I'm resurrecting this thread, for anyone who's interested in discussing the Spiral. Hopefully there's someone out there who is...
Here are some light-hearted questions about this deck to start off our group.
1. What made you buy the deck?
2. Any favorite cards?
3. Any cards that make you giggle?
I bought the deck years ago, just because it looked good, I guess. I've only recently gotten around to taking a real squint at it. I find it a pretty warm and fuzzy deck, overall so I'm glad I bought it.
I'm looking forward to your thoughts.
The Spiral has been my favorite deck (and go-to readings deck) for a long time now. Honestly, I cannot now remember what drew me to the deck several years ago--likely something mundane, like interesting images online. But once I started exploring it, I was hooked. I like that the people in the cards are drawn to look fairly real (i.e., not cartoonish), but yet they are not computerized images of real people. (Photographs of real faces tend to be a major turn-off to me in a deck; given that the images are supposed to transcend specific individuals and apply instead to archetypal content, life themes, etc., I find that real faces come across as cheesy and get in the way of serious meditation on a card.)
Favorite cards:
The Hermit: I love the fact that it's a woman in this deck! As a big introvert, I have my share of hermit tendencies, and I like that I can more easily identify with this image than with the typical male hermit.
The Moon/The Wheel: The Maiden/Mother/Crone concept has always appealed to me; Steventon applies it well here.
Eight of Cups: The lone floating cup is intriguing and a little different than in some decks, like the RW, and overall, this is just a beautiful card.
Three of Pentacles: This card speaks to me as a singer.
Queen of Wands: Just an all-around attractive card--rich colors and adequate symbolism
Cards that make me giggle:
The Fool: Unlike some of you, I just don't care as much for the imagery here. The figure behind the fool is amusing to me and reminds me of Glenda, the Good Witch of the North...lol One positive of this card: the cat!
Five of Swords: I realize that the victor here is supposed to look intimidating, but for some reason he comes across a little comically, as does the set of eyes peering over the raft. heehee
Overall, I don't find this deck particularly fluffy or particularly dark, but well-balanced. For the most part, the cards communicate seriously, even when the message is positive.