I Ching Holitzka or I Ching Dead Moon deck?

missy

The Royo Dead Moon I-Ching deck feels, above all else, like something decorative for those who crave more flourishes to boring old hexagrams, those who are "predominantly" visual in their divination but fancy a change from tarot cards. The thing is, it's not really I-Ching. It feels like a calendar. In fact, I think it might actually be a calendar. I guess it's supposed to be intuitive. I remember it has lots of naked torsos and sensuousness

The Holitza is a lovely deck. And so simple to use (you draw two cards and the different lines are the moving lines). I like the pen and ink swishes. It feels oriental but not fake.

The Royo deck feels a bit teenagery in comparison...

I own the Holitzka, two copies, and have used the Dead Moon, owned by someone else. To me the Dead Moon is just pretty pictures, very little relationship to the I Ching. While the Holitzka image (of course) doesn't interpret the whole range of the hexagram, it does give a very good interpretation, in my view. Also I love the delicacy of the brush strokes, very fitting.

Thanks for both of your comparisons of the two decks! Le Fanu, I had to laugh at the "bit teenagery" part. :D

And "It feels like a calendar. In fact, I think it might actually be a calendar." :laugh: :bugeyed:

Alta, your description of the Dead Moon as "pretty pictures" and Le Fanu's as "something decorative" in combination with all of the nice things that have been written about the Holitzka here and in the other Holitzka thread has me thinking the Holitzka is the one I would go for first. Plus, you stated it had "very little relationship" to the I Ching. While I am not studying the I Ching and I do not mind intuitive reading, since it is an I Ching deck, some relationship would be nice! :surprise:
 

missy

I don't have either one, but the Dead Moon just doesn't do it for me, personally.

I considered buying it...just so I could have ANY I Ching deck, but something always stopped me....and I can't put my finger on it.

However I think I have instantly fallen in love with the Holitzka, at first sight!

It just feels more...genuine somehow. And beautiful in an unusual primitive way that seems to affect me instantly.

Chronata, I see what you mean.

I have fallen in love with the Holitzka, too! :love:

Although admittedly I MIGHT get the Dead Moon for Luis Royo's artwork. I just wish there is some hope of actually reading with it, since otherwise I will end up not keeping it. That is what I am trying to figure out, I think: if both are readable.

It seems fairly plain from what people have said so far in both Holitzka threads that the Holitzka is readable; not so sure about the Dead Moon. I DO like Royo's artwork, but it would need to be useable, and not a calendar, as Le Fanu suggested.
 

missy

I don't care for either deck. Why not do authentic I Ching divination? It takes only about five minutes to learn the coin oracle method, then you don't have to bother with cards.

LRichard, thanks. :) I may get 'round to this one day. I really do like cards and do a lot of intuitive reading, so for me, being absolutely faithful to the I Ching, while I would prefer it, since I would like to learn something about it, I also like a deck I can read intuitively. It sounds like the Holitzka may allow me to do both.

But I hear you; that the best way to learn I Ching would be to go directly to that system, so at some point I may consider this, although not a current priority.

It is interesting to hear the different methods being discussed, though! Yarrow stalks, coins, and marbles!

:heart:
 

Richard

Or even quicker - and equally tactile - is the system using marbles which they say is nearer the yarrow stalks in terms of probability than the coin method.

You can use any colour of marbles, not just the colours shown here. You just have to have the correct numbers as shown.

I use this method along with a wonderful, concise book which I got from Moonbow*. I love it. And you don't even need a table.
Thanks, I'm going to try that.
 

Richard

True. The OP did ask about the two decks and I was responding to that, but I agree with you. I use this, made by a member here, Wales Woman. It operates on the same principles as the marble method, replicating the odds for getting each line using the traditional yarrow stalks.
Nice!
 

missy

Yes, that set made by Wales Woman ... How could I forget that one? :p It is beautiful. Lovely shop she has, too!
 

Laura Borealis

I don't care for either deck. Why not do authentic I Ching divination? It takes only about five minutes to learn the coin oracle method, then you don't have to bother with cards.

I just like cards. The coins leave me cold.
 

missy

I have the Holitzka, and have only seen scans of the Dead Moon.

The Holitzka is gorgeous imo. I love how the delicate washes contrast with the bold brushwork, and how the artist incorporated the I Ching symbols into the images. Since the figures are just silhouettes, there are no facial expressions to influence the interpretation. Instead of a thin pamphlet, the LWB is pretty substantial at 114 pages. You wouldn't need another book unless you wanted one.

The Dead Moon, the art doesn't really appeal to me, so I've never looked into it.

Laura, in responding, I realize I missed responding to your post. Yours was one of the ones that made the Holitzka sound very tempting! :D "...delicate washes contrast with the bold brushwork ..." and how there are no facial expressions to influence a reading; I like this, too.

So far, everyone who has this deck has made very convincing posts on why to buy it. No one has responded even in a lukewarm fashion.

I also like that the booklet it comes with is substantial, and that thankfully I wouldn't need another book!
 

WolfyJames

I have one thing to say in defense of the Dead Moon I Ching. I also like Royo's art, but Royo, like all fantasy artists, only draw pretty woman, monsters and old/ugly males. While I'm sure guys are really happy to check out the pretty women, women in the other hand are not satisfied at all. In the case of the Dead Moon I Ching it's filled with young hot males, and hot women too of course. So yeah, if you've been dreaming of finally putting your hands on Royo's art finally showing pretty males the Dead Moon I Ching it is.