Illustrated Pips VS Non-Illustrated

[Alamaris]

(Since I'm not a subscriber, I can't do a poll, but I can start a discussion! )

After getting The Tarot Of Eden today, I reflected that it was my first Tarot that didn't have illustrated pips (the numbered part of the minor arcana). Personally, I can go either way about illustrated pips, although the deck feels more complete with every card having a different image. Since this is my first non-illustrated set of pips, I don't know if its harder to work without symbolic images. I imagine for intuitive readings, to get "flashes" like Umbrae mentions, it might be easier to interpret if there's less flowery image to get in the way.

So, how about it? What's your opinion on the pips? Do you love illustrated and hate unillustrated--or vice versa--or are you pretty ambiviant either way? And why? (And, if you like, do you have a favorite illustrated and non-illustrated? Eden is my favorite non-illustrated, and Universal Fantasy for the illustrated.)

 

[Sakura Murasaki]

My Mom once bought a little Tarot beginner's kit, which came with a relatively nice book (though it's more or less a larger LWB) and a deck with unillustrated pips... It wasn't just the unillustrated pips that I didn't like, it was the artwork of the Majors as well, but I just couldn't get the pips without pictures at the time.

Admittedly, I'm interested in the Tarot de Marseilles, which has pips without the RWS images. I don't know how well I'd be able to use it -- it seems without the images I'm lost... Unless I start truly memorizing the pips...

My favorite deck is the Lunatic Tarot. Those images have really struck me and have really done a lot for my readings.

Sometimes I wonder about reading with playing cards, though... I think that with fewer or no images, your intuition would be less cluttered.

 

[Durant Hapke]

Alamaris,

Pips are double-plus-good -- a Jack bird must for rocking my action.

Durant "over on the far end of the yard" Hapke

 

[Alamaris]

Sometimes I wonder about reading with playing cards, though... I think that with fewer or no images, your intuition would be less cluttered.

I agree, you put it very well. I think the less symbols, the less you can "interpret" and the more you can "intuit". I have issues reading the Thoth intuitively...I took one look at The Fool the first time I opened the box and thought, "Oh good lord, what do I do with all of this?"

(Slightly off-topic, but I'm with you on the Lunatic; its spectacular! I'm awaiting mine in the mail.)

 

[WolfyJames]

I prefer illustrated pips. To me unillustrated pips are a total turn-off and anti-intuitive. The first tarot deck I saw, a Tarot de Marseille, made me avoid tarot for over a decade. I tried as well to use playing cards like my mother but no avail. It's really when I got my first tarot deck, based on the RWS, that I got into tarot. Images open my mind and my imagination and make me more attune to my intuition. I have since then a few tarot decks with unillustrated pips, including the Tarot de Marseille Fournier, but I use a combination of RWS and numerology meanings for the minors in order to read with them. In term of oracles, I get better results and I'm more intuitive with illustrated playing cards like french and italian sibillas.

My favorite tarot deck with unillustrated pips is the Crystal Tarot. I'd say, among the illustrated tarot decks, there is the Druidcraft Tarot, the Gothic Tarot, Tarot of Dreams, the Liber T Tarot of Stars Eternal, the Lunatic Tarot, the Universal Fantasy Tarot.

 

[willowfox]

I must have illustrated as I just can't get a feel for the card when there is no picture. Playing cards are just pips and I can never make head nor tail of what they mean.

 

[VGimlet]

I must have illustrated as I just can't get a feel for the card when there is no picture. Playing cards are just pips and I can never make head nor tail of what they mean.

I used to feel exactly the same way. For years. Decades, actually, and I'm not kidding.

Last year I finally started to get comfortable reading with pip cards. I once said I would never read with pip decks. (There goes that cursed word again - it gets me every time....).

I like both kinds now. My favorite deck with pips-only is currently the Flornoy Noblet, and my favorite illustrated pips deck at the moment is the Gilded.

 

[Emily]

I have learned the hard way never to say 'never' on here

My Liber T has just given me the Sword 7 - Keyword weakness and maybe I am for not wanting to learn all the ins and outs of a Marseilles deck but I need visual cards, I found when using the Fournier that I did pick up a lot about numerology but the colour correspondences I usually use went out of the window because the colours of the Marseilles are for the main basic primary colours.

At the time I was too immersed in RWS symbology to even try getting to grips with the Marseilles and now I'm too involved with the Liber T to even contemplate moving onto another system.

I'm totally in awe of people who can read a Marseilles deck but I'm happy with how I read.

 

[ilweran]

The only deck with unillustrated pips I've ever really used is the Celtic Tarot by Courtney Davis. I loved that deck and then gave it away and even after buying it again never really got that connection back.

At the moment, after a long period not reading, I'm working with the Llewellyn, but that may change

 

[Sulis]

I like both