Conference turris::womannotes-v3

I know very little about Tarot, but I have had a good experience with
the Crowley Thoth deck.

You might want to check out BOMBE::DEJAVU, note 3.

D!

    Unicorn Bookstore on Mass Ave. in Arlington, MA has a lovely
    selection of Tarot cards...as well as book re: how to read cards.
    

    in addition to DEJAVU topic 3 (thanks!), please see also:
    
    DEJAVU
    810 - where to buy TAROT cards
    840 - tarot of the wicca?
    
    -Jody
    

    re: .0 (LJ)
    
         Call me, if you wish (I'm downstairs, you know?) and I will give
    you specific directions to several places in our area (this is coming
    from Santa Clara.)  There is a note in DEJAVU (in the 800's?  regarding
    metaphysical bookstores in the Palo Alto area) which also refers to
    a few stores around.  The best is probably East-West bookstore in
    Menlo Park.  There are others in the area, too.  
    
    Frederick
    ex. 3005
    

LJ, I recently saw a selection of several Tarot decks at 
A Clean Well-Lighted Place For Books in the Oaks shopping center
where I-85S stubs into Stevens Creek Blvd in Cupertino, just after
you pass the I-280 onramps.  I know they had the Crowley's Thoth
(did I spell that right?) deck, and several others.  I haven't any
personal experiences with Tarot to share, sorry (other than a strong
recommendation to avoid Piers Anthony's "Tarot" trilogy, they're so
bad!)

DougO

    God, you guys are great!  Thanks a lot.  I have just callled
    information and now have numbers to both of them.  Really appreciate
    the help.
    
    A friend of mine has the Picasso deck...it's great!
    
    
    
                                    L.J.

    I read the tarot, and I have found that some decks 
    feel more powerful to me than others. Other 
    tarot readers I've discussed this with feel the same
    way. A deck may be hauntingly lovely, but if it
    doesn't feel right for you, it's probably not your
    deck.
    
    I read with different decks --- I started with Rider-Waite,
    moved onto Aquarian, and now I'm with the Mythic
    deck. I have a few other decks, including the Renaissance 
    deck (which is very pretty) but I find I don't give very
    powerful readings with it.
    
    Decks *will* leave you when it's time---the Rider-Waite
    mysteriously lost its Magician card, and the Aquarian
    lost the Fool. They tell you when it's time to move on.
    
    I don't have a Thoth deck yet, because I feel that I am not
    a good enough reader yet. That deck is very powerful, and
    all the tarot readings I've ever had done with it have 
    been right on the mark. (That deck, if you don't know this,
    was deliberately mislabelled by Crowley, its creator. He
    felt that sharing his tarot knowledge with the unknowing
    was like casting 'pearls before swine'. His words.)
    
    If you'd like to read two really fine books on the tarot,
    I can highly recommend "Choice Centered Tarot" by Gail
    Fairfield and "Tarot for Your Self" by Mary Greer.
    
    Have fun!
    
    	june

    
    
    
    LJ....
    
    You might want to be aware that some people believe that you can't
    purchase your own set of Tarot Cards...that they must be given to you
    as a gift.
    
    kath

    Kath, that's very correct. I had to by my deck, though. I use the
    Mythic deck also, June. I absolutely love it. Still a beginner and am
    very leary of doing readings for others, unless they're really close
    friends. (Read all -wn-'ers :-)  ). I do myself and have gotten really
    good advice. The deck is right for me and I read the cards when they
    tell me to. I'm drawn to them when the time is right.
    
    PJ

    Thanks Kath I knew that one too.  But a special nudge to friends
    usually means a gift later on!  ;^)
    
    
    
                                     L.J.

Would someone explain the premise behind tarot cards? (Just a
sentence or two would be great.) Does it have to do with spirits
and channeling or anything like that?

Kathy

    re: .11 (Kathy)
    
         I'm definitely not an expert, and I don't really care for them
    very much, but what I *can* tell you is that the TAROT draws
    upon ARCHETYPAL energies...which are stored in the unconscious mind.
    Presumably, when the intention is clearly focused, one can draw
    certain cards into consciousness that represent the strongest
    influences occurring at that time that are a reflection of the
    emotional/physical/psychic/mental conditions one is in.  In other
    words, the cards can serve as a mirror for what is occurring within.
    A good TAROT card reader can interpret the cards in a sufficient 
    manner to be more precise (and not just generalizing) about both
    the inner and outer realities of the individual for whom the reading
    is being done, *at that time.*
    
    Frederick
    

    
    I infrequently use my deck, which is a large Morgan Greer deck.  I have
    liked the looks of the Herbal Tarot, the Cat People Tarot (or something
    like that), and there's an Indian style tarot (Medicine Tarot?) which I
    liked.
    
    For SF fans, an amazing tarot-like deck is described throughout the
    book "Little, Big", coincidentally by Robert Crowley (not sure if he's
    related to Aleister, though)....
    
    -Jody

	I have a Waite-Rider and a Thoth deck, both of which were gifts.


						--D

    The merlin deck is worth it...very beautiful.  The same artist
    does one using the Norse mythology to draw upon...also very nice.
    
    
                                 L.J.

    I'd love to see Boris Vallejo do a tarot deck!
    
    
    
                                   L.J.

    
    I personally use the Thoth deck almost exclusively, and for reading for
    others I prefer it as well.  Some people find the images in the Thoth
    deck overwhelming, so I also use the Morgan Greer when reading for
    others.  For women who are in healing space, I also sometimes use a
    deck called Thea's Tarot, which is a wonderful deck of black-and-white
    woodcuts which have no male images at all.  (This one is a little
    unbalanced for my personal use, but in some circumstances it is ideal.)
    
    June, in .7 you say:
    
   > (That deck, if you don't know this,
   >  was deliberately mislabelled by Crowley, its creator. He
   >  felt that sharing his tarot knowledge with the unknowing
   >  was like casting 'pearls before swine'. His words.)
    
    Are you refering to the words on the A-10 cards here, or to the
    juxtaposition of two trumps, The Star and Art(?) as I recall?  As for
    the former, I suspect Crowley was frustrated by the attempt to express
    any complex concept in a single word; the latter was his attempt at
    making the procession of the Trump cards correct in terms of the
    Quabala, of which Crowley was a student.
    
    Some other interesting trivia - although Crowley designed the deck and
    described the symbols to be used, the actual painting and execution of
    the deck was done by a woman who was a friend and student of his - Lady
    Frieda Harris.  (It is my understanding that Lady Harris is still alive
    - albeit very old - and living in New Orleans.)  Crowley supervised her
    work and gave final approval on all but one card - the Queen of Disks -
    which was Frieda Harris' personal magickal project.  (I consider it the
    loveliest card in the whole deck, and held that opinion even before I
    knew that it was hers ;-)  Crowley was so impressed with her work on
    that particular card that he initiated her immediately as an adept in
    his magickal order.
    
    
    						/Rita
    

    
    A bunch of totally personal opionion/traditional stuff on
    Tarot...[grin]
    
    ...The reason that Tarot are supposed to be a gift and not procured by
    the reader has to do with the reader's traditional position in society.
    Sinc that position has not existed since at least the middle ages, I
    guess one shouldn't worry too much about it. [grin] The original
    supposition was that 1) cards bought by the reader would therefor _be_
    the reader's and he/she could influence them. 2) They were usually given
    by the mentor to an apprentice based on the mentor's impressions on the
    apprentice's talents. The nest step was for the apprentice to make his
    own cards. When/if that happened, he/she was deemed a master. The
    _buying_ of Tarot became popular in France when readings became a court
    entertainment.
    
    ...Reading one's friends and acquaintance's is a wonderful way to
    start, but you should understand that the readings you get that way are
    influenced by _both_ the cards and your own psyche related to your
    knowledge about the person. In other words, you can get scewed
    readings. Professional readers maintain a strict distance bewteen
    themselves and their customers just so that won't happen.
    
    ...There is a thing called a blind reading...the reader never sees or
    talks to the client. What is supplied is: birth date, description,
    first name. The success of this reading was another of the tasks that
    an apprentice had to accomplish to make the passage from
    apprentice to master. [This is a bit of old gypsy stuff...but it can be
    great fun...and is always exhillerating when done successfully.]
    
    ...Self readings are a very relaxing way to center yourself and really
    begin to understand the forces that drive your life.
    
    ...Most professional readers never change their decks. Mine are 24
    years old, I can't imagine picking up another deck. Frederick put
    his explanation beautifully clearly...and because of that [the
    explanation, not Frederick...] cards are kept in silk which is one of
    the materials the ancients believed blocked the passage of psychic
    waves. If they are not, they tend to pick up garbage and can become
    unusable. [There are several rituals to cleanse a muddied deck, but the
    ingredients are a trifle hard to come by these days...[chuckle]
    _Serious_ professional readers still make their own decks.
    
    Tarot can be fun and can be scarey. I once read a woman at a
    fund-raiser...total stranger. I exscused myself half-way through the
    reading and scrounged around for someone who knew her and told them
    to be sure to stay close to her for the next three months. Then I went
    back and prattled on about the prerequisite 'dark stranger'. Five
    weeks later I recieved a note from the friend I had looked up
    informing me that, regretfully, I had been right. The woman's husband
    had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer three days after the
    fund-rasier and had died three weeks later. I was reminded that despite
    how much enjoyment can be had with them, they were never meant to be
    toys.
    
    Melinda

    Could someone please recommend what the best book(s) would be for
    a beginner.  I really know almost nothing about the subject but
    am drawn to it and would like to get into it.  Thanks.
    
    Kathy
    

    I've been reading tarot cards for about three years now....I use the
    Native American Cards simply because they are very centering for me and
    I get a tremendous source of energy from them.....My readings are
    usually very close to on the money with folks....I don't think I would 
    use another deck....I really enjoy these.....
    
    Most of my training has been on my own....when I first started I did
    use a book but know I work with my own abilities......
    
    denise

    Like I recommended before, "Tarot for Your Self" by Mary Greer
    and "Choice Centered Tarot" by Gail Fairfield are two of my big
    favorites. The reason I like them these books is that the authors
    stress the power of the tarot as a tool for self-knowledge, rather
    than a fortune-telling tool. (I'm not saying that the tarot 
    does not predict the future; I just thought that the emphasis on
    knowing yourself through working with the cards was helpful.)
    Gail Fairfield also has a self-paced tarot course on
    audio cassette that's fun to do and gives a lot of good basic
    teaching.
    
    While I am answering this, can any one recommend a simple book
    on the Kabbala? I've hit a real wall in my tarot knowledge that
    has to do with knowing nothing of the Kabbala, and all the books
    I've seen so far have assumed that you understand the basic 
    concepts of the Kabbala. Any Kabbala-knowledgeable types out there?
    
    
    If you want to read some amusing stuff, some of the old, 
    incredibly fatalistic tarot books are great fun---some friends
    of mine found a copy of "The Sexual Tarot" which was originally
    published in the 1890's for me. It's a scream---it has things
    like Two of Wands --- pathetic phalli, incompetent lovemaking"
    

    Re .19
    
    I guess I was referring to both the juxtaposition of the trumps
    and his, shall I say, slight misrepresentations of some of the
    Minor Arcana, Rita. I think that deck is awesomely powerful---
    I once had a reading with a man from San Francisco who had
    designed his own spread using the Thoth deck---and I was blown
    away by how accurate it was. But I think that you have to know
    the tarot very well to read with that deck. 
    
    Thanks for sharing that tidbit about Frieda Harris. I am 
    writing a story about the tarot that uses the Crowley/Harris
    relationship as a piece of background for the plot, and 
    knowing that Frieda may be in New Orleans gave my
    imagination (and now the subplot) a much-needed boost.
    
              june
    relationship as a sort of 

       re: .25 (Rita?)
    
            As was mentioned earlier, BOMBE::DEJAVU is probably
      a more relevant source for this information than WOMMENNOTES.
      As for the Quabballah (various spellings) see DEJAVU note
      441.   As for the Tarot, see notes 3, along with other related
      ones (including 777, 795, 801 and others.)
            
            Also, LJ (if you are reading this,) the "Palo Alto" note
      is number 954.
    
    
    Frederick
    

    
    My lovefriend, who is a graphic artist, and I are in the
    beginning stage of designing our own Tarot deck.  It's a
    great adventure thus far!
    
    Carla
    

    re: .26
    
    June, thanks for your reply; your story sounds fascinating!  Will you
    be publishing it?  I'll try and get you some references to books on
    Qabalah, although none of them are truly easy to understand - it is a
    very complex subject.
    
    re: .27
    
    Fred, thanks for the pointers.  There is much more general information
    in DEJAVU, about all kinds of things.  I think that =wn= is a great
    place, however, to discuss women's reactions to things like tarot, and
    to discuss women's roles, both historically and in the present, in
    religion, magick, paganism, the Craft, etc.  Same subject, different
    focus, yes?  In particular, I really enjoy hearing how women use tarot
    in our lives, how we relate to particular symbol sets, etc.
    
    re: .28,
    
    Carla, that's so NEAT!  I'd love to do this someday.  I can only
    imagine that it is a wonderful way to explore one's own personal
    connection to archetypes.  I'm sure it will be a wonderful source of
    inspiration and personal power for both of you!
    
    I met a woman at Rites of Spring this year who is designing a tarot
    deck that she is calling The Living Tarot.  It is all done with
    photographs of people she has connected to that embody the archetypes
    for her, and props and setups she has designed.  I've seen some of her
    preliminary photo work, and it is FABULOUS!  (And rumour has it that
    yours truly may show up on one of the cards ;-)
    
    
    						/Rita
    

    The Living Tarot sounds really awesome, to use a phrase from
    one of my students! I love the idea of a reader having a hand
    in the creation of his or her tools.
    
    I have a friend who reads runes who picked up her own stones
    at the beach---incredibly smooth---and painted the runes on them
    herself. It is a much more pleasant experience to use those
    runes than others I have worked with. 
    
    Maybe I should create my own tarot---picture of myself on the 
    Fool!
    
    	june
    
    p.s. I went to a psychic who has the original of the Fool from
    the Motherpeace deck. it's incredible.

    re:  favorite deck

    My one-and-only, a Morgan Greer.
    
    re:  books on Tarot

    I like Rachel Pollack's work, "Seventy-eight degrees of wisdom." 
    There are two books:  Part 1 covers the Major Arcana, Part 2
    covers the Minor Arcana and readings.  Pollack describes and talks
    about the symbolism and the historical and mythical background of
    each card (using the Rider-Waite deck as a reference).  I think
    the section on readings is great.  I use her interpretation of the
    Celtic Cross and I've had good results with her Work Cycle spread
    as well.  She goes into a lot of detail in her sample readings -
    really helped me to be more aware of different patterns and
    connections between the cards.

    nla

    p.s.  I'm amazed at how "forgiving" the Tarot can be.  I've had
          my cards for about 12 years now; the first few years they
          lived in their cardboard box (what can I say, I was terribly
          ignorant) and they *still* gave accurate results!
    

    Just picked up the Robin Wood tarot deck.  The Wheel and Judgement
    are absolutely outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I recommend the deck.
    
    
    
                                  L.J.

    I don't own the Robin Wood deck, but at Readercon a friend of mine
    was flipping thru her brand-new copy.... outstanding!  If I get
    a little disposable income I'm getting one!
    
    I especially liked the DNA coiling thru the Ace of Wands 8-)
    
    --jim

    I had my first reading two weeks ago.  Thought provoking, interesting
    and disturbingly accurate.  
    
    One of the most interesting things was that one card, the King of
    Swords kept showing up in spread after spread.  The reader finally said
    that she thought it was MY card.  Would any of you readers care to tell
    me a little more about the influences and portents associated with that
    figure?
    
    Thanks
    jimc(the curious

    
    
    Jim--
    
    	Off the top of my head with no book to refer to...
    
    The king of swords is an agressive fellow, very patriarchal with 
    an almost stubborn regard for rules and regulations.  
    
    I know there's more, but it won't come to me at the moment. :-)
    
    Hope that helps!
    
    Debbi

    The King of Swords is someone who values intelligence and
    is usually quite bright. He tends to err on the side of thought---if he
    thinks something is, it is, whether the evidence supports him or not.