slfrank67
Hi all! I just recieved my deck after many months of drooling ^.^ Thought I'd start a new thread for this topic, the usage of color and the lack thereof in this spectacular deck. My initial thoughts-
The effect of color in this deck is so lovely. While several have all the colors of the rainbow, many are without, some have the cool-tones only, others only warms, and some have a gradient from cool-to-warm but not all of ROYGBV...
So far, however, I don't detect any higher system or consistent pattern in the WU deck other than cool tones relate to feminine energies and warms to masculine(see I., II., III., and IV.) but this does not apply consistently.. for instance the court cards which are gendered. I have endeavored to catalog the colors per card and here is how I've chosen to do it:
ALL COLORS
majors: X., XIV., XVII., XXI.
wands: 2, 3, 8
cups: 6, 10(no violet), Daughter, Son
swords: Ace, 6, Daughter, Father
pentacles: 2, 3, 8, 10, Daughter, Father
NO COLOR
majors: VIII., XIII., XX.
wands: 5, 10
cups: 4, 5, 7, 8
swords: 7, 9, 10, Son, Mother
pentacles: 7
WARMS ONLY
majors: 0., I., IV., V., VII., XI., XII., XV., XVI., XIX.
wands: Ace, 7, 9, Daughter, Son, Mother, Father
cups: 2, 3, Father
swords: 2, 3, 4, 5(the only card with brown), 8
pentacles: Ace, 5, 6, 9, Son
COOLS ONLY
majors: II., III., VI.
wands: 6
cups:
swords:
pentacles: Mother
NEUTRAL
majors: XVIII.(no red), XIX.(mostly orange and yellow, x-ctgrzd to warms)
wands: 4(orange-yellow+blue)
cups: Ace(yellow+blue, feels cool), 9(red+blue, feels cool), Mother(red+fuschia+blue, feels cool)
swords:
pentacles: 4(no orange)
I read in another thread that the artist didn't put a lot of effort into making the deck 'cryptic', so I wonder if the colors were meant to bear much significance and/or heavy examination. In this photo at Kim Krans' desk she is using a RWS card, http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcfbt6h03a1rjv85vo1_500.jpg
In my study of RWS colors are very important aspects to factor in interpretation, a la BOTA. When I lay the WU entire deck in front of me it's the color that is doing it. It is energy. I just love the way it looks and reads and how it influences card/layout interaction. It effortlessly lends itself to intuitive reading, perhaps especially because there isn't anything esoteric about it.
Thoughts, anecdotes, impressions, concerns? Are there any cards whose colors you'd like to tweak? Cards you wish were given color? Has anybody painted their deck in part or total? Post pics in this thread?
*edit spelling
The effect of color in this deck is so lovely. While several have all the colors of the rainbow, many are without, some have the cool-tones only, others only warms, and some have a gradient from cool-to-warm but not all of ROYGBV...
So far, however, I don't detect any higher system or consistent pattern in the WU deck other than cool tones relate to feminine energies and warms to masculine(see I., II., III., and IV.) but this does not apply consistently.. for instance the court cards which are gendered. I have endeavored to catalog the colors per card and here is how I've chosen to do it:
ALL COLORS
majors: X., XIV., XVII., XXI.
wands: 2, 3, 8
cups: 6, 10(no violet), Daughter, Son
swords: Ace, 6, Daughter, Father
pentacles: 2, 3, 8, 10, Daughter, Father
NO COLOR
majors: VIII., XIII., XX.
wands: 5, 10
cups: 4, 5, 7, 8
swords: 7, 9, 10, Son, Mother
pentacles: 7
WARMS ONLY
majors: 0., I., IV., V., VII., XI., XII., XV., XVI., XIX.
wands: Ace, 7, 9, Daughter, Son, Mother, Father
cups: 2, 3, Father
swords: 2, 3, 4, 5(the only card with brown), 8
pentacles: Ace, 5, 6, 9, Son
COOLS ONLY
majors: II., III., VI.
wands: 6
cups:
swords:
pentacles: Mother
NEUTRAL
majors: XVIII.(no red), XIX.(mostly orange and yellow, x-ctgrzd to warms)
wands: 4(orange-yellow+blue)
cups: Ace(yellow+blue, feels cool), 9(red+blue, feels cool), Mother(red+fuschia+blue, feels cool)
swords:
pentacles: 4(no orange)
I read in another thread that the artist didn't put a lot of effort into making the deck 'cryptic', so I wonder if the colors were meant to bear much significance and/or heavy examination. In this photo at Kim Krans' desk she is using a RWS card, http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcfbt6h03a1rjv85vo1_500.jpg
In my study of RWS colors are very important aspects to factor in interpretation, a la BOTA. When I lay the WU entire deck in front of me it's the color that is doing it. It is energy. I just love the way it looks and reads and how it influences card/layout interaction. It effortlessly lends itself to intuitive reading, perhaps especially because there isn't anything esoteric about it.
Thoughts, anecdotes, impressions, concerns? Are there any cards whose colors you'd like to tweak? Cards you wish were given color? Has anybody painted their deck in part or total? Post pics in this thread?
*edit spelling