Pros and Cons Thread #3 - Enabling and De-Enabling

journeyinghome

Spirit-Speak Tarot

Any thoughts on this one please? I have somehow started collecting black and white decks, and the Spirit-Speak is now calling! :)
 

GlitterNova

Sherlock Holmes Tarot.

I like Sherlock Holmes. I like tarot. But together...? They don't seem like an easy fit. And I'm afraid this deck might be just a gimmick. So, can anyone tell me if this is deck is worth it? Does it do justice to the stories AND tarot? Especially considering this deck can be had on Amazon.com for less than $10 without shipping! Enable or de-enable me!
 

GlitterNova

78 Tarot by Lana Zellner? I love the artwork but the price is more than I've ever spent on a single deck. I missed the damaged deck sale :(

Disclaimer: I don't own this deck, these are just the pros and cons I've seen other people point out on the forums. Pros: unique and attractive artwork, being able to support an independent artist. Cons: the quality of the artwork is variable. It's obvious that some cards were made earlier than others because the illustration styles don't quite match. A few of the cards have no color. The deck is pretty standard RWS-ish in its depictions, but it's up to you to decide if that's a pro or con.
 

Myrrha

Sherlock Holmes Tarot

Sherlock Holmes Tarot.

I like Sherlock Holmes. I like tarot. But together...? They don't seem like an easy fit. And I'm afraid this deck might be just a gimmick. So, can anyone tell me if this is deck is worth it? Does it do justice to the stories AND tarot? Especially considering this deck can be had on Amazon.com for less than $10 without shipping! Enable or de-enable me!

The deck didn't seem to me to be a gimmick at all. It seemed well thought out and carefully produced. However, Sherlock Holmes and tarot don't actually make a successful mix. It wasn't the choices of characters for the Major Arcana that were off it was the whole tone of the deck. Investigating evidence and analyzing data, making deductions.... It all seemed to go counter to my intuitive processes. I enjoy new systems and complexity but this was just too oriented to mental thought processes. I did like the art but it didn't give me anything helpful when I tried reading it intuitively. I enjoyed the book and how it tied the different stories into the tarot cards but often the connection was about the mental thought processes Holmes used to solve the case or the way he gathered information, so it would never speak to me about my concerns. Maybe someone more interested in mental abstractions would find it more useful as a reading deck.

If you like the Holmes stories it is well worth picking up the deck to see all the artwork and read the book. It is not overly wordy or boring at all. I didn't keep the deck but am glad I bought it or I would have always wondered about it.
 

GlitterNova

Thank you for the review. I'll keep this deck on my wishlist for the future, but I don't think I'll be buying it soon.
 

seedcake

First Light Tarot

This is a very new deck and not just Tarot in a classical meaning. Anyway, it's not a problem at all, after reading the description, I love the concept and well, I love the pictures. I'm totally into space-themed decks... and I promised to myself to not get any new deck. But of course, in this time someone need to publish space deck.

Does anyone experienced it already?
 

rachelcat

First Light Tarot

Hey, I played with this a bit over the weekend.

I like the pictures, too! And I mostly see how they work with/as the majors. Some might find them a bit samey, though.

I like the idea of 3 sets of cards to work with. Tarot majors. I'm pretty sure the "insight cards" are based on numerology, but the connections aren't really spelled out in the book or anywhere. The spread cards are a little disappointing because there are 2 "wild cards." Couldn't think of 2 more spread positions to make 22? Plus there is NO mention in the book about the spread cards, except that they exist. I mean, I guess you don't need an explanation of what "near future" means . . . or do you?

I find the proliferation of keywords annoying. There is a card title at the top and 2 or 3 keywords at the bottom of every card. THEN there is a quick reference card with the same plus more keywords, and advice. THEN there's the book, which, as I mentioned, doesn't really explain the numerology of the insight cards.

I usually like a quick reference or "just the facts" table of cards, especially for unfamiliar (non-tarot) cards, but with keywords on the cards themselves, this one seems like overkill. (Of course, I don't have to use it!)

The book gives credits for the source of the pictures, which is nice, but I don't think it has the names of the galaxies or stars shown. If they are even known . . .

So I would say if you like the space theme, you probably want to try this. But I'm just alerting you to the negatives that I see.
 

violetdaisy

Dark-ish Deck

So, my daughter....who's always been a bit macabre....is insisting my next deck be dark. I don't do dark lol. You can see that from my collection 🙂.

But she may have a point. I do probably need 1 for balance. I don't want a vampire deck, or something super sexy and I was looking at

Night Sun
Ludy Lescot

I've actually looked at the whole "list" on here
 

RiverRunsDeep

So, my daughter....who's always been a bit macabre....is insisting my next deck be dark. I don't do dark lol. You can see that from my collection 🙂.

But she may have a point. I do probably need 1 for balance. I don't want a vampire deck, or something super sexy and I was looking at

Night Sun
Ludy Lescot

I've actually looked at the whole "list" on here

I totally "do" dark. :D :D

Can't comment on the Night Sun, as I don't have that one. I wouldn't recommend Ludy Lescot if you are not a dark deck person; that deck has a handful of cards that people often find disturbing.

Some "lighter" dark decks (IMO, anyway!), would be Deck of the Dead and Samhain Deck of the Bastard by Seven Stars. Also: Dark Angels, Favole, and Gothic tarot by Anne Stokes.
 

FaintlyMacabre

Ludy Lescot

I saw someone show this on a video with their collection and I thought I might like it. Then I saw all (or most) of the cards and she'd skipped the ones I found objectionable. I was certainly glad I'd looked at it more closely.

Diana