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 22 year old Tarot reader and Pagan, currently studying an MA in Religion in Late Antiquity at Cardiff University, UK. She has studied Tarot since the age of 9, and is the co-creator of the forthcoming Sol Invictus: The God Tarot as well as the in-progress companion deck, an as-yet unnamed Goddess Tarot.
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