How I Accidentally Fell Into This Comparison
Alright, so listen. This whole thing started cause I bought this new tarot deck last Tuesday. Not planned or anything. Just popped into my favorite little shop downtown, saw this beautiful deck full of leaves, flowers, roots – all green and earthy. Called it a “Botanical Tarot” deck right there on the box. Looked pretty, thought “Why not?” and grabbed it.
Got home, felt kinda pumped. Pulled out my trusty old Rider-Waite deck – you know the one, been with me forever, classic images like the Fool jumping off cliffs and the Tower getting zapped. Figured I’d compare ’em, see what the fuss was about these themed decks versus my regular workhorse. Just a side-by-side look, nothing too deep planned.
Getting My Hands Dirty With Both Decks
Started simple. Took both decks out, shuffled ’em separately. The Botanical deck felt… different immediately. Smoother cardstock, edges kinda soft? Rider-Waite is more rigid, slides faster. Weird thing, but noticeable.
Did my usual three-card spread: past, present, future. Pulled the same position for each deck. First draw? Past position. Rider-Waite gives me the Five of Wands – those guys fighting with sticks, chaos, conflict. Usual stuff. Reach into the Botanical deck… Five of Wands again? But wait. The card shows five different kinds of branches tangled together, like vines competing for sunlight in a jungle. Still struggle, but… quieter? More like a natural competition, not some bar fight. I leaned back. Huh.
Kept going. Present position. Rider-Waite: The Tower. Uh oh. Lightning, people falling, destruction. Classic shake-up card. My stomach sank a little. Then drew the Botanical Tower… showed a mighty oak tree struck by lightning, roots exposed, but new seedlings sprouting around the base from the burnt soil. Same core meaning, chaos breaking down structures, but the Botanical version? It felt like it whispered “renewal” alongside the destruction. Subtle, but a different flavour.
Where Things Got Really Different (For Me)
Then I hit the court cards. Big difference here. Grabbed the Page of Cups from my Rider-Waite. Kid holding a fish cup, dreamy eyes. Sweet message bringer. Page of Cups from the Botanical deck? Showed a young fern shoot unfurling right next to a dewdrop hanging off a leaf. Still about new feelings, messages… but the vibe? Pure nature’s innocence, fresh growth. Didn’t just tell me “new emotional message,” it practically made me feel the morning dew. Felt softer, more tangible.
The Major Arcana names are the same, but the pictures… that’s the main event right there. Let me try and put down what jumped out:
- Imagery: Rider-Waite shows people in castles, towers, roads. Botanical deck? Almost zero people! Just plants, landscapes, forces of nature doing the talking. My brain had to adjust, interpret roots as foundations, blossoms as joy, storms as turmoil. Took more intuition.
- Mood: Rider-Waite feels dramatic, sometimes even ominous. Good for big energy shifts. Botanical deck? Way calmer, even its “tough” cards felt grounded, like natural cycles. Less scary Tower, gentler Devil (showed thorny vines wrapped around stones – bondage, but you can see where to snip).
- Readings: Did a quick career question. Rider-Waite threw down the Chariot – dude driving horses, pushing forward hard. Botanical Chariot? Showed morning glory vines winding up a trellis towards the sun. Still ambition and drive, but a quiet, steady climb instead of a mad dash. Same direction, totally different style.
What’s the Big Takeaway?
After messing with both decks side-by-side for a couple of hours, it wasn’t about one being “better.” It’s like languages! My Rider-Waite deck? It’s blunt, direct, full of human stories, good for clear-cut answers. Loud colours.
The Botanical deck? It’s speaking Earth. It’s quieter, makes you lean in and feel the meanings through nature metaphors. It won’t show you a guy stuck in quicksand (Nine of Swords stress), it’ll show wilted flowers drooping under heavy rain. Same damn feeling!
Honestly? I’m keeping both. Sometimes you wanna a sharp answer, Rider-Waite comes out. Feeling introspective, wanting gentle wisdom or a reminder of natural cycles? Grabbing the green deck now. They just speak different dialects of the same deep truth.
