Good shamanic decks???!!!

[Penthasilia]

Originally Posted by Cat*

I'd love to hear more about the reasoning behind categorizing certain decks as shamanic/shamanic feel, as subjective as these reasons may be. Right now, we seem to have a broad mix of decks with a nature/earth emphasis, decks with prehistoric or indigenous art/references, and decks that seem to be about non-ordinary realities. I realize that placing a deck in one of the categories (or not) is all dependent on one's understanding of shamanism, so that's what I'm really getting at: what do we actually mean when we say "shamanic" here?

It is totally dependent on each person's understanding of shamanism- and which decks they feel fit into that category. I wanted to keep this thread pretty open to ideas- so where one person may look and feel that certain decks don't belong, it did for that individual person who posted it. I am hoping for more of an all inclusive list- that way people can look through and figure out the ones that call to them. I am just updating the list based on the suggestions of those who post. So "shamanic" in this context means: whatever your understanding is- and then you chose the decks that call to you to be added to the list.

[Astraea]

Originally Posted by Penthasilia

It is totally dependent on each person's understanding of shamanism- and which decks they feel fit into that category. I wanted to keep this thread pretty open to ideas- so where one person may look and feel that certain decks don't belong, it did for that individual person who posted it.

To me, the Mary-El belongs here. It strikes me as a deck that is almost proto-shamanic, in that (for me, anyway) it speaks to energies that belong to Life, itself, prior to the evolution of form - and which are therefore pre-human, in a certain sense: connected with all life, on all levels of manifestation.

[Penthasilia]

Originally Posted by Astraea

To me, the Mary-El belongs here. It strikes me as a deck that is almost proto-shamanic, in that (for me, anyway) it speaks to energies that belong to Life, itself, prior to the evolution of form - and which are therefore pre-human, in a certain sense: connected with all life, on all levels of manifestation.

It is on the list!

[Shade]

How about the Shaman Tarot from Lo Scarabeo

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/shaman/

[Metafizzypop]

I find the Tarot of the Trance to be rather shamanic.

[Le Fanu]

Originally Posted by Shade

How about the Shaman Tarot from Lo Scarabeo

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/shaman/

*embarrassed silence*

One deck which hasn't been mentioned, in fact is never mentioned, and the more I look at it, the more I feel it has shamanic elements, is the LoS Tarot of Reincarnation. Its view of the world - as non-linear, not evolutionary - is that we are all a part of the same whole circle and that all our souls feed into one another and that we bear with us traces of animals that have come before us. I have been looking closely at the LWB and its take on all animals - even insects - is quite wonderful. It's not really about reincarnation as we/Eastern religions tend to think about it but about the endless cycle of animal life and how we are woven into it. We are not more important than any other creatures.

What gets me is how most shamanic/totem animal decks like to focus on "nice" animals with faces. But this is all kinds of beasts, like stag beetles, dung beetles, giraffes, magpies among others - and the qualities that these beasts are believed to have is woven very cleverly into the divinatory meanings. This deck seems to have a reputation for being a non-esoteric deck, which is simply not true. The LWB goes into depth on meanings and spreads. Its merging of the animal soul with ours (there are two Fool cards; one male, one female) is very appealing. I think it's a fascinating deck and nobody ever mentions it. Not shamanic in the exclusively North American sense but in the sense of animal souls alongside ours. Is that one aspect of shamanic? But everywhere I look it is described as a "Tarocchi" deck, i.e not for divination. Not true...

[Bhavana]

How about the Wheel of Change? Do we have a "semi-shamanic" catagory?

Also, the Animal Wise Tarot - it doesn't just have animals with 'pretty faces' - lots of bugs and other creepy crawlers too.

[magpie9]

wheel of change, definitely.But Full Shamanic Honours, I think.

[SolSionnach]

Originally Posted by Le Fanu

*embarrassed silence*

One deck which hasn't been mentioned, in fact is never mentioned, and the more I look at it, the more I feel it has shamanic elements, is the LoS Tarot of Reincarnation.

Le F, I have this deck, and was so put off by it that I never gave the LWB a second look. Guess what I'm going to be doing tonight?

Thanks!!

[Penthasilia]

Originally Posted by Shade

How about the Shaman Tarot from Lo Scarabeo

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/shaman/

Originally Posted by Le Fanu

*embarrassed silence*

Well.... I did say that I would add ALL suggestions.



List updated with all the suggestions!