Cranky and ranting: the Wheel of Change Tarot

The thing that annoys me about this deck (I have seen cruder Art than this deck)is that it states it is multicultural, which is fine, but mixing the dress and artifacts up makes it look as if one culture is aping another. Almost as if the artist had a whole pile of National dresses and cultural items and the figures dived in- first out best dressed! Only it does not work. There is little way to tell who is from where. Maybe that is the point- but I do not get it! To put a Melanesian or Brazilian Native guy in a boat that comes from three thousand miles away in Pacifica, with African gourds- just gets in the way of reading the cards for me.
I bought this deck when it was first printed, as I thought Yay! multicultural! it delivers on colour, but not cardstock. It reminds me of Disneyland where the Maori are depicted wearing hula skirts and Haka to a ukelele. Wrong costume, music and dance. Like the backs though. The book was about 15 years out of date. Still the punters liked it- I think because it was sort everyone and no one.
~Rosanne

Rosanne, darling, you talk sense.

The mish mash of cultures feels patronising.

It rubs me the wrong way in exactly the same way that my current workplace does. I'm temping for a non-profit that is saving the world by trying to get the different religions of the world to talk to each other and understand each other so they stop blowing each other up.... they are so well-meaning, God bless them...

We share an office with a group of people who are trying to save the rainforest (what rainforest? don't really know). Also so well meaning -- someone has to try, and I applaud the mission. It's very very good...

and...

their style is just somehow yucky to me... yucky. Saving the World... a very good idea. Is it even possible to try without coming across as patronising?? I don't know.

Interesting....I learned about been patronising many years ago when coffee bars were first in vogue here. I was sitting with a friend at a table for four, and the cinema crowds were pouring in. I made no move to invite any of the crowd to share, until a man with blue black skin came in with his white girlfriend, I indicated there was room and he leaned down and whispered in my ear "Thank you for your concern, but I am just part of the crowd -I hope?- first in first served eh?" I learned my lesson well that day about patronising white guilt, new age gobbly gook- we are all the same but we can be proud of our differences in look and dress- admire and treat equal, and don't go about with earnest conviction to save the world- others are not monkey's to be saved. ~Rosanne

Yes!! Part of what I'm dealing with is seeing things through my ex's eyes. My boyrfriend in New York was from Puerto Rico and looked very ... "indigenous", we lived together for nine years. He was acutely conscious of being part of the "slave race" in New York (as a Hispanic) and acutely conscious of the "master race" being so secure in their sense of entitlement that they didn't even know they felt a sense of entitlement. Translate that basic sense of entitlement into a saviour attitude, and well.... it's just yucky.

I have been thinking on what you wrote Firemaiden.
This deck is well executed in many ways- the pictures are lush and well fill the space- the design of each card is good; as I said the colour is great.
Then I realised, looking at the images- it is that same self appointed largesse (I think you used the word entitlement) that people get annoyed with Native American decks about. It is optimistic, but because it depicts 'other' culture, you get the sense from the image- that it is someone's view of what that culture shouldbe ,or hope it might be in their world view- so it is imposing somehow.
I actually do not know what the best way to show multicultural cards is. I think it is brave to try- because it can come out wrong. Not all the cards are wrong in my view- and if you can ignore the cultural identity and see the everyman sense of the card- maybe it will work fine. I just get hung up on the detail.
~Rosanne

You are right, in many ways it is a beautiful deck. That is why instead of chucking it, I came here to rave and rant crankily, and maybe someone will change my mind The colours are very beautiful and there is a certain funky folky-ness to the deck which is heart-warming.

P.S. Yes, I agree, I think it is brave to try to show different cultures. I think the English-speaking art and media is at an awkward transition stage, thanks to the internet, easy communication and air travel -- of transitioning from having a white narrator (subject) - looking at other cultures from the perspective of coloniser, ruler, saviour, archeologist, anthropologist, etc. and reporting to other whites about them (object) --- to being a world where every culture has its own voice, reports its own history and speaks as subject, not object.

I do want to thank you for this thread, simply because I guess I'm in agreement on a nmber of the issues with the author and never noticed the patronizing tone. I do big time with Dion Fortune and other authors, but this one not so much.

Makes me step back and wonder about my own tone.

But I did look at the deck again, and my dislike of faces in decks aside, I don't see what people are talking about. I think the faces are as well executed as any deck I've had and much more so than many. Certainly better than anything I could come up with.

Certainly far better executed than the marseilles woodcuts, though that's a difference in media. But given that they're also better than the faces in about 99% of all medieval manuscripts, which is what I've been staring at for my art histor classes lately, maybe I'm just jaded in terms of comparison. But really I think the faces are quite well done, comparaively speaking with other decks.

Sorry, know its a bit OT, but just had to get that last bit in beause I really truly don't see them as badly done....

Again though thanks foro the riginal topic of the thread too, it gives me a new perspective from which to look at my own thought and action...

(Also, apologies for more typos than usual in any of my posts, just got a new laptop and am getting used to a new keyboard)....

Yote

SphinYote said:

But I did look at the deck again, and my dislike of faces in decks aside, I don't see what people are talking about. I think the faces are as well executed as any deck I've had and much more so than many. Certainly better than anything I could come up with.

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Me too actually, I have had the deck almost four years now and I never noticed anything about the faces. They are as good as any in any of my decks that I have. I'm not seeing what bothers others about them, then again I don't suppose I want to see it or it might ruin my enjoyment of the deck, so maybe I am better off in my ignorance, not seeing it.

Babs

I've been looking through this deck and book today.
I love the colours, the new ideas, the intensity of the thought processes that have gone into this deck. Sometimes with decks it feels like someone has gone for the easy option. They go with what is accepted and go with tarot convention.
However I love how this deck is brave and sometimes goes wild. Sometimes it doesnt ring true to me, but I like that too. Its dared to go places and try things and thats something I really admire.
Its a very thought provoking deck - so much thought is there that I want to learn about it just to do the thinking justice (even if I dont agree with it, because its different!)

Something I find hard to get my head around is how the book talks about the equality of the sexes, but in doing that she sort of does the feminist mini-rant and overkill. Whilst it doesnt bash men (I HATE feminists that do that!) it sort of goes overkill to me. But then if your a woman wanting to redress the balance then you would. It would have been cool if there was a bloke working on this book too, get a lot more insight and to read some bloke ranting about masculinity would have been a total breath of fresh air. But hey-ho.

Saying all that though, I do find myself shouting at the book lol.

She knows her stuff, but sadly a product of her situation.

And I didnt like the bumlicking article at the end either lol

Certainly a gem of a deck though.

inanna_tarot said:

Saying all that though, I do find myself shouting at the book lol.

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LOL. I agree with all you said, Inanna, it was nice to have your reaction.