I would like those backs much better.

Ah, here is the amazon link. These backs would at least be differnt:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...104-2227378-5494354?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

I have to admit that the Robin Wood Tarot seems dated to me. Strange, because it came out after I got into tarot, but the pictures remind me of the 60's and 70's, all flower child/hippy sort of Paganism, whereas something like Druidcraft seems more refined in its symbolism and classical.

Jeannette said:

But this thread raises an interesting question, methinks. What would it take for a deck to avoid becoming "dated?"

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Hey Jeanette,

An interesting observation/question. We had a discussion here about this very topic a while back...