Decks categories

RiccardoLS

In the next (2009) LS catalogue, Tarot decks will be probably divided into different sections.

The sections are going to be:
- historical
- esoteric
- artistic
- cultural
- methaphysical

It will follow roughly the philosophical division introduced with the 20th anniversary book, even if it somewhat arbitrary forcing a deck into any single section.

This will have several purposes.
1. it will help people choose a deck.
2. it will try to encourage the idea that not all Tarot deck are the same, and so much depends on what you are looking for, or the way you plan to use them.
3. it will help people not to buy a deck that it's not what they theink the are.

Yet, as in the 20th anniversary book, I think there is more.
Well... it sound strange to me to "categorize" Tarot deck with a criteria that is not price, size and other objective things.
Yet, it's something I fought for, and I'm quite happy if it will be confirmed.

My imho is that in this time of Tarot, we cannot continue to assume that Tarot is an unified reality. Even if these categorizations will change tomorrow, I think they will be an important first step to help us live Tarot in the current time.
And... een if comments will be negative, I think it's a very important step.

ric
 

Nydia

RiccardoLS said:
In the next (2009) LS catalogue, Tarot decks will be probably divided into different sections.

The sections are going to be:
- historical
- esoteric
- artistic
- cultural
- methaphysical
In my opinion, I think esoteric and methaphysical (metaphysical?) mean the same thing. I don't know how I would sort decks into those two categories. I don't have the 20th Anniversary book, though, so maybe it is more clear, there.

I think having different sections is a good idea, too, though I believe some tarot decks would fit in more than one category and probably should be displayed in the various places they may fit.

I would also like to see a mini category and a gold/silver category like LS has on the website. A deluxe section would be fine with me, too.

How do I order a catalog? The website actually says 2003 catalog and I would like to see that updated. I might be happy with just the website to see what LS has to offer.
 

HearthCricket

I think this sounds neat and a really good idea, because I do see tarot as in many different categories. It just makes common sense, to me, at least! I would love to know what the criteria for "metaphysical" decks will be...for example, do you mean ones that are gem/crystal, astrological, etc. themed? Or am I missing a bigger picture? :D
 

Le Fanu

I think this is a great idea. I too don´t quite get what metaphysical is (O god, is this a new category to pester my bank balance! :))

And yes, as a fan of the Lo Scarabeo Gold decks, I quite like it as a seperate category.

Keep up the good work!
 

philebus

It sounds like a good idea to me to categorize them.

I should like to offer one comment. You say "that in this time of Tarot, we cannot continue to assume that Tarot is an unified reality." It seems to me that tarot has never really been a unified reality. Even when it was only used as a game, there were differing patterns, some differences small, such as the tarocchino, others great, such as the Minchiate. Then there were more dramatic divides when German card makers produced French suited cards with differing trumps. Even after de Gabelin, every major occultist who took up the pack had a different notion of what they represented how they should be best pictured. This extraordinary diversity from almost day one is part of the draw that tarot has for me.
 

thorhammer

I think it's a great idea, Ric. I completely agree that it will help people find what they're looking for, and maybe make some people think outside the square and understand their collections in terms of the differences between individual decks. If that makes any sense . . .

As to the difference between "Esoteric" and "Metaphysical", is it something like this:

"Esoteric": Liber T, Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn, possibly the Lo Scarabeo?
"Metaphysical": Contemplative Tarot?

\m/ Kat
 

jumptothemoonyea

No, no. Do not put tarot decks in categories. It is like puting them on leash.
 

northsea

I leashed my decks into the following:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=70520

Tarot de Marseille decks (loosely defined to include Classic and Angel)
other historical decks (ex. Ancient Italian, Visconti)
historical-based decks (ex. Old English, Ship of Fools)
Rider-Waite-Colman-Smith decks (ex. Albano, Illuminated)
esoteric decks (ex. Thoth, Hermetic, Tavaglione)
pagan-witch decks (ex. Old Path, Robin Wood)
multicultural decks (ex. Barbara Walker, Wheel of Change, World Spirit)
cultural-myth decks (ex. Buddha, Chinese, Sacred Circle, Norse)
fantasy decks (ex. Dragon, Moongarden)
retro decks (ex. Sheridan-Douglas)
art decks (ex. Ator)
tarot game decks (ex. Jeu de Tarot)
oracle decks (ex. Froud Faeries)


It's sometimes a borderline call between a "historical-based" (or period deck) and a "cultural-myth" (or myth deck). I put my Etruscan deck in the period category rather than myth category since there's not much emphasis on the deities assigned to each card.
 

RiccardoLS

I think that we should be aware we are discussing different topics at once.
1. categorize" decks or not? What does it "mean" to categorize deck.?
2. what categories should/could be done and why?

For instance jumptothemoonyea, referring to point 1, is concerned that to categorize deck would mean putting them on a lash.
While I was for categorization, I must admit this is totally new territory for me, so I'm not sure of my opinions... and I'm looking forward to see, with time, where this road goes.
I think that if we try to categorize deck as something objective, it will be indeed limiting. It is impossible that any category will ever be able to catch a deck.... and anyway all decks will have part of many categories. Yet, I think that - right now - a not precise advice is better than no advice at all.

Looking at the categories expressed by northsea, I can see they are very very rpecise (and even those give borth to ambiguities). They follow a line we initially went with, but later discarded. While it would end up with very neat lists of decks, it would be just a catalogation.
It would offer information on a deck, but very cold, formal... We wanted something that could "divide" decks by their concepts and purposes. Or, I could say, by the drive moving them.
Maybe - commercially - would have mre sense to make a Pagan decks list... but it would have been just marketing (ehi you, Pagan, buy here!!)... and less Tarot.
The same it would be for a gold/silver category... It would be good commercially, but i would not mirror any philosophy about Tarot. It would just be easy to consult a catalogue, but it would not "mean" anything.

As for "what" categories, we are in the blue. ^^
Thorhammer got the difference between esoteric and metaphysical.
Esoteric decks rely on a very defined occult system like the GD. They are usually full of symbolism that should be interpreted within the tenet of the source code, etc...
Metaphysical deck try to access the spiritual, but through a totally different road. They are more intuitive, flowing, chaotic and casual.

ric

p.s.
to have a catalogue just write to info@loscarabeo.com
And while you do it, please complain about the website ^_^ (so I can get embarassed trying to answer ^^)
 

Aerin

To me as a user, the only purposes of categorisation in a catalogue would be to:
-make a given deck easier to find
-help me to find decks I might like if I was keen on a given category.

The only problem with categories comes when it isn't obvious where a deck might 'live'.

I would understand 'historical' to be Marseilles and Visconti Sforza, would RWS be too recent and therefore esoteric? I'd need dates here :)

I would understand 'cultural' to be Pagan, Celtic, North American, Aztec and the like.

I'm not sure about artistic. Mermaids???? Fey???? I think of those as fantasy decks. Klimt would to me be an art deck.

Esoteric and metaphysical..... I can sort of think which is which but would need a definition to make sure I was right.

Whatever you decide please please please provide a full index (deck name keyword e.g. Fey; artist e.g. Aghem, Mara) and page numbers. It REALLY helps a person when s/he is looking for a specific deck or artist. Lots of people don't do an index and it is annoying, or they order an index by Tarot of the.... instead of the useful bit of the deck name which means that Tarot of the Fey and Fey Tarot would end up in a different place. I can never remember where the Tarot bit of the name of various decks lands and it does vary.

Aerin

ps a searchable database of decks would have its uses I think both by Tarot purpose but also by more mundane things.... like gold or silver! Someone here was asking which decks were gold/ silver only the other day. It would be interesting anyway (*imagines huge table with columns and ticks in boxes*) to see where the preferences lay. OK, I just quite like trivia.