Pros and Cons Thread #3 - Enabling and De-Enabling

ldiddy

Slow Holler

Anyone care to enable/de-enable on this deck? I do not identify as queer but do identify as Southern... I'm afraid it has caught my eye.
 

FLizarraga

Anyone care to enable/de-enable on this deck? I do not identify as queer but do identify as Southern... I'm afraid it has caught my eye.

For me, its big drawback is that it's all over the place, like most collaborative decks --though they had the good sense of using a limited, unifying color palette. I really like the use of color and some cards, but don't care much about others.

I did back it, regardless, though I only got the scarf.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Anyone care to enable/de-enable on this deck? I do not identify as queer but do identify as Southern... I'm afraid it has caught my eye.

I do not identify as queer. I do not identify as Southern (not even from or in the US). But the art and expressions of the cards look edgy overall. Different enough. But enough of a unifying thread throughout somehow. I love some of the cards, others not so much. But the ones I like, I really like.

:)
 

illyria

Slow Holler

Anyone care to enable/de-enable on this deck? I do not identify as queer but do identify as Southern... I'm afraid it has caught my eye.

I don't identify as queer, Southern or even American, but I think this is a very inclusive deck, and at its heart, purely tarot. The artwork is by different individuals, true, but I don't find it scattered or thoughtlessly combined at all. The color scheme does help tie the cards together in a reading. The red, black, white, grey and gold colors are punchy and attractive. Usually, these high-contrast colors overwhelm my eyes, but they seem to work for the Slow Holler.

Some of the cards are straightforward in meaning, others not so much. Some have details that make me think and work a little harder to get at the meaning, but I don't mind that. I know the deck makes room for different races and gender identities, but I don't feel that it's necessarily defined by that quality alone. About a third of the deck has human—or vaguely human—figures in it (I didn't count the cards that had eyes and human hands in them).

I appreciate the nature-themed backs. The cardstock is matte, more on the thin side, but firm and bendy. They riffle-shuffle nicely. I haven't seen any dents from my handling. I would probably edge the deck in black or some graphite-colored ink at some point just to personalize it further.

The little book is the same size of the cards. I find some of the text really insightful. However, the book doesn't break down each card to the last detail, so if a symbol or two boggle you, you may not find what they mean to the artist here.

The suits are renamed, some of the Major Arcana are re-imagined, and all the courts "follow more of a progression rather than a hierarchy."

I like the combination of people, nature, whimsy and abstract themes in there. I like that everyday situations are illustrated alongside scenes with dreamy, ethereal or nightmarish qualities. I like that each card seems to have its own story to tell. I like that when they're laid side by side in a reading, they start talking to each other.

Overall, I feel the Slow Holler is a deck that more intuitive readers would enjoy.
 

ldiddy

I appreciate the nature-themed backs. The cardstock is matte, more on the thin side, but firm and bendy. They riffle-shuffle nicely. I haven't seen any dents from my handling. I would probably edge the deck in black or some graphite-colored ink at some point just to personalize it further.

The little book is the same size of the cards. I find some of the text really insightful. However, the book doesn't break down each card to the last detail, so if a symbol or two boggle you, you may not find what they mean to the artist here.

Thanks all. Rifle suffler... enabled!

Really hope I get that scard ;)
 

willowy

Baba studio Alice tarot and mythical creatures

Feeling very tempted by both of these,it wouldn't be till new year,if theres any left of course,but I'm only buying a limited number of decks next year and not sure whether I'd truely love them,so don't know if either would be a good choice since there are other decks on my wishlist.
I can see pros and cons to both,the alice is beautiful but from looking at the images I don't know if it fits with what I see the cards as meaning,so not sure if its a tarot deck I'll actually end up using,and it is quite expensive.
The mythical creature,again beautiful and expensive,looks stunning but,and its a huge but for me,its unfortunately a pip deck,which I never end up reading with so is it really worth it since I'll just be thinking when I'm using it how I wish it was fully illustrated instead.
Both being baba decks I know they will be great quality but I think I may just be learning towards buying cause I know they'll be unavailable if I later change my mind.I'm really trying not to impulse buy decks anymore and focus on only decks I'll absolutely love,but sometimes you don't know till you hold a deck in your hands.
Would like to hear others thoughts,particularly de-enabling ones if any,thanks.
 

FLizarraga

Feeling very tempted by both of these,it wouldn't be till new year,if theres any left of course,but I'm only buying a limited number of decks next year and not sure whether I'd truely love them,so don't know if either would be a good choice since there are other decks on my wishlist.
I can see pros and cons to both,the alice is beautiful but from looking at the images I don't know if it fits with what I see the cards as meaning,so not sure if its a tarot deck I'll actually end up using,and it is quite expensive.
The mythical creature,again beautiful and expensive,looks stunning but,and its a huge but for me,its unfortunately a pip deck,which I never end up reading with so is it really worth it since I'll just be thinking when I'm using it how I wish it was fully illustrated instead.
Both being baba decks I know they will be great quality but I think I may just be learning towards buying cause I know they'll be unavailable if I later change my mind.I'm really trying not to impulse buy decks anymore and focus on only decks I'll absolutely love,but sometimes you don't know till you hold a deck in your hands.
Would like to hear others thoughts,particularly de-enabling ones if any,thanks.

One thing you have to keep in mind is that scenic or "illustrated" pips have only been around about a hundred years or so --they weren't a part of Tarot for several centuries. Even if you are a diehard RWS-er, it's good to flex your intuitive muscles with non-scenic pips, particularly with a deck as beautiful as the Mythical Creatures seems to be. I absolutely love this deck, and (once again) it is a pity that Baba keeps moving into the luxury market and away from the hoi polloi.

As for the Alice, I'm of two minds about it (and I'm not even going to mention the price). I have no doubt that it is a well-thought Tarot deck, all all Baba decks are, and the cards I have seen confirm it. On the other hand, the art is definitely very un-Tenniel, and for me Alice and the Tenniel images go hand in hand. They are so deeply ingrained in me since childhood that it is very hard for me to visualize the story with a different imagery. That is no reflection on Alex Ukolov's more than considerable talent, it is basically a very personal limitation of mine, but there you have it.
 

willowy

One thing you have to keep in mind is that scenic or "illustrated" pips have only been around about a hundred years or so --they weren't a part of Tarot for several centuries. Even if you are a diehard RWS-er, it's good to flex your intuitive muscles with non-scenic pips, particularly with a deck as beautiful as the Mythical Creatures seems to be. I absolutely love this deck, and (once again) it is a pity that Baba keeps moving into the luxury market and away from the hoi polloi.

As for the Alice, I'm of two minds about it (and I'm not even going to mention the price). I have no doubt that it is a well-thought Tarot deck, all all Baba decks are, and the cards I have seen confirm it. On the other hand, the art is definitely very un-Tenniel, and for me Alice and the Tenniel images go hand in hand. They are so deeply ingrained in me since childhood that it is very hard for me to visualize the story with a different imagery. That is no reflection on Alex Ukolov's more than considerable talent, it is basically a very personal limitation of mine, but there you have it.

Thanks for the reply Flizarraga,I hope I didn't seem to be looking down somewhat at pip decks as I really don't,they deserve alot of respect as part of the tarot family,and with how ancient they are.They're very mysterious,even more so than an illustrated deck-after all even someone who never saw a tarot deck before could hazard a guess at what the ten of swords means in the rider waite style decks,in a marseille style deck-theres no obvious clues,memory and intuition come into it more-neither of which are my strong points lol.
I think I am leaning towards the mythical creatures out of the two,maybe I'd work more with a pip deck if I had a really amazing one.