What a horrible deck!

Newly reviewed on Tarot Passages:

http://www.tarotpassages.com/Pages2/savage-sj.htm

This is one I won't have to be de-enabled for!!! I know, I know... I shouldn't judge a deck on scans or four or five cards. But... nah, I don't think I could bear to look through the whole deck.

What does anyone else think. Defenders of dark decks... what do you say?

The scans are a bit clearer on AT, http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/savage/ but still the cards are very hard to make out details. The card stock sounds more of a concern than anything "tear with frequent use".... oh dear

Eight card images and a review are also on Aeclectic Tarot.

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

~ Solandia

I somewhat like the Ace of Cups (blue is my fave color afterall) but this deck is just too dark and, shall I say it? Scary for me.

Oops, sorry Solandia, I didn't realise the Savage tarot was also featured on AT.

A bit too dark for my tastes too I think..

Not because I fear the shadowside or because I'm unfamiliar with it, because I'm not.
But rather because it seems a little one-sided when compared to my personal world-view.

Yes, these things exist, and some parts are perfectly natural. The power-play, dominance and submissiveness, emotional hurt and inability to make changes etc.
But the imagery in most of the cards shown are too focused on the hopelessness and seem to block out the possible solution, because I believe there is always something constructive that can be done and it does not include such "solutions and changes" as those presented in the deck.

The images do seem well thought through, but too far from anything I've ever lived or seen or even imagined to be a deck I'd ever consider using.
That from someone who was reared on her older brothers mixed horror-flicks and had a cemetary-view from her bedroom window...


Edited to add:

The artwork itself is aestetically pleasing, even though the chosen motives are not what I would like to have on my walls or on my table during a reading.
Lighting, staging etc. look well made based on the scans. There is a certain aestetic balance in the images..

Not really my cup of tea, but from a few of the scans I have seen, I appreciate the sophistication of the artwork.

My first impression was 'oh ... the bordering and font look familiar'. The Vertigo seems to be an inspiration ... if only for the fact that the bordering and font is almost exactly the same - the little half disc at bottom and top of each card. The Vertigo, even though dark, is a little lighter though and interpretation of the possitive is possible, as well as darker insights.

I am going to check out the other links here to see some more scans before I comment further.

LB

Just saw the 'Death' card. I don't think I could ever read for someone with a card like this. Even though I understand the point behind it in the review (release), I would feel no positive message when reading for a client. I find it quite disturbing and am relatively pleased that there was such few samples to view, to be honest.

Having said that, the artist is talented - with their sophistication, it is just a shame that they did not produce a tarot that is balanced and could be used by a wider audience.

Not going on my wishlist, I am affraid.

LB

LittleBuddha said:

Not really my cup of tea, but from a few of the scans I have seen, I appreciate the sophistication of the artwork.

My first impression was 'oh ... the bordering and font look familiar'. The Vertigo seems to be an inspiration ... if only for the fact that the bordering and font is almost exactly the same - the little half disc at bottom and top of each card. The Vertigo, even though dark, is a little lighter though and interpretation of the possitive is possible, as well as darker insights.

Click to expand...

Inspired by the Vertigo ?? - looks more like a bit of a rip off.....

I like dark decks, and I don't hate this one that much - but at that price, if the cards are that flimsy (forgo the leather packaging, and make better cards !)

calming down a bit now... rationalising...

Don't get me wrong - I quite like the dark side myself. I like a sense of mystery, I'm a fan of supernatural/horror films and gothic literature. I quite like the look of the Vertigo, and would probably pick up a copy if I was ever lucky enough to have it come my way, and I own, and enjoy the strains of darkness in the Rohrig and the Archaeon.
But I think there's a question of balance, or its lack. People knock the fluffy-bunny decks as being too light, too sugary. Well I think it's possible to go too far in the opposite direction.
I suppose it was the Death card that caused me to have such a violent reaction against this deck. I don't think suicide is ever a release, I think it's a failure of release in fact, a failure of the kind of healthy (if sometimes painful) metamorphosis the Death card can often represent.