Sacred Rose

Anyone else still love this deck? I love the companion book too, in fact, it is the best one that I can think of for any of the decks from the last few decades. I will admit that back in the 80's I found it a little bit too scary to use. I think that the 15 years or so that I have spent studying the mystical arts has led me to really connect with this darkly beautiful pack.

The reason that some of the images do not have pupils is because they are kind of masks for the reader or sitter. Just think of those fun fair panels where people stick there head (or eye holes) in a hole to enter a scene for a photo. That is not sinister at all. People seem to get rid of this deck for this reason, but really there is no need to. I find decks with too pretty of people impossible for me to work with anyway.

Anyone else here have any feelings about this deck?


Freddie

Freddie said:

Anyone else here have any feelings about this deck?

Click to expand...

Me of course - and no issues whatsoever about the white eyes. None at all. So 80s - makes me so nostalgic - and how I didn't like it when I started buying decks in the 80s - bought all the others but this one always stayed on the shelf in the bookshop I used to buy in (how I miss that shop). There were so few decks available but still I couldn't muster love for it. Now I have changed my mind. It makes me feel so very nostalgic - the purple and the very primitive sparkley effect on some of the cards- they didn't have gilding or special effects in those days. You just painted sparkles on your tarot cards and sort of pretended there was a bit of cosmic glitter on them.

I have two or three older printings. I was in a shop not long ago and they had a newer printing - the one that has the 6 of Cups on the box and not The Fool- and it was open and I had a peep and was horrified at the shoddiness of the printing quality. Like a photograph of a photocopy. Just nasty.

Great Star (and Death!) card and I love how the lobster in the Moon is clinging onto the folds of drapery.

Both of mine are made in Belgium, so I hope I have the good ones. I like 'The Sun' too. This deck delivers in every way. Speaking for myself only, I would say it contains the mystical/hermetic symbolism I like in a Tarot deck. To me, it doesn't look dated at all. I would put it up against any deck on the market put out after 'Thoth'. It can hold it's own.

A well-kept secret.



Freddie

Yes, the Belgian ones are nice. I think the dated feel (although I wouldn't use that word - too pejorative!) is in my head. Nicely of its time, I think. It makes me think of the 80s - entirely subjective, I know. The deck was commissioned mid-70s, I think and only came out 82 or something. In my head I see 80s...

There's a tapered ghostliness about some of the figures - like the Magician - and a sort of primal forest feel to some cards, like Strength. I don't have the book. Wonder if I really need it?

Yay, Sacred Rose!

I've been thinking about this deck for weeks and you guys pushed me off the fence about it, thanks! There is something just mysterious about this deck. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I'm going to find out soon!

Funny that this deck comes up! I have been waiting eagerly for it. It was dispatched from BookDepository nearly two weeks ago. I ordered it along with the Sun and Moon Tarot. I was drawn to them because they have some Kabbalah included in their artwork.
While I can't seem to relate to the Thoth yet (I have the large deck), I have been reading some books on Tarot and Kabbalah.

I did go look at the picture of the deck on BookDepository, and it has the six of cups on the cover, so I am hoping I will like the printing. Keeping fingers crossed.

I have one in the first box and one in the newer box, both are printed in Belgium. If it was ever printed in Italy, I could not find any evidence of it. Both of mine look the same. Might be made in China now. I don't think it was ever a bestseller, so maybe it skipped the horrors of being printed in Italy.

The companion book is excellent, but the deck works fine without any extra information on it. The LWB is good.



Freddie

This was one of my first decks. The artist made a point of having the eyes blank to emphasise the archetypal nature of the images. I don't use it very often, but I have always found it rather penetrating in readings, telling me things I would perhaps rather not know (I usually read for myself).

Patrick

I've kind of forgotten about this deck... Not sure why? I used to love it for a while around 2005. The eyes never bothered me. I like them, just like I love the Fantastical Tarot's eyes that are also hollow. I'm gonna have to dig up the Sacred Rose now and see how it reads.

I think it has the one of the most beautiful and poignant Death cards of any deck, hands down.

I sold mine a couple of days ago and did have a few pangs of regret as I was packing it up. But I never used it so I'm happy to have passed it on to someone who truly appreciates it. ;-)