You collectors: Five of Swords

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Feb 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Talisman	16 Feb 2002
'Lo all, I once confessed to owning five (5!) tarot decks. Well, two don't count. One is my collector's deck (the Wheel of Change, which I love, but could no more read with than the pages of a calendar), and one is a 78-card, flimsy, uncoated BOTA deck, which I am slowly coloring. Metaz said, "Ha, ha, Talisman's a collector!" 'taz is right! The philosopher Gaston Bachelard observed that, despite out persistent belief to the contrary, our ignorance is rarely a blank slate waiting to be written upon. It sticks to us like a cockleburr to a long-haired dog. ('Course, I'm paraphrasing the Frenchman.) Most of us are members of the human race, and "know" that the earth circles the sun. Nevertheless, you lay your sleeping bag out facing east to get an early start in the morning, and you watch the sun "rise." You never think the Earth is spinning "down," so the mountain top part you are on is exposed to the central sun, you think the sun is rising. Filled with naive egocentricity, you think, "The sun is coming up!" Either way, the dawn comes. Okay, okay. Collecting tarot cards. Some, like Kiama, collect cards because they are there to be collected. When I eventually walk through the halls of Kiama College and see all these cards, I'll be happy that here they are, all in one place. But some are searching for the "perfect deck." Rumble through the mark down bin. Just like buying lottery tickets ("Paying the idiot tax"), dogged persistence is not a virtue, but a vice. Constant buying of lottery tickets is the mark of a loser. The existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once posed a gnomic query that was kind'a like this: "Pierre has a knife. Every year he replaced the blade; every other year he replaced the handle. What, then, is Pierre's knife?" What is your tarot deck? Please, please, keep lookin', 'cause the day I open Aeclectic Tarot and find nothing to read will be so sad. In writing about tarot decks, you guys create "my" collection. Please, don't stop. Oh, the title. Robin Wood's key to the Seven of Swords is, "Nyaa-nya-nya-nyaa-nya." Which means, loosely translated, "I done flat out got mine; the rest of you are just lookin' for it." (If you are a faithful reader, you'll know it is the "World Spirit.") Talisman

fairyhedgehog	17 Feb 2002
There /is/ no perfect deck ;-) Every deck adds a bit to my knowledge of tarot. That's my excuse anyway. And they are so pretty :) I've only got six decks, and one of those I'm trying to get rid of. But how can I resist all those other lovely decks out there calling my name? All the best, FH

Liliana	17 Feb 2002
Quote: Talisman (17 Feb, 2002 14:09): ' Oh, the title. Robin Wood's key to the Seven of Swords is, "Nyaa-nya-nya-nyaa-nya." Which means, loosely translated, "I done flat out got mine; the rest of you are just lookin' for it." (If you are a faithful reader, you'll know it is the "World Spirit.") Talisman *looks confusedly from the title to the actual post and back again* five of swords or seven of swords, which is it man? hehehehe

Talisman	17 Feb 2002
'Lo all, Good grief! I posted this last night, after maybe having a glass of wine, and . . . Well, didn't mean "you" were ignorant for collecting, but mine own ignorance keeps me from becoming a collector. It takes me forever and a day to become really familiar with a deck (and, apparently, swords). I'm very slow. Me very culpa, or whatever. Still, I didn't make my own top ten dumb list. (I think the number one position is held by this advice to someone newly interested in tarot: You can't buy your own deck. You gotta wait 'til someone gives you one. (But you guys can probably come up with a better candidate for top spot.) So, long as you all keep collecting, I'll keep reading. Talisman

Kiama	17 Feb 2002
Quote: Talisman (18 Feb, 2002 04:01): So, long as you all keep collecting, I'll keep reading. Talisman *Kiama grins* Was that an invitation? Methinks it was! *Runs to the nearest shop that sells Tarot decks with all her hard earned money, and thanks Talisman for giving her an excuse to buy more decks* Kiama PS- Luckily, I have found the deck for me(Robin Wood) and I still can't quite tell why I collect decks. Maybe, as Talisman said,its just cuz they're there. Or maybe there's something deeper.... Another thought: Do you think there's a World Record for the most Tarot decks owned by one person? Yet another thought: I wanna know how many decks the Aeclectic Forum has altogether. How's about we all post how many decks we own, and we add it all up and damn well find out! ;p

faunabay	17 Feb 2002
I have MANY perfect decks! They're perfect at the time I'm using them. ROFL Seriously though I do have quite a few that I consider perfect for different times, moods and subjects. World Spirit Nigel Jackson Healing with the Angels and Fairys Inner Child Cosmic Tribe Robin Wood Symbolon And my new one - Faeries Oracle!!!!!!!!!! It's newest favorite. ;D

Liliana	18 Feb 2002
I, but by saying I I mean myhusband and I, have 3 decks, one SHOULD be here soon as it was ordered last monday, andi hoping to order another later today. We have a Spiral (mine), small Thoth (his, buta presentfrom me), Connolly (mine), Tarot of the Cat People should be here soon (his, Valentines present from me, so its late :P) and World Spirit I want to order later today (all for ME lol)

Jewel	19 Feb 2002
Quote: faunabay (18 Feb, 2002 07:51): I have MANY perfect decks! They're perfect at the time I'm using them. I concur here with my soul sister Faunabay. I have many decks (over 60) and many of them are perfect in their own right. I do not use them all, some I just have because I love the art, I like that they are unusual, I like the colors, they make me smile, and whole host of other wonderful reasons. As for the decks I work with: Cosmic Tribe, Robin Wood, Osho-Zen, Tarot of the Old Path and most definetly my new Faeries Oracle! Like you Talisman, it takes me time to get to know the decks the way I want to. Now sometimes I do use one of my other decks, depends on what I am doing. I do more than read the cards, I love to study decks, do meditational exercises, write stories,etc. so I can gain much inspiration from my collection. There are also just times when I feel like looking at them and I can do that for hours. It is really fun to pull out cards that confuse me from various decks and see the similarities and differences. There are also my "Qabalah" study decks ... so as you see I have various uses for them where I do not necessarily have to be able to read with decks to use them. I guess I am clear on why collect them. I collect them because I love variety and like having options when doing different types of work or exploration with Tarot. I also hope to one day be able to go through each and every deck studiously and carefully as I have with my primary decks. And fear not, I will not let you down I will continue to collect them and share with you ;) Love & Light,

Logiatrix	19 Feb 2002
'lo, talisman... i have 108 decks, but i do have my perfect deck. my primary deck, my "baby", is my visconti-sforza, the third deck i ever purchased. it is the one i have consistently used, though i also trade, collect, and learn from other decks that cross my path. true, there was a time when i was searching for the "one" (after about twenty decks), but then i finally realized that it was ME--not the cards--and i had to practice and learn with what i already had. in fact, improving my overall ability at reading helped me to realize how much i truly connect with my visconti deck. then i discovered out-of-print decks, art decks, theme decks...i was hooked! why do i collect? because i CAN! i especially enjoy trading with someone who has yet to find THEIR perfect deck--maybe i can bring it them...how beautiful it is when a tarot finds it's person!

The You collectors: Five of Swords thread was originally posted on 16 Feb 2002 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.