EmpressArwen
I feel very drawn to this deck. It seems to be unlike anything I have ever seen. Anyone use this deck? What do you like or dislike about it? It's on my wish list for Mother's Day...seems like a very appropriate gift!
Gaian Tarot
Aeric
I've got some questions too. I've only seen online images.
What I've seen are very positive cards: groups in fellowship, individuals relaxing, doing things they enjoy that honour the Earth. But I've seen almost no negative images; it all seems very optimistic. What do some of the traditionally negative cards look like?
I've seen very few men in this deck. They are the subject of a couple of cards I've seen, such as the individuals in Elder of Water and 7 Canoe, or where there is a male-female couple. But the vast majority of cards feature women, and where there are groups, only one appears male. Is this true? Was it the author's intention to heavily feature women?
What I've seen are very positive cards: groups in fellowship, individuals relaxing, doing things they enjoy that honour the Earth. But I've seen almost no negative images; it all seems very optimistic. What do some of the traditionally negative cards look like?
I've seen very few men in this deck. They are the subject of a couple of cards I've seen, such as the individuals in Elder of Water and 7 Canoe, or where there is a male-female couple. But the vast majority of cards feature women, and where there are groups, only one appears male. Is this true? Was it the author's intention to heavily feature women?
EmpressArwen
http://www.gaiantarot.com/
Hope it is ok to post a link....
On the right hand side, scroll down a bit, you can look at all the cards one by one. It does seem heavily female, which is fine for me, and very positive, which may be what I need right now. The 8 of Swords is always a dark card and in this deck I'm assuming its the 8 of Fire. Seems a much lighter interpretation than I am used to. There would definitely be a learning curve for this deck. Not necessarily a bad thing, just very different.
I find the Bindweed Card fascinating, would be The Devil in a traditional deck. It kind of creeps me out, not sure why. lol
Alright...I think I'm going to buy it. Just talked myself into it.
Hope it is ok to post a link....
On the right hand side, scroll down a bit, you can look at all the cards one by one. It does seem heavily female, which is fine for me, and very positive, which may be what I need right now. The 8 of Swords is always a dark card and in this deck I'm assuming its the 8 of Fire. Seems a much lighter interpretation than I am used to. There would definitely be a learning curve for this deck. Not necessarily a bad thing, just very different.
I find the Bindweed Card fascinating, would be The Devil in a traditional deck. It kind of creeps me out, not sure why. lol
Alright...I think I'm going to buy it. Just talked myself into it.
Aeric
Thanks!
It turns out the reason for my feeling of imbalance was that I was mostly looking at Minor cards, where in the Aces through Tens, women are the definite majority. But both sexes are given equal treatment in the Court cards, and the Majors for the most part adhere to RWS characters, with a few exceptions or exchanges. I love the diversity of body types too. Not all of the characters are athletes or stick people; there are heavier folks too. And there's a nice mix of visual ethnicity. I think many people would recognize themselves in one of these characters.
Negativity is also nicely represented as challenges that Nature presents to the people, like the Earth 5 man lost in the woods. Bindweed is also a great card for the Devil, nature's constraints.
It turns out the reason for my feeling of imbalance was that I was mostly looking at Minor cards, where in the Aces through Tens, women are the definite majority. But both sexes are given equal treatment in the Court cards, and the Majors for the most part adhere to RWS characters, with a few exceptions or exchanges. I love the diversity of body types too. Not all of the characters are athletes or stick people; there are heavier folks too. And there's a nice mix of visual ethnicity. I think many people would recognize themselves in one of these characters.
Negativity is also nicely represented as challenges that Nature presents to the people, like the Earth 5 man lost in the woods. Bindweed is also a great card for the Devil, nature's constraints.
EmpressArwen
I agree. I really like the realness of the people. I can definitely relate to pictures of a natural rounded body. lol
ravynangel
deleted
Grizabella
A special friend gave me this deck and I really love it. I was born and raised in Oregon in the Willamette valley. The atmosphere and actions of the characters in this deck are just "homey" to me for that reason. The creator of the deck lives in Washington, I believe.
If you want to know what I look like, find the Elder of Fire in this deck. It's like looking in a mirror almost. I'm not kidding. And my great-grandson Gabriel is the Child of Earth. He's even holding an apple and standing by an apple tree---I live in my old motorhome right next to an ancient apple tree. Gabriel's mother McKenzie is the Child of Air. And the Strength card has a cougar on it---cougars are very special to me. I'm going to be getting a lot of use from this deck, I can tell. I really love it.
There are lots of men in the deck. I don't think they're over-shadowed by the women at all. It seems pretty even to me.
I also even found Rodney in this deck. He's the 3 of Air! I saw a picture of him once in front of a bookcase just like the one in this card.
If you want to know what I look like, find the Elder of Fire in this deck.
It's like looking in a mirror almost. I'm not kidding. And my great-grandson Gabriel is the Child of Earth. He's even holding an apple and standing by an apple tree---I live in my old motorhome right next to an ancient apple tree. Gabriel's mother McKenzie is the Child of Air. And the Strength card has a cougar on it---cougars are very special to me. I'm going to be getting a lot of use from this deck, I can tell. I really love it.There are lots of men in the deck. I don't think they're over-shadowed by the women at all. It seems pretty even to me.
I also even found Rodney in this deck. He's the 3 of Air! I saw a picture of him once in front of a bookcase just like the one in this card.
HuskyChariot
This is one of my favourite decks and I am surprised it didn't sell more and has gone out of print.
It has a unique beauty and colour. It is soft yet powerful. It speaks of community, individual power and gives nature centre stage.
If I can recall the main criticisms on this forum have been that it struck some people as too 'middle class, new age'. I read all the criticisms and have not faltered in my love for it. It was 9 years in the making (I believe) and the time spent on it and thought put into it shows.
I highly recommend it.
It has a unique beauty and colour. It is soft yet powerful. It speaks of community, individual power and gives nature centre stage.
If I can recall the main criticisms on this forum have been that it struck some people as too 'middle class, new age'. I read all the criticisms and have not faltered in my love for it. It was 9 years in the making (I believe) and the time spent on it and thought put into it shows.
I highly recommend it.
Grizabella
Bindweed! That stuff truly "binds" everything it touches. I've spent hours and hours trying to pull it off of other plants, objects---and I think if a person sat down long enough, it would "bind" a person in place, too. It just chokes out everything that it grows near and you almost have to destroy the plants you want to cultivate in order to get the bindweed out of it. It gets so tangled in and rooted in so many places that you have to be careful or you end up pulling out the plants you want to keep. You can't just say "Oh, here's where the plant is rooted" and hoe it out or pull it out because it roots everywhere it touches the ground and it wraps tightly around the wanted plants.. And the strands are so tough that it will make your hands raw trying to pull it up by the roots. It was my job when I was a kid to get rid of the bindweed around the ornamental plants where we lived.
I can see where this could be considered to be the Devil card.
I can see where this could be considered to be the Devil card.
Grizabella
This deck has the most beautiful card backs I've ever seen. And I absolutely love and "get" the art work. I've said elsewhere, maybe in the Gaian study group, that this deck's art work shows the surroundings where I've lived all my life.
The Elder of Fire shocked me like looking in a mirror----That's definitely me and I'm a fire sign, too---Sagittarius. I look a lot like my grandmother, so seeing the Elder of Fire looking like my grandmother and I both is awesome.
I'll cherish this deck forever. The book is falling apart. The glue got brittle, I think. I used scotch tape to tape the leaves in that had come loose so I won't risk losing them.
My next exchange thread I may do with this deck.
The Elder of Fire shocked me like looking in a mirror----That's definitely me and I'm a fire sign, too---Sagittarius. I look a lot like my grandmother, so seeing the Elder of Fire looking like my grandmother and I both is awesome.
I'll cherish this deck forever. The book is falling apart. The glue got brittle, I think. I used scotch tape to tape the leaves in that had come loose so I won't risk losing them.
My next exchange thread I may do with this deck.
