This is the DE-ENABLE thread concerning buying and reading of tarot.

[Rose Lalonde]

2 hours ago, FindYourSovereignty said:

I keep seeing the Ananda deck coming up as a deck to check out and it's making me wonder if it is calling to me. I know it is OOP and maybe there is an algorithm glitch, but I need to hear from others why not to buy.

 

Some of the minors don't have a lot of oomph for conveying meaning. Like the 10 of Swords that's just swords floating in space (over a galaxy, and... clouds. Space clouds. 🤨) And I like The Doors, but I'd find it distracting to have Jim Morrison as a Knight. Narrows the card down too much for my taste. It also seemed a bit like they looked at the Cosmic Tarot and made a more 'cosmic' looking version inspired by the art style of the Rohrig Tarot. Maybe that's just me, but Strength has a woman holding up a cloth with an image of a lion on it, like the Cosmic's.

Edited December 11, 2024 by Rose Lalonde

[Misterei]

2 hours ago, FindYourSovereignty said:

I keep seeing the Ananda deck coming up as a deck to check out and it's making me wonder if it is calling to me. I know it is OOP and maybe there is an algorithm glitch, but I need to hear from others why not to buy. Thank you!

It's Cosmic Tarot meets Photoshop Does anyone really need that?

PLUS egregious overuse of the TRANSPARENCY FEATURE. I mean one or two ghostly transparent images is ok. But this feature is NOT meant to be used in every card of the project. The artist needs to go back to Graphics school and have the instructor explain when transparency is appropriate in a Photoshop project.

Just say no to bad Photoshop habits and skip this deck.

Edited December 11, 2024 by Misterei

[FindYourSovereignty]

19 minutes ago, Rose Lalonde said:

Some of the minors don't have a lot of oomph for conveying meaning. Like the 10 of Swords that's just swords floating in space (over a galaxy, and... clouds. Space clouds. 🤨) And I like The Doors, but I'd find it distracting to have Jim Morrison as a Knight. Narrows the card down too much for my taste. It also seemed a bit like they looked at the Cosmic Tarot and made a more 'cosmic' looking version inspired by the art style of the Rohrig Tarot. Maybe that's just me, but Strength has a woman holding up a cloth with an image of a lion on it, like the Cosmic's.

 

Thank you! This is very helpful. I kept thinking it looks similar to a deck I've seen, but I couldn't name it. Now I remember I had the Cosmic Tarot and sold it.

 

This had me laughing out loud. Just what I needed!

20 minutes ago, Rose Lalonde said:

And I like The Doors, but I'd find it distracting to have Jim Morrison as a Knight.

 

 

11 minutes ago, Misterei said:

It's Cosmic Tarot meets Photoshop Does anyone really need that?

PLUS egregious overuse of the TRANSPARENCY FEATURE. I mean one or two ghostly transparent images is ok. But this feature is NOT meant to be used in every card of the project. The artist needs to go back to Graphics school and have the instructor explain when transparency is appropriate in a Photoshop project.

Just say no to bad Photoshop habits and skip this deck.

 

Thznkyou! Thank you! I always think of you, Misterei, whenever I am considering a deck purchase. I appreciate your thoughts on the YouTube videos and consumerism along with your deck critiques. Thank you for chiming in. 

 

I can easily pass on this now. Thank you both!

[Eugenie]

Hi, can you please say some sobering words about the Earth Magick Tarot Color Edition? I see many disadvantages myself, but it is a beautiful deck and I feel drawn to it. To me, some cards look banal (slightly remade RWS) and probably too Christian. But I am still tempted. What do you say? 

 

UPD I guess I have talked myself out of it, but let it stay, some of you might want to buy it!

 

Edited September 7 by Eugenie

[Bodhiseed]

The Earth Magick Tarot has some lovely, quirky art with an Old World feel to it, but when I look at the art paired with the card title, there is a huge disconnect. Why would the Page of Cups be covered in leaves with leave sprouting from his cup - a very earthy image for a water/emotion-based card.

[Chariot]

Just because a deck is 'beautiful' doesn't mean you have to buy it!  Unless it's going to give you something you need—and don't already have— when it comes to tarot, it's worth just admiring it, patting it on the head, then passing it by. 

[Eugenie]

1 hour ago, Bodhiseed said:

The Earth Magick Tarot has some lovely, quirky art with an Old World feel to it, but when I look at the art paired with the card title, there is a huge disconnect. Why would the Page of Cups be covered in leaves with leave sprouting from his cup - a very earthy image for a water/emotion-based card.

 

True! while some cards look banal (or classical) to me, others raise questions. Thank you, that was proper de-enabling work! 

 

[Eugenie]

1 hour ago, Chariot said:

Just because a deck is 'beautiful' doesn't mean you have to buy it!  Unless it's going to give you something you need—and don't already have— when it comes to tarot, it's worth just admiring it, patting it on the head, then passing it by. 

 

Thank you! So true. I can look at it online. 

[Wyrdkiss]

SOS. I want a deck that utilized AI in the process. The images are gorgeous and it is a photography pack --  dreamy, watery, ethereal like the Somnia tarot.  De-Enable please:

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1856835861/compos-mentis-tarot-deck-with-optional?ref=sfl_cart

[Ferrea]

4 hours ago, Wyrdkiss said:

SOS. I want a deck that utilized AI in the process. The images are gorgeous and it is a photography pack --  dreamy, watery, ethereal like the Somnia tarot.  De-Enable please:

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1856835861/compos-mentis-tarot-deck-with-optional?ref=sfl_cart

 

The Hermit looks like a poor sea bird soaked in oil after a tanker disaster. Is the Devil sulking?
There are some really interesting images, I find, but also some awkward ones. However, the overall vibe I get is a bit sterile.
And I wonder if this is a compensation purchase for the Diramazioni. 

[JoyousGirl]

You've got 6 days. Does the artist's mind and intent flow through the art? Or is there a disconnect?

 

I concur with the sterility aspect mentioned by Ferrea.

 

One more thing: how will you feel about them in 10 years when everything's AI?

[gregory]

That death card is a deal breaker for me. I could not contemplate a deck with a Death card like that. A lot of the images are a bit twee....

[geoxena]

It's pretty pricey for a deck made with AI.  I may be a cheapskate (though I prefer "frugal"), but for that price I'd want a deck that an artist put their heart into creating, rather than someone coaxing an algorithm to produce something that simply looks appealing on a certain level just to make money.  To me, the images are carefully composed but don't have much "soul," or that personal touch that only a human can make.  Actually, after looking at them again, quite a few of the images are rather silly.  Almost all the women's faces have the same AI-produced features that we see again and again in social media, and Justice looks like a lingerie ad or cover of a romance novel.  Just say no!

 

 

Edited September 28 by geoxena

[Therese]

On 9/27/2025 at 5:33 AM, Wyrdkiss said:

SOS. I want a deck that utilized AI in the process. The images are gorgeous and it is a photography pack --  dreamy, watery, ethereal like the Somnia tarot.  De-Enable please:

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1856835861/compos-mentis-tarot-deck-with-optional?ref=sfl_cart

For me it looks like a mere money grab, as the creator got the major arcana numbers wrong - number 14 for death, number 15 for temperance. Shudder. 

[Rupicapra]

On 9/27/2025 at 4:33 AM, Wyrdkiss said:

SOS. I want a deck that utilized AI in the process. The images are gorgeous and it is a photography pack --  dreamy, watery, ethereal like the Somnia tarot.  De-Enable please:

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1856835861/compos-mentis-tarot-deck-with-optional?ref=sfl_cart

The 8 of Wands looks like the creature from the black lagoon covered in post-it notes? 

[Wyrdkiss]

8 hours ago, Rupicapra said:

The 8 of Wands looks like the creature from the black lagoon covered in post-it notes? 

LOL.

 

All of you are good at de-enabling. I'm going to pass on this for now. A tarot colleague did pick it up, I"ll see how it sits with her. cheers.