Notifications
Clear all

Favorite Tarot Decks

53 Posts
14 Users
298 Likes
5,282 Views
(@vestralux)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 670
 

Matt, I'm so glad I could send a little light to your day, and I'm touched by your reading of my early experience. I feel like my life has been an abundance of such events, but that one is among the most precious. For a magical meditator, I'd wager you have a good many of your own such stories. (In fact, I have to believe most posting here do, as well.)  

I like your interpretation of Crowley's motivations, though if they're correct, he failed. No one would call him a Christ figure, but dude's been deified up the wazoo. He was the world's first international death metal rockstar, and more than 70 years after his death, he still has groupies. 

I grew up in a strict, conservative Christian world myself; most of my family were Southern Baptists. They exiled me early on the basis of my failure to conform, so for a long time I was angry at the religion of my childhood, but today I consider all of it, its broken parts and its shadows, beautiful and worthy of my love, if not my membership.

I treasure religious artifacts of all kinds, so your former collection of bibles seems like a potent tarot display to me. I'll spare you the rabbit hole I just tripped into regarding the Major Arcana and the characters/stories of the Old Testament. But hey! I'd love to hear your reading recommendations on Cabalistic tarot, if you have any. 


   
Matt and Matt reacted
ReplyQuote
(@michele-b)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2159
 

Matt and Vestralux, you're both much needed sources of intellect combined with gifted sensitivities and a potent boost of alchemical elixir for this group.

V, reading about the two cards was so powerful, I couldn't comment at the time.   Just needed to take it in, stare into the layers of all of our lives and the deep mysteries that unite us.

You've obviously been through a long journey of strength and courage to get where you are here.

I love rabbit holes and would love to hear correlations between major arcana and biblical figures.

Bet you'll find a way to fit it in here one way or another. It's all so interconnected and will jumpstart thinking for many who continue to struggle with the polarities of enlightenment.

And Matt, your obviously part of the fellowship of the cards, if you will, with incredible depths for research, as well. The interplays of the discussions here are fantastic and will bring so much energy to our group as well as being a huge source of fun for our hard working leader, Jeanne!

The rest of us don't even have to understand tarot to benefit from the interplay of this discussion!

Matt, I printed off all 100 pages of that first link you shared.  Didn't understand most of it, been too long since I studied all of those ancient charts, signs, symbols etc. knowing there was hidden meaning but not knowing how to bring it forth.  

Now, i just speed read it or pass my hands over it taking it in as needed ?

Quite wonderful and incredibly interesting!

 


   
Pikake, VestraLux, Matt and 3 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7907
Topic starter  

Vestralux, I love your story about finding the cards in the sand. You are so guided!   It really is the most powerful Tarot story I've ever heard! 

Once I came into the room and my little bichon puppy had grabbed my Osho Zen deck off the table and pulled a few cards and dropped them on the rug. I picked them up.  They had little bite marks on them.  One was called Innocence, one Loneliness,  and the third was called Celebration.  It was a message to me that I needed to play with her more.  That she is an innocent child who wants to play!  I will never forget how I saw her at that moment.  We are empty nested so it's not the same life for her as it was for our previous dog who we got when the kids were 5 and 6. That little dog always had a playmates.  

So I went out and got a kitten.  They are now best friends and have amazing times together.  For anyone who is interested in watching something adorable, here's a video of them together -- https://vimeo.com/219540053

I also see cards in my imagination when I'm giving readings.  I'll be reading someone and cards will appear in my mind. I even see  cards from decks I barely read - mostly from Rider Waite, which I don't normally read.  It's magical and wonderful!


   
Pikake, Unk p, VestraLux and 9 people reacted
ReplyQuote
 Matt
(@matt)
Estimable Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 18
 

VestraLux, I think you're absolutely right regarding Crowley. One of my favorite parables is from the Principia Discordia (warning: contains offensive language). I feel this one sort of applies doubly to him.

My religious journey was an interesting one. I wasn't raised in a particularly religious household by any stretch but made the personal decision to convert to Catholicism when I was around 17. I was rather strict with it and I allowed it to define me and how I viewed the world. I had a very hardcore traditionalist conservative outlook on the world. Around my mid-20s, something inside me rebelled HARD against all of that and I found myself investigating ideas and groups I had previously considered forbidden. I can't at all imagine what it must have been like to be raised in a super-religious household and am personally very happy I never had to deal with that.

I still admittedly consider myself at the very beginning of my journey with all of this and am a bit hesitant to make study recommendations. I feel my knowledge is very much at a surface level. I've studied and learned a few things here and there but what I know is dwarfed in comparison to what one learns intuitively and through experience, knowledge you all seem to have in abundance... I'm great at putting on the appearance that I know a few things but I'm mostly just here to learn from all of you :) . The best source I've come across for studying the esoteric side of the Tarot is the Builders of the Adytum correspondence course (which I'm working through right now and which is why I keep bringing up the B.O.T.A. deck). It's $18 a month but very laid back and low-pressure... I only have to pay when I want the next set of lessons and they never bother me when I go months at a time without renewing. I'm getting ready to start the part of the lessons where I get to color my own deck and am pretty excited about that.

And frankly, I'm with Michele -- I'd love to hear your insights into the Major Arcana and the major figures of the Old Testament!

Michele, I'm flattered to have contributed what I can but I really am in awe of all of your abilities, especially Jeanne's. I'm glad you found Liber 777 useful. I also study programming and computer-related stuff but I've learned something from that which I believe applies here: memorization of the details is far less important than the sort of familiarity with them that gives you the means to look them up when you need them. Most programmers live on Google and I think a good library is far more valuable to an occultist than a good memory!

Jeanne, I absolutely loved the video of your little ones playing! I think it's amazing how intuitive animals can be and the creativity it allows them to show when they need to communicate their needs at times. They really are in touch with a part of the Universe that we as humans seem to have to work to attune ourselves to...


   
VestraLux, Michele, VestraLux and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@michele-b)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2159
 

Jeanne,  i found your video a month ago and just loved it. I didn't mention or link to it for just in case privacy of your home though I must confess those beautiful glimpses were as lovely as the little darlings were cute.

As far as the card directing, all of our discussions on panpyschism are only proved by the absolute unconditional love and magic of our beloved pets!

Another topic on this multi-faceted forum that many of us relate to!


   
Marley, Unk p, VestraLux and 7 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@vestralux)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 670
 

Michele, thank you for your lovely words! It's nice to feel so welcome.

And I'm equally moved (still kind of taking it in) that others here are experiencing my story of finding those two little cards just as meaningful. It feels like being seen and affirmed, which is the very energy the experience offered to me so long ago. I was crying on that riverside in the awareness of how very on-my-own I was, and had been, but the cards emerged, as if from the earth itself, as though a wise teacher had caught me sleeping and snapped me to attention—not with fingers, but thunder.

There was a feeling of tender and absolute compassion, but also humor. And a sense of total presence

Jeanne, thank you too. And I loved this story of your Bichon puppy! Our animals are definitely wise, helping spirits (the healing they can offer is incredible), so it doesn't surprise me at all that a way was made for yours to communicate her needs to you—and in a way that you're especially well equipped to receive. That video is the sweetest. 

Matt, it charms me that you're familiar with the Principia Discordia. The hidden koan realized in this particular fable makes me laugh outright (as much at myself as at the "serious young man" described in it). And I gotta agree: its a fine Crowlean allegory. 

I'm also touched by your humility. It's true, though, that any devoted student (whether of occult or any other kind of wisdom) will always see their deficits in mastery, because there's no end to knowledge. Recognizing how much we don't know is a legit sign of wisdom, in my book.

I'm perhaps a little intense about reading Hero's Journey architecture in all the things, but something I keep seeing—certainly in my own experience, but also externally—is that the information we acquire during our earliest and most obsessional studies on the esoteric path always has a way of revealing itself experientially down the line. And never more so than when we've hit that long dark night of the soul in our particular life story.

Maybe we've lost our faith or our path for a while when BAM, something happens and it suddenly occurs to us that we've been l-i-v-i-n-g a saga which has advanced and complexified what may previously only have been a cognitive understanding of (and glint of familiarity with) the mystical insights we longed to know.

But now, we have traveled from Fool to World more than once, and realize their significance in every cell.

We've awoken to the "consciousness of bondage" revealed by The Devil—i.e., recognized the Maya or Matrix that is much of our shared 'reality,' namely consumer culture but much more. But more importantly, we've also come around to the most difficult place in the story—the true depths of the Underworld—in which the Hero must stand facing a mirror into the made-Self. And when we have looked, we've seen the Devil's face in our own.

The need to integrate the shadow is, I believe, the most significant lesson the drama of our lives, or our tarot decks, has to reveal.  

Whew! *laughing at myself*

I have no idea whether anyone has created a tarot based on biblical figures/stories, but I have to believe somebody has. Just think of the imagery—and the rich hidden meaning—in a story like Jonah's and his whale.

I don't use reversals (I try to keep my cards going the same direction and they don't tend to show up), but I do see each card in both its higher and lower polarities, and feel that the one intended for a particular reading intuitively makes itself known. ...Any other syntesthetes here? I'd be very curious to hear the ways we're experiencing color and other qualities in our readings and how these inform our interpretations.

To me, the highest polarity of the Hierophant is a beautiful golden-white energy, and it has a particular geometry that's hard to describe, maybe like a dodecahedron with a seat inside it. This seat feels representative of the role of higher law or authority, which should never be conflated with the individual occupying it. In this polarity, the Hierophant represents an institution—religious, governmental, etc.—in its healthiest form: as a collaborative body, a resonant system. In its lowest polarity, there's an intricate geometric latticework, burdened and heavy in feeling and broken or hidden in places. It's colored with rust red, concrete gray, and brown-to-black toned energies, but with a gold encrusted mask concealing the seat position. At this polarity, the Hierophant represents the darkest shadows seen in our institutions when they (we) are corrupt and underdeveloped, which is to say running on a service-to-self orientation—from the abuses of the Catholic Church, to the imperialistic, militaristic, greed-ravaged forces of modern governments.

So, where the Old Testament is the Hero's Journey, the Pharisees, or the face of Pontius Pilot representing Rome, make a nice image for the Hierophant's lower polarity. And wow, the kings! Solomon vs. Herod (or Nebuchadnezzar). And of course there are the women: Rachel/Leah, and on and on. Where the World appears, I easily see Sophia (shout out to any Gnostics reading this) or the Nazarene himself. Christ brings that particular story to completion, and represents the window to a new Hero's Journey altogether, not just a new "testament." 

I suppose I'm realizing my interest in what might be described as an evolutionary model for tarot (which of course tarot is inherently) where our cultural myths can be reimagined with these polarities in mind. The High Hierophant does not come into being (at least not in this dimension) without first moving through many versions of itself as the Low.   

 

  


   
Pikake, Marley, Matt and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7907
Topic starter  

Speechless at so many intriguing thoughts and wisdom packed into one post. 


   
Matt, VestraLux, Matt and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@vestralux)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 670
 
Posted by: Jeanne Mayell

Speechless at so many intriguing thoughts and wisdom packed into one post. 

Embarrassed at so many words packed into one post. 


   
Pikake, Jeanne Mayell, Marley and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
 Matt
(@matt)
Estimable Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 18
 

VestraLux, 

There’s so much I want to say in response to what you posted, but all I’ll say for now is, “Wow.”

So much Light in your post. Your forum name was well chosen. :)


   
Marley, Jeanne Mayell, VestraLux and 3 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@vestralux)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 670
 

Thank you, Matt. That warms me. 

I chose the screen name to mean your light, or the light I see in you, so there you are. 

 


   
Marley, Jeanne Mayell, Matt and 3 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7907
Topic starter  

Ha!  You are gifted.  We are grateful and blessed to receive your gift.  


   
Matt, VestraLux, Matt and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@maria-d-white)
Noble Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 279
 

Matt, the Marseilles deck is one of the oldest. I think it's in fact the first one that was printed, all the decks before were hand-drawn. So it's been the inspiration for most decks since. I think it's great to have it, if only to get a feel for where Tarot has come from. But if anyone is seriously thinking of buying one, I'd advise to look for a cleaned-up version, one that you can clearly see what the drawings are. My one is an original, which means that, for example, on the Wheel of Fortune you can't tell very well what's around the wheel, and that's a pity.

Vestralux, I liked your story about finding the Magician and Strength. I closed my eyes and tried to find a fitting Tarot answer to that. In my mind I saw the Lovers card, Ryder-Waite, with the mountain in the middle and the two trees. But something was still missing. Then I saw another card: the World. I've always seen the four Gospels in there. There are a lot of Biblical connections in the Tarot, I'm sure. You can take the Bible as so much junk. Or as a bunch of stories, a bunch of words, even a bunch of letters. Or as an instruction manual about how somebody can find answers, if one is just willing to look for a new way. Anyway, I don't have anywhere near the talents of other people here, I know. I'm only trying to describe what I see.

 


   
Jeanne Mayell, VestraLux, Unk p and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@stargazer)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 601
 

I have enjoyed 'The Fairy Ring' of late, it has gorgeous graphics and some very traditional Celtic lore woven through. Beautiful and accurate readings in a not-so-linear mode.


   
Michele, Jeanne Mayell, Matt and 3 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@maria-d-white)
Noble Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 279
 

Just made another interesting find in the Hermetic Library site. By the way, I recommend the Hermetic Library site generally for more information than you could possibly ever want to know about the Golden Dawn and everything related to it.

This deck is a very simple design, just line drawings, and it looks like it's a color-it-yourself deck. I found the symbolism really interesting.

 

 


   
VestraLux and VestraLux reacted
ReplyQuote
(@bright-opal)
Noble Member Contributor
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 232
 

Hello Vestralux. I think you might be able to get Le Tarot Noir, here: 

http://www.renaud-bray.com/books_product.aspx?id=1446496&def=Tarot+noir(Le)%2CTERNEL%2C+JUSTINE%2C9782858296187

It says they are in the process of re-stocking.


   
VestraLux and VestraLux reacted
ReplyQuote
(@vestralux)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 670
 

Bright Opal, oh my goodness, thank you! I'm so happy to see this.

And Maria, this is excellent too. Although, I may never get anything done again. (Bookmarking and hiding from myself.)


   
ReplyQuote
(@bright-opal)
Noble Member Contributor
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 232
 

I've been reading this thread and most of it is above my head, heck all of it.  But I have a feeling, actually I know!, this is a meditation process that could be healing for me.  I have the Gilded Tarot and the Thoth. Although there is nothing wrong with it, I find the Gilded Tarot have things missing in the cards.  As for the Thoth, I just can't get into it.  So I haven't found "my" Tarot deck yet.

My faith is based on the catholic doctrine.  Meaning I may be catholic but I choose to live my faith my own way.  My faith is important to me.  So I am looking for some kind of Christian Tarot deck.  I also like a little bit of humour in everything I do.  I find it helps me stay positive, which can be challenging from time to time.  

I saw the Tarot of the Saints, but looking at a picture of Saint-Anthony of Padoue won't tell me much about what the cards are trying to tell me.  I think the Angels Tarot decks would be the same thing.   Unless you have a different opinion, if so, please tell me.   

I am comfortable with the 78 cards decks but maybe I need to look at something else.  I looked at oracles, but I don't know how to read them.  The word "Oracle" intimidates me.  It could be for lack of understanding.

I'm at the point where I've been thinking about drawing my own.  But there are several challenges with that idea, first, I can't draw a stick man to save my life, second I don't have the experience with Tarot, and the knowledge required to do that.  

So, would anyone have  suggestions for me?  Surely, there has to be a Tarot deck out there for me, with a little bit of Christian "values" and some humour.  If not, well, I'll practice drawing stick men and make my own...


   
Pikake, VestraLux, Michele and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7907
Topic starter  

Eight Ideas:

  1. Have you checked out the Ryder Waite?  It is the most popular deck so it has a universal appeal. It's definitely a Christian deck, and although it's not exactly comedy, the energy is lighter than the Thoth.
  2. I love and read the Osho Zen deck but it's not Christian.  It's light, not judgemental, filled with mindfulness wisdom about the mind as a source of happiness and confusion. 
  3. Someone once sent me a baseball tarot deck that was pretty funny. They told me it might help me get my husband into tarot.  It didn't but we got some laughs from it.
  4. I have a Rumi deck that has quotes from the Sufi 13th century poet Rumi on it. Good for getting a message from Rumi.
  5. I also love the medicine cards, not Tarot, but filled with animal guides. 
  6. There must be a comedy deck out there. I use to read some children's alphabet cards that I found.  Images of teddy bears and sugar plums, and helped lighten the energy. 
  7. Bright Opal you might enjoy just reading a regular deck of playing cards.  The starkness of the cards forces you to read energy from them.  
  8. You could make your own deck, even if you can't draw, by cutting and pasting images you like or quotes you feel are helpful. 

   
CDeanne, Sophie, CDeanne and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@michele-b)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2159
 

Bright Opal, this is my new favorite post of the week! I howled with delight and laughter inside and out! Hooray for you, your honesty and your willingness to go the stick figures route..hahaha ha? Love it and you!

My background is Catholic, as well. I've learned and believe thst the innate mysticism creates a lovely gateway for all new understandings and beliefs, but a clear structure for what does not resonate with innate core beliefs and a yearning to create a different look at the early church, the purpose of all holy books and a need to be of service to the Divine using the the sacred energies that we carry.

But yes, I am rereading Jeanne's lovely tips and I have been looking up every tarot deck anyone mentions for My own clarion call to play and learn in new ways I might not yet understand  ???


   
Pikake, Sophie, Jeanne Mayell and 3 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@vestralux)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 670
 

Bright Opal, I loved your post too! And I may just know a deck you'd like (I don't own it but hope to). It's called The Golden Tarot deck by Kat Black. It has beautiful gilded gold edges and the images on the card are representative of the late Middle Ages/ heart of the Renaissance. They're beautiful and lush with saintly figures in gorgeous vestments and gowns. Golden tones, crimson and ochre, muted cobalt and emerald.

The Magician card in this deck is a compassionate Christ figure or perhaps St. Francis of Assisi. He's surrounded by animals. The Empress is Mother Mary with the Christ child. If you're curious, just do a Google image search for "Golden Tarot Kat Black" and you'll see some of these. It appears to come with quite a thick little guidebook describing each of the cards, their images and symbolism, including both upright and reversed meanings.

Here's a YouTuber reviewing the deck so that you can see more of what it looks like.  https://youtu.be/l-xObjkiGbE

Jeanne's bulleted explainer is perfect. Whatever you end up choosing, all traditional Tarot is deeply symbolic of the Christ story (as well as Kabbalistic teachings! cool, right?). And it's always, always funny. Spirit laughs with us... and often at us (or probably just at me). ?At least in a compassionate Jedi master kind of way. For example, when I was young and would ask too many self-interested, yes/no type questions back-to-back (e.g., "Should I go out with this guy?" or "Will I get that job?") I tended to receive hilarious smack-downs. The cards might as well have stood up off the table and laughed in my face. I might have been drawing incredibly meaningful insights from the cards all afternoon, but the minute I asked one of those sorts of questions, the cards virtually played dead. They'd either stop making any sense to me at all. Or I'd begin drawing a single card repeatedly, such as the Eight of Swords (a figure is blindfolded and bound) or the Ten of Swords (a figure is lying face down with 10 swords impaled in his back), or even the Death card. I'd panic, interpreting these cards literally (rookie mistake), until I had put them back into the deck, shuffled, and randomly redrawn THE SAME CARD over and over many times. Finally, I'd get the message:

"Girl, you are killing us with these lame questions. The cards are not a matchmaking service! This isn't an employment office! Tarot is not fortune telling—this is for your soul's evolution."

Spirit was simultaneously having a go at my expense and teaching me a valuable lesson.

My guides were probably doing a lot of eye-rolling back then. (Still are, they're telling me.) 

 


   
Pikake, Marley, Jeanne Mayell and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
Page 2 / 3
Share: