NEW - L 'Eden Tarot used to be Zukunfts Tarot

[Cerulean]

I've been looking for Lady and Tiger deck images--I saw Marie White's images and that was a gorgeous version. Off and on, I've looked for another tarot...which I wonder does anyone have?

The writer is Maud Kristen and the painter is Alika Lindbergh. Here are some links--what do you all think?

Here are the mentions of this German deck:


1.Mystic Eye:

http://www.themysticeye.com/pics/zukun.htm

2. Tarot garden
http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/dbsearchengine.php?search_type=blob&pageenter=0


3. Jeannette or Lori from an Aeclectic costume discussion on Halloween:
There are any number of tarot decks which, IMHO, make for wonderful source materials for costumes. The result wouldn't even have to be a "tarot card" per se -- the gypsy characters in our presentation being a perfect example of using the cards as a "starting point," without actually intending them to be cards themselves.

Another deck that presents some very interesting costume possibilities is the German Zukunfts tarot -- for example, look at the "Temperance" and "Queen of Wands" cards in the sample scans.

-- Jeannette


Thanks, for any looks or commentary. It's pricey but for summer season, it might be the one German deck that I'd like to balance with the Ananda (got in a trade).

Mari H>

[Cerulean]

...and this is posted for any future fantasy-oriented tarot fan. I got a very nice discount through Tarot Garden and beautiful service...since I've looked at this deck online for a few years and gave away many others, this fills a delightful void.
Urania in Germany has some beautiful decks-Ananda, Zufkunfts, and their card stock and reproduction is gorgeous. I like the fantasy figures and colorful backgrounds. It's Marseilles in that Justice is 8 and Strength is 11 and the pips have the pretty settings and colored background of the suit.

Amazon.de has two good customer reviews and a German site also touches on how Alika Lindbergh painted the archetypes and then Maud Kristen describes the text.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.zeitzuleben.de/inhalte/pe/tarot/sets.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3DZukunfts%2BTarot%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8

I don't read German, but the art from the online scans above seemed an interesting exercise for my intuition. For people with modern tastes, it may be a stronger painterly alternative and much simpler than the Rohrig or Cosmic.
The color variations to me are richer than Adrian, and it's NOT photographic, it's painted in rich, strong colors. It is not as intricate as the World Spirit. I don't know if I've seen anything similar...but anyways, I like it so far.

[Cerulean]

The Zukunfts seems to be an Amazon bestseller...anyway, Maud Kristen and Alika Lindburgh have another title forthcoming called Tarot de l'Eden...if any German buyers find out about this, please let me know!
I really find this and Ananda from Urania (got Ananda in a trade) to be very pretty and may try to work with them both in a meditative way once or twice a week...just haven't got to them yet.
Hopefully at some point a buyer hunting through Aeclectic will find this of some use....& )
Mari H.

[Astraea]

Mari, you have made me aware of so many beautiful and unusual decks. Now here's another one that I have to have!

[Cerulean]

Now at odd times (before December 2003), Urania's website had indicated that the Zufkundst by Alika Lindbergh would be improved and renamed Tarot L'Eden. The link is no longer active...but back in December 2004 I found a translater link that says she had translated the Ananda and Zufkundst for AG Mueller into English. The Ananda deck has been translated and released already...

Anyway, the Amazon.de lists the mysterious L'Eden Tarot to be out in April 2004. If anyone finds it in English, I'd enjoy knowing...it may come up at the AG Mueller site soon.

Thanks in advance, Amazon.com de listing below

Mari H.

http://216.239.39.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/3038190004/eingutesbuch-21/028-4036202-8103734&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dl%2527eden%2Btarot%2Balika%2Blindbergh%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG

[Cerulean]

Abebooks.com had one German seller advertising the deck under a new name: L'Eden Tarot. The seller advised me that there will be a French language version out about then.

I'm playing with the majors and courts and doing my favored 'decorate the plain pips' exercise in this...because I like the idea of some natural rain forest and animal
motifs... I'm hoping the new version will have bigger pictures as well.

Regards,

Cerulean Mari

[Cerulean]

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.uraniaverlag.ch/2005-1/eden.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.uraniaverlag.ch/2005-1/eden.html%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

The variety of the cultures and peoples in the world forms the basis for the artistic organization of this timeless and universal Tarots of the future. A avowed goal of the considerable artist Alika Lindbergh is it to uncover with the help of the picture ark types and symbols those mental-mental samples which can connect and to a new, mirror-image-ritually riper mankind lead everyone of us with all other organisms on earth.



In its experienced instruction book to the Zukunfts Tarot Maud Kristen points the large ones and small Arkanen of the Tarots to four different levels - symbolically, mentally, vocationally, mirror-image-ritually - and presents altogether five putting systems for the practical Orakelbefragung and consciousness-shaping.

The authoress Maud Christian belongs for over 20 years to the most prominent new Age authoresses of France. Their books concerning Geomantie, runes, Tarot and Astrologie were translated into numerous languages and their articles by large French magazines and newspapers like "inch", "Marie Claire", "Nouvel Observateur" and "Le of moons" were published.

Into of Paris resident artist the Alika Lindbergh
stands as a professional painter in the surrealistischen art tradition and can with its work particularly by its ethnologischen studies be inspired. It was friendly with André Breton, Salvador Dalí and Orson Welles and lived seven years long at the side of Yul Brynner.

back to the overview

Deck order

[Cerulean]

as an English-titled deck only though. A set with a German book and cards with the hopefully pretty gold borders could be available sooner.

An earlier edition with big white borders with a German-language deck has been around since 2002.

Best regards and hoping to see by summer 2005

Cerulean

[Cerulean]

The kind people at Tarotgarden.com will let me know if they are receiving the German kit with the larger cards/keywords and book...or an English version, with the title in English-on-the-cards--no book supposedly with the English subtitled cards.

Tarotgarden.com does not have the French version that is advertised here:

http://www.lamaisondutarot.com/c64914p16543852.2.html

Before I try to buy the French version, I was hoping someone will let me know if they had good experience from this vendor (LamaisonduTarot).

Thanks!

Cerulean

[rosyelf]

I've just received this from German Amazon. The card titles are in French, German and English, and the accompanying book is in German.

I agree, Cerulean, that there are wonderful possibilities here for costumes. My current favourites are the King of Pentacles with his lion mane and the entire Court of Cups (but then I'm a sucker for Cups anyway, and for aquamarine and turquoise). The art style puts me in mind of the Tarot of the Cat People ("exotic" people, sumptuous gowns) and there is clearly a Marseilles-influence in the deck's structure. The pips are not fully illustrated (the colours used, as elsewhere in the deck, are vibrant but the designs are plain, VERY plain). And Marseilles-type titles are used-Tower is renamed The House of God, whilst Death is, intriguingly and paradoxically, The Card With No Name. Come on, say it, DEATH, D-E-A-T-H.

I like the use of animals in this deck. I am in two minds about the "exotic" people. Also, don't like Temperance much-her turquoise skin doesn't look quite real. But my overall impression is good. :)

[Cerulean]

I hope the book is decent. I've decided to wait until I can receive a French edition, so I can read the book.

Best regards,

Cerulean

[Simone]

I just bought the deck - like an hour and a half ago ;). It was a spontaneous buy, so i did not know what I would find - I never had heard of the deck before and only found this thread while looking for information on it right now.

The majors and the court cards are simply GORGEOUS, but the minors are Pips... (so a bit of a disappointment for me - I need pictures to fasten my eye on to get the intuition going).

I have just shortly looked at the book (I do read German), it seems OK at first sight, at least for the majors. (and maybe the courts although I'd want more than just a description of the card and a short summary of general meaning).

For the minors they have a paragraph per card, which sounds pretty "fortune-telling"-ish.

All in all, I have the sad impression they ran out of ideas and inspiration for the minors and they treated them, well, as a minor issue! Pity, because the rest of the deck is so beautiful and I really could read it.

I might just separate out the minors for myself and use it as an oracle!

Love
Simone

[Fudugazi]

This sounds like a gorgeous deck! And minors without silly scenes on them - delight! ;) })

As for Card XIII - no name. Well, if they modelled the deck on Marseille, it wouldn't. Marseille card XIII is NOT called Death.

Cerulean - I bought from Maison du Tarot once. No problem - but I had it delivered in France. Don't know how they deal with overseas.

[Simone]

This sounds like a gorgeous deck! And minors without silly scenes on them - delight! ;) })

It is a beauty! I have other decks without "silly scenes" ;) }) on them which I can perfectly read. Unfortunately, these really feel like "no effort has been put into them" to me... to me that is, who don't want to put in too much effort myself ;)

I might give it a chance after all, and if it does not work, I will sort them out and just read with the pretty pictures }) - it would be a pity not to read with it at all just because I am too lazy to decipher the minors! ;)

[Fudugazi]

It is a beauty! I have other decks without "silly scenes" ;) }) on them which I can perfectly read. Unfortunately, these really feel like "no effort has been put into them" to me... to me that is, who don't want to put in too much effort myselfEntirely understandable. Still, the majors alone sound (and look, from the scans) worth the purchase.

[Simone]

Entirely understandable. Still, the majors alone sound (and look, from the scans) worth the purchase.

Definitely! :D

(Simone is looking fondly at the deck right now...)

[Moonbow*]

Simone

Many readers use just the Majors of a deck, infact I remember reading somewhere that Diana quite often used just the Majors.

I agree about the pips as being difficult. I don't believe that the pips on this deck are like Marseilles pips, in that Marseilles pips are illustrated with flora, which helps immensely with the interpretation. This type of pip has nothing but the layout, element (and perhaps numerology) to go on and I personally find that not as inspiring (in an imaginative way) as the Marseilles pips.

Having said that, a deck with a challenge is very attractive to me, perhaps you should try to look at it with a different eye. I would be most interested to find out how you get on with it, as I have decks (Stairs of Gold, Prediction and others) that I would like to spend a little more time on one day.

[Simone]

Having said that, a deck with a challenge is very attractive to me, perhaps you should try to look at it with a different eye.

:D oh, I am ready to give it a try! They are not the "worst" minors I have seen, after all (check out the Maddonni minors and you will see what I mean).

;)

[Cerulean]

Well, my Tarot of Eden came and I'm still impressed with Alika Lindbergh's paintings. This concept is a mythical Eden that is not necessarily dependent on the historical tarot's Christian imagery. I don't mean it is totally without spiritual roots--I mean it is a modern deck that shows a mythical world where the costume, personages and interaction that is not dependent on one cultural flavor.

Normally I laugh a bit at glossy decks, but there's a satin sheen that goes well with the gold border, the LARGE cards--the scenes are as large as the Druidcraft scenes from my measurement, minus perhaps one tenth of an inch. The Druidcraft just has longer and doubled borders, at least that is what I saw in the few cards that I measured. Some may not like the large cards, but I really wanted to see the beautiful intricacy of the paintings and the French/German and English titles are fine for me.

I like the mix of insects, animals, people of different ages and backgrounds--all share fantastical costumes that might have come from naturalized settings. To me the majors and courts have just enough detail, but a calm and interesting play of features and expression.

Minors seem to me all to have different backgrounds painted with the correct number of pips...although a glance to the book suggests there is not elemental/seasonal attributions with cups, swords, wands and coins. The book suggests the swords have some possible negative action, but meaning by meaning, the swords are described in a positive way. I haven't read the spreads yet. Pages 9-192 have written text, although I notice that each pip card with it's own page and black and white scan only has a paragraph of meaning. Pages 158-192 discuss spreads, about six of them.

Maybe not as involved as the Via or the Ananda from the same publisher, but the context of the Tarot of Eden seems to me to be a good reading deck. It's naturalistic, beautiful and what I had been waiting for. It may not fit my everyday versatility such as the Secret Forest or be as soft as the Forest Folklore--but it stirs me as a lovely and valuable reading deck!

But remember, I also worked with this deck for two years on images alone for fun and longed to see more detail in the majors and courts...and so my bias definitely shows.

Cerulean

[Cerulean]

Popess--she has a pet owl, fragile throne, beautiful autumn leaves at the foot of her throne...something secret, not yet revealed.

Actually I do have an opinion on this, but I plan to be quiet and meditate...

Queen of Wands--she is half ginko...oh, this is gently tearful and rather funny. Ginkos are beautiful trees and it is true, they were were the first trees to recover as the book says, from atomic blasts to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The leaves are gorgeous...(Cerulean's note: But the female ginko tree can cast fruit down that make people rather angry because it smells bad and is so messy. That could be the downside or reversal...)

I knew of a friend's mother who had survived (as she and other schoolkids were with the teachers on holiday in nearby mountains) and she was kind and generous. I had not associated her with the Ginko!

I guess I really enjoy that this tarot for me brings up associations.

Two of Coins - something quits or doubling or ambiguous...can be profits or losses.

I actually am being conservative in balancing, so this is wise to continue.

I'll try to find new scans, as the bigger cards make a huge difference to me for reading with this deck. Scans of the Le Diable and La Force follow below. By the way, I believe the Moon, shown from a distance, the twins in the Sun card and the woman in the World card--these designs lack fanciful hair or costuming, if you do not like bareness of the humanity in your decks.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.uraniaverlag.ch/2005-1/eden.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmaud%2Bkristen%2Btarot%2Bof%2Beden%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

Regards,

Cerulean

[Fudugazi]

I love this deck. The art is lush and gorgeous, like Douanier Rousseau, but more delicate, and the symbolism is rich. Makes it an interesting reading deck, though I've not tried it on anyone else but myself yet.

But I am having trouble with the Minors. Not the same trouble as Simone - I don't mind the bare look - but with the numerology used in the book. It doesn't make sense to me at all. 6 - a perfect number in all systems, a number of harmony - is here a "crisis" number. This is absurd. There are other examples. Maud Kirsten does not explain her idiosynchratic choices. So I leave them to her, and use my own numerological system & I don't only use numerology, because I find some of the shapes interesting too, particularly the wands and the swords. Nor do I necessarily go with her on the precise meanings of the suits.

On the other hand I like those elemental attributions that are apparent- interesting. E.g. wands are not fire, but earth - or rather "fruits of the earth" - playing on the idea of sprouting branches; the King of Wands is a glorious Green Man, the Knight of Wands is also jewel green, and rides a stag with sprouting antlers. Swords are fire - with a glorious firefly/human King of Swords, a bright red ladybird page of Swords, and the background to the Sword pips is a rich red. I'm not sure what the coins stand for - there seems to be no elemented associated to them (just lots of gold). The elemental attributions are not made much of in the book, as Cerulean said, but in the imagery they are obvious (at least to me). Maybe they are not exactly "elemental attributions" so much as natural attributions.

The Empress must be one of my favourites of any deck. A gorgeous African woman on a throne, wearing a peacock-blue gown and surrounded by two large feathers that form a sort of heart around her. He throne is surmounted by an eagle, looking left. Her intellectual/creative aspects are more emphasised than the motherly (not to say mumsy) aspect of many modern Empresses.

[Cerulean]

I appreciate all comments I'm reading from people who have the deck...so far the readers who posted here tend to be mature, with delightful and creative suggestions about the pips. Perhaps it would not appeal to beginning readers?

I also am happy to have heard the term of "Rousseau". This site below shows some of the fantastical paintings he had. It seems aligned to me with the mythical Eden theme of the deck...a painting by Rousseau was fun favorite of mine while young--the one with the musician (?) being nosed by a lion.

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/le_douanier_rousseau/liens/liens.htm


I like the idea of a tropical forest style of meditation deck....

Cerulean

P.S. After two years, hearing discussion of this anticipated deck with all of you, and seeing the cards in improved format seems to be a dream come true.

[Fudugazi]

Death is, intriguingly and paradoxically, The Card With No Name. Come on, say it, DEATH, D-E-A-T-HThe deck follows the Marseille tradition. Card XIII, always known as The Card Without a Name (l'Arcane Sans Nom), is NOT the same as Death - it signifies deep transformation, which might encompass, but is not limited to, death. It is a mistake to judge this according to the RWS tradition, which has reduced the card to simply one of its possibilities.

[Jeannette]

Thanks to Cerulean and this thread, we're starting to get quite a few inquiries about the Eden at Tarot Garden. So to save folks some time in writing, here's a little "information dissemination" that hopefully those of you interested in the deck will find useful.

There is, of course, an English version of the Eden now in print -- but it does not have direct North American distribution. We're able to get it through our sources, of course, and the price thus far seems to be running a very reasonable US$ 35 + shipping. HOWEVER...

When we placed our initial order, we asked for 20 copies and received... four. :( And all those copies were already spoken for. So I'm going to try to get more over here as soon as possible, but using the channels we're currently going through, it can take as long as 3 months after we place an order before we get the Urania Verlags stuff.

I'm starting to compile a "waiting list" of people who want to be notified when we're able to restock. If anyone wants to be included on this list, they can either PM me or write to me at jkr@tarotgarden.com. I can't guarantee the $35 price, but hopefully it won't go much above that. We never ask for a commitment to purchase from our "notify" list customers. The list is just what the name implies -- a way for us to notify people when we've received decks of interest.

In the meantime, I finally got our library copy of the Eden scanned and into the Tarot Garden database. The direct link to the listing is:

http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/dbsearchengine.php?view_title=tarot+of+eden

(I would have had it in there sooner, but my scanner went "on the fritz" last week... *sigh*...)

-- Jeannette
The Tarot Garden (http://www.tarotgarden.com?rs=3378)

[WolfSpirit]

Thanks Jeanette !
Those golden borders look much nicer than the white ones. I was also happy to find out the new cards are bigger to do justice to the artwork.

[Myrrha]

Does anyone know if the English edition is easily available in the UK, or elsewhere in Europe?

I like these cards very much!

thanks

--Myrrha

[Fudugazi]

It's available in Europe, since I got one in Geneva (as well as a French edition). All editions are made in Germany by Urania.

[WolfSpirit]

I just got this deck in the mail !
And my first impression is: wow, it looks even better in reality than it did on-line. The colours are so incredible, and I can also see more detail now.

I love the mixture of human and vegetable life: for example the hanged man turning to wood (and the squirrel running up his leg), the skirt on the queen of wands turning into roots, the head of the queen of cups surrounded by a lily...there are numerous examples of this.
I'm off to have a better look at the cards and enjoy them :D

And I noticed as soon as I removed the shrinkwrap...the perfect new deck smell...not that vile chemical smell but...ah...all new deck smellers will know what I am talking about...