Pros and Cons Thread #3 - Enabling and De-Enabling

Lisa Myobun

Does anyone has anything wonderful or horrible to say about the Fountain Tarot?



The production values seem to be fantastic (that is what most reviews I've read are gushing about) and it looks pretty and airy and easy to read and perfect for spring...



But on the other hand I'm worried that it is only a pretty face; that it's simplistic and one-dimensional.

And I look at my Thoth and think, I have all the sacred geometry I need right there, in a much meatier package....



Thoughts? Pros/cons?

What are the readings like that you do with it?


I've simply not been able to get on with my Fountain. Yes, lovely production values... and people talk about its "neutrality" and crispness and clarity. I just find it lifeless. Like a beautiful loft apartment profiled in Architectural Digest: I appreciate it, but will never want to live there. And it really does feel like the collaborative work that went into it -- including a lot of research into decks and meanings -- was smart and purposeful, but didn't come out of a deep heart of practice. Thoth on the other hand -- depths and depths and more depths.....
 

Lisa Myobun

Meanwhile: I've been sorely tempted by some passionate videos and posts about the new plastic large format Ellis DecK. I've never been drawn to this deck before -- and it's very spendy (over $100). But now as I'm seeing it large and in charge, I'm starting to reconsider.... Anyone have thoughts one way or another?
 

G6

My 2P

Meanwhile: I've been sorely tempted by some passionate videos and posts about the new plastic large format Ellis DecK. I've never been drawn to this deck before -- and it's very spendy (over $100). But now as I'm seeing it large and in charge, I'm starting to reconsider.... Anyone have thoughts one way or another?

It's a deck that has been on my wishlist for awhile, but I personally cannot justify spending $110 on a deck. The paper version is $45. I recall there was a less expensive smaller plastic version awhile ago, but it must have sold out. I would resist the urge and see what the 4th edition is like, but that's me. In general, I also question special editions that seem like cash grabs.
 

Lisa Myobun

It's a deck that has been on my wishlist for awhile, but I personally cannot justify spending $110 on a deck. The paper version is $45. I recall there was a less expensive smaller plastic version awhile ago, but it must have sold out. I would resist the urge and see what the 4th edition is like, but that's me. In general, I also question special editions that seem like cash grabs.



Thank you!!! I've been intrigued lately by plastic decks - don't own one and have even been thinking I might buy the Golden Thread just to check it out - although it's not my aesthetic.... feel free to de-enable me there too!
 

G6

Thank you!!! I've been intrigued lately by plastic decks - don't own one and have even been thinking I might buy the Golden Thread just to check it out - although it's not my aesthetic.... feel free to de-enable me there too!

Plastic is just a gimmick, let it go! 😊 BUT, I do like the Golden Thread too and someone is selling it in the trade forum right now. I would feel better enabling you on that purchase. SORRY, lol! 😊 None of us need more decks though is the standard Surgeon Generals warning.

https://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=273758

Im bad. 😈
 

Lisa Myobun

Plastic is just a gimmick, let it go! [emoji4] BUT, I do like the Golden Thread too and someone is selling it in the trade forum right now. I would feel better enabling you on that purchase. SORRY, lol! [emoji4] None of us need more decks though is the standard Surgeon Generals warning.



https://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=273758



Im bad. [emoji48]



[emoji56]
 

Hedera

Ellis

I've simply not been able to get on with my Fountain. Yes, lovely production values... and people talk about its "neutrality" and crispness and clarity. I just find it lifeless. Like a beautiful loft apartment profiled in Architectural Digest: I appreciate it, but will never want to live there. And it really does feel like the collaborative work that went into it -- including a lot of research into decks and meanings -- was smart and purposeful, but didn't come out of a deep heart of practice. Thoth on the other hand -- depths and depths and more depths.....

Thank you, that makes me feel better! :)

Let me return the favour by sharing my experiences with the Ellis decK.
I have the first edition, bought shortly after it came out. The images that I had seen online looked terrific; bold and colourful and deep and interesting.

But in reality, something is missing...
When laid out in a spread, it all feels very flat and lifeless. The colours all seem to have the same saturation and every part of the image has the same (computer-generated) sharpness; I miss a sense of literal depth of field (it does have figurative - or is it metaphorical - depth, although not quite as much as I had hoped), a sense of foreground and background, harder and softer places and textures.

For some reason, everything feels rather rigid and stiff.
The swords work ok, for the most part; at least they have some contrast between the reds and the greys and the blacks.
But the cups are just all brightness everywhere, nowhere for the eye to land or rest. The actual images on the cups are the least interesting too, I think.
It's one of those decks that look brilliant and alive on a computer screen, but don't translate well into cardboard.

So it's become one of those decks that I remember a few times a year (jump out of bed, all excited about this wonderful deck that I had forgotten about somehow), look through, and then put away again without even shuffling it.


I'd still love a print of the Moon card to hang on my wall though!


Edit: oh, and while I adore borderless decks, I really dislike large decks. The smaller edition is perfectly trimmable, should you want a borderless one.
 

banbha

I own the Hekate deck, have been working with it recently, and I LOVE it!! It reads extremely well on a very deep and personal level. The cards can be connected with traditional RWS meanings, but the unique artwork really lets your intuition take flight as well. Two people created the deck, Tinnekke Bebout and Hope Ezerins. I believe Hope was the artist, and Tinnekke wrote the companion book (though I might be mistaken about that). If you are on the fence, I think you should go for it! This is a deck that goes beyond the usual, standard tarot interpretations and speaks on a very personal level.

Thank you RiverRunsDeep! I was hoping this deck would give readings that were deep and personal and I will give it a try. :)
 

G6

Fountain Tarot

I've simply not been able to get on with my Fountain. Yes, lovely production values... and people talk about its "neutrality" and crispness and clarity. I just find it lifeless. Like a beautiful loft apartment profiled in Architectural Digest: I appreciate it, but will never want to live there. And it really does feel like the collaborative work that went into it -- including a lot of research into decks and meanings -- was smart and purposeful, but didn't come out of a deep heart of practice. Thoth on the other hand -- depths and depths and more depths.....

I never picked up the Fountain, but I felt the same way about it as you describe above that there seems to be a certain sterility about it. The collab or "lab" production approach is a good point. Some people say it's a great reader though, so I might try it at some point if the opportunity makes sense for me at the time.
 

Nemia

Light Grey Art Lab Cosmos Tarot and Oracle? Or Uusi Pagan Otherworlds?

I feel the need to splurge on ONE of these decks. They're both beautiful, I can't decide.

I'm a star gazer and the Cosmos Tarot seems to fit the bill admirably. It's based on real constellations, celestial bodies and astronomical phenomena. It's a tarot and oracle together, something I've always wanted to try.

BUT it's a collaborative deck, and while I can "feel" some of the cards very well, others seem totally "off" to me. (I must have looked at that website I don't know how many times!) And I can't remember many people here telling us how they love this deck. Maybe I have overlooked it? There's pretty little echo of this deck.

So lovely ATers who own this deck, how does it read? how do you connect to it?

The Uusi Pagan Otherworlds is breathtakingly beautiful, I love the theme, and I see many people really love this deck and work with it.

So what would you recommend? what do you have to add? I can afford only one (actually NONE but let's forget that...), so which should it be?