Barbara Walker Tarot - Please Tarot Gods or U.S. Games Reprint This Deck!!! :-)

G6

Navigators of the Mystic SEA

I was in the saaame boat as you. More of a dog person and everything (though I have loved cat decks since reading with the Pagan Cats). I think it's the gorgeous colors that did me in the most out of all factors; to me the SF story that goes with the deck is unique but...silly. The cards are pretty straightforward as it is, and much of the differentiation of the characters is in the way they dress (it states this in the LWB)--though me not being very fashion-conscious, I never would have particularly noticed this detail.

I'd say I get decent readings out of this deck. Not one of my best readers by a longshot, but it's still fun to use! The people and circumstances depicted are not expressive or varied enough. The figures are for the most part just kind of standing around. It's not the worst, but it's best for aesthetic purposes. If you were doing an "emergency reading" and needed just any deck at all, this would certainly be a nice one to pick up and use.

That being said I have a vintage copy and it's beautiful! :) Shuffles like a dream. If you want it I'd go for it, especially if you've never had a cat deck before. /endreview

I certainly find it cooler than the Barbara Walker :p To me the BW looks like a watered-down Navigators of the Mystic SEA. Maybe I'll take a second look and see what the hubbub is.

I found Navigators of the Mystic SEA online for nothing, so I thought I'd try it out from our discussion here. I'm glad I did because it's a cool deck! Plus, it's older, so the print job is sweet! I'll have to report later about the comparison between Navigators and Barbara Walker. Right now, the only similarity seems to be that they are both cool, well thought out and executed art decks. Thanks for the tip Le Fanu and Feynrir! :)
 

EmpyreanKnight

I was just browsing some old threads about the Barbara Walker and I happened to dig this one up. I thought that there's quite a chance that this might have been instrumental in US Games's decision to re-issue the BW as a tin. If it is, then good job, G6 lol. :D
 

Wheel of Fantastic

I've just picked up the BW in a tin; it was the frankly WEIRD court cards (Kali as the Queen of Swords! Atargatis/Astarte with her toothsome vagina as Princess of Wands!) that swung it.

This deck appears to have strong influences from Marseille; RWS and Thoth plus those Gods as the courts - definitely not one for a newbie to learn on. It's a fascinating deck but I can kind of sense why it may have originally gone out of print; the mash of influences makes it difficult to move onto/from another deck and some of the cards have a 'WTF' factor to them ( Kali!). I hope the BW does well this time around but my tingly sense is that it may go OOP sooner rather than later.
 

G6

I guess the tarot gods are with me? 😊

I forgot about this post and thanks for the reminder because it was MrPants in the second post that is responsible for my journey into tarot collecting as the Barbara Walker Tarot was my first purchase in the trade threads.

Ah, memories...

✌🏻

G6
 

Tanga

...It's a fascinating deck but I can kind of sense why it may have originally gone out of print; the mash of influences makes it difficult to move onto/from another deck and some of the cards have a 'WTF' factor to them ( Kali!). I hope the BW does well this time around but my tingly sense is that it may go OOP sooner rather than later.

And on that note - Sold! Haha.
This is an old favourite - one of my 1st Tarot decks, and I have an original print.
I love the Courts - I love the deck for it's stark WTF factor. "something prickly this way comes"... it make a perfect Magick/Ritual deck when one's in the mood to pack a punch. :)
 

Charlie Brown

I've had one for a couple of months now and the more I use it the more I love it. It definitely has it's own perspective.
 

ana luisa

A question for those who use it regularly, do you need to study the story behind each God and Goddess to read their cards ? I'm not shocked or wtfd with the images, I just don't know what their energy stand for... VERY intriguing deck.
 

EmpyreanKnight

It's a fascinating deck but I can kind of sense why it may have originally gone out of print; the mash of influences makes it difficult to move onto/from another deck and some of the cards have a 'WTF' factor to them ( Kali!). I hope the BW does well this time around but my tingly sense is that it may go OOP sooner rather than later.

If ever I know this to be true then upon my word I shall buy four more copies, and I'm not even exaggerating. It's been barely a week and this deck has thoroughly enchanted me. It already is one of my staple reading decks in my collection.
 

FLizarraga

After years of looking at scans of it without feeling a thing, I suddenly fell in love with this deck in the enabling/de-enabling thread, got the tinned new edition on Amazon, and now I'm here. Head over heels! :love:

(Curiously enough, the cardstock feels like that of a vintage deck. Sort of rustly, if that makes sense.)

So now I have a question that sort of piggybacks on ana luisa's: is her book on Tarot any good? Does it shed any light on the deck itself?
 

mrpants

I guess the tarot gods are with me? 😊

I forgot about this post and thanks for the reminder because it was MrPants in the second post that is responsible for my journey into tarot collecting as the Barbara Walker Tarot was my first purchase in the trade threads.

Ah, memories...

✌🏻

G6

I live to serve :) Hope your journey has been a pleasant one!