If you’re a Tarot lover who happens to be in New York City anytime between now and September 8th, head on over to the Morgan Library and Museum.
Their annual summer exhibition of rare items is open now and it includes some incredible pieces.
There’s a draft of George Washington’s inaugural speech, an original manuscript of Noah Webster’s very first dictionary, and Oscar Wilde’s manuscript of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
That’s all amazing stuff, but what I want to see is the Visconti-Sforza Tarot deck they have.
From 1450’s Milan, the cards are the oldest item in the show, not to mention some of the oldest Tarot cards in the world.
I wrote about the Hexen 2.0 Tarot by Suzanne Treister back when it was still in the making. I’ve had an actual copy of the deck for a few months now and have to say that I just love it.
It’s certainly not a standard deck, and I wouldn’t suggest it for anyone trying to learn traditional Tarot imagery and structure. But for those people already familiar with Tarot and interested in politics, you might want to check it out.
Its focus is on the history of the internet, the Macy Conferences, technology, the military, and concepts of utopia.
And though it has a conspiratorial feel about it, you don’t have to share the deck’s world view to find it useful.
I’ve been using it to ask questions about the political, social, and economic situations we’re facing today and have come up with some truly remarkable readings.
For those of you who happen to be in Dortmund, Germany over the next month and a half, you can see the original Hexen 2.0 images in person. HMKV in the Dortmund University is showing the series through July 22nd.
Go see it if you can. And if you can’t, consider getting yourself a copy of the deck. It’s one of the more interesting I’ve come across in a while.
Fox is trying to create a cohesive and readable deck filled with stunning artwork, and I think he’s succeeding.
The deck will include paintings by Franz Von Stuck, Gustav Klimt, John William Waterhouse, Edward Burne-Jones, and many more brilliant artists. The cards are absolutely gorgeous.
For fans of the Symbolist style and of the Tarot, this is the deck for you.
In the interview, de St. Croix specifically looks at her King and Queen of Pentacles cards, and in the process tells us a little about King Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, the Tarot, and life in general.
The Tarot de St. Croix looks like it’s going to be beautiful. I hope it gets published. I already want one.
It’s not a Tarot about potatoes, though I might like that as well, but rather a Tarot deck made with potatoes … and old cardboard boxes, paint, and the arts & crafts knowhow of Mike Parkes.
Watch Parkes in his tutorial below, demonstrating how to make your very own Potato Tarot. He’s pretty funny.
And for further details on how to make the deck, and a box to carry it in, check out Parkes’ Potato Tarot blog.
There have been a number of new Tarot Kickstarter projects lately, and today I’m writing about another one.
It’s called The New Tarot and was designed by Warren Tusk and illustrated by Leslie Minnis.
What’s particularly interesting about this deck is that the creators don’t consider it just another version of the traditional Tarot, but rather as a sequel, or maybe a Tarot Pt. 2.
The New Tarot examines what might happen after the Fool graduates through the enlightenment of the World card. It looks at where he goes once he gets out into the ‘real world’ so to speak.
Tusk describes his deck as being ‘calibrated for outward-focused queries concerned with tangible goals and interactions between people….”
And in order to achieve his new vision, he’s come up with twenty-one new Major Arcana, including cards like Sanctuary and Fellowship.
The Minor Arcana has been completely revamped as well. No Cups, Coins, Wands, or Swords. The New Tarot explores life through the Suits of Keys, Chains, Masks, and Tomes.
Though I’m not convinced that the traditional Tarot is lacking when it comes to questions of a tangible nature, I think The New Tarot is an interesting idea, and hope that Tusk and Minnis raise the funds they need to make it happen.
Take a look at their video promo below to see what you think.
And visit The New Tarot Kickstarter page to see some of the cards, and to find out what goodies they’re offering to people who donate.
When I first saw it, I thought it was pretty with its bright colours and vibrant imagery, but I was so blown away by Carding’s Transparent Tarot and Transparent Oracle that I didn’t give the Sidhe their proper due.
I know better now though, and after spending some time with this deck, I’ve come to like it more and more. The readings I’ve done with it have been intense and honest, but still somehow playful and even sweet.
It’s a great deck, and I recommend it highly.
And apparently so does Neopagan Priestess whose wonderful video review is posted below. Take a look ….
My dear Tarot Buddy, Bill Tarot, sent me the link to this website – Know Your Tarot.
Not only is it a great Tarot resource with comprehensive descriptions of all 78 cards, symbol definitions, Tarot spreads, history, books, even jokes … it also has a page of free downloadable Tarot goodies.
There are links to free printable decks as well as Tarot e-books, cheat sheets, and pamphlets.
But the reason Bill Tarot led me there was specifically for the free download of The Correspondence Between Frieda Harris and Aleister Crowley.
What a pleasure it was to read! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Thoth Tarot, Aleister Crowley, or Tarot history in general.
Even for people making decks of their own, it might be fun.
Hearing Lady Frieda describe her own process could prove inspirational, or at least remind us that nothing worthwhile comes easy.
The assignments include things like ‘Photograph Red’, and ‘Interpret the subject Love. No kids, pets, parents or partners. Go deeper …’
By using the oracular method to choose assignments, photographer and card creator, Douglas Beasley hopes to get creativity flowing and allow synchronicity to direct artists to their perfect task.
I love the idea! And combining two of my favourite things, picture taking and divination, in one stylish package certainly gets me interested.
And apparently, I’m not the only one. Beasley has already raised the money he was looking for to print his deck, so it’s definitely a go.
