Shining Tribe

I just did a search in this forum using the keywords Shining Tribe and didn't come up with a lot. So I thought I'd check to see if there were any more of you who have embraced this deck. When I read Forest of Souls last winter I thought, yuk, I'd never use this deck, as much as I found the book absolutely brilliant and illuminating. But then, as many of you know, I took Rachel and Mary Greer's course a couple of weeks ago and we used the Shining Tribe deck a great deal and it started to grow on me and make more sense. Then last week, I had the good fortune to attend the Toronto Tarot symposium where Rachel spoke on the Forest of Souls. Again, we in the audience were able to interact with Rachel and her cards. I even bought a lithograph from her of one of the cards (Shining Woman). So, now that I've read the great book that comes with the deck and have started using it, the deck has really grown on me. I haven't done too many readings and none for other than myself, but I see it as a nice alternative to my very serious and beautifully painted Thoth deck. I was just wondering if any of you have warmed up to the deck, gotten over the primitive artwork and are finding that it is a deck that delivers for you.

Lawguy51

Yes, yes!

I use it quite a lot, LawGuy21. It began as spiritual development and I've read for a few people with it now.

It is a beautiful, gentle deck. The colours and the imagery remind me very much of the Australian desert and the country of my childhood. In fact, Rachel Pollack uses quite a few Australian aboriginal myths in the images.

I have found it to be very accurate when working with questions requiring intuitive understanding of emotions. It just seems to know.

I know it is Marion's favourite deck as well. She is Co-Moderator of Your Readings and Trading.

Amyel of Spirituality and Hedera also have copies.

I am getting it in a trade and I am so excited, I have wanted it for so long, even before reading Forest of Souls.

I like this deck a lot, I like the artwork. But I don't read with it, because I find that for many of the Minors, and especially the Courts, there's a certain vagueness as to the intended meaning. I know Rachel describes the meanings fully in the book, but for a lot of them, I read the meaning, then I look at the card, and I go, "huh?" Either there's not a clear connection for me between the written meaning and the image, or else the written meaning seems vague and not really focused.

I wish I could articulate this better. It seems like for some of the cards she first decided to put a particular object or image on the card, and then later tried to come up with a good meaning for it, rather than having a meaning in mind at the beginning. Of course I don't know that this was the actual process, I'm just describing how it appears to me.

For many of her Vision cards (Courts), for example, I have trouble determining how the meanings differ between the Court cards of each suit, for example how the Knower of Trees ("Awareness of nature, confidence, ability to live and help others without losing our own sense of self") differs from Gift of Trees ("The gift of passion, joy, great energy. Intuitive wisdom. Physical and emotional healing. Confidence, belief in yourself") or Speaker of Trees ("Confidence, brilliance, communication of new ideas and plans. Great energy. Enlightenment.") I realize these three are somewhat different but they are also somewhat the same (all three use "confidence," for example). I often have trouble with Court cards in decks anyway, and it really helps me when each has a distinct individuality that sets it apart from the others, and I don't sense that here.

My feelings aren't cast in stone on this, and I would love to hear others' feelings about this aspect of the deck. I really would like to be able to use it, because I do like the art.

-- Lee

Shining Tribe Tarot

I have to admit that when I first saw Shining Tribe (which was called Shining Woman at that time) it just didn't click with me. Then I went to an ATA conference in Albany where Rachel did a presentation using the newly revised and repackaged Shining Tribe and I decided to give it a try. (I was even lucky enough to have Rachel autograph my Strength card)

I still didn't completely warm to it right away. It is very different from most of the decks I was used to but I wanted to give it a real try. Since then the deck has definitely grown on me. Much of that is due to the fact that I've taken several workshops and classes with Rachel and she always uses this deck in some way so I am growing more familiar with the symbolism in it (BTW I was at Toronto too ) And reading her books (Forest of Souls and the one accompanying Shining Tribe) has been a big help too. Now I am very fond of this deck and become more enamored each time I use it.

Lee said:

I like this deck a lot, I like the artwork. But I don't read with it, because I find that for many of the Minors, and especially the Courts, there's a certain vagueness as to the intended meaning. I know Rachel describes the meanings fully in the book, but for a lot of them, I read the meaning, then I look at the card, and I go, "huh?" Either there's not a clear connection for me between the written meaning and the image, or else the written meaning seems vague and not really focused.

Click to expand...

Lee, I think you put your finger on my problems with the deck! A lot of the card descriptions from the book sort of translate in my head into 'spiritual good stuff', or something similarly vague.

But I'm still interested in the deck, I'm hoping that some day I'll manage to 'get it'.

Lee said:

I like this deck a lot, I like the artwork. But I don't read with it, because I find that for many of the Minors, and especially the Courts, there's a certain vagueness as to the intended meaning. I know Rachel describes the meanings fully in the book, but for a lot of them, I read the meaning, then I look at the card, and I go, "huh?" Either there's not a clear connection for me between the written meaning and the image, or else the written meaning seems vague and not really focused.

Click to expand...

Lee, I think I understand your experience and analysis. I would describe the deck a little differently and the lack of what I would call a more prescriptive structure in an odd way is one of the reasons why I like the deck so much. There is enough similarity and consistency in structure and elementary association for the deck to be acknowledged as a genuine Tarot, however.

I see each suit as a tribe within a tribe, but with quite unique differences. For me, the structure and content allow for highly intuitive reading. The deck is rich with mythology which, again aids intuitive associations in a gentle way.

This deck actually called out to me from the shelves of my favourite book shop in Melbourne, the Theosophical Bookshop. I stopped to pick it up and felt an immediate conviction that I needed to get it. I love the gentleness of it and the way it frees my imagination and feelings.

I began to use the deck initially for personal reflection and meditation and have spent quite some time with each card using one of the simple three card spreads at the end of the book for a weekly reading. Ideas from the cards simply float through my mind during the week and at the end I write a journal entry of my impressions. This way I get to know the cards quite well. It takes quite a while to feel your way into this deck but I think it is well worth the effort.

I have real affection for Shining Tribe. The rich colours, so full of associations for me, the naïve artwork and all the stories within make it seem like a friend and mentor from whom I always have much to learn but who allows me to speak with my own voice too.

I have read with the deck for others about a dozen times and each reading, bar one, seems to have been meaningful for the Querents.

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has had problems trying to differentiate the Vision cards. I try to think of them as Place-passive, Knower-active, Gift-essence, Speaker-manifestation.

For some masochistic reason, I've been using Reversals when using the Shining Tribe. And I don't use Reversals. I have a real revulsion to seeing the cards upside down. But something Rachel said in the book intrigued me. She said you could just turn them around, as if activating the card. So I decided that reversed cards were ones that you really wanted to concentrate on in a reading. Sort of like a 'hey, pay special attention to me!'. Or I liked her other idea. Toss the reversed card until you get an upright one. I think I'll just go back to keeping the deck un-reversed. I don't know how you reversal people manage the cards in a reversed deck. Ah, but that's another subject.

Lawguy51

I have this deck and since most of my readings are almost all of the deep, inner level spiritulality kind, I think the deck works fabulously for this type of reflection. I've used it for this when reading for others, too. BUT, I'm not one of those opposed to referencing the LWB, either, so this works for me.

I *do* understand others' comments about really absorbing the descriptions and meanings of the cards, but truth be told, I have the same problem with more traditional decks. My mind just doesn't absorb the meanings of each and every card anyway (hence the book referencing).

Like you, Lawguy, I find I do use reversals with this deck, when I don't with other decks.

At any rate, I still think this deck is wonderful and I receive very deep readings each & every time I use it. I'll use other decks when reading for other people, but when reading for myself, or reading for people who I know want a very introspective and deep reading on an inner, spiritual perspective, I'll use this deck - and it never disappoints!

I have recently felt this deck calling to me so I've ordered it and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival! At first I didn't like the artwork but it seemed to grow on me (looking at online scans and reviews). After all , I Love the motherpeace ! So I think I will like this deck too. I have not read Forest of Souls , however, but will probably read the book that comes with the Shining Tribe deck. I wouldn't mind getting ahold of the older "shining woman" set also , but that is probably more difficult!