Minimalism in recent and upcoming Tarot decks

[Madrigal]

I have two decks I consider rather minimalistic: David's Tarot and I-Ching Holitzka
And they are REALLY good for readings. I never had problems running out of insights but then again, I don't read so much every day that could prove that they are too restrictive... What bothers me are not the style of decks. Variety should always be encouraged,imo. What bothers me more is the word TREND...

I use the I-Ching Holtizka, which I love, in combination with the WU. They pair beautifully.

In terms of minimalist or not, how could one possibly reify mood, inclination, emotional state...these are often what determine whether I want to read with a lot of detail or whether I want minimal and by their very nature are as mutable as breath. I use both types of decks with equal engagement.

 

[AnjouTwo]

I find it interesting that two of the most outwardly "minimal" decks, the Locus Tarot and the Orbifold, were developed geographically far apart but at roughly the same time. Superficially they share some of the same characteristics, but ultimately come from rather different philosophical viewpoints. I have yet to ditch my self-imposed moratorium on learning new "systems" to attempt a deeper understanding of either, however.

 

[Luna's Crone]

well thanx to yinz i have to add otherworld to my list that i finally got down to just one. sigh

 

[FaintlyMacabre]

It is possible that I don't understand "minimalist" but I've seen some decks without a whole lot to read with lately. I'm not too keen on them. The Fountain Tarot might be in this league although I like the Coins.

I was really just going to shuffle it because it's Carta Mundi but The Simplified Tarot is minimalist enough, although it has pips. I'm not sure I ever read the book...some of it is off the wall. "Knight of Swords warns you to beware of men riding." Death appears to be getting a good bit of job satisfaction.

Diana

 

[Barleywine]

I'm also not convinced, although I can think of several obvious reasons why someone would want to produce a minimalist deck. The most noble of those reasons is that they want to focus on a small number of key points in each card's range of meanings and forgo complex, layered symbolism. Far enough, as far as it goes. The more mundane reasons - and these points are arguable - are that a minimalist deck would conceivably take a lot less time to design, and the level of technical artistry would be less challenging. I would hate to see things get to the "It's so simple a caveman could do it" stage of mediocrity. But, of course, we don't have to buy these decks.

 

[Debra]

Well, take a look at David's. I consider this design far superior to most others.
You can see the cards best at his site: http://10000things.com/wp-content/uploads/DavidsTarot.pdf

 

[ana luisa]

Well, take a look at David's. I consider this design far superior to most others.
You can see the cards best at his site: http://10000things.com/wp-content/uploads/DavidsTarot.pdf

We could create a David's Tarot fan club, Debra ! It really is a gem! I showed it to a friend who reads Tarot as well and she summed its vibe quite nicely. POWERFUL.

 

[HighPriestess]

I just bought the Idiosyncradeck Tarot, which the artist describes as minimalist, and I just love the clean, clear imagery. I love it so much I'm going to be ordering some prints of my favourite cards. I love decks with lots of little details too, but there's something about the simplicity.

For the record, I absolutely despise Marseille style pips but in this case I feel like the minors have a story to them that I can interpret, even if the imagery is simple.

 

[FaintlyMacabre]

I came away thinking that I already have a lot of decks w/o much detail - like the big stack of Marseille and old Italian and so forth with pips if I'm feeling über intuitive or the Prediction Tarot which has pips. I will probably find others if I start sorting through them. Or my first deck when I had no clue: Tarot Classic.

Diana

 

[Green Faerie]

I am finding that I don't like minimalist decks, for the most part. This may be because I'm a tarot beginner, or it may be because I have spent most of my life analyzing literature and reveling in details. I don't know. Abstract art doesn't do much for me, either. There has to be enough of a story on the card that I can get something from it - abstract symbols don't tell me anything. (I was terrible at literary theory for the same reason.)

That said, there are also quite a lot of decks that I find too "busy." There is so much going on in a card that it's like being in a crowded room with no quiet corners. My two current decks seem to both have a nice balance - the Victorian Fairy Tarot and the Green Witch Tarot. The artwork is gorgeous and tells plenty of stories, plus they have enough symbolism on each card that I'm not struggling to remember suits and meanings. If I can imagine stories about the figures in the cards, and associate those with the cards' meanings, I do better. Tarot of the Hidden Realm, Tarot Mucha, and the Mona Lisa Tarot are all on my list as decks that seem to have similar qualities.

On the other hand, though, I find the Pagan Otherworlds stunning. There seems to be enough in the way of humans, animals, and symbolism on the cards of that deck that I can still read it.