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

[BrightEye]

I’m off to town today where, last time I went, I saw two decks in tins: the Wild Unknown and the Light Seer’s Tarot. I want to buy just one of them (otherwise I won’t concentrate on either fully) and am drawn to the Light Seer’s. I get a nice vibe from the cards and the colours. However, a friend really recommends the Wild Unknown, and I do like the animal images and the fine art style. Appreciate your opinions please on these decks! 

[gregory]

The Wild Unknown is hugely hyped, and the artwork is attractive and very high quality - but I find it completely unusable - and there is the small matter of the butthole Sun card, which has killed it for many people.  In a spoiler, in case you would Rather Not Know....! 

 

Spoiler

 

 

If I had to choose one of those two, I'd run with Light Seer's.

[Sar]

Agree with gregory on the Wild Unknown Tarot. 

It is not readable.

[DanielJUK]

So interestingly, they are both "modern decks", like a modern feel in the tarot world in my view.

 

Wild Unknown - I was turned off this deck for years, the "cult" around it and it's minimalism with no humans in the cards. It's so different from RWS ideas. However friends kept saying how wonderful it was. I bought it in the end on sale and it's one of my top 5 decks in my collection. You have to check if you like the artwork, I've noticed it divides people but if you like the style, get it ! It's really good and great for intuitive readings. The minimalist art is often optical illusions, so you read it one way in only reading and differently in another. Also the animals for the courts means you can use this deck for everyone, a truly progressive deck that covers all sexualities, genders and ethnicities. I've had some really amazing readings with it for me and for others. It was originally self-published in 2012 and then became mass-market and now this tin version, some of the cards have been changed with each release. It has an excellent study group for card help on Aeclectic, yell if you want the link to it.

 

Light Seer’s Tarot - I think the original version of this deck was published in 2019 and the tin version came out this year. Last year we did a best deck vote and it was joint first from forum members -

 

Members really love this deck and find the art beautiful. I've seen it a lot around the reading circles, I think like 3 different people have read for me with it. I don't own this deck I must admit but it's inclusive of everyone in the card images and has some lovely artwork. I am saying this as someone who doesn't own the deck but some of the depictions of the cards are odd to me, for example The Hierophant and others. The idea of the deck is light and dark.

 

I'm going against the others and say Wild Unknown 😉 . I think you can only decide with the artwork you prefer x

[Eugenie]

I like some minors in the Wild Unknown Tarot - aesthetically - but I can look at them online. I am glad I haven't bought it. I am also tired of this many animals. I love animals but not the whole Major Arcana of them. 

[BrightEye]

Thank you for taking the time to respond, upload cards and look for threads.

 

I have bought both! When I got to the shop, only the Wild Unknown was on the shelf, so I thought that’s decided for me then. But something made me look behind the shelf for some reason - there was a gap that the Light Seer’s had fallen into! So I had to get both. 
 

 

Edited January 6, 2024 by BrightEye

[Eugenie]

3 minutes ago, BrightEye said:

Thank you for taking the time to respond, upload cards and look for threads.

 

I have bought both! When I got to the shop, only the Wild Unknown was on the shelf, so I thought that’s decided for me then. But something made me look behind the shelf for some reason - there was a gap that the Light Seer’s had fallen into! So I had to get both. 
 

 

 

Congratulations! The Wild Unknown, quite seriously, is a stunning deck visually and is so much loved for a reason. I just work on self-control, lol, but I like its minors so much, I still might buy one later.

[gregory]

1 hour ago, BrightEye said:

Thank you for taking the time to respond, upload cards and look for threads.

 

I have bought both! When I got to the shop, only the Wild Unknown was on the shelf, so I thought that’s decided for me then. But something made me look behind the shelf for some reason - there was a gap that the Light Seer’s had fallen into! So I had to get both. 
 

 

 

That sounds like my shopping methods.... I must say - if some cards change with each iteration.... HAS that Sun card changed ?

[Eugenie]

2 minutes ago, gregory said:

 

That sounds like my shopping methods.... I must say - if some cards change with each iteration.... HAS that Sun card changed ?

 You made me laugh out loud! I never paid attention to that card! 

[gregory]

I blame @fire cat pickles He drew everyone's attention to it and now I can't unsee it.

[BrightEye]

I shall report back on the Wild Unknown Sun tomorrow.
 

Tonight I unboxed the Light Seer’s. It is rather lovely! I like the hoodies and admit that’s one of the reasons I was drawn to the deck. Other middle aged women ride motorbikes or get a tattoo. I wear hoodies🥹

Edited January 6, 2024 by BrightEye

[DanielJUK]

Reminded me of this internet meme and my collecting philosophy as well.....

 

 

Enjoy! 😀❤️

[Eugenie]

I saw @Misterei using the Tattoo Tarot and was fascinated. When I saw the deck before, I discarded it as ugly and distasteful (don't laugh). Now I think I need it. Would it be a good SECOND TdM deck for a beginner? For the first one I am thinking CBD or Conver. What it the stock like? Many people complain they arrive warped. 

Do I need it at all? Even though it is $15 on Amazon, I can save the money and buy a more classic deck, like the Conver by ArtisanTarot. 

Edited January 7, 2024 by Eugenie

[BrightEye]

3 hours ago, Eugenie said:

I saw @Misterei using the Tattoo Tarot and was fascinated. When I saw the deck before, I discarded it as ugly and distasteful (don't laugh). Now I think I need it. Would it be a good SECOND TdM deck for a beginner? For the first one I am thinking CBD or Conver. What it the stock like? Many people complain they arrive warped. 

Do I need it at all? Even though it is $15 on Amazon, I can save the money and buy a more classic deck, like the Conver by ArtisanTarot. 

The Tattoo Tarot looks so good! — I have quite a large collection of TdM decks because I’m interested in Tarot history. But to be honest, the variety between them is minimal (a lot of people will disagree, I know) - unless you include the Noblet or the Vandenborre in your definition of TdM. It depends on what you’re looking for, different reading decks of a certain tradition or building a library of Tarot history. I’m afraid I don’t have the Tattoo Tarot myself, so can’t say anything about card stock.

[BrightEye]

On 1/6/2024 at 4:21 PM, gregory said:

HAS that Sun card changed ?

It hasn’t. It’s still the same Sun. 

[Misterei]

13 hours ago, Eugenie said:

I saw @Misterei using the Tattoo Tarot and was fascinated. ... Would it be a good SECOND TdM deck for a beginner? For the first one I am thinking CBD or Conver ...

I had mixed feelings about Tattoo Tarot at first. It was an impulse buy to copy a friend.

I forced myself to [finally] start reading with it to know if I like it our should give it away.

I'm finding i actually DO like it. In a month I'll know if prediction #2 was accurate. Prediction #1 was accurate.

 

On to your question. I'm a fan of CBD as a learning deck for students. Because of Ben Dov's book and also b/c he put the images into Public Domain as a gift to humanity. I use his CBD images images in my course manual for the students to learn TdM alternative to RWS.

 

That being said ... I don't like TdM decks and seldom to never read them. I go for my Tarocchis when I want a Pip deck [the course uses Vacchetta images for Tarocchis].

 

I like tattoo tarot b/c it follows the old school TdM/Tarocchi format ... but with modern imagery. The mix of old and new feels good in this deck.

 

I like the carnival associations. Back in the days before tattoos and tarots were hip and cool ... tattoo artists and fortune tellers shared the same shady outsider status. It's a natural fit from a cultural/historic perspective--at least in USA.

 

9 hours ago, BrightEye said:

... can’t say anything about card stock.

The card stock on my deck is normal quality no complaint.

The deck comes in an oversized box with a booklet ... so if you're not seeing that version ... it may be pirated?

1 hour ago, BrightEye said:

It hasn’t. It’s still the same Sun. 

I never liked Wild Unknown anyway ... but yeah ... The Sun makes me laugh. One more reason to dislike the deck. I should probably remove it from my collection ... *I* never use it. But I have freinds who love this deck ... so I keep it for them.

Edited January 7, 2024 by Misterei

[Guest]

I have quite a number of decks, and the Wild Unknown is my only animal deck. It has survived some purges, so yeah I do like it.

 

At its price point, its production value is quite high compared to other mass market decks. One of the best things about it are the physical cards themselves. They're so smooth with just the right heft. Riffle shuffling them is so satisfying. 

 

I have no problem with the creator's system. It's simple and adaptable, which suits my needs when I read with it. 

 

But yeah, the Sun card is quite a riot. 😁

[Misterei]

17 hours ago, Akhilleus said:

But yeah, the Sun card is quite a riot. 😁

Actually it makes a politically incorrect joke only a foul-mouthed vedic astrologer like myself would understand.

T's soul card is Sun + Sun in Leo which combination can ... lets say ... give some arrogant and narcissistic moments.

 

When he gets this way I tell him he's acting like a gold medalist in the the "a$$hole of the universe" competition.

But maybe I can just text him a picture of this card as his trophy 🤣

[Natural Mystic Guide]

4 hours ago, Misterei said:

maybe I can just text him a picture of this card

... while you are at it, why not post a picture of this  card, The Sun', here for those of us unfamiliar with the deck.  Now, I'm curious.  Not curious enough to go out and buy the deck, though!

[DanielJUK]

gregory posted it above in the thread, behind a spoiler post ⬆️

[Guest]

On 1/7/2024 at 8:36 AM, DanielJUK said:

Reminded me of this internet meme and my collecting philosophy as well.....

 

 

Enjoy! 😀❤️

 

Lol how ancien régime of you! A man after my own heart. 

[Eugenie]

The Artisan Tarot have a new beautiful deck in stock, another Marseille-RWS hybrid, created by Alejandro R Rozan. I don't think I "need it", but it is certainly a pleasure to look at. 

[Eugenie]

On 1/8/2024 at 12:08 AM, Misterei said:

I had mixed feelings about Tattoo Tarot at first. It was an impulse buy to copy a friend.

I forced myself to [finally] start reading with it to know if I like it our should give it away.

I'm finding i actually DO like it. In a month I'll know if prediction #2 was accurate. Prediction #1 was accurate.

 

On to your question. I'm a fan of CBD as a learning deck for students. Because of Ben Dov's book and also b/c he put the images into Public Domain as a gift to humanity. I use his CBD images images in my course manual for the students to learn TdM alternative to RWS.

 

That being said ... I don't like TdM decks and seldom to never read them. I go for my Tarocchis when I want a Pip deck [the course uses Vacchetta images for Tarocchis].

 

I like tattoo tarot b/c it follows the old school TdM/Tarocchi format ... but with modern imagery. The mix of old and new feels good in this deck.

 

I like the carnival associations. Back in the days before tattoos and tarots were hip and cool ... tattoo artists and fortune tellers shared the same shady outsider status. It's a natural fit from a cultural/historic perspective--at least in USA.

 

@Misterei, thank you so much for the comment. I remember that you prefer Italian decks as they are more elegant than TdM ones... I don't have preferences yet, I am still learning the RWS, I am a slow learner. But it is okay, I am not preparing for exams, and always have lots of work and house chores. I guess there will be a deck for me when the time comes. 

I really love the Edoardo Dotti deck that you use. 

And I almost decided to sell my Ancient Tarots of Bologna, thinking that it looks too difficult and I will never learn how to use it. Then stopped myself. It can rest on the shelf quietly while I learn, never to late to sell. But its swords and wands look so alike! 

[gregory]

5 hours ago, Eugenie said:

The Artisan Tarot have a new beautiful deck in stock, another Marseille-RWS hybrid, created by Alejandro R Rozan. I don't think I "need it", but it is certainly a pleasure to look at. 

 

 

Yes - I saw that. Tempting - but POSTAGE 😞

[BrightEye]

8 hours ago, Eugenie said:

And I almost decided to sell my Ancient Tarots of Bologna, thinking that it looks too difficult and I will never learn how to use it. Then stopped myself. It can rest on the shelf quietly while I learn, never to late to sell. But its swords and wands look so alike! 

@Eugenie Don't sell it! I've had mine for years and never connected because I found the woodcuts too crude and the palette too limited and bland. Recently, while taking out all my historical decks for a project, I all of a sudden connected with it. It feels great in my hand - I have the Lo Scarabeo version (not sure if there are other) - and the facial expression of several figures are rather lovely, I think.