noby
For a while, I'd been thinking that my next deck would be the International Icon Tarot. But out of the blue, I've just fallen in love with the Fey Tarot. I'm not usually one for "cute," and I've never been into fairies (or fey, or gnomes, etc), but in these cards I see profound angles on and insights into tarot concepts, as well of lots of beauty and charm.
And I think that these cards have a lot in common with the International Icon, and my favorite deck, Navigators of the Mystic Sea. They use rich color to express emotion, as well as evocative postures to communicate the qualities of each card. They transcend the limits of a specific time and culture to get at something more subtle and universal.
I love how the fey show the influences of the elements so simply and directly. The cards express themselves so clearly, simply, and directly. There is humor and playfulness, but not a shying away from the more difficult aspects of the cards.
For example, the Tower is less gloom and doom than in other decks, but I think it just as skillfully depicts what I see as the main point of the Tower, the crumbling of the patterns of thought, behavior, and belief with which we define our world. I actually think it makes more sense - and is even more frightening, in a way - for it to be the base of the tower that crumbles, not its top. Because when we lose touch with the comforting beliefs that guide us, it is as if the ground beneath our feet is taken away.
The Hermit shows that the work of turning inward involves confronting a lot of confusion, a lot of hidden doors, and a lot of strange and sometimes frightening creatures of the subconscious. The Magician shows how magic is related to perception. The Four of Swords powerfully communicates steeling oneself in preparation of something for which one needs to be aggressive. The Three of Wands shows the excitement and power of a sense of possibility.
I think it is wonderful that a deck can be so playful, and yet also so direct and profound. I love all three of my other decks, but this will be the first deck I've researched this much online before buying it, and I have a feeling I will really enjoy and work well with it... and when I get it, I'm sure I'll enjoy sharing my thoughts on it here!
And I think that these cards have a lot in common with the International Icon, and my favorite deck, Navigators of the Mystic Sea. They use rich color to express emotion, as well as evocative postures to communicate the qualities of each card. They transcend the limits of a specific time and culture to get at something more subtle and universal.
I love how the fey show the influences of the elements so simply and directly. The cards express themselves so clearly, simply, and directly. There is humor and playfulness, but not a shying away from the more difficult aspects of the cards.
For example, the Tower is less gloom and doom than in other decks, but I think it just as skillfully depicts what I see as the main point of the Tower, the crumbling of the patterns of thought, behavior, and belief with which we define our world. I actually think it makes more sense - and is even more frightening, in a way - for it to be the base of the tower that crumbles, not its top. Because when we lose touch with the comforting beliefs that guide us, it is as if the ground beneath our feet is taken away.
The Hermit shows that the work of turning inward involves confronting a lot of confusion, a lot of hidden doors, and a lot of strange and sometimes frightening creatures of the subconscious. The Magician shows how magic is related to perception. The Four of Swords powerfully communicates steeling oneself in preparation of something for which one needs to be aggressive. The Three of Wands shows the excitement and power of a sense of possibility.
I think it is wonderful that a deck can be so playful, and yet also so direct and profound. I love all three of my other decks, but this will be the first deck I've researched this much online before buying it, and I have a feeling I will really enjoy and work well with it... and when I get it, I'm sure I'll enjoy sharing my thoughts on it here!