Now this is what I call a review, thank you. I learned, I was entertained, I formed an opinion without being spoonfed one. I've been iffy about this deck and now finally I can put my finger on why, because you ever so kindly pointed me to the right direction. The search continues for the queer oriented deck for me.
@@MB-fk6nf Glad you liked it. I think the Felix D‘Eon deck is quite queer, and the Oculi Occultati is a great (male) queer deck, but a bit hard to find.
Thank you so much for the effort you put into critiques of decks and books. Your connection of the Knight of Cups and Death was something I had not noticed before and you are right, I cannot un-see it. I have now started thinking that the Knight of Cups brings (or at least offers) the little death, perhaps as the price you must pay to cross the Rubicon on the right of the card... I you have the mind to do it, I would love it if you did a video on other correlations in the Smith Waite deck.
Your reviews are so insightful and really wonderful. Love your sense of humour- the wisdom tooth removal comparison had me in stitches. From a follower in NZ 😀
Another brilliant, in depth and honest review - thank you, Robert. This deck seems everywhere at the moment, and it’s tempting to buy it. Some of the images are most captivating, but some of the cards I’ve seen on other flip throughs/ reviews have put me off. Specifically, that World card! It’s not that it isn’t a gorgeous image in and of itself, but does it work as The World? And the Lovers card - it’s stunningly creative, but I just don’t know how it would work for me in a reading, and I would never be able to use this deck for clients. I guess there is always going to be a lot of the artist in any new deck, but this deck seems to be very specifically about the creator, his opinions and his life journey. Which will in turn influence the readings from this deck, and the reader’s interpretation. I really appreciate your reviews which cover both the cards that are exceptionally good and those that aren’t, whether due to design issues or a misunderstanding of the deeper meanings behind them. And I learned a bit more about Pixie, which is always great! You are right, all the photos of her show her wearing loose and baggy clothes, never a corset in sight! Fantastic, thank you. Please continue with these frank reviews 🙏 and I hope your sciatica improves very soon.
Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful, I took a lot of care over it. And thank you for the health wishes... I am much better now - I recorded this video probably a month ago🙂
I’ve never once felt compelled to purchase this deck or even watch a review of it. But in your 21 questions VR I noticed your quick dismissal of this deck and had to know why! I appreciate your honesty and perspective here, as usual. And thank you for trying to set the record straight about Pamela not being a person of color, etc. Please people, do a little research and critical thinking before blindly accepting something as fact! 🤔🧐🔍 Also, I really enjoyed your insights on the courts in this one. I’ll be adding the fish birds’ significance in the page of swords into my “tarot temple”! Thanks for that! 🙏🏼
Very interesting to hear your honest review of this deck. There have been so many praising it, that at one point I almost felt I HAD to purchase it! It does contain beautiful images and some very successful images of course. But I did feel it was a bit of too much of a ‘clone’ that was truly faithful. That is what has always stopped me from purchasing it. I think the cons you’ve pointed out have reassured me that my (frankly, far less experienced in tarot) feelings about the deck were correct. Thank you!
"She looked like she'd been to the dentist and had her wisdom tooth removed" that just cracked me up! I love your commentary, they're so witty and you always make great observations. I have a different opinion about how he worded the cards in the book (I find it interesting how the artist sees them, and his points add a little value in how I see different sides of the cards now) but I agree, it's a little too personal to be put into a book.
I really like your grounded critique of Pavlov's deck. I remember the hype and agiotage around this deck. I bought the one from Etsy from the artist himself only at 3rd attempt a while ago, long before it was printed by US Games. Mine is printed in Taiwan and of rather good quality. I was happy to have scored it back in the day as I really like the style of his art. His artistic erotic style is rather beautiful. I was very enthusiastic about this deck. However, at the end I was rather disappointed in the sense that I couldn’t work with it at all. As an RWS fan I always need to have the classical canons respected in any Tarot deck which claims to be derived from RWS. You know which card killed the deck for me completely? The Knight of Pentacles. Pavlov got it completely wrong. How on earth do you come up with an idea of a wheel-chaired knight of Pentacles!? It is a total abomination in my view. Yes, he is not as fast as Knight of Swords or Knight of Wands, but definitely not disabled, just cautious and contemplative about his next move. But you go much deeper and more detailed at the flaws of the deck. Again, another deck which is totally beautifully made and totally a masterpiece in the artistic sense, but a total waste as a Tarot instrument.
I was on instagram years ago and found FP’s work, which is very provocative, and so eventually followed the making of the deck and then got lucky on an Etsy launch, finally grabbing a U.S. Games version. I love your analysis. I don’t generally give the books close scrutiny except to see interpretations of various ideas, and feel like this one wasn’t super helpful. I do love the gender play and don’t mind the blankness of the court cards, but at times I wish more research was put into the cards. Generally speaking, not just FP, decks seem to be more about getting some art on the card and less about creating a strong meaning. I guess this deck falls into that category in a lot of ways, but it’s kind of a soft spot for me because I am familiar with/FD’s work and am a sucker for his pov. I learn so much in your reviews, though, which even makes the deck less important. Thanks and please take care, sciatica hurts like hell.
Thank you for this honest review, Robert. I’ve been holding on to getting this for a very long time but the pros never outweighed the cons. After this review I can be completely relaxed about not owning this deck.
Thank you for such an interesting review. There are some really strong cards so it's a bit frustrating. I recognise trauma in some of their explication: it can close one down. Strange to me whenever people conceive of Queer in as a narrow thing, a resting rather than questing, uncertainty and expanding. Appreciate the space you are creating and that you're lifting the discourse level. I managed my sciatica with resting on my back lots to get muscles to release out of spasm and strengthening core beginning with pelvic floor and breath. Small, small central movement, no long levers because laws of physics! Think new chick not quite ready to hatch. 🐣 Editing to add : disability seems to me one of the most neglected areas of awareness and a crucial site of enquiry for humans to understand ourselves and progress. Interesting things seem to be beginning, there.
Thanks for your feedback and sciatica tips! I'm much better now, but was in a lot of pain when I made this video - which was interesting, because I felt quite disabled - hopefully not permanently, but disabled nevertheless. And this gave me a certain angle when talking about that knight card. As for the sciatica, I have found a good osteppath/healer in Berlin and I am in good hands:-) Rx
It's a brilliant review. A couple of days ago (and before seeing this review), I finally bought the FPT. I had promised myself not to buy it because I find the author's woke agenda irritating, which overshadows the richness of the tarot symbols. However, I succumbed to the beauty of its illustrations and the fact that it reminds me of my own daughter. I'm sure we’re going to enjoy looking at it together, and I know she will love it, and that makes me happy.
I think you have hit upon an ongoing problem with those of a spiritual bent. To wit, how do we combine the material world in which we are all immersed with the spiritual world(s) without being so attached to either that we torpedo their interaction? We run the risk of being a sort of Marxist political tarotist on the one hand or, what I call, an airy fairy New Age twit on the other. This is not a trivial question. In my experience, the Spirit world often shows little understanding of the material world. "Go on a voyage to some hard to get to place." Great! How am I supposed to pay for that? As a simple example. Things like boundaries and private property, let alone the complexities of capitalism, are mysterious to the Spirits. Gender tends to be very fluid in that world(s). But we have to deal with them all the time. It sounds like this fellow has taken his cues almost entirely from this world and his critique thereof, a critique which I largely agree with. But it is one with which we are inundated daily and minute by minute. Perhaps we should let the Spirits give us a taste of a world in which these things need not be our constant obsession. Just some thoughts anyway.
The only honest review of this deck on TH-cam.
@@Hearth_n_Hills Thank you.
Now this is what I call a review, thank you. I learned, I was entertained, I formed an opinion without being spoonfed one. I've been iffy about this deck and now finally I can put my finger on why, because you ever so kindly pointed me to the right direction. The search continues for the queer oriented deck for me.
@@MB-fk6nf Glad you liked it. I think the Felix D‘Eon deck is quite queer, and the Oculi Occultati is a great (male) queer deck, but a bit hard to find.
Why do i ALWAYS agree with you? What a glorious miss this deck is. But glorious it is.
Thank you so much for the effort you put into critiques of decks and books. Your connection of the Knight of Cups and Death was something I had not noticed before and you are right, I cannot un-see it. I have now started thinking that the Knight of Cups brings (or at least offers) the little death, perhaps as the price you must pay to cross the Rubicon on the right of the card...
I you have the mind to do it, I would love it if you did a video on other correlations in the Smith Waite deck.
@@DownUnderTarot Thanks, that’s a good idea, I’ll see if I have enough material.
Your reviews are so insightful and really wonderful. Love your sense of humour- the wisdom tooth removal comparison had me in stitches. From a follower in NZ 😀
Glad you liked it. I put a lot of thought into this one!
Another brilliant, in depth and honest review - thank you, Robert. This deck seems everywhere at the moment, and it’s tempting to buy it. Some of the images are most captivating, but some of the cards I’ve seen on other flip throughs/ reviews have put me off. Specifically, that World card! It’s not that it isn’t a gorgeous image in and of itself, but does it work as The World? And the Lovers card - it’s stunningly creative, but I just don’t know how it would work for me in a reading, and I would never be able to use this deck for clients.
I guess there is always going to be a lot of the artist in any new deck, but this deck seems to be very specifically about the creator, his opinions and his life journey. Which will in turn influence the readings from this deck, and the reader’s interpretation.
I really appreciate your reviews which cover both the cards that are exceptionally good and those that aren’t, whether due to design issues or a misunderstanding of the deeper meanings behind them. And I learned a bit more about Pixie, which is always great! You are right, all the photos of her show her wearing loose and baggy clothes, never a corset in sight!
Fantastic, thank you. Please continue with these frank reviews 🙏 and I hope your sciatica improves very soon.
Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful, I took a lot of care over it. And thank you for the health wishes... I am much better now - I recorded this video probably a month ago🙂
I’ve never once felt compelled to purchase this deck or even watch a review of it. But in your 21 questions VR I noticed your quick dismissal of this deck and had to know why!
I appreciate your honesty and perspective here, as usual. And thank you for trying to set the record straight about Pamela not being a person of color, etc. Please people, do a little research and critical thinking before blindly accepting something as fact! 🤔🧐🔍
Also, I really enjoyed your insights on the courts in this one. I’ll be adding the fish birds’ significance in the page of swords into my “tarot temple”! Thanks for that! 🙏🏼
@@becurious17 Thanks for your appreciation 😀
Very interesting to hear your honest review of this deck. There have been so many praising it, that at one point I almost felt I HAD to purchase it! It does contain beautiful images and some very successful images of course. But I did feel it was a bit of too much of a ‘clone’ that was truly faithful. That is what has always stopped me from purchasing it. I think the cons you’ve pointed out have reassured me that my (frankly, far less experienced in tarot) feelings about the deck were correct. Thank you!
"She looked like she'd been to the dentist and had her wisdom tooth removed" that just cracked me up! I love your commentary, they're so witty and you always make great observations. I have a different opinion about how he worded the cards in the book (I find it interesting how the artist sees them, and his points add a little value in how I see different sides of the cards now) but I agree, it's a little too personal to be put into a book.
@@kestiameshad I like parts of the book! The part about the Six of Cups is touching.
In my humble opinion, Pavlov’s The High Priestess is absolute perfection: stylistically, symbolically, and metaphorically.
@@amysbees6686 I agree with that!
I really like your grounded critique of Pavlov's deck.
I remember the hype and agiotage around this deck. I bought the one from Etsy from the artist himself only at 3rd attempt a while ago, long before it was printed by US Games. Mine is printed in Taiwan and of rather good quality. I was happy to have scored it back in the day as I really like the style of his art. His artistic erotic style is rather beautiful. I was very enthusiastic about this deck.
However, at the end I was rather disappointed in the sense that I couldn’t work with it at all. As an RWS fan I always need to have the classical canons respected in any Tarot deck which claims to be derived from RWS. You know which card killed the deck for me completely? The Knight of Pentacles. Pavlov got it completely wrong. How on earth do you come up with an idea of a wheel-chaired knight of Pentacles!? It is a total abomination in my view. Yes, he is not as fast as Knight of Swords or Knight of Wands, but definitely not disabled, just cautious and contemplative about his next move. But you go much deeper and more detailed at the flaws of the deck. Again, another deck which is totally beautifully made and totally a masterpiece in the artistic sense, but a total waste as a Tarot instrument.
@@damiray9396 I couldn’t agree more.
I was on instagram years ago and found FP’s work, which is very provocative, and so eventually followed the making of the deck and then got lucky on an Etsy launch, finally grabbing a U.S. Games version.
I love your analysis. I don’t generally give the books close scrutiny except to see interpretations of various ideas, and feel like this one wasn’t super helpful.
I do love the gender play and don’t mind the blankness of the court cards, but at times I wish more research was put into the cards. Generally speaking, not just FP, decks seem to be more about getting some art on the card and less about creating a strong meaning.
I guess this deck falls into that category in a lot of ways, but it’s kind of a soft spot for me because I am familiar with/FD’s work and am a sucker for his pov.
I learn so much in your reviews, though, which even makes the deck less important.
Thanks and please take care, sciatica hurts like hell.
@@paillette2010 Thsnk you! Happy reading… 😀
Thank you for this honest review, Robert. I’ve been holding on to getting this for a very long time but the pros never outweighed the cons. After this review I can be completely relaxed about not owning this deck.
@@thestoneinsidethecave It’s a tricky one, because there are indeed pros and cons!
Nice review!
Thank you for such an interesting review. There are some really strong cards so it's a bit frustrating. I recognise trauma in some of their explication: it can close one down.
Strange to me whenever people conceive of Queer in as a narrow thing, a resting rather than questing, uncertainty and expanding.
Appreciate the space you are creating and that you're lifting the discourse level.
I managed my sciatica with resting on my back lots to get muscles to release out of spasm and strengthening core beginning with pelvic floor and breath. Small, small central movement, no long levers because laws of physics! Think new chick not quite ready to hatch. 🐣 Editing to add : disability seems to me one of the most neglected areas of awareness and a crucial site of enquiry for humans to understand ourselves and progress. Interesting things seem to be beginning, there.
Thanks for your feedback and sciatica tips! I'm much better now, but was in a lot of pain when I made this video - which was interesting, because I felt quite disabled - hopefully not permanently, but disabled nevertheless. And this gave me a certain angle when talking about that knight card. As for the sciatica, I have found a good osteppath/healer in Berlin and I am in good hands:-) Rx
@@teatarot4557Ghastly of me to give unsolicited advice, my apologies. What was I thinking?!
@@Talentedtadpole Not all, it was nice of you :-)
It's a brilliant review. A couple of days ago (and before seeing this review), I finally bought the FPT. I had promised myself not to buy it because I find the author's woke agenda irritating, which overshadows the richness of the tarot symbols. However, I succumbed to the beauty of its illustrations and the fact that it reminds me of my own daughter. I'm sure we’re going to enjoy looking at it together, and I know she will love it, and that makes me happy.
@@morganadelestero3242 I hope the deck proves good to work with for you.
@@teatarot4557 Thank you, and thanks for the laughs, too! I forgot to show my appreciation for your sense of humor, I really enjoy it.
Provocative 'opinions'. Challenging. Entertaining.
Thank you!
I think you have hit upon an ongoing problem with those of a spiritual bent. To wit, how do we combine the material world in which we are all immersed with the spiritual world(s) without being so attached to either that we torpedo their interaction? We run the risk of being a sort of Marxist political tarotist on the one hand or, what I call, an airy fairy New Age twit on the other. This is not a trivial question. In my experience, the Spirit world often shows little understanding of the material world. "Go on a voyage to some hard to get to place." Great! How am I supposed to pay for that? As a simple example. Things like boundaries and private property, let alone the complexities of capitalism, are mysterious to the Spirits. Gender tends to be very fluid in that world(s). But we have to deal with them all the time. It sounds like this fellow has taken his cues almost entirely from this world and his critique thereof, a critique which I largely agree with. But it is one with which we are inundated daily and minute by minute. Perhaps we should let the Spirits give us a taste of a world in which these things need not be our constant obsession. Just some thoughts anyway.
Well put. Living spiritually in the real world is a big challenge. It's a constant balancing act.
Solely based on the art - disrespectfully ignoring everything else - I can’t get myself to like this deck…