Moon & Stars Deck

[trivialuvs]

I really love this deck, especially the soft art by Hannah Davies and the word placed on the card. It definitely helps my mind connect messages to the card. I also love the idea of affirmations included in the little booklet. This deck is all about the spiritual journey, optimism, and courage. I use this deck when I want to work out the things mixing together my head and heart. I didn't know the names associated with it (Jayne Wallace and Hannah Davies) until I did research for my blog.

 

Does the author and/or artist make a difference in your experience with a deck?

[Misterei]

What lovely queens in that deck.

 

I cant say the artist or author makes a difference per se ... certainly the aestheric makes a huge difference!

 

Many times I don't bother reading the booklets that come with decks. I usually find them tiresome or stupid. So "author" doesn't even rate for me unless it's a heavy-hitter like Barbara Moore (her book for Steampunk is awesome).

 

I do have artists I follow. For example I have Ciro Marchetti Legacy of the Divine Tarot and Gilded LeNormand. From Alexander Daniloff I have his Oriental Tarot and two of his LeNormands. Ultimately this is because I love their aesthetic ... not because of who they are as people (if that makes sense).

[fire cat pickles]

...the hideous title bars across that lovely artwork. Whose idea?

[DanielJUK]

Do consider submitting it to our deck library @trivialuvs, I can't see it submitted yet - https://www.thetarotforum.com/library/

You can submit a deck with pictures here - https://www.thetarotforum.com/gallery/category/6-member-uploads/ there is a handy how to guide linked on that page 🙂

[Misterei]

8 minutes ago, fire cat pickles said:

...the hideous title bars across that lovely artwork. Whose idea?

You know I didn't even notice until you said something. I don't mind the card titles ... however ... "keywords" are a dealbreaker for me. I don't particularly like it in Thoth ... or any other deck. I find it limiting and distracting.

Edited March 20, 2023 by Misterei

[Nemia]

It's easy to trim off the Thoth titles of the cards (they're not keywords), and I did it many years before I knew others did it, too. But in this deck, trimming them off would be difficult. Aesthetically, it reminds me a bit of the Constellation Tarot which I like very much. 

 

However, in a deck like the Moon and Stars, I expect to find some real constellations but except for a very rudimentary Gemini, I found nothing. I looked at many pictures on the Internet, but no real constellations 😞 only children's books symbols. What a pity.  I'm always on the lookout for tarot decks with real-sky images. 

[gregory]

7 hours ago, Nemia said:

It's easy to trim off the Thoth titles of the cards (they're not keywords), and I did it many years before I knew others did it, too. But in this deck, trimming them off would be difficult. Aesthetically, it reminds me a bit of the Constellation Tarot which I like very much. 

 

However, in a deck like the Moon and Stars, I expect to find some real constellations but except for a very rudimentary Gemini, I found nothing. I looked at many pictures on the Internet, but no real constellations 😞 only children's books symbols. What a pity.  I'm always on the lookout for tarot decks with real-sky images. 

 

I know someone who trimmed a Thoth (to look at the sacred geometry) and discovered to her horror that the images weren't all the same size. Check before you cut ! I've actually done it too, with a Muller one and they were fine, but....

[fire cat pickles]

20 minutes ago, gregory said:

 

I know someone who trimmed a Thoth (to look at the sacred geometry) and discovered to her horror that the images weren't all the same size. Check before you cut ! I've actually done it too, with a Muller one and they were fine, but....

I believe that may have been me, but I of course am not a she...

[Chariot]

I'm of two minds about putting keywords on cards.  I think it's okay for an absolute beginner, because it makes it easier for them to get started,  but we all know there are many nuances of meaning in 'words.'  For example, some might think of 'understanding' as empathy ...when, in the case of Swords, it probably means intellectual comprehension, etc.  That being said, there are quite a few decks that do this, and I have no problem with people using them.  I only hope they aren't limited by them, or take the keyword(s) too literally.

The thing about tarot—and the variety of tarot decks available—is that the images on the cards jog our ability to look at a situation from a bit of a distance, and fit the different images and potential meanings together, depending on the situation and the card layout and how the images resonate with us individually.  I think keywords CAN be too glib for this kind of intensive analysis.

Edited March 20, 2023 by Chariot

[Misterei]

13 hours ago, Chariot said:

I'm of two minds about putting keywords on cards.  I think it's okay for an absolute beginner, ... I only hope they aren't limited by them, or take the keyword(s) too literally.

Yes. I had the same thought. Such a deck is nice as "flashcards" while you're learning ... but at a certain point one hopes to outgrow needing flashcards.

13 hours ago, Chariot said:

I think keywords CAN be too glib for this kind of intensive analysis.

Yes ... not to mention ... Tarot is VISUAL communication. Text and words are a valid form of communication, of course, yet what I most love about tarot is that it's NOT words. It's beyond words. That's the whole point (to me, anyway).

[trivialuvs]

@Chariot and @Misterei

As an absolute beginner, I do use the words to help connect thoughts and images to what the cards may be telling me, which is why I love this deck. Due to past trauma and such, it's hard to rely on intuition and inner thoughts.

 

As I practice and study more, I hope to be able to trust myself and the cards more than words I see. For now, though, it's a tool.

 

Your insights has given me a lot to think about, especially the comment about "understanding" being interpreted as different things. 

[Grandma]

Hi @trivialuvs - 

 

For me there is no hard and fast rule. There are decks with keywords, and of course I can't think of any right now! that even as an experienced reader I like very much, and others that I don't. The keywords are not always the deciding factor. I did want to pick up on something else that you said, that "due to past trauma and such, it's hard to rely on intuition and inner thoughts". 

 

I read Tarot almost exclusively for myself, and almost exclusively to learn about myself therapeutically and spiritually. It is a healing practice. The more I work through past trauma, the more heightened my intuition becomes, which in turn leads to deeper work on trauma, which leads to better -- well you get the picture! Maybe your experience will be similar.

[trivialuvs]

@Grandma that's what I'm hoping for! Thanks for telling that story of your experience. 

[Grandma]

Thank you for opening up about your own experience, @trivialuvs. And in a moment of shameless self-promotion, I invite you to visit my journal, Welcome Back to Grandma's House, https://www.thetarotforum.com/forums/topic/13761-welcome-back-to-grandmas-house/page/19/#comment-248911, to learn more about me, Tarot, my forum friends and family, a little bit of this and that, and share in a lot of fun!

 

[Jewel]

One of my dearest friends got me this deck for my recent birthday.  This is not a deck I would have ever picked for myself but as it has sentimental value I will be keeping it and giving it a chance.  I prefer fully illustrated (a la RWS) or semi-illustrated "moody minors" (a la Thoth) over pip decks.   I am also not fond of key words on cards ... but alas, like I said I will eventually give this deck a go and hope it wow's me as it was a gift from someone very special to me.

 

Do artists and authors matter?  I loved @Misterei's response and I agree completely.  There are certain artists and authors that I really like:  Ciro Marchetti, anything by Magic Realist Press/Baba, and Barbara Moore come straight to mind.  When I purchase anything from those artists/authors I am always pleased.  But I do not limit myself to just the ones I know, if I like the art of something and think it will work for my reading style the I will buy it and give it a try.  I have had some really nice surprises as well with decks I ended up with and did not think I would probably keep then spent time with them and found that they were amazing.  So I have decided to just be open minded.

 

Like @Grandma I also read mainly for myself for therapeutic and spiritual reasons.  It helps calm me and sort myself out, and enriches my soul, helps me keep myself accountable, and is healing.  I also enjoy trying out new decks and writing reviews for TT&M, and teaching tarot to friends.

 

The bottom line is that if you connect with the deck and it speaks to you, then you have a great deck.  Yes there's lots of hoopla around certain decks and deck creators, but in my heart I really believe that as long as you connect with it then it is a great deck for you and you should treasure it.

Edited April 1, 2023 by Jewel