Chrysalis tarot

Thoughtful

Obsydian this is just what l am looking for, a deck that is layered and deep, one that makes you think and hits the intuitive button. l Want to get pulled into the images and let them speak to me without total RWS meanings getting in the way. This is what l have with The Roots of Asia. l had a feeling that the Chrysalis could be the deck l am looking for. Do you feel it could be a good reading deck for others as well as self?
 

Thoughtful

Well my decision to buy or not buy this tarot l feel has been made. Just been watching a Youtube video where Toney was being interviewed about his deck. It was an hour long but l only watched for half an hour. My overall thoughts were, beautiful as it is, it came across more of an oracle deck trying to morph into a tarot.
Disappointing but it has saved me money.
Thanks for all your comments much appreciate :)
 

Carla

I bought it because of the beautiful artwork. The backs are absolutely gorgeous. But I couldn't deal with, as others have pointed out, the watered down meanings, confused courts, and the needless changes to the Swords suit. I sold it. The guy who bought it from me absolutely loves it. So everyone's happy. :)
 

Scarlet Woodland

I haven't spent a huge amount of time with my Chrysalis so far as slowly working through my decks but I would say, while it might not be the one you're looking for right now, it is worth revisiting when you have the cash to spare.

As others have said it's more geared towards meditation, mental and spiritual work and self improvement rather than concrete question and answer readings. That said, I don't find it preachy or fluffy so much as gently guiding the querent in the right direction. A gently told truth is still the truth, after all. This would be the perfect deck for someone feeling fragile, whether through emotional difficulty, a health problem or a mental health issue... or simply feeling in need of some comfort.

While it would be easy to use this as a 'fluffy' deck and go no deeper, I would echo others in saying that there are deeper layers to explore. The LWB is a tad on the fluffy side but there's plenty of depth in the images and, really, how many of us pay much attention to the LWB after the first week anyway.
 

Thoughtful

I haven't spent a huge amount of time with my Chrysalis so far as slowly working through my decks but I would say, while it might not be the one you're looking for right now, it is worth revisiting when you have the cash to spare.

As others have said it's more geared towards meditation, mental and spiritual work and self improvement rather than concrete question and answer readings. That said, I don't find it preachy or fluffy so much as gently guiding the querent in the right direction. A gently told truth is still the truth, after all. This would be the perfect deck for someone feeling fragile, whether through emotional difficulty, a health problem or a mental health issue... or simply feeling in need of some comfort.

Thank you l will bear it in mind for the future especially as you feel it would benefit those of a more fragile nature who are having difficulties. Though l still feel its more oracle than tarot, and l have oracles that guide in that direction as in comforting and healing.
 

Miss Divine

Thank you l will bear it in mind for the future especially as you feel it would benefit those of a more fragile nature who are having difficulties. Though l still feel its more oracle than tarot, and l have oracles that guide in that direction as in comforting and healing.

I have it and agree with you that it is indeed more oracle than tarot. I find it limiting as a tarot deck. I don't like the court suit in this deck either, and so, it has ended up in the ''decks I don't use'' pile. It's beautiful, which is why I initially purchased it. But, beautiful art alone just isn't gonna do it for me.
 

Le Fanu

Courts. So hard to get right. And so many decks are less used than they might be because of courts. It really is the achilles heel of a tarot deck.

There are very few decks where the courts are accessible - no matter what your take on tarot is - and they really are the hardest thing to get right.

I'm not sure I could create easy courts and that's what everyone wants. Forget playing around with suits. Make easy courts and the deck will be a success among readers (my advice to deck creators).
 

Mi-Shell

Hi guys! I am strugggling with the Crysalis as my deck of the month right now and am DELIGHTED, to see people discussing it.
Here is a post from my Tarot blog, that sort of shows, where my mind currently is:
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JUNE 10, 2015 BY MI-SHELL
Crysalis Crystallized:
Crysalis Tarot:

I received the Crysalis Tarot as a present a few weeks ago and had been looking forward for some time to look at it and work with it. Finally that time came :)
I was quite sure, that I would like this deck; it features many Animals and Nature in the Minors – and yes, I quite like the Minor Arkanas.
But I do have quite a few problems with the Mayors.
Here is the first and biggest:
Merlin
Merlin as the Hero/ Fool and a “divine Child” as the Hierophant!??
Now in her website,
http://www.chrysalistarot.com/
the deck creator talks at lengths about, why she made that choice and it sounds all plausible enough, but for me personally, it just does not work.
It is a mayor stumbling block.
I however could live just fine with an androgynous Divine Child as the Hero/ Fool and wise old Merlin as my Hierophant!
And so my very first act with this deck became to exchange and re-position these 2 cards and change the wording on the cards.
Done!
Happy now?
Well Let’s see:
Oh, what is That???
2 Ravens as the Magician?
OK: Hugin and Munin – – and Odin’s Eye is on Igdrasil, the Tree of Wisdom. OK, that is different, but I like it!
Iffff only there were more cards like this, abstract, making you think, but sadly, this one is a stand alone one – at least in the Mayor Arkana. – Leaving through this deck as a whole however, the Raven card come across as if one of the Minors by accident got stuck with the mayors.

Next we have a Sorceress, a young girl with flowing tresses sitting by a cauldron.
Isn’t she a bit young to already BE a Sorceress?
The LWB introduces her as Morgana Le Fay. Morgana certainly is ageless, but to portray an archetype like her as a teen in a Gypsy outfit?
Sure, there is a Crow with her. Sadly my Crow has a printing mistake – there is no colour on the paper, where her head is …… To me that also points to > no Power<

A few years ago I had a very powerful vision about Morgana Le Fey an I think because I “have seen her”as a lady in her 40ties, beautiful, decisive and wise, gathering the souls of fallen soldiers – of our time- I can not see Morgana in the image presented on this card. My bad.

Next in line is Gaia, the Empress – when she was about 11 years old.
Iffff this one were pregnant now, a crime would have been committed.
Can I live with Gaia’s pubescent innocence?
She does have a cornucopia of abundance with Birds, Snails, Cacti, Butterflies and Flowers around her.
I will have to look towards the little Mouse on the bottom of the image to find an answer to the questions I would liked to ask a more mature Gaia in her womanly/ motherly power

Next is the Green Man as the Emperor! Yaaaaay! I like him!
A wonderful Archetype overlooking the Wren, the king of the Birds in Celtic lore and legends, and his nest.

Remember, in MY deck Merlin comes next, as the Hierophant. The image I quite like and the Cat, a being that can have 9 lives and 9 wisdoms is befitting more for a Hierophant than a Fool. I personally had Merlin figured more as a “dog man”, but – what do I know… I will have to ask him about that :)

Merlin and “Murseka” also appear in the Lovers card! Together with an array of other Animals:

Rabbit – fertility
Owl -wisdom
Stag – virility
Sheep – sacrifice
Horse – the Journey
And last but not least the Lovers themselves beneath a mighty Tree of Life.
Again VERY young people are shown.
On is a girl for sure.
The other?
Could be either.
I do like that.
But how would a guy, a male reader like this card?
Maleness is represented by good oooold Merlin and the Stag.
Would that be “enough”
How would a gay guy feel, when neither lover is shown as clearly male?
All of a sudden a voice in my head says:

“This is a girly girl deck!”

I am stunned!
I start to loooook through the images of the Mayors to find strong male archetypes. Charterers that show maleness – maybe even just a little “sex-appeal” for good oooold me and other woman readers – and for the guys that love guys…..
In the Mayors I am finding – yes, Merlin, I know
and the Green man as well as Herne the Hunter in the position of the Chariot. He looks like a shaman Elder with his white goat face –

Papa Legba as Strengths is sort of in his 40ties and so the only guy in the Mayors that is shown as fully human and NOT a grizzled Elder.
He is also a lonely character, a Vodoun/Voodoo Llwa among mostly Celtic archetypes…… Some of his cohorts however are to be found in the 3 of Mirrors

While having written all these somewhat critical words a biiig nasty thunderstorm came up and bloooows out the hydro= electricity supply to the house!!
= the wrath of the Gods and the deck creator – so I better stop for now.
To be continued ….. in better weather, when the Gods cooled down a bit!
 

Mi-Shell

Continuing on my musings through the Mayor Arcana of the Crysalis I am looking at Maat as VIII – Justice. The colours and the composition of the image make this one of my favourite Mayors in this deck :)
The Storyteller/ Hermit however, I am not so sure about. A female elder with a headdress of Birds and vegetation part of a third Bird draped over her forearms some kind of glowing ball of light in her hands??? She does not look at me and she is silent, occupied by something ethereal she sees. Not GOOD for a storyteller, who should be very present and engage his/ her audience. In all I feel, this card is a bit “over the top”, almost theatrical, over dramatic. Why is she the Hermit? A hermit to me is not a theatralic drama queen and also prefers simplicity and quiet to think and grow within him/herself.....
My stereotype anyway....
The Wheel I like!
It features a large wagon wheel created from wood that could be a part of the mighty Tree of Life, against which it is leaning. Today a tree, tomorrow a wheel – and/ or the wagon that it is mounted on , today a thriving plant, tomorrow killed by the AX and transformed into utelsils for human conveniences – or objects of beauty like maybe thewooden statue of the Celto-Romanic Goddess. The Tree's biggest danger, fire is – for now kept in the cauldron, but it is hungry and if the wheel turns it may topple the pot and ..............................................................................................................................

This is, how far I got - as of now.
I read almost all the posts on the deck creator's web site and each and every one of those is a well thought out well of information. So much so, that I feel, I am "talked over" and told, what to see, think and feel.
that is taking me aback. I also feel, that THAT is, why nobody says anything about this deck any more. After aaaaaaal these wordy post on the Crysalis web site who would dare to open up their mouth and say a single peep- unless it is of admiration and praise....
Well; I never can keep my mouth shut and - so the next Thunderstorm is probably already brewing in the sky.....
So before the deck gets swept out of my hands by the next sin flood, I quickly mention, that I an still wondering about the choice of portraying so many Mayors as teen aged kids, the imbalance of male to female in the images that I continue to perceive, as well as the rather odd choices of characters to portray some of the Mayors - all these points together have resulted in me leaving the deck laying on my writing table, searching for words to describe my feelings - and then putting it all off and away, feeling that - again I am the only loneley one, who is nattering into her none-existent beard.....

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Now, after having read all your posts, I am soooo relieved!
Le Fanu and feynrir , especially your posts I do agree completely with and you touched on nuances I so far had only sensed, but found no words for.
Thank you!
 

jillkite

Very interesting to read this thread. Mi-Shell your swap of the Hierophant and the Fool is inspired!! What a great idea.

This was a deck that I looked at online quite a few times, I thought I would like it with all those swirly spirals and mystic images, it has a lot of initial appeal. Eventually i got the phone app.

I think what Mi-Shell sayes about a certain card being 'over-dramatic' sums up the deck for me. I find it over dramatic, the whole thing. The colours are too bright and too saccharine.

I don't think I will ever buy the 'real' deck, as it was a short honeymoon period, no feeling of having a lasting relationship with this one.

I much prefer Waking the Wild Spirit by Poppy Palin, (perhaps that is the more mature, older sibling of the Chrysallis). Waking the Wild Spirit is a deck that i feel a much deeper connection with.