Vision Quest... Yay or Nay??

Miss Divine

I am looking for a gentle earth based deck and saw several images of this one. I like what I've seen so far. I also like the fact that it is Thoth based after working with another Thoth based deck recently.

So, for folks who have this deck, please tell me the pro's and con's befor pressing the ''buy button''.

Thanks in advance!
 

Serenia

I like the deck a lot. It feels soft and gentle, yet it is also able to deliver negative messages. I find most of the images really beautiful. The deck works well for me on an intuitive level, but the companion book is also helpful (I'm not sure, though, if the English version also comes with a book - I think it doesn't). To me, it feels like a "soft Thoth" deck.

I have no idea about Native American culture, but I feel this is not a prerequisite for using the deck anyway, because the images work on their own.
 

Aeric

This was the only Native American deck I ever used. As with all Native American decks, the caveat should be that Native American spirituality is a living tradition of a specific cultural group, and that you aren't receiving an authentic Native American experience, but an appropriated one grafted to fit Tarot. Like Christians to the RWS deck, a Native American is very likely to scorn the use of symbolism acquired for use in a divination tool by a non-Native.

That said, the Vision Quest is an admirable one. The colours are gorgeous, and they certainly picked great choices. The suits are nicely reduced to the basic elements of nature rather than trivializing sacred items like pipes. The family unit, vastly important to indigenous groups, are the subjects of the court cards. Their clothes are not all feathered headdresses and war paints of stereotypcal Indians, and there's an attempt to make the families of each suit look unique, although they all have the appearance of Plains Indians. I absolutely adore the Sun card!

That said, they did accommodate to fit Tarot standards. They separated "Medicine Man" from "Shaman" for I and V, when the two professions are often interchangeable. Depending on your group, shamans--holy people--are also the go-to doctors for phyical illnesses and are connected to the animal and plant world for healing provisions. Many groups also had no Medicine Women. The Small Medicine Wheel's layout is not one adhered to by every group, and Big Medicine Wheel is clearly a Tarot derivative.

The environment focuses on the basic necessities of life and the kinship ties so valued by native groups to their history and pride. In all, it's a good deck that I've used it for dreamwork and guidance before. The LWB is actually a Big WB and is indispensible.

Yay from me.
 

Carla

Nay from me. I had it and sold it. I found the images static and just didn't think the Native American theme fit with tarot. Of course I didn't realize I'd react that way until I had the deck. It wasn't for me.
 

Miss Divine

I like the deck a lot. It feels soft and gentle, yet it is also able to deliver negative messages. I find most of the images really beautiful. The deck works well for me on an intuitive level, but the companion book is also helpful (I'm not sure, though, if the English version also comes with a book - I think it doesn't). To me, it feels like a "soft Thoth" deck.

I have no idea about Native American culture, but I feel this is not a prerequisite for using the deck anyway, because the images work on their own.

It is the soft and gentle feel as you say is what's attracting me to this deck. Ofcourse I need a deck with negative messages too, otherwise I have absolutely no use for it.;)
''Soft Thoth'' sounds nice! I have plenty of decks in my collection that have a bite. Besides my Druidcraft I want another earth based. Thank you for posting. :)
 

Miss Divine

This was the only Native American deck I ever used. As with all Native American decks, the caveat should be that Native American spirituality is a living tradition of a specific cultural group, and that you aren't receiving an authentic Native American experience, but an appropriated one grafted to fit Tarot. Like Christians to the RWS deck, a Native American is very likely to scorn the use of symbolism acquired for use in a divination tool by a non-Native.

That said, the Vision Quest is an admirable one. The colours are gorgeous, and they certainly picked great choices. The suits are nicely reduced to the basic elements of nature rather than trivializing sacred items like pipes. The family unit, vastly important to indigenous groups, are the subjects of the court cards. Their clothes are not all feathered headdresses and war paints of stereotypcal Indians, and there's an attempt to make the families of each suit look unique, although they all have the appearance of Plains Indians. I absolutely adore the Sun card!

That said, they did accommodate to fit Tarot standards. They separated "Medicine Man" from "Shaman" for I and V, when the two professions are often interchangeable. Depending on your group, shamans--holy people--are also the go-to doctors for phyical illnesses and are connected to the animal and plant world for healing provisions. Many groups also had no Medicine Women. The Small Medicine Wheel's layout is not one adhered to by every group, and Big Medicine Wheel is clearly a Tarot derivative.

The environment focuses on the basic necessities of life and the kinship ties so valued by native groups to their history and pride. In all, it's a good deck that I've used it for dreamwork and guidance before. The LWB is actually a Big WB and is indispensible.

Yay from me.

My spiritual beliefs don't fit into any religious categories, so that won't be a problem. :D
You've given me a thorough description of the cards which is swaying me towards Yay.
The images of the artwork is very pretty and soothing from what I've seen, and that is exactly what I'm looking for. A non dramatic friendly deck!

Thank you too for your response!
 

Aeric

The English version does come with the book. And there is no shortage of negativity, often revolving around the lack of resources: cracked bowls for the Water suit, dried, dead grains for Earth, raging fires, and dead birds.

Since Native Americans were so dependent on the natural world for resources, the negative cards and messages are reflected in their loss or lack of control.
 

Miss Divine

Nay from me. I had it and sold it. I found the images static and just didn't think the Native American theme fit with tarot. Of course I didn't realize I'd react that way until I had the deck. It wasn't for me.

Ha! I had a feeling it would be nay for you Carla. :D
I can see what you mean about the deck being static. But maybe that's another way of putting what I'm looking for. I am going through some rough patches, and at the moment want to avoid intense decks that kick me in the gut more than necessary. I need gentle and grounding to heal my boe boes... :D

I also see how you feel about the theme for a tarot deck. I had that feeling with the Vampyre deck too, until I actually started to use it. It surprised me too, but it reads well.

ETA: I am still on the fence though!
 

Miss Divine

The English version does come with the book. And there is no shortage of negativity, often revolving around the lack of resources: cracked bowls for the Water suit, dried, dead grains for Earth, raging fires, and dead birds.

Since Native Americans were so dependent on the natural world for resources, the negative cards and messages are reflected in their loss or lack of control.

Oh, I'm glad it comes with a book. A decent tarot deck (in my personal opinion) shouldn't have a shortage of negativity, so that is also nice! But I sometimes prefer having it delivered a little more gently than how alot of other decks do.
 

Aeric

The harshest cards are the Tower and Devil. The Tower is called Chaos and shows a horse flailing frantically in a burning forest. The Devil is called Torment and features a person tied to a post outside, to suffer in the burning sun or to be tortured.

The "book" is an extremely thick and thorough LWB. To my knowledge this deck has never been a deck-book set with a separate volume in English.