geoxena
I have some questions about making a non-traditional deck. I am curious about the process others have utilized.
Hypothetical scenario: Let's say you have been inspired and motivated to use the traditional imagery from RWS as a jumping-off point to create a new deck, but you definitely do not want it to be a clone. You contemplate the RWS and use it as a base from which to work. You explore the cards' symbolism and the generally accepted meanings, and come up with some keywords and ideas for imagery that would be rather non-traditional.
So, basically you've chosen to focus on certain, specific aspects of each card in your inspiration deck as the essence to be illustrated in your own deck. You give each card a different name, such as Solitude instead of the Hermit, and Abundance for the Empress, just as some random examples off the top of my head, and your imagery is quite different from RWS.
So, here are my questions:
Would you number your cards traditionally so that a reader/user would know which ones from RWS they are based on? Or would you deliberately not want to give such "hints?" Would you rather readers not worry too much about where you got your ideas and work mostly intuitively with it? Would you ever consider not putting any words or numbers on the cards at all, even if there was a risk that, say, someone could mix up the cards you based on The Empress with the the one you based on the High Priestess?
Maybe you would want to add other sources and combine them to express your ideas, like like some aspect of modern life, an element in nature, or what-have-you. How far afield from tradition would you want to take your ideas? Or, IOW, how obvious or literal would you want it to be that the deck is based on traditional tarot symbolism? Or would you want it as odd and unusual as possible?
And finally, I'm curious - have any decks ever been published without a LWB/key/guide? Thanks!
Hypothetical scenario: Let's say you have been inspired and motivated to use the traditional imagery from RWS as a jumping-off point to create a new deck, but you definitely do not want it to be a clone. You contemplate the RWS and use it as a base from which to work. You explore the cards' symbolism and the generally accepted meanings, and come up with some keywords and ideas for imagery that would be rather non-traditional.
So, basically you've chosen to focus on certain, specific aspects of each card in your inspiration deck as the essence to be illustrated in your own deck. You give each card a different name, such as Solitude instead of the Hermit, and Abundance for the Empress, just as some random examples off the top of my head, and your imagery is quite different from RWS.
So, here are my questions:
Would you number your cards traditionally so that a reader/user would know which ones from RWS they are based on? Or would you deliberately not want to give such "hints?" Would you rather readers not worry too much about where you got your ideas and work mostly intuitively with it? Would you ever consider not putting any words or numbers on the cards at all, even if there was a risk that, say, someone could mix up the cards you based on The Empress with the the one you based on the High Priestess?
Maybe you would want to add other sources and combine them to express your ideas, like like some aspect of modern life, an element in nature, or what-have-you. How far afield from tradition would you want to take your ideas? Or, IOW, how obvious or literal would you want it to be that the deck is based on traditional tarot symbolism? Or would you want it as odd and unusual as possible?
And finally, I'm curious - have any decks ever been published without a LWB/key/guide? Thanks!