"Darker" Deck reccs?

Briar Rose

I 3rd the vote on the Archeon. I feel it's a dark deck because it reveals what's underneath the issue, or the shadow side, or what's behind the question.

There's some sort of web site that Umbre gives an interview on dark decks. The link is in a thread some where on AT. Could someone link us again, to it?
 

Grizabella

I wouldn't recommend Vargo Gothic for someone not solidly established with tarot. As others have said here and there, the author/artist took some pre-existing paintings and put them into a deck. The paintings weren't created to be a tarot deck, so they don't have very much in common with tarot images. People love the art work, but if you're not able to read toothpicks, you might not be able to read the Vargo, either. My opinion is that it's a deck for people who want to be theatrical and use it as a fashion statement, mostly.

(Dodging rotten tomatoes here.)

I'm not saying it can't be read with, but if you expect it to follow any tarot tradition, you may find yourself in some quicksand. If you love it, get it, but expect to spend some time working with it in private before you launch into the public realm. You may not be able to just sit down and give an impromtu "dark" reading with it.

Editing to add that now there's a book to go with it, I hear. I'm not sure how much help it's going to be, but it's worth a try. Maybe someone who has it can let us know what the book is like.
 

LittleGoblin

I did searth for threads sorry I guess I didn't do a thorough job, opps!

Thanks for the suggestions..off to do some research...
 

Alan Ross

Solitaire said:
I wouldn't recommend Vargo Gothic for someone not solidly established with tarot. As others have said here and there, the author/artist took some pre-existing paintings and put them into a deck. The paintings weren't created to be a tarot deck, so they don't have very much in common with tarot images.
I agree. Traditional symbolism is almost entirely absent from the Majors and many of the Minors have illustrations that are not obviously related to the suggested interpretation. I see it as more of a fun novelty deck.

I just checked out the Bohemian Gothic. I'm adding it to my wish list. Is there any site where you can see more of the cards?
 

Astraea Aurora

Alan Ross said:
I just checked out the Bohemian Gothic. I'm adding it to my wish list. Is there any site where you can see more of the cards?

Not as I recall. Neither on the Magic Realist Press website nor on bohemiangothic.com are more pcitures of them, I guess due to being unpublished.
 

gregory

Astraea Aurora said:
Not as I recall. Neither on the Magic Realist Press website nor on bohemiangothic.com are more pcitures of them, I guess due to being unpublished.
I thought baba posted a few here somewhere ?
 

Jewel

gregory said:
I thought baba posted a few here somewhere ?
The first few that were shown were included on the opening page of bohemiangothic.com in a fan spread. She has not yet uploaded individual cards or the new ones she has shared in the blog.

As for dark decks, other suggestions might be Mage the Ascention (I love this deck), Vertigo, LS Vampire tarot ...
 

caridwen

Solitaire* said:
My opinion is that it's a deck for people who want to be theatrical and use it as a fashion statement, mostly.

Yes:p It matches my fangs and skeletal frame:D

I agree with the wise sage solitaire in that the Vargo Gothic is not for beginners because it doesn't follow any 'traditional' framework as such and you will not receive any help from the LWB.

However, if you like the artwork, go for it as it's great for intuitive readings and getting in tune with your darker side or a darker side of the situation. One way I like using it is as the shadow side of another deck such as RWS.

You could do a six card spread like this:

Past Present Future using RWS then underneath use the Vargo Gothic to catch what is present but you cannot see. You can do some interesting stuff with it:)

I don't think Dark necessarily means darkly coloured and as far as I'm concerned any deck can signify dark as well as light meanings. It depends how you read.

Now I'm off to eat spiders;)
 

SphinYote

Haven't seen the Akron mentioned yet.

I have it in my collection, though I haven't actually used it.

If you want to use it based on the cards alone, it might be good, though if you want o use the guidebook, its in German (I got mine thru Tarot Garden, just checked, and it is still in print.).

(Der Akron Tarot, by S.O. Huttengrund).