Mary-El new cards in 2nd edition

[McFaire]

Is anyone following Marie White's blog about her 2nd edition of the Mary-El https://tarotsmyth.wordpress.com/)? She has changed a few cards.

 

For example: here is the old and new Hierophant.

 

She has also posted her new 3 of Swords, Judgment, HP.

 

I pre-ordered a copy and it is scheduled to arrive on May 28.

[Rupicapra]

Thanks for pointing this out. the Mary-El is on my wishlist. I like borderless, so I decided to wait for the 2nd edition. It's tricky, I love the old Hierophant, I find it much more intense than the new one, that is one reason that I like the deck so much. Hmmm... this is gonna be difficult, I might go ahead and get the old one anyway. for the old Hierophant.

[gregory]

I loved the old Hierophant too. I'm not inclined to get the new version.

[Grandma]

I actually like the new Three of Swords and High Priestess better than the old, but the old Judgement better than the new.  The big one for me is the Hierophant.  I absolutely detest the old version and love the new.  I can't justify buying the new deck though because although the Mary-el is one of my favorites there are too many other choices waiting patiently on my wish list.

 

So here's a crazy thought.  Would anyone like to buy the new deck and then trade the Hierophant definitely and the Three of Swords and High Priestess possibly?  You would have to trim and edge the old cards to match the new, and the names would then be missing. 

 

I could mail my card(s) to you first and you could return them to me if you don't think this idea would work for you after seeing the cards side by side, or keep them and send me your versions.

 

What do you think?

 

ETA My home is smoke and pet free and the cards have never been shuffled - I deal them into piles or do a wash on the table.  They are like new!

 

ETA again It occurs to me that the finish on the cards might not be the same, nor the backs.  This could of course be a problem reading, but maybe not if one collects and/or studies decks but does not necessarily read with every one.  Anyway, just a finger-crossed idea/

[Grandma]

You know, never mind after all.  I was thinking it would be worth having three cards of a different size than the rest of the deck because I love the new pictures so much, but I'm starting to lean the other way.  I use the deck mostly for meditation so that wouldn't be a problem, but I still want to be able to read with it occasionally and I know I wouldn't like that very much. 

 

So my new plan is to win Powerball and buy the second edition.  In fact, I'll buy it for everyone!

[McFaire]

Thanks for pointing this out. the Mary-El is on my wishlist. I like borderless, so I decided to wait for the 2nd edition. It's tricky, I love the old Hierophant, I find it much more intense than the new one, that is one reason that I like the deck so much. Hmmm... this is gonna be difficult, I might go ahead and get the old one anyway. for the old Hierophant.

 

I do love the intensity of Ms. White's visionary art. Sometimes it is disturbing or uncomfortable but sometimes Truth is disturbing and uncomfortable.

 

I have the Schiffer 1st which I really like but I'm getting the 2nd as well because everything she paints is a deep well of potent energy and meaning.

[McFaire]

I actually like the new Three of Swords and High Priestess better than the old, but the old Judgement better than the new. 

 

I loved the old Judgment and I was quite surprised at first that she chose to change that one. But when I read her reasoning I saw, as always, a great deal of contemplation behind her choices.

 

She said she wanted a more circular vision for the phoenix, and I can see what she means. The original phoenix is so fire-y, it really emphasizes the phase of the phoenix's life when it bursts into flame. We know it rises from the ashes to a new life, but in the card we see the fire phase. The new card, she says, portrays the whole cycle:

 

"Make mistakes and rise again.

Crash and burn, rise again.

Fall, rise again.

Fail, rise again.

Become obsolete, be refreshed.

Die, be reborn anew."

 

 

[Pixie]

This is a deck I have been back and forth about before. Honestly, the old Hierophant really, really disturbed me. It was pretty much the reason I decided not to get it in the past. On the other hand, I also had reservations about the Deviant Moon because I found the artwork at times disturbing. After purchasing the Deviant Moon deck and working with it, it quickly grew to be one of my favorite decks and one that challenged me with the, at times, unsettling artwork. I think sometimes it takes disturbing or unsettling cards to really have an impact, especially depending on the type of work or reading one is doing (i.e., Shadow Work). I feel like the unnerving nature of the artwork can bring me outside of my comfort zone which has helped me to grow as a reader.

I think I will end up purchasing the second edition, I love a good borderless deck and I find the artwork to be challenging in a good way. I don't know if I will end up regretting not giving the first edition more of a chance because of cards like the Hierophant. I do really enjoy the original Judgment card.

[McFaire]

16 minutes ago, Pixie said:

...the old Hierophant really, really disturbed me... [but] depending on the type of work or reading one is doing ...I feel like the unnerving nature of the artwork can bring me outside of my comfort zone which has helped me to grow as a reader.

Me too. In a way, it's like facing a disturbing dream and trying to understand what the subconscious is portraying, instead of just waking up, shaking it off, and putting it out of your mind.

I can't say I ever enjoyed just gazing at the 1st edition Hierophant for the sake of the lush eye candy! But I did buy a couple of signed prints of other cards from Marie White, for that very reason. The Emperor and the Queen of Cups will soon be in their new frames and watching over me while I dream.

There are times for a fun romp with, say, the Halloween Tarot, and there are times for going deep with, say, the Mary-El.

[MoonGypsy]

Hello all!

 

i just received my 2nd edition of the Mary-El, and here is my good and the not as good--immediate first impression.

 

1. Shrinkwrapped of course, but when i opened the box the paper band was ripped and all the cards were rolling around in the bottom of the bos.

Nice box, card well totally useless.

2. Very nice book. Very similar to the 1st edition. Images in colour.

3. Card Pros--smaller, Matte, borderless with a nice semi shiny black edging. i love the new Hierophant [ but i also do like the original] and i especially love the 3 of Swords. Is that new? i forget. i actually forget what the other new cards are. These cards look like they will be lovely to shuffle. The backs are the same as the first edition.

4. Card Negs--Colour seems more muted, and some of the imagery not quite as sharp. [At least to my eyes]. It could be the matte cardstock, not sure.

i am happy that the cardstock is matte rather than glossy, but it is only okay. cardstock [i admittedly very fussy about cardstock]..time will tell how it holds up with a lot of use. And since Mary-El has been a long time favorite of mine, i will be putting it thru its paces, so to speak.

 

All in all, to sum it up, i am very happy i purchased it!

 

ETA: i just looked at it again, and it is already starting to grow on me. i am liking it a lot more... i think i was bummed when i first opened it because of all the cards floating around loose in the bottom of the box. Not a very good first impression. Ha Ha!

   

Edited May 28, 2019 by MoonGypsy

[FLizarraga]

I received mine today as well, and my first impressions are very similar to my dear MoonGypsy's, so I'll quote her post.

 

1. I like this box better --smaller, less awkwardly shaped. But what's with the loose cards? I had to take out the inserts to get them.

2. Same as MoonGypsy. I LOVE the black, semi shiny edges.

3. Same as MoonGypsy. Some of the cards were stuck together, but this should improve with repeated shuffling.

4. Holding the new cards next to the old ones, I can say that the colors of the new ones ARE more muted, and the imagery is definitely NOT as sharp. It could be the matte cardstock, as MG points out, and I had a similar reaction to the matte earlier print of Kat Black's Golden Tarot --but the matte Golden colors and lines are still vivid and sharp; not so much here. The images are similarly sized, though the new cards are slightly wider and include detail not seen in the first edition, and the images are also slightly shorter, so they cut some of the vertical detail from the first. The new cardstock is also less thick. I should include a couple of picture at some points.

 

All in all, I do like it. But I find it a little washed out.

Edited June 2, 2019 by FLizarraga

[McFaire]

@MoonGypsy yes, that's the a new 3 of Swords. The first edition is the white dove.

 

Mine just arrived. The kit was $30.20, delivered. Same situation with the ripped paper band and the cards loose in box. But the cards seem fine. The box and book have a tiny bit of corner damage though. Sigh.

 

My first impressions are pretty much the same as MoonGypsy & @FLizarraga. I love the full-color book. I like the black edging. Colors seem muted and images are slightly less crisp. Card stock is pretty basic.

 

I think the 2nd edition is more handle-able than the 1st, which was big, slick, easily chipped. The first edition has more of a visual impact with better quality printing.

 

However, the 2nd is still stunning. It is a spectacular body of work. I wish the production values were higher, but it's no worse than most of the decks hitting the market today.

 

It's such a deep deck, beautiful, intriguing, and many-layered.

[FLizarraga]

 

On 5/28/2019 at 6:28 PM, McFaire said:

@MoonGypsy yes, that's the a new 3 of Swords. The first edition is the white dove.

 

Mine just arrived. The kit was $30.20, delivered. Same situation with the ripped paper band and the cards loose in box. But the cards seem fine. The box and book have a tiny bit of corner damage though. Sigh.

 

My first impressions are pretty much the same as MoonGypsy & @FLizarraga. I love the full-color book. I like the black edging. Colors seem muted and images are slightly less crisp. Card stock is pretty basic.

 

I think the 2nd edition is more handle-able than the 1st, which was big, slick, easily chipped. The first edition has more of a visual impact with better quality printing.

 

However, the 2nd is still stunning. It is a spectacular body of work. I wish the production values were higher, but it's no worse than most of the decks hitting the market today.

 

It's such a deep deck, beautiful, intriguing, and many-layered.

I agree. The production values are fine, and I appreciate having a less coaster-like cardstock. I guess that the matte finish robbed the cards of some of their richness. And the deck certainly is a magnificent achievement. Mary White should be proud of it.

Edited June 2, 2019 by FLizarraga

[GlitterNova]

The Mary-El is probably my favorite deck and I'm really excited to hear that there's going to be a new edition! I like the old card images better.....BUT, I've been wishing soooo hard for a smaller sized version for my tiny hands that I'll happily learn to love the new cards in exchange for a more user-friendly deck. 

[glitch]

I can't wait for mine to arrive, but Schiffer told me the 2nd edition has been pulled because of manufacturing errors and it'll be back once a new run has happened, so until then... just have to wait (im)patiently :)

[FLizarraga]

6 hours ago, glitch said:

I can't wait for mine to arrive, but Schiffer told me the 2nd edition has been pulled because of manufacturing errors and it'll be back once a new run has happened, so until then... just have to wait (im)patiently 🙂

That's interesting, since several of us who bought it from Amazon already have it. But I just checked, and it has been pulled off Prime and can only be bought from 3rd party vendors. 

 

I'm curious as to what they are talking about when they say "manufacturing errors." There was nothing wrong with my deck that I could see, except that I wished the colors were a little more vivid.

[McFaire]

Several of us had an issue with the paper band that enclosed the deck. It got torn in transit and the cards slipped through the card well and were disarrayed in the bottom of the box upon arrival. My cards weren't damaged. I used an organza bag inside the box to solve the problem.

 

Would they recall the product for that?

 

On closer inspection of the card backs, however, there are 3-4 cards that are a different shade of black on the back. I didn't notice it the first couple times so it's not a dramatic difference. Buy if you're looking for that, you can see it.

 

This is pretty common though in my experience with decks. For example, the DruidCraft and the Wildwood aren't perfectly consistent.

 

Even expensive ones aren't flawless. It seems to happen more with mat finish than glossy.

 

 

 

 

[FLizarraga]

2 hours ago, McFaire said:

Several of us had an issue with the paper band that enclosed the deck. It got torn in transit and the cards slipped through the card well and were disarrayed in the bottom of the box upon arrival. My cards weren't damaged. I used an organza bag inside the box to solve the problem.

 

Would they recall the product for that?

 

On closer inspection of the card backs, however, there are 3-4 cards that are a different shade of black on the back. I didn't notice it the first couple times so it's not a dramatic difference. Buy if you're looking for that, you can see it.

 

This is pretty common though in my experience with decks. For example, the DruidCraft and the Wildwood aren't perfectly consistent.

 

Even expensive ones aren't flawless. It seems to happen more with mat finish than glossy.

 

 

 

 

I think ALL of us had the torn band issue, but I don't know if that would be enough reason for a recall. Same with the backs --I haven't checked, though. Other than that, I don't know. Unless there is an issue with the book? I haven't had time to go through it.

[McFaire]

14 minutes ago, FLizarraga said:

I think ALL of us had the torn band issue, but I don't know if that would be enough reason for a recall. Same with the backs --I haven't checked, though. Other than that, I don't know. Unless there is an issue with the book? I haven't had time to go through it.

I didn'y notice any problem with the book

[glitch]

Yeah, all they said was that there was a manufacturing issue 🤷‍♀️ Maybe some printing issues like the other poster described above?

[FLizarraga]

I'm going through the deck, and yes, the backs of mine vary wildly, from semi-glossy black to matte charcoal. I don't have time to compare editions again right now, but it very well could be that not all cards have more muted colors.

 

I have a feeling that, after they fix the issues, this first batch is going to be the next Green Thoth... 😉

Edited June 1, 2019 by FLizarraga

[Decan]

I never bought the Mary-El but it looks a great deck with regard to art. The paintings look like Fabulous.

Nevertheless if I could appreciate each of the paintings in an exhibition, in a deck some cards would disturb me a bit; for example this old Hierophant card that the artist changed... The new Hierophant is more for my taste but it could be the High Priestess.

I don't know, but great art!

Edited June 2, 2019 by Decan

[Nanook]

I just got mine and haven’t had a chance to open it - should I return it?

[FLizarraga]

8 hours ago, Nanook said:

I just got mine and haven’t had a chance to open it - should I return it?

I don't see why. Misprinted decks like this are a rarity and, even if they'll never be valuable, they are fun to have. That's what I meant when I compared it to the Green Thoths.

 

I have a "second" Victorian Romantic 2nd edition, and one of the 3rd edition Bohemian Gothic decks with the red spots. When I tried to sell them at a moment I needed money, the buyers returned them to me, and I was actually glad to have them back. They're mine in a way other decks aren't, as they refused to part with me.

Edited June 2, 2019 by FLizarraga

[McFaire]

I'm keeping mine. Some slight variation in the card backs doesn't bother me. I have other decks that aren't flawless. It's not uncommon.

 

My Wildwood has quite a bit more variation in the card backs than my new Mary-El, and is flimsier. My DruidCraft has some variation in the card backs. So does my first edition Mary-El. The new Celtic Shaman's pack is inconsistent. I have a greenie Thoth, which is a lot more noticeable because it affects the color balance on the face of every card.

 

Solid color card backs never seem to match exactly. I suppose that may be why patterned backs are common in playing cards. It helps to hide production imperfections. It seems to happen less with glossy than matte.

 

However if they do a second print run I will probably get one out of curiosity.