The Raven's Prophecy Tarot

[G6]

Le Fanu

Mine arrived yesterday. It's ok. But ok just isn't enough to excite me any more.

Frankly, I think this is an attempt to cash in on the success of the Wild Unknown. It isn't an exact copy - that would be too complicated in terms of intellectual property - but it is so obviously a copy of the style / concept / atmosphere, the type of symbolism. The lone feathers, bird profiles etc.

I'm sure they'd say it's a coincidence but anybody who looks really hard just knows. That nature-based minimalism and pared down energy. I honestly don't think this type of symbolism has much depth. It always looks like it should - everything very singular, dark and moody - but it's actually very one-dimensional when laid out. Plus I do think of Llewellyn as the most consistently unoriginal of all the major tarot publishers. I don't think they've ever released anything groundbreaking, have they? There's always a feeling of easy sales, easy symbolism, common denominators.

There is so much that is good and original right now and this feels sort of fake.

LF, leave it to you to come up with a hard truth about a deck. �� I still can't get over you calling the people in the Anna K. deck cabbage patch kids, lol.

I agree this Ravens Prophecy deck looks lame (I don't care for Wild Unknown either or that they sold it at Urban Outfitters, lol), and it is likely the big publishers opportunity to cash in on that style that has sold well for WU. Thanks for mentioning that to us.

 

[Citrin]

I got this a while back, and even though I haven't worked with it in readings yet, I'm really liking the images and the guidebook.

At first I was also thinking it's a bit of a shallow deck, trying to be something like the Wild Unknown etc... But when reading the guidebook it changed my mind about this. I feel that she really wanted to create her own tarot deck, and I sense a passion from her, and that made the deck come alive for me. I don't think she's trying to copy the WU, and comparing the decks, to me there are a lot of differences. I find the use of hands in the images quite unique and it's making me think in new ways about some cards.

I also thought I would have to trim this deck, but when it arrived the orange felt softer to me and it doesn't bother me... I might just trim it anyway, but it's fine without a trim IMO.

I'm looking forward to working with this in readings, so far it has positively surprised me.

 

[Scarlet Woodland]

Okay can we say time out on the conspiracy theories please guys. By all means hate a deck as much as you like but just to clear things up...

This deck was created by an author, artist and tarot reader. The BOOKS she wrote which inspired the deck have a family of tarot readers at its core. She was inspired by her research into Welsh mythology for the book to create some tarot images that tied in with it. When fans saw them and started clamoring for a full deck she went for it.

The publisher's decision to green light production probably had more to do with a bestselling author creating the deck (with a captive audience) than any link to another independently produced deck which they'd have no way of knowing the sales figures for. Sorry, rant over.

Whether peeps like or can read with it is an entirely different matter. Can definitely see how this could be a hell no for some.

I've been up and down with it. At first it read well but a little cold for me but trimming it has really made a difference. I didn't mind the borders visually but since they've had the chop it's totally opened the deck up and the images speak to me much more viscerally. I'll give it some proper time this week and see what happens as this deck is really growing on me.

 

[Leo77]

Maggie Stiefvater is a NYT bestselling author of a series called THE RAVEN CYCLE, which is why the tarot deck that accompanies the book series has RAVENS in them. This isn't an attempt to cash in on anything other than the fact that Stiefvater drew some sketches, put them on tumblr, fans liked them and asked for a tarot deck similar to the ones that the CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK USE.

Really. It's like no one can Google anymore.

 

[Scarlet Woodland]

Maggie Stiefvater is a NYT bestselling author of a series called THE RAVEN CYCLE, which is why the tarot deck that accompanies the book series has RAVENS in them. This isn't an attempt to cash in on anything other than the fact that Stiefvater drew some sketches, put them on tumblr, fans liked them and asked for a tarot deck similar to the ones that the CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK USE.

Really. It's like no one can Google anymore.

Have been waiting for the axe to fall on me for getting grumpy about this... thanks for joining me on the grumpy darkside haha, I feel much better

 

[greatdane]

OK really not going off topic

Thanks for bringing up the book and series. That's not off topic, right? Since this deck is about the books or inspired by them? Wasn't familiar with the deck either, going to look it up. edit: now I see why I didn't see it before. YA? or younger? It obviously doesn't come up in my searches for new books. But sounds like a fun series.

 

[Scarlet Woodland]

Thanks for bringing up the book and series. That's not off topic, right? Since this deck is about the books or inspired by them? Wasn't familiar with the deck either, going to look it up. edit: now I see why I didn't see it before. YA? or younger? It obviously doesn't come up in my searches for new books. But sounds like a fun series.

I hadn't spotted this series either till I saw the deck was coming out. Ordered the books when I found out a bit about them and didn't regret it. It's YA but not too YA if you know what I mean, I'm in my thirties and don't think I rolled my eyes once haha. Seriously they're well worth a read, especially for those of us into tarot. She's a wonderful writer, which extends to the deck's companion book.

 

[greatdane]

Thanks Scarlet Woodland

I know there are a lot of writers who may target younger readers (I look on Amazon and often it will say like GR 8 and up), but that write things older readers will enjoy. I'm in my sixties and it seems there is always something on my list. I am into the Graveyard Queen series right now. And have a bunch more books I want to read.

 

[Leo77]

Have been waiting for the axe to fall on me for getting grumpy about this... thanks for joining me on the grumpy darkside haha, I feel much better

Normally I let it go, but I'm a fan of Steifvater's since The Scorpio Races and I read her notes about how much she studied tarot to try and get TRP "right".

 

[Leo77]

Thanks for bringing up the book and series. That's not off topic, right? Since this deck is about the books or inspired by them? Wasn't familiar with the deck either, going to look it up. edit: now I see why I didn't see it before. YA? or younger? It obviously doesn't come up in my searches for new books. But sounds like a fun series.

It's YA, but in the way that Harry Potter is YA. Most people forget the genre while they're reading it. It's a bit dark and gritty in places.