on stepping into a wonderland

Well, it has certainly been awhile since I've posted here.  I've taken an extended break from tarot but am hoping to get back into things.  What I've found interesting in having time away is how good it is to return with fresh eyes.  I had been working with tarot for about 12 years and on reflection I think I'd burnt out.  I needed to have some time away to think of other things.  I've just finished working on a very practical project for the last six months, far different to the world of tarot.  Before I took a break I was very muddled in my thinking, rushing this way and that, working with one system after another and never really settling on anything.  Collecting decks seemed to have taken over from actually using them.

On my return the deck I have most enjoyed is the Nigel Jackon Medieval Enchantment.  I've always loved this deck but now it seems like it's the perfect match for my 'tarot worldview'.  I'm hoping to use this deck to explore some of my ideas and post my thoughts here as I go.

I drew the Eight of Cups this morning and I absolutely love the image.  It definitely has that sense of starting off on a journey, to somewhere new and different to what I'm used to.  This card reflects how I feel about the deck as a whole actually, it's like stepping into a magical wonderland and relishing the thought of getting lost in it.  Time to start exploring!

on feng shui and tarot

Just over a week ago we began significant renovations to our existing home.  We have decided to remain living in the house while the builders are working.  The front three rooms of our home have been sealed off from the back, which has subsequently been demolished.  What has been interesting, at least to me, is that as the rear of the house has been pulled down my health has deteriorated and I've had in the course of the last ten days tonsillitis, flu like symptoms, laryngitis, general head cold symptoms, a night of vomiting and now what seems to be a chest infection. It has dawned on me that having the energy field of my home dismantled has understandably taken it's toll on my physical energy.  Remarkably, today the actual building has begun and I can slowly feel my energy returning.

While I've never been a die-hard believer in all the intricacies of the art of Feng Shui, I am a firm believer in the principles behind it.  While I think many of the superstitions and also some of the flying stars and numerology type elements are not so relevant to us today, especially here in the Southern Hemisphere, I do think that it is critical to take care of the energy of our home in order to ensure our life flows smoothly.

Anyway, all this has inspired me to drag out my Feng Shui Tarot set.  This is a deck I really wanted to work with seriously but have found to be almost impossible to work with.  Some of the decisions regarding elemental attributions don't really fit with my own understanding and to be honest, I just don't think Feng Shui and Tarot really fit that well together.

Despite that, it is a beautiful deck from an art perspective.  As more time passes I find that it is the art of tarot that I am drawn to more than anything.  I thought I might share some of the images with you here.

I must add that this deck is definitely readable and when you combine that with the artwork then I believe it's a deck worth having.  However, if you want to use it and keep all the meanings exactly the same as the Rider Waite Smith format then you may be disappointed.  I think it's worth having for Strength, Temperance and The Moon alone.

on watching 'Tarot M' unfold

Some time ago I posted about a new deck created by M. M. Meleen called the Rosetta Tarot.  You can see the post here and read my full review at Aeclectic Tarot here.  Since writing in December this deck has taken out number one spot on the Aeclectic Tarot 'Most Popular Deck Published in 2011' poll.  Congratulations for this well deserved accolade must go to the creator.  Below I've included two of my favourite cards from the Rosetta Tarot.

The great news is that a new deck is currently underway and what I have seen so far is very exciting.  You can follow Ms Meleen's progress at the Rosetta Tarot website.  She also has a blog where you can follow the progress of the deck and see images as they are created.  There are also discussions of how the art is created.

I'm looking forward to the unique opportunity to follow this deck as it unfolds. I'm loving what I have seen so far, especially the Fool and Priestess as above.

on alchemy and the tarot

For those of you who, like me, are big fans of Robert Place's Alchemical Tarot, you may be excited to know that he has now released a new version of the companion book for this deck.  I am lucky enough to have the original edition of the deck that came with the companion book, but for others who have purchased the Alechmial Renewed deck this new release has been long awaited.  There is also a third edition of the Alchemical Renewed deck available as well.

You can find details at Robert Place's website here.


For those not familiar with the Alchemical deck here are a few images to whet your appetite.

 Heirophant and Hight Priestess

 Knight of Staffs and Queen of Swords

 Queen of Cups and Six of Swords

on the cosmic tarot

Each time I look at this deck I remember how much I love it.  I think that of all my decks this is the one I'd say has my favourite style of artwork.  It isn't the deck I use the most, but it's certainly one I enjoy just flicking through and getting lost in.

 The Fool, King of Cups

 Four and Nine of Pentacles

 Two and Seven of Swords

 The Hermit and The Chariot

 The Heirophant and the Moon

 The Star and The World

The Cosmic Tarot provides a solid framework with its basis in the Golden Dawn system and also has plenty of scope for intuitive interpretation. The artwork is, in my opinion, almost unequalled in modern tarot decks. Having now been in print for almost 25 years is a testament to both its substance and beauty. I've written a full review of the deck which you can read here on the Aeclectic Tarot website.

on the Rosetta Tarot

I have recently had the opportunity to work with and review the wonderful Rosetta Tarot, created and self published by M.M. Meleen.  Also available is a companion book titled 'Book of Seshet - Guide to the Rosetta Tarot'.  I've included in this post some cards from the deck, a few excerpts of my review (which can be read in full here), and some additional comments.

Below are four of my favourite cards from the Major Arcana.

One of my favourite things about this deck is the vibrant colours of the artwork which really draw you in.  The creator has used a range of different artistic mediums to represent the essence of each of the suits.

While the Rosetta Tarot is certainly a Thoth inspired deck the creator has based the designs on meanings in the Golden Dawn’s ‘Book T’ and so in some cases there is variation in the imagery from the Thoth deck.  This is not simply a re-drawn Thoth.  The creator has interpreted the symbolism in her own way, without obscuring the meanings.  While some cards have a very similar look to the Thoth deck, others are quite unique in the interpretation.   

The Nine of Cups from the Rosetta Tarot on the left and the Thoth on the Right

The 8 of Disks from the Rosetta on the left and the Thoth on the right.

I love how in the Eight of Disks above the image looks very similar to the Thoth deck, but the owl has been added and the roots of the plant are formed in the shape of the glyph for Virgo.

In my opinion, the Thoth deck is a unique masterpiece.  The Thoth is based on a system with depth and substance to which you can devote a lifetime of study. It is a system which in the RWS has been somewhat obscured, and with the proliferation of prettied-up RWS clone or inspired decks has become all but lost in many cases.  The Thoth gives us the opportunity to actually work with the Golden Dawn system and understand what lies at the core of most modern tarots.  Over the years many people have expressed to me that, for some reason or another, the Thoth feels impenetrable and aloof.  I know for some it even strikes feelings of fear and for that reason some curious souls stay away.  I believe the Rosetta Tarot is a perfect way to access this system with a deck that perhaps feels a little more approachable.  The colouring is vibrant, and yet the imagery is softer than the Thoth.  The deck has a ‘home made’ feel without seeming amateur.  There is warmth that may be lacking in the Thoth.   I don’t believe the Thoth can be improved on or bettered at all, and I don’t believe that the creator of the Rosetta has tried to do this.  What the Rosetta offers is another path into this world, another way to begin the journey that all serious students of the tarot must surely take at some point.

I always believe that when a deck is created by someone who passionately believes in what they are doing, and who pours their knowledge out through their artwork, the results are very special indeed.  This deck should not really be compared to the Thoth, it stands on its own merits and for those willing to spend the time, I’m confident it will deliver.

For further information you can visit the creators web-site here.
The creator is also involved in an on-line discussion, and possibly study group, at the Aeclectic tarot forum here.

on getting to know the native fauna

For some time now I’ve been on the cusp of purchasing the Druid Animal Oracle.  My desire for a similar oracle using animals native to Australia has stopped me so far.  Unfortunately no such thing exists.   There is a long out of print set called the Wisdom of the Australian Animals Deck which was later re-worked into the Australian Animal Tarot Deck, also out of print.  Both were created by Ann Williams-Fitzgerald.  I have been fortunate enough to get a copy of the latter and have recently dug it out for another look.

It is quite a beautiful deck, although I can’t imagine using it as a tarot deck, for me it has more potential as an oracle.  I have discovered that the companion book is impossible to find but was lucky enough to be able to purchase an e-book through the creator’s web-site.  I’m looking forward to spending some time with this deck and the accompanying e-book.  I love what has been done in the Druid Animal Oracle and would like to work with this set in the same way. 

The cards are published by AGMuller and are a fairly standard size, albeit slightly wider than usual, and the cardstock is fabulous.  The artwork takes up a disappointingly small percentage of the card face and around the border are the title, keywords and a corresponding crystal.  The borders are two different shades of purple, or lavender, one for the majors and the other for the minors and courts.  The back is a gorgeous Southern Cross design which I absolutely love.

The artwork is by artist Tracy Hinschen and is quite stunning.  I have included some cards as examples.  While the usual ‘favourites’ are included there are also many less well known natives that I’m looking forward to learning more about.  There are quite a few non-natives as well such as the cat, camel and cattle dog.  

 

 

For those wanting to use the set as a tarot, the suit/element correspondences are rather unusual.  Wands are earth, Swords are fire, Pentacles are air and Cups are water.  In the e-book the explanation given for this is to allow for Southern Hemisphere influences but no further information is given to explain how that is so.  I can’t even begin to imagine how it could make sense and it is one of the reasons that I plan to use this set as an oracle and focus on the animals and their meanings, rather than any traditional tarot meanings.  In saying that, despite the changing of elements, the suit meanings appear to be quite standard to traditionally accepted meanings and I don’t think the new element is factored in much at all.

The e-book also provides a brief summary of the authors Auz Astrology system which allocates an Australian native animal to each month of the year, a little like the Chinese Zodiac system.  I’ve been working on something similar myself for the past year or so and was very interested to see many of my choices were the same as Ann’s.  In some of the cards you can see the Western Astrological Glyph that is associated with the particular animal as well.

 

I think this set is a useful starting point for developing a good relationship with my native fauna.  It’s very easy living in the Southern Hemisphere to default to Northern Hemisphere systems and it certainly takes a lot more effort to break new ground on this side of the globe.  Between this and my Australian ‘Ogham’ project I should be kept quite busy in the year ahead.