Nevada
Just found this thread. I wonder, does anyone know anything about the extra card? I haven't seen anything about it in the book. It looks as if it was meant to signify something.
Cranky and ranting: the Wheel of Change Tarot
greycats
I don't think you'll grow tired of the Wheel, especially if you enjoy a challenge. I've had it since August 2001 and I still study it fairly regularly.
I agree with you about the book and I have another problem with it: if you peruse it too closely you'll be drawn into the particularity of each image and especially her viewpoint on it, both of which make reading with the deck much less flexible. But if you don't read it closely, you'll miss why her sixes are all negative. Her numerology, if that is what it is, is not the usual numerology. I read the book carefully, once, and put it away.
I'm not whitewashing the deck, itself, either. I agree to some extent with everything negative written about it in this thread. (Except about the faces. I don't think they display lack of ability. Genetti can draw idealized faces. Look at Justice and the Star. She could have drawn all of them pretty. She didn't for some reason.) But the Wheel so beautiful, so original and so thoughtful. I never lay it down for very long. It pushes the envelope so many different directions. It's a challenging deck, imo, because it requires of you both the use of your intellect and a fair number of intuitive leaps.
About the extra card: my guess is that it serves as a title card. The same image is to be found on the 8 of wands.
Good luck on your journey--
greycats.
I agree with you about the book and I have another problem with it: if you peruse it too closely you'll be drawn into the particularity of each image and especially her viewpoint on it, both of which make reading with the deck much less flexible. But if you don't read it closely, you'll miss why her sixes are all negative. Her numerology, if that is what it is, is not the usual numerology. I read the book carefully, once, and put it away.
I'm not whitewashing the deck, itself, either. I agree to some extent with everything negative written about it in this thread. (Except about the faces. I don't think they display lack of ability. Genetti can draw idealized faces. Look at Justice and the Star. She could have drawn all of them pretty. She didn't for some reason.) But the Wheel so beautiful, so original and so thoughtful. I never lay it down for very long. It pushes the envelope so many different directions. It's a challenging deck, imo, because it requires of you both the use of your intellect and a fair number of intuitive leaps.
About the extra card: my guess is that it serves as a title card. The same image is to be found on the 8 of wands.
Good luck on your journey--
greycats.
Nevada
Ah -- now I see it in the 8 of Wands! Thanks so much for pointing that out, greycats. Confusion cleared up.greycats said:
weaver
This is a deck that I owned, didn't resonate with, and sold. I found that some of the cards didn't jive with my preconceptions of what a Tarot deck should look like. Guitars and oil refineries in Tarot?! Exasperating my dislike of several of the deck's cards, its court card structure, fashioned after the Thoth deck, is a system I have always had trouble wrapping my head around.
After reading this thread, and the reasons many here do not care for the deck (or at least its companion book) I decided to give it another go. Though clearly the Wheel of Change Tarot is not for everyone, the complaints voiced here suggested that this is a deck I really should like!
Thanks to a trade here, I am working with the Wheel of Change Tarot again and, thus far, am loving it. (Thanks, Asher!) Two things come to mind. First has to do with timing. When I first laid my hands on the Wheel of Change Tarot, for whatever reason, I was not in a place to appreciate it. At least for me, timing has a lot to do with how well I'll get on with any given deck. Second is my deep appreciation for the gift of Aeclectic members insights. Had it not been for this thread where members largely voiced the reasons for their frustrations with this deck, I likely would not have tried working with it again. It was the intelligent dialog of how and why the deck (and/or book) was, or was not, a good fit for others that informed my decision to reacquire it.
After reading this thread, and the reasons many here do not care for the deck (or at least its companion book) I decided to give it another go. Though clearly the Wheel of Change Tarot is not for everyone, the complaints voiced here suggested that this is a deck I really should like!
Thanks to a trade here, I am working with the Wheel of Change Tarot again and, thus far, am loving it. (Thanks, Asher!) Two things come to mind. First has to do with timing. When I first laid my hands on the Wheel of Change Tarot, for whatever reason, I was not in a place to appreciate it. At least for me, timing has a lot to do with how well I'll get on with any given deck. Second is my deep appreciation for the gift of Aeclectic members insights. Had it not been for this thread where members largely voiced the reasons for their frustrations with this deck, I likely would not have tried working with it again. It was the intelligent dialog of how and why the deck (and/or book) was, or was not, a good fit for others that informed my decision to reacquire it.
thorhammer
What a lovely post, weaver It's nice to hear someone has *discovered* this deck that is so close to my heart! I haven't posted to this thread before, but I've read it many times. My own feelings about this deck are very complex, but overall it's still a powerful one for me, and one I will go back to time and time again. It's also the deck I know the best, inside and out, upside down. I compare cards to the WoC the way most do to the RWS!
I agree about some of the "modern" cards, like the guitars, oil refinery, the scissors and snowflake on the 2 of Swords . . . but then there are moments of inspiration, some of my favourites among them, like the 8 and 9 of Swords
About the Courts - I never *got* Courts before this deck, but working diligently with them as families in this deck really brought them home to me, in a way that has helped me get past them as obstacles and work with them as important, telling elements within a reading.
Enjoy it, weaver It's truly a revelation.
\m/ Kat
It's nice to hear someone has *discovered* this deck that is so close to my heart! I haven't posted to this thread before, but I've read it many times. My own feelings about this deck are very complex, but overall it's still a powerful one for me, and one I will go back to time and time again. It's also the deck I know the best, inside and out, upside down. I compare cards to the WoC the way most do to the RWS!I agree about some of the "modern" cards, like the guitars, oil refinery, the scissors and snowflake on the 2 of Swords . . . but then there are moments of inspiration, some of my favourites among them, like the 8 and 9 of Swords
About the Courts - I never *got* Courts before this deck, but working diligently with them as families in this deck really brought them home to me, in a way that has helped me get past them as obstacles and work with them as important, telling elements within a reading.
Enjoy it, weaver
It's truly a revelation.\m/ Kat
Nevada
I recently got this one too, weaver, and while I'm discovering how buying too many new decks too close together can be a problem (I never had the opportunity to experience before), I'm also intrigued with nearly every one of my recent new treasures, the Wheel of Change included. I have to admit, sometimes I have the same problem with the book that firemaiden mentioned -- too much repetition about environmental issues. I find that way overdone. I'm all for Earth awareness, but I don't need it crammed down my throat. I tend to think that most Tarot users, especially those who've flirted at all with Paganism, are already fairly Earth aware, and that she didn't realize she'd be preaching to the choir on that issue.
But I can't bring myself to toss out the book, either, because I find the genesis of the card images valuable for study, and at times compelling. If I don't understand a symbol, I can usually get the answer I need from the book. I have found sparing use of it to be helpful, mainly because this is not a traditional Tarot, and I don't always read intuitively, particularly when reading for myself.
I have fallen in love with some of these cards, such as the Queen of Swords, which I think is just perfect. I expect to get a lot out of using this deck.
But I can't bring myself to toss out the book, either, because I find the genesis of the card images valuable for study, and at times compelling. If I don't understand a symbol, I can usually get the answer I need from the book. I have found sparing use of it to be helpful, mainly because this is not a traditional Tarot, and I don't always read intuitively, particularly when reading for myself.
I have fallen in love with some of these cards, such as the Queen of Swords, which I think is just perfect. I expect to get a lot out of using this deck.
olivia1
scans
does anyone know where I can see more scans of this deck? I saw it mentioned in the "Easy to find today, Hard to Find Tomorrow" thread. I checked it out and now I think it's the deck I need to own (haven't felt that way since the Fairytale Tarot). Before I commit, though, I would love to see more pictures. I searched online and unfortunately, I was not able to find a gallery.
does anyone know where I can see more scans of this deck? I saw it mentioned in the "Easy to find today, Hard to Find Tomorrow" thread. I checked it out and now I think it's the deck I need to own (haven't felt that way since the Fairytale Tarot). Before I commit, though, I would love to see more pictures. I searched online and unfortunately, I was not able to find a gallery.
jenna
How funny reading through all the comments since 2004. I had completely forgotten it, but I do have this deck and I did put it aside right after I got it because of the book. I'm looking forward to rediscovering the deck (without using the book this time).
thorhammer
FWIW, I read the book forewarned by this thread, and thusly was able to ignore the agendas in it. That didn't stop me from being annoyed by them, but it enabled me to study the whole deck, with the book and the artist's intentions for each image, and with the very valuable Tarot Tree that she's constructed. I posted each card, as well as the Tree and spreads for each level of the Tree, in the Study Group here.jenna said:How funny reading through all the comments since 2004. I had completely forgotten it, but I do have this deck and I did put it aside right after I got it because of the book. I'm looking forward to rediscovering the deck (without using the book this time).
\m/ Kat
weaver
Rather than thinking that this deck and (or) its companion book has an "agenda", I would suggest that The Wheel of Change Tarot has a distinct "point of view". Many modern Tarot decks do. I sometimes wonder if a deck's "point of view" becomes an "agenda" when it doesn't perfectly mirror our own way of looking at and relating to the world at large.
By way of an example; does the Nigel Jackson Tarot have an agenda? Does the Motherpeace Tarot? For my money, neither do, but, certainly both decks reflect the very different sensibilities of their creators. These decks offer users two very distinct points of view.
I guess what I am trying to say is that either The Wheel of Change is your kettle of tea or it isn't. Maybe you like the deck but abhor its companion book. Well, if that is the case, you know what to do. Trash the companion book and enjoy the deck! Don't like anything about the Wheel of Change Tarot? Trade away the whole shebang!
With due deference to what others have written here, using the word "agenda" suggests to me (rightly or wrongly) that Alexandra Genetti created The Wheel of Change Tarot in an effort to convert others to her world view. I honestly doubt that was her intent. Rather, it's my bet that she crafted her Tarot deck and book to be the very best fit for her. In other words, she created the deck set she would most want to use and in so doing, filled a void in the marketplace. The Wheel of Change Tarot set took Alexandria 10 long years to create. I would wager that the birthing of The Wheel of Change Tarot set was a guileless labor of love!
By way of an example; does the Nigel Jackson Tarot have an agenda? Does the Motherpeace Tarot? For my money, neither do, but, certainly both decks reflect the very different sensibilities of their creators. These decks offer users two very distinct points of view.
I guess what I am trying to say is that either The Wheel of Change is your kettle of tea or it isn't. Maybe you like the deck but abhor its companion book. Well, if that is the case, you know what to do. Trash the companion book and enjoy the deck! Don't like anything about the Wheel of Change Tarot? Trade away the whole shebang!
With due deference to what others have written here, using the word "agenda" suggests to me (rightly or wrongly) that Alexandra Genetti created The Wheel of Change Tarot in an effort to convert others to her world view. I honestly doubt that was her intent. Rather, it's my bet that she crafted her Tarot deck and book to be the very best fit for her. In other words, she created the deck set she would most want to use and in so doing, filled a void in the marketplace. The Wheel of Change Tarot set took Alexandria 10 long years to create. I would wager that the birthing of The Wheel of Change Tarot set was a guileless labor of love!
