What do you think of this deck? Should I buy it?

[PathWalker]

7 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

I am thinking of buying the Shining Tribe Tarot in memory of Rachel Pollack. I want it in my collection but what it is like as a deck?

It looks very untraditional in the pictures and reviews of it online, don't conform to regular systems like RWS.

It seems widely available as a mass market deck. Is it a good reading deck?

I have both versions of the deck (Shining Woman came first, a few cards are different) and I really love it.

I did a set of free readings with it years ago, and did find I relied on the images as presented as much a the book meanings, but I gave a try with image-only  before I'd look at what she wrote, because the images are strong, and I wanted to feel what I made of them before muddy-ing the water with words - does that make sense?

That said I admire everything she wrote, and enjoyed adding that depth to my impressions.

 

I really enjoy it, and wouldn't be without it, but I'm sure other folks have other opinions.

PW x

[RunningWild]

On 4/26/2023 at 4:05 AM, DanielJUK said:

I am thinking of buying the Shining Tribe Tarot in memory of Rachel Pollack. I want it in my collection but what it is like as a deck?

It looks very untraditional in the pictures and reviews of it online, don't conform to regular systems like RWS.

It seems widely available as a mass market deck. Is it a good reading deck?

 

Buy it.  Personally, I don't find the artwork appealing but, in the book, Rachel Pollack explains why the deck was created the way it was.  I'm going to get past my feelings about the art.  I've seen worse.

[rylla]

On 4/26/2023 at 2:05 AM, DanielJUK said:

I am thinking of buying the Shining Tribe Tarot in memory of Rachel Pollack. I want it in my collection but what it is like as a deck?

It looks very untraditional in the pictures and reviews of it online, don't conform to regular systems like RWS.

It seems widely available as a mass market deck. Is it a good reading deck?

 

It didn't really worked for me for reading.

[Jewel]

@DanielJUK did you ever buy the Shining Tribe?  I had the deck years ago, really tried to like it .... traded it .... it just never worked for me.  Would love to hear how you are getting on with it if you got it.

[rylla]

Same here. I liked it but  I didn't really got the meaning of the images.

[DanielJUK]

thank you for your thoughts on the Shining Tribe @FindYourSovereignty, @PathWalker, @RunningWild, @rylla and @Jewel. I appreciate it ❤️

 

I know it was originally a woman only deck and the Shining Tribe is more inclusive with men and minority cultures included. The artwork does seem to be a primitive and quite different to RWS regular clone type decks, it seems to really divide people. Viewing the deck online I like it. After the discussion here some months ago I decided I put it on a list of decks to buy sometime in future. I want to own the deck in appreciation of Rachel Pollack and it's a deck which is one of the classics of tarot in it's time. I am not sure it matters if I can read from it well or not, it should have a place in my collection. So I intending to get it in future, it's pretty mass-market and easy to get today, so no hurry! So I am intending to get it in future, but will update if I find it okay to read from or not 🙂 .

[FindYourSovereignty]

@DanielJUK, I did (re)purchase one from Zoe while I was at the Omega conference for this very reason, but also because we had such a great teaching experience with it. The manual makes a big difference with this deck.

 

Also, news you and others may be interested in, this deck is being re-released in April 2024.

 

The Shining Tribe Tarot (The Definitive Edition): 83 Cards and 272-Page Full-Color Guidebook https://a.co/d/9JtpBLD

 

[Natural Mystic Guide]

On 4/26/2023 at 5:05 PM, DanielJUK said:

Is it a good reading deck?

My simple answer:  No.  I spent a year intensely studying this deck.  It remains impenetrable.  I am a very good intuitive reader -- it does not lend itself well to that.  The artwork is uneven.  I would never attempt to read for someone else, cold, with this deck.  I do use it for dream interpretation if I'm not doing it in person in the moment.  It is very good for dream interpretation.

[DanielJUK]

Thanks for your ideas @Natural Mystic Guide, so I may be able to find something to use it for if I find it hard to connect 😀

 

@FindYourSovereignty I may well buy that definitive version set! Thanks for letting us know about it ❤️

[RunningWild]

I wonder if The Shining Tribe Tarot would work well with the Motherpeace Tarot.  To my mind they seem to be of the same era and mindset, though perhaps the Shining Tribe isn't 'feminist' in nature.

[Natural Mystic Guide]

18 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

 I may well buy that definitive version set!

I agree with @FindYourSovereignty that the guidebook is necessary.

[Natural Mystic Guide]

14 hours ago, RunningWild said:

I wonder if The Shining Tribe Tarot would work well with the Motherpeace Tarot.

Interesting, I never made the connection between the two decks, before.  Thank you.  Actually they are quite similar in several respects.  Both are feminist decks.  The biggest downfall for me with both of these decks is amateurish art.  This is more true for the Motherpeace deck than for the Shining Tribe Tarot.  Some of Rachel Pollack's cards are really great, -- that's why I called it 'uneven'.  I just cannot get past that.  I am so attuned to beauty, which I do realize is very subjective.  The Motherpeace deck continues to have a large following.  At least for me, I do not find either of these decks lend themselves well to intuitive readings.

 

Now here is a third deck to throw into the mix.  'Daughters of the Moon' by Fiona Morgan.  Same era.  Feminist.  The art, though -- even though it is a collaborative deck with several artists, is really fine.  Vivid, deep color.  The cards, for me anyway, are easy to read.  The one problem I have with D.O.M. is that it tampers a bit with the traditional 78 card deck structure.  For that reason, I cannot so easily apply my own system 'Tarot Netivot' to it.

[Chariot]

6 hours ago, Natural Mystic Guide said:

Interesting, I never made the connection between the two decks, before.  Thank you.  Actually they are quite similar in several respects.  Both are feminist decks.  The biggest downfall for me with both of these decks is amateurish art.  This is more true for the Motherpeace deck than for the Shining Tribe Tarot.  Some of Rachel Pollack's cards are really great, -- that's why I called it 'uneven'.  I just cannot get past that.  I am so attuned to beauty, which I do realize is very subjective.  The Motherpeace deck continues to have a large following.  At least for me, I do not find either of these decks lend themselves well to intuitive readings.

 

Now here is a third deck to throw into the mix.  'Daughters of the Moon' by Fiona Morgan.  Same era.  Feminist.  The art, though -- even though it is a collaborative deck with several artists, is really fine.  Vivid, deep color.  The cards, for me anyway, are easy to read.  The one problem I have with D.O.M. is that it tampers a bit with the traditional 78 card deck structure.  For that reason, I cannot so easily apply my own system 'Tarot Netivot' to it.

I bought Motherpeace shortly after it came out ...liked the idea, but found the reality difficult/impossible to use.  Not only the artwork stymied me, but so did the round cards. I read reversals (and what's the point of a round deck if you always have to keep shifting it upright) I was hoping that the various angles the cards took in a layout would mean something.  A quarter turn towards upright?  A quarter turn away from upright, etc.  However, I never got the hang of it, and didn't like the artwork at all.  I ended up giving it away ...and that was around 40 years ago!  Just wasn't for me.

Edited August 16, 2023 by Chariot

[rylla]

It didn't worked for me either...nor the artwork, nor the meaning of the images. I let it go...

[Saule]

Hi all! What do you think of Thistledown Oracle Deck? I'm looking for a deck that is balanced without vague affirmations and can be used for daily readings. I'm also considering Everyday Witch Oracle and the Faeries Oracle. I suppose I could buy all...

Edited August 29, 2023 by Saule

[FindYourSovereignty]

20 minutes ago, Saule said:

Hi all! What do you think of Thistledown Oracle Deck? I'm looking for a deck that is balanced without vague affirmations and can be used for daily readings. I'm also considering Everyday Witch Oracle and the Faeries Oracle. I suppose I could buy all...

Hi @Saule, this deck is still on preorder so I haven’t seen it in person, but I do have the Oak, Ash and Thorn tarot deck that they produced and it is very pretty. I considered the oracle because, if I am going to have an animal deck, I like ones that have a keyword and don’t expect me to know all of the animal characteristics. I think this deck will meet your criteria if you like the art.

 

[Saule]

Hi all! 

 

Cozy Witch Tarot officially came out yesterday, and I'm so curious what you all think about it. At first I thought it was too positive, but now I'm beginning to think that it would be so nice to have during difficult days, or when we need some advice... 3 of Swords is actually my favourite card in this deck. I have attached a picture from a flip through video, hence the fingers :D

What do you think? Should I buy it? 

 

[Arania]

Oooh another deck for my wishlist.

 

If you have the money for more than one or two decks, it seems like a good choice to me.

[gregory]

The key phrases would drive me to drink....

[Raggydoll]

I agree with Gregory. But I wouldn’t start drinking, I’d just develop a nasty rash. I’m allergic to ‘Love and Light’ keyword

phrases. I also think that the image of a girl who is weeping because she checked out a sad love story from the library is a really bad depiction for 3 of swords. 

[Arania]

Nothings says it's a love story.

 

I could use more love and light in my life, I have so many dark decks... it is why I said if Saule has enough money for other decks because this one is not for all sorts of readings.

[Raggydoll]

49 minutes ago, Arania said:

Nothings says it's a love story.

 

I could use more love and light in my life, I have so many dark decks... it is why I said if Saule has enough money for other decks because this one is not for all sorts of readings.

I’m not criticizing you, I’m sharing my opinions on the deck. Saule did ask us all to share our thoughts, and I assume they will take what resonates and leave the rest. We  are all entitled to say what we think. It’s not personal. 

[Misterei]

2 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

... I’d just develop a nasty rash. I’m allergic to ‘Love and Light’ keyword phrases.

🤣. But on another note ... some of the new decks feel very UN tarot to me.

Like the deck creator has an agenda ... and they exploit Tarot's name and template for their agenda ... which disregards the essence of tarot.

 

Now this cozy witch deck might be perfectly good and useful if @Saule  [or anyone] wants positive affirmations. Great. But call it an Affirmation deck.

Tarot isn't all love and light, nor is it all dark and shadows. It has BOTH. That's its charm.

 

Likewise, I'm all for diverse decks ... but the figures in tarot are archetypes ... if making them a certain race or gender becomes more important than the symbolism ... great ... but NOT tarot.

 

Of the modern decks ...  Lightseers and Fydor Pavlov were able to add diversity yet keep it Tarot. Prolly others, too.

But why do all these decks with their own agendas ... want to drive in tarot's lane?

 

This deck? Judgement is so NOT about smiling complacently with your cat and your flower box.

This image actually violates the card's essence.

Not really a tarot ... it's an affirmation deck that exploits tarot's name and template.

Edited October 5, 2023 by Misterei

[Raggydoll]

15 minutes ago, Misterei said:

Judgement is so NOT about smiling complacently with your cat and your flower box

😁

[gregory]

1 hour ago, Misterei said:

🤣. But on another note ... some of the new decks feel very UN tarot to me.

Like the deck creator has an agenda ... and they exploit Tarot's name and template for their agenda ... which disregards the essence of tarot.

 

Now this cozy witch deck might be perfectly good and useful if @Saule  [or anyone] wants positive affirmations. Great. But call it an Affirmation deck.

Tarot isn't all love and light, nor is it all dark and shadows. It has BOTH. That's its charm.

 

Likewise, I'm all for diverse decks ... but the figures in tarot are archetypes ... if making them a certain race or gender becomes more important than the symbolism ... great ... but NOT tarot.

 

Of the modern decks ...  Lightseers and Fydor Pavlov were able to add diversity yet keep it Tarot. Prolly others, too.

But why do all these decks with their own agendas ... want to drive in tarot's lane?

 

This deck? Judgement is so NOT about smiling complacently with your cat and your flower box.

This image actually violates the card's essence.

Not really a tarot ... it's an affirmation deck that exploits tarot's name and template.

 

This. As in DV's omission of Devil and Death, and - what's that relatively new one that claims only to delver GOOD news ? That's not Tarot. There are affirmation decks for that. Someone on another forum used to say that when they read for others they always deliver positive messages. When I said that wasn't possible; there CANNOT always be a positive outcome, all hell let loose. I believe at one point I asked how she would read about the future for someone who knew they were dying,.... Tarot coves the good, the bad and the very ugly. My objection to key phrases like that - even if they were all doom and gloom - is that it's up to ME what I see. The "book-learned" meanings are there, boiled in to "real" tarot cards. In a good deck, they also shine through the images.

 

And yes - NO WAY that is judgment.