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Review by Tom LeBlanc, CTC
For many years, Robin Wood has earned a
well-deserved reputation as one of the most beloved illustrators
of fantasy literature and Pagan art. As such, the
Robin Wood Tarot was an inevitable favorite among readers with an eye
toward Pagan symbolism.
In this deck, she appears to
attempt a complex meld of modern images, Pagan symbolism,
and the well-known Rider-Waite-Smith orientation to
create a very unique deck. However, Wood seems to
accomplish this without alienating non-Pagans or violating
the sensibilities of those who enjoy the RWS system.
Many of the adaptations include quite subtle changes.
For example, close examination of the battlers on the
Five of Wands will reveal that the combatants’ staves
form a pentacle, and the Ace of Wands contains a DNA
strand, possibly indicating this cards’ propensity for
representing creation and synthesis. Other changes, however,
are more obvious. The Magician, now wearing an
antlered headdress, somewhat resembles a shamanistic
priest. The Devil is noticeably absent in the card by
that name, and is replaced by a pair of slaves to
materialism, each vainly trying to pull a treasure hoard to
their own end of a dark tunnel. For those who find the
absence of a goat-headed Baphomet in this card to be
remiss, Wood makes a concession in the form of an inverted
pentacle created from the chains that bind the treasure to
its spot.
Printed on strong, plastic-coated board,
this deck is approximately the same size as most
standard Tarot decks, which facilitate shuffling for those
who are accustomed to the “slightly longer than
playing cards” size. Naturally, Wood’s artwork is quite
vivid in color, rich in detail and—most obviously—quite
dynamic in movement. Her use of color and texture also
highlights the traditional elemental associations with the
suits. For example each of the wands appears “fiery,”
while the pentacles exude a very terrestrial quality.
The accompanying little white book (LWB) is adequate
in that it provides a basic interpretation of each
card and offers a fifteen, ten, and five card spread
description.
In sum, it is quite obvious why the Robin Wood
Tarot is a first-choice for Pagan and non-Pagan readers
alike. The scenes in each card are quite lively and rich
in interpretive potential. Both beginning and
seasoned readers are likely to find considerable benefit
from this deck.
While learning to read Tarot as a young child, Tom LeBlanc had no idea what role Tarot would one day play in his life. Having grown up providing readings to family and friends, he took his trusty deck to college and discovered that he could partially support himself by reading for others. Now a Certified Tarot Consultant with over 25 years experience, a Ph.D. in Psychology, Tom enjoys providing occasional readings in addition to writing. Tom is currently involved in designing a Tarot Certification course for the College of the Sacred Mists.
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Review by Kim Huggens
The Robin Wood deck is my main reading deck. I
bought it after a desperate search for a deck in which
the Minors were as well-drawn and thought out as the
Majors, and I wasn't disappointed! This deck is the
culmination of nearly 10 years of work by the Wiccan artist
and writer, Robin Wood, and as such, there is quite
a lot of Pagan undertones, although these can be easily
left out by non-Pagans. The scenes themselves are not
overtly Pagan, and indeed, they stick mainly to the
traditional Rider Waite images, but in the subtle symbolism
and detail, Wood incorporates teachings from her
tradition of Wicca, helping to convey meaning.
The deck
being largely traditional, there is not much I can say
about it. There are only a few cards where the image is
changed, such as the Judgement card, where instead of the
familiar Christian Judgement Day scene, Wood depicts a
naked woman rising from a cauldron of Rebirth. This
leads me to one of my only problems with this deck: the
obvious bias against Christianity and formal religions
inherent in the deck. Wood admits in the book that she
later wrote to accompany the deck, that when she was
creating the deck she did include her views of Christianity
in certain cards, such as the Heirophant, where the
priest is depicted as a very stern, even constipated,
ugly man. This can be seen as merely another
re-drawing of the Heirophant, but it can also be taken as a
picture inclusive of Wood's views.
Wood's views and
experiences are quite inherent in the cards actually, but this
would not be noticed unless the accompanying book is
read, so such things do not affect the readbility of
this deck. Wood admits that she began this deck
largely as a private project, drawing it for herself
solely, so the Pages have mnemonic devices to help her,
and the users of this deck, remember what they stand
for, eg- A pallette of paints for the Page of Cups, a
book for the Page of Pentacles. I found this to be a
great help when reading the Pages, as Court Cards are
not my forté, and indeed, they are not usually
anybody's! The other Court Cards in this deck are
beautifully rendered, and the characters almost come alive in
a reading. Their facial expressions and stances
help the reader identify with them, and convey the
meaning and significance of the Courts in a reading.
The Minor Arcana, instead of bearing their full titles
eg- 5 of Swords, only bear the number of their suit,
in a simple small white circle, which is a very good
idea to me, because it does not detract from the images
on the cards. The Major's titles remain the same,
and are to be found on the bottom of each card, again,
not detracting from the images.
The artwork itself
I cannot but praise! It is sumptuous, colourful,
bold, yet realistic. All the cards were drawn in
Prismacolor pencils, and thus they take on a simple, welcoming
feel. This type of artwork is attractive to quite a few
people, regardless of age, (Children would like this deck
as well) although it has been accused of being too 'Barbie
and Ken'-like for some people. I can see where this
comes from, as there is not really a character in the
cards of this deck which is not beautiful, thin, and
healthy. (Other than the man on the 5 of Pentacles, with
only one leg!) But for those who find such characters
appealing (I certainly do), then this deck would definitely
appeal.
There is some nudity is the cards, although
since the artwork is quite cartoon-like the impact of
nudity on those sensitive to it is somewhat lessened, and
it does not seem offensive at all. Such nudity is
used sparingly (It only appears in 5 cards) and only
where it serves a symbolic purpose, or where the Rider
Waite tradition dictates is use.
Overall, this deck
is easy to use, evocative, and can be used by
anybody, regardless of their experience with the Tarot. I
often find that this deck is particularly useful for
those who read intuitively, as the images are detailed,
clear, and always show scenes which depict meaning. Each
card is full of symbolism, and there is no item in the
cards which does not have symbolic meaning. I have
never met a querent who does not like the Robin Wood Tarot, and for
those who also use Gestalt methods of reading, this deck
would be extremely useful for querents who know very
little of Tarot. It is also not necessary to get the
book writen for the deck, because most of the symbols
in the cards are self-explanatory, althoug the book
is a very nice addition, and explains why Wood
included certain things, and how she got the ideas for each
card.
I would recommend this deck to all beginners,
no matter what their age or religious persuasion.
This deck is a universal one, and is certainly one of
the treasures which are beautiful as well as readable.
It is not often one sees the Rider Waite deck cloned
in such a sumptuous and evocative manner. As such,
this deck never leaves my side, and is fast becoming a
bit tattered and worn through all the successful
readings I have performed with it!
Kim Huggens is a 24 year old PhD student in the Ancient History and Archaeology department of Cardiff University. She has been studying and reading Tarot since the age of 9, and has a deck collection numbering over 250. She is the co-creator of the Sol Invictus: The God Tarot and is currently working on a second deck, Pistis Sophia: The Goddess Tarot", and a book for Llewellyn Publications, due for release Autumn 2010.
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Review by StarShine
I was introduced to this deck by a friend. I was
using the Rider-Waite deck and I commented that I could
relate to the illustrations, but not the artwork. I just
did not find it to be a eye-pleasing deck.
That is when she pulled out her Robin Wood Deck. We were in the
metaphysical shop where she works and I was so taken with this
deck, I had her special order these cards for me on the
spot and even paid for them in advance. When I
received them, they were more beautiful than I had
remembered. Just carrying this deck home from the store made
me feel beautiful, mysterious and enlightened. I
don't know what it is about this deck but I receive
incredible vibrations from it. These vibes are so powerful
for me, just holding the deck in my hands after a
stressful day calms me and makes me feel better.
I still use the Rider-Waite to read for others. Part of the
reason for that is that the RW deck is most recognized
and people tend to feel more comfortable with familiarity. The other part of the reason is that I still use the Robin Wood deck for my own personal readings and
right now, I just don't feel like sharing my special
deck. Eventually I do plan on using my Robin Wood Deck
for other's readings. The illustrations are close
enough to the RW to recognize, but much softer and much
more pleasing to the eye. Much less ominous than other
decks that I have seen.
Another plus, for me, is the pagan flavor to these cards. The artwork definitely
portrays the true beauty and harmony of the Pagan Path. Even the death card is non-threatening and cloaked in
beauty.
This deck is a must have for beginners, experts,
dabblers, and collectors alike.
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Review by Helen Morrison
If I could have only one tarot deck, this is it. In
fact, I bought two copies! By destiny or chance, I had
my Robin Wood deck with me when I spotted her signing
autographs at a convention. Robin signed the Magician card
for me, now framed and hanging on my wall. I was, and
still am, thrilled to have the signed card, but had long
lost the blank extra card that came with the deck,
leaving it short one card. I realized how much I missed
using this deck, and bought my second copy.
It might be easy to dismiss this deck as just
another Rider clone, as it sits quietly on the shelf in a
small, simple dark green box. But that would be a
mistake. Even the sturdy box is special; it opens from the
front, like a book.
The cards are typical weight and
size, about 4.5” x 2.75”. They sport a slick, but not
shiny, finish. The back is a repeating Celtic knot
pattern in black, white and green, with a white border. It
looks the same both right side up and upside down.
Robin uses the traditional trumps, numbering and court
cards.
Art, Imagery and Symbolism
So what makes this deck
stand out from the pack (pun intended)? The beautiful
art work on each and every card, rich with updated
images and symbolism. The images are filled with life and
movement. Traditional Christian iconography is replaced with
secular or Pagan symbols. The symbolism speaks clearly.
Newbie readers and seekers alike relate easily to the
images, yet each card still carries all the meaning (and
sometimes more) of traditional Rider tarot. The deep but
clear symbolism in gorgeous art makes this deck ideal
for beginners and experienced readers alike.
The cards
have a white border, beginners sometimes write short
notes there to help them learn. The trumps are
identified with a banner at the bottom. Pip cards have only
their number in a white circle at the bottom, but it’s
easy to distinguish the suit.
The image content on some
cards are nearly identical to the corresponding Rider
cards, but with enhanced detail, textured backgrounds and
complex colors from pastel to dark. In Trumps, for
example, the Wood version of the Moon features a realistic
beagle, wolf, and stone pillars, framed below and above by
navy blue water and sky with a white full moon. The Sun
features a chubby cherub on a realistic white horse with a
flowing red banner and bright yellow sun filling the sky
with yellow and white rays of light you can almost
feel.
In Pip cards, the Wood two of Swords and Rider
two of sword share nearly identical image content, a
blindfolded woman in a robe sitting in front of water. But the
Wood version is lusher and darker, you can almost feel
the cold wind whipping over pounding surf. The Wood
eight of Wands depicts 8 wands, as does the Rider deck,
but the wands on the Wood card fly across a dark sky,
in outer space, with planets behind and below and
flames spewing from them like rockets.
Other Wood cards
share elements with their corresponding Rider card, but
the images are different. The Wood Lovers, for
example, depicts a fairly realistic naked man and woman arm
in arm. The woman holds the moon in her other hand,
the man holds the sun. The traditional Christian god
above the couple on the Rider card is replaced by the
Tree of Life behind the couple on the Wood card. The
Wood Devil card lacks the typical Devilish figure from
Christian mythology. The naked man and woman from the Rider
deck are still chained to the trunk, which is far
larger than they, and the trunk itself is chained to the
sides of a long, dark tunnel. But, there is still hope,
an entrance, a light at the end.
Some cards,
particularly the Trumps, are dramatically different from the
classic Rider trumps. The Wood High Priestess is portrayed
from the waist up, against a dark night sky and full
moon, with flowing hair and robe, holding an open book
and a crystal ball. Death is a figured shrouded in a
deep red robe, in a birch forest with a white rose over
his shoulder. Judgment is a single, naked woman
leaping from a fiery cauldron, framed by a rising phoenix
with golden wings. The Magician is a smiling, bearded
fellow, his tools of magic on the table before him, twin
candles of black and white at his sides, antlers on his
head and holding infinity in his hand.
These layers of
rich symbolism convey the traditional archetypical
images along with new insight for people of any religion,
Christian, Pagan or other. Eliminating the classic Devil
image from the Devil card helps the seeker and the
reader understand that we often create our own problems
or “devils”. Instead of the Rider deck image of
small, passive people and the static figure of an evil
boogey man ruling with an iron fist, we see the man and
woman actively struggling with their personal “devils”
of greed, grief, anger, jealousy. It also presents
the concept of self-imprisonment. The woman on the
card refuses to turn around and “see the light” or way
out, the man could easily escape to the opening if he
would let go of the trunk. The “devil” is the
temptations hidden inside the trunk. This concept is displayed
in secular imagery but can still support the
Christian philosophy that paints the Devil as constantly
tempting us.
The LWB includes a brief
introduction of the deck and each Arcana. The meaning of every
card, both upright and reverse, is listed. The pip cards
(excluding court cards) also include a brief description,
such as “Thief” for seven of Swords, or “I just can’t”
for the eight of swords.
The LWB includes three
layouts, a 15 card general spread, a traditional 10 card
spread, and a 5 card spread for a specific answer to a
specific question. This spread packs a lot into five cards,
I like how the first card sharply defines the
question. This focus on definition frames the answer
presented in the last card.
There is a 50+ page book
available for this deck. The book and deck are available as
a set or separately. I bought just the deck (both
times). I confess I’ve never read the full book, just the
LWB.
Helen is a professional writer and bellydancer.
She received her first tarot deck in 1986. She is
currently collaborating with a local artist on a new tarot
deck.
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