gregory
LS decks of 2007
I get rather tired of people bashing Lo Scarabeo.
OK, they are a business. So they need to appeal to a wide range of customers to stay in business. The people in this forum alone could not keep them going, and we do tend to have specialised tastes…
And OK again, they aren’t perfect – for instance, as I have posted many times and discussed privately with Ric, I ache for the day they don’t feel the need to have multilingual titles on each card; I can see why they feel they need to, but I was thrilled to see the Pictorial Key, which actually didn’t have any titles at all !
But let’s none of us forget - they do much – more than most - to keep tarot popular and by extension, make people interested enough to buy less well known decks. Their decks are also affordable. And the card stock is high quality. They are usable without getting beat up. Even I, pensioner that I am, have a copy of all the new ones from 2007 (I think…...) And the service is excellent – I had two dud cards this year – they were replaced almost by return of post.
And some – of course - I like better than others. So here I share with you lucky people my views on them all.
• Reincarnation – very pretty, but more of a tarock deck. I wish it had been advertised that way.
• African American – I think probably the least successful, because they took an area they had been asked to cover with a deck, and it was basically an impossible task.
• The Elves. Um. Tough one this. I can see the appeal to a lot of people; but I have yet to recover from the High Priestess card.
• Medieval Tarot – I find it quite lovely. Beautifully detailed and executed. It’s colourful, good to read with, and the art work is superb. Well done, LS.
• UFO. This one got a lot of stick here. But I think it’s great. The images go a long way towards expressing the symbolism of the tarot, but at the same time are so different they really make you look again at each card.
• Sorcerers - a really nice deck in typical Castelli style.
• Lo Scarabeo. I love this deck. It does exactly what it says on the box – it brings in elements of all three main traditions. Not all equally in every card – but who could. But it’s a great way to spark interest in Thoth, Marseille and RWS. It is attractive, and it reads well. It has had perhaps the unfairest press of any deck this year.
• Angels. Angel decks are never my favourites – but of the genre, this is better than many – certainly better than the new Müller one.
• Circle of Life – one of the best circular decks I have yet come across.
• Pirates – another nice deck which isn’t really ME, but I can see it is well done.
• Golden Botticelli. A real triumph. I need say no more – it is just gorgeous.
• Sensual Wicca. I am still getting used to this deck…..
• Zodiac: I’m not so sure about this one. Then again, my knowledge of astrology is limited (understatement)
• Pictorial Key – I love the no titles; I wish the software used had been a little less blunt.
• Corto Maltese. I don’t “get” this one, and I realise it’s because I don’t know the comic strip. I must try and find some stories about the guy !
• Mona Lisa – another very lovely deck, and a beautiful concept, very well executed.
• Universal Wirth. Again – this deck is simply beautiful. I particularly like the minors, which – while not fully illustrated, manage to get across so much.
My favourite three would be the Wirth, the Lo Scarabeo and the Botticelli. (with the Medieval coming up fast from behind…)
What are yours ?
(It would be ever so nice if people didn’t leap in and post “I hate the lot of them”. No-one has to contribute to this thread, but if you do – it is one to pick a favourite in ! There are plenty of threads where LS gets beaten to a pulp – and it really isn’t fair. But if that's what you feel you want to do, please do it in one of them !)
I get rather tired of people bashing Lo Scarabeo.
OK, they are a business. So they need to appeal to a wide range of customers to stay in business. The people in this forum alone could not keep them going, and we do tend to have specialised tastes…
And OK again, they aren’t perfect – for instance, as I have posted many times and discussed privately with Ric, I ache for the day they don’t feel the need to have multilingual titles on each card; I can see why they feel they need to, but I was thrilled to see the Pictorial Key, which actually didn’t have any titles at all !
But let’s none of us forget - they do much – more than most - to keep tarot popular and by extension, make people interested enough to buy less well known decks. Their decks are also affordable. And the card stock is high quality. They are usable without getting beat up. Even I, pensioner that I am, have a copy of all the new ones from 2007 (I think…...) And the service is excellent – I had two dud cards this year – they were replaced almost by return of post.
And some – of course - I like better than others. So here I share with you lucky people my views on them all.
• Reincarnation – very pretty, but more of a tarock deck. I wish it had been advertised that way.
• African American – I think probably the least successful, because they took an area they had been asked to cover with a deck, and it was basically an impossible task.
• The Elves. Um. Tough one this. I can see the appeal to a lot of people; but I have yet to recover from the High Priestess card.
• Medieval Tarot – I find it quite lovely. Beautifully detailed and executed. It’s colourful, good to read with, and the art work is superb. Well done, LS.
• UFO. This one got a lot of stick here. But I think it’s great. The images go a long way towards expressing the symbolism of the tarot, but at the same time are so different they really make you look again at each card.
• Sorcerers - a really nice deck in typical Castelli style.
• Lo Scarabeo. I love this deck. It does exactly what it says on the box – it brings in elements of all three main traditions. Not all equally in every card – but who could. But it’s a great way to spark interest in Thoth, Marseille and RWS. It is attractive, and it reads well. It has had perhaps the unfairest press of any deck this year.
• Angels. Angel decks are never my favourites – but of the genre, this is better than many – certainly better than the new Müller one.
• Circle of Life – one of the best circular decks I have yet come across.
• Pirates – another nice deck which isn’t really ME, but I can see it is well done.
• Golden Botticelli. A real triumph. I need say no more – it is just gorgeous.
• Sensual Wicca. I am still getting used to this deck…..
• Zodiac: I’m not so sure about this one. Then again, my knowledge of astrology is limited (understatement)
• Pictorial Key – I love the no titles; I wish the software used had been a little less blunt.
• Corto Maltese. I don’t “get” this one, and I realise it’s because I don’t know the comic strip. I must try and find some stories about the guy !
• Mona Lisa – another very lovely deck, and a beautiful concept, very well executed.
• Universal Wirth. Again – this deck is simply beautiful. I particularly like the minors, which – while not fully illustrated, manage to get across so much.
My favourite three would be the Wirth, the Lo Scarabeo and the Botticelli. (with the Medieval coming up fast from behind…)
What are yours ?
(It would be ever so nice if people didn’t leap in and post “I hate the lot of them”. No-one has to contribute to this thread, but if you do – it is one to pick a favourite in ! There are plenty of threads where LS gets beaten to a pulp – and it really isn’t fair. But if that's what you feel you want to do, please do it in one of them !)
