Rating:  Summary: Trite Review: Hate to offer up a cliche, but with this deck, it isn't inappropriate: When you toss out the bathwater, keep the baby. Nobel & Vogel have divested themselves of the traditional tarot symbolism and replaced it with the symbolism of an ideology that hasn't aged well. You can still find a lot of depth and breadth in the symbolism of the Golden Dawn/Crowley/Rider-Waite-Smith decks, which because they express eternal truths--as simple as those truths may be, and as rooted in the symbolism of more traditional spiritualities--do not age. The MP deck, however, because it expresses a political position (and a radical one, too) pretending to be spiritual. . . well, it doesn't age well. I'm struck most by the zealousness and narrowness of vision, one based on extreme prejudice. I think that once you read the book that accompanies the deck, they will appeal to you only if share the writers' strong biases. I gave this deck two stars instead of only one because I find some of the artwork charming, if simple. Also, some sound use of color symbolism, but too much mix-n-match from various cultures to present a coherent symbology.
Rating:  Summary: Just Like You Review: I am not a Tarot expert. I collect decks because I like the art and the idea of a spiritual tool for examining the self. I am not trained to recognize esoteric symbols and so many tarot decks have them, that I usually give up in frustration of ever learning to recognize them again, let alone know what they mean. The only deck that has spoken to me personally and allowed my imagination to come up with multiple interpretations is the Motherpeace deck. I was put off at first by the seeming simplistic artwork, but after using them and playing with them for a couple years, they started to to grow on me. Yeah, I know, a couple of years is long in this fast-paced world, but instant attraction isn't always the best sign of a good relationship and the decks I found myself most attracted to ended up being empty vessels. With Motherpeace, for the first time, I felt that I could trust my own interpretive intuition and that alone is more freeing than anything else garnered from tarot work. I love it so much that I'm ordering the mini-Motherpeace to take to work with me. The images are nurturing and androgynous and I really don't know what the fuss is about when discussing male and female representation. I found it whole and comforting. Definately worth a look.
Rating:  Summary: you say tomato... Review: I guess when I use my Motherpeace cards I'm not looking closely enough for all this hatemongering, malice, bad art, and all-around stupidity that other reviewers mention. Or maybe, just maybe, it's possible that different people have different tastes, especially concerning something as personal as a tarot deck. I like the art. It's simple yet evocative and makes the deck easy to read without spelling everything out. I'm just not into the medieval decks or the photographic decks or the pretty-pretty superairbrushed decks. These images make me want to get out a pencil and draw, and I like that. The many women of many cultures are portrayed in many situations, positive and negative. Because it's a round deck, the cards can be read in varying degrees of positivity or negativity. The male images can be read the same way, as can the images that don't even have people on them! Fancy that. Pretty biased, if you ask me. So I guess you could say I like the deck. I like the book that comes with it and the other books, too. Some people, apparently, find it nasty. I don't, but maybe I'm just naive.
Rating:  Summary: An accurate, positive Tarot Review: I have read Tarot for over 20 years now, starting with the Rider-Waitte deck. I found this deck 10 years ago and love it. The drawings are beautiful and speak to the heart & soul. I have found the readings I have done with this deck to be more accurate and much more loving and positive than with any other deck I have used. True, it is feminine based, and much of the time focuses on the inner strength of women, but that is something many women need to remember. I highly recommend trying these cards.
Rating:  Summary: BEWARE: MINI DECK included Review: I love the Motherpeace deck and I used it for many years. I recently bought this set from Amazon, hoping to replace my old deck. I was surprised to find that it is NOT a full sized deck -- it is a "mini-deck." This is not mentioned in the description of the product.
I had to remove the shrink wrap to find this out, and then Amazon hit me with a $15 charge when I sent them back for a refund. OUCH .....
Rating:  Summary: Lovely Review: I love this deck and put it in the same category with Medicine Woman Tarot by Carol Bridges.
Rating:  Summary: Something Different Review: I've had the Motherpeace deck for more than ten years. I've used it much more than the traditional deck. The round cards show varying degrees of determination or hesitation, and I find that refreshing. So much in life is shades of gray, not simply black and white or yes and no. Personally, when giving a reading, I find that they do seem to stimulate my intuition. As to the feminist perspective- round "is" the feminine, and peace does entail compromise and lack of agression. What is wrong with expressing a female view? Perhaps the playbook does need a new century update but I use a different playbook, and this review is more about the cards themselves. See the end of this review to see which playbook I use. With the cards themselves, and the playbook I use, I don't see evidence of male bashing, but I do see evidence of using the feminine perspective to create peace, and as a tool to encourage personal growth among women and "gentlemen". At first I too found the artwork to be childish. It grew on me over the past ten years. The art is symbolic, trying to connect the reader with the archetypes we all carry. Some are masculine, some are feminine, some are good, and some are negative, but even the death card carries an image that radiates change, thereby making something that many if not most of us find frightening into something that engages the mind instead of the adrenelin gland. Do not be afraid of the feminine perspective of these cards. They will not force you to change your belief system should you be more directed to the masculine side of our culture, though they may point out some things about women in general. They are a modern take on an old tradition, and of course, that is going to rankle traditionalists. I have found them to be a positive tool for enlightenment and self-actualization. Remember, the cards don't read themselves. We interpret them through our own conciousness. The playbook I have is by Vicky Noble and Johnathan Tenney- who is an astrologer. I find it to be a nice blend of masculine and feminine. It is called The Motherpeace Tarot Playbook published by Wingbow Press.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent tool for Spiritual Growth Review: Since I bought this deck a few years ago, it has helped me through immense personal growth. Where most other decks are scary and intimidating, this deck is reassuring, validating, honest and deeply wise. As far as the feminist messages in the cards and book, I have found them very much based on love, and the perspective presented has been decidedly useful to me. It is not feminist in the negative sense (ie "man-hating"), but rather is feminist in the positive sense (loving, woman empowering). Probably there are people who will be turned off by this strong feminist slant, but for most women, I think it is an asset that they will appreciate. I just asked my husband what his opinion was on the feminist slant of the deck. He says that the images on the cards (rather simple images with plenty of naked people, predominantly women) would be a turnoff to many men. On the other hand, he thinks highly of the deck, having seen first hand how much it has helped me through transitions in my life, and he respects the messages and wisdom that comes through the cards. In fact, it's interesting to note that the cards have, many times, helped our relationship over rough patches, and guided me into deeper love and trust of my husband. I think that any woman who is looking for a deck that will help her to tune into her own intuition, a deck she can trust with her deepest questions, this is THE deck. Personally, I have not found any other deck that I would trust in the way I trust this deck. It goes to the heart of any question, helping to gain honest, loving perspective, and empowering you to make good decisions.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent tool for Spiritual Growth Review: Since I bought this deck a few years ago, it has helped me through immense personal growth. Where most other decks are scary and intimidating, this deck is reassuring, validating, honest and deeply wise. As far as the feminist messages in the cards and book, I have found them very much based on love, and the perspective presented has been decidedly useful to me. It is not feminist in the negative sense (ie "man-hating"), but rather is feminist in the positive sense (loving, woman empowering). Probably there are people who will be turned off by this strong feminist slant, but for most women, I think it is an asset that they will appreciate. I just asked my husband what his opinion was on the feminist slant of the deck. He says that the images on the cards (rather simple images with plenty of naked people, predominantly women) would be a turnoff to many men. On the other hand, he thinks highly of the deck, having seen first hand how much it has helped me through transitions in my life, and he respects the messages and wisdom that comes through the cards. In fact, it's interesting to note that the cards have, many times, helped our relationship over rough patches, and guided me into deeper love and trust of my husband. I think that any woman who is looking for a deck that will help her to tune into her own intuition, a deck she can trust with her deepest questions, this is THE deck. Personally, I have not found any other deck that I would trust in the way I trust this deck. It goes to the heart of any question, helping to gain honest, loving perspective, and empowering you to make good decisions.
Rating:  Summary: A Fresh Point of View Review: The creators of the Motherpeace tarot deck have rethought the traditional (and patriarchal) images of earlier tarot desks, replacing the images with multicultural, goddess-centered images. Since "Motherpeace" was my first tarot set and I have spent little time using more traditional decks, I may not be able to accurately describe what images have changed. Instead of the traditional royalty hierarchy--King, Queen, etc., Motherpeace portrays them as Priest and Priestess. Although the desk retains the more-common medieval theme for the Cups suit, images from other cultures appear on the other suits: African (Wands), Navajo (Discs), and Greco-Roman (Swords). After using these cards in readings for more than 10 years, the images have become part of how I view certain situations. For instance, the Eight of Discs, featuring a very pregnant woman sitting in a patch of watermelons, is how I now visualize the experience of waiting, sometimes impatiently, for something to come to fruition. Depicting "Strength" as the Irish Goddess Brigid sitting among animals has caused me to rethink what true strength means--groundedness--not brute force. The images are so intricately drawn that a regular reader always will discover new details and new perspectives. When I started reading tarot cards, I wasn't looking for something to predict the future. I approached the cards as an opportunity to use guided imagery to reflect on my life and my future. Over the years, however, I have experienced some extremely odd coincidences, and now associate certain cards with certain events. The companion book provides an excellent discussion about the inspiration for the images, and for the most part, a good sense of the meaning behind the images. Eventually, once one has used the cards for a while, the images can drive the reading, without constant referral to the guidebook. One drawback of the companion book is that it doesn't provide a variety of readings. For that, I would suggest "Tarot for Yourself."
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