Nemia
So... getting intrigued by the Haindl Tarot. Wondering about folks' experiences with it, and also whether y'all think getting a vintage copy makes a difference here (seems like these are readily available on eBay)... thoughts?
I love the Haindl, it was one of my first three decks (Thoth, Haindl, Cosmic), and I worked with those three for a long time without missing anything
The strongest part of the Haindl are IMO the majors, they're wonderful, haunting and strong. Some of the minors look a bit like an afterthought, they're weaker but still have a strong atmosphere because of Haindl's artistic style. Very organic, earthy, intuitive. So even if he only gives us some stones suspended in mid-air, it's enough for me to get my intuition going.
The real problem for me are the court cards. They're difficult anyway, and Haindl's decision to make them into families from different heritages doesn't work for me. He calls them Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, but the figures chosen are not really family - so why use this family metaphor? Even worse: these court cards are strong and archetypical, and for me, they compete in their power with the majors.
I want my court cards to connect on a very human level as aspects of character, people in our surrounding, or reactions to a situation. But when I see gods and goddesses of the magnitude Haindl chose (Brigid, Kali, Odin, Isis...), I feel archetypes, very strong powers in our lives.
Yes, it's multicultural and beautiful and meaningful. Probably, if Haindl were alive and would make his deck today, he could add them as divine influences and make some simpler, more element-orientated court cards. Then we could use those court cards as oracles or in some other way.
But the way it is, I feel the deck is really lacking court cards.
This is only my opinion, Benebell Wen, who is a much more knowledgeable tarotist than I am, loves the Haindl court cards and you should read her wonderful review to get a different view ;-)
Haindl was an interesting artist and there are some videos on Youtube about the way he worked - very intuitive and material-orientated. I liked that. But he was also a man who took himself very very seriously. For a German man of his generation, he really left the traditional path with his spiritual interests and his multi-cultural curiosity. A bit like Hermann Hesse, with his love for India and his unconventional ways. But this prophet-like demeanor is also a bit weird at times.
I respect his wish to reconcile German tradition (runes) and Jewish tradition (Hebrew letters); after all, he was a Wehrmacht officer and I don't know what he did or saw in the war, and this is part of his biography. I understand it's important to him but I'm not so sure it all works together so well on the cards. They're strong enough on their own.
Rachel Pollack's books are good but I find I read fine also without looking at them.
I trimmed my old Haindl some time ago and didn't regret it. I have also Haindl's poster of the Tree of Life (as addition to Pollack's book about the Kabbalah), and the cards fit nicely to the poster now, but the poster is much less impressive than the cards.
I think the Haindl is a rich, serious and beautiful deck whose intuitive use of art materials gives strong tarot energies. By using it intuitively, in a way you continue the work of the artist, and I think that's what he meant. He doesn't force his will on his materials but lets the pictures develop intuitively - and that invites me as tarot reader to do the same.
My husband thinks that of all my decks, the Haindl is among the most interesting, and he LOVES the Fool. The Devil is also among the most haunting, mysterious and evocative Devil cards I know - I fear and pity him when I see him. My husband is much more critical than I am so his voice for the Haindl counts double ;-)
Sorry, I can't say anything about editions or card stock, I'm very content with the cards I have but I'm no stickler for card stock so don't ask me :-D