Irrelevant Themes?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 May 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kiama	17 May 2002
I was looking through my new Vision Quest deck today (THANKS POLLUX! :* ) and remembered that somebody said (Please forgive me, but I've forgotten who said this!) that they had spoken to some Native American people, or something along those lines (This was a while ago, so I can't remember very well) and said that they (The Native Americans) were pretty annoyed and sceptical about Tarot decks with a Native American theme, because there culture is totally different to the culture that Traot decks were first reated in, and the culture in which they are usually used now. Well, this is quite a poor re-telling of what the person said (Whoever said it, please help me out here!) but I am using it as an example... Are there some themes which you don't think should/could be applied to Tarot? Are there some that just don't fit into it? And, if these themes are in Tarot decks already, do they fit in well anyway? I mean, we see hundreds of decks with so many diverse themes... Feng Shui, dragons, different religions, the New Age, femionism, technology, gender and sexuality, countries of the world, comic books and films, philosophical theories, cultures, film stars... The list is endless! We have some pretty weirdly themed decks around, but my question is: Do they work? Kiama

Liliana	17 May 2002
Well I think Tarot of Baseball was a bad idea, funny, but not exactly workable. I hae a problem working with decks with too specific a theme, like the Wonderland Tarot or the Tarot of Oz. They are good to give me some archetypes to think of while reading with another deck, but they neer seem to give me enough jumping off points themselves. Unless its a sex releted question i doubti could use any of those "erotic" (pornographic some of them lol) decks BUT from a collectors standpoint, if you are interested in any of the specific topics they are nice to add to your collection. Just probably wouldnt be something Id read with (how seriously can you take 10 flamingos sticking out of a dead mans body really hehe) :THP

Geenius at Wrok	17 May 2002
NASCAR.

Jewel	17 May 2002
I think that overall I prefer when decks deal with concepts and not themes that are so nailed down so to speak. One themed deck I was excited about when I first heard about it was the Anne Rice deck ... then I saw the art :( I am quite dissapointed. So here comes another question, is it that some decks with a workable theme just do not have the right artist?

faunabay	17 May 2002
Kiama, I think it was Delani who said that about the native american decks. She wasn't saying she didn't like them. She just couldn't quite get a good grasp since their outlooks were so different. But I don't know if I agree totally. The shamanistic outlook is pretty close to tarot - I realize not exactly, but it's close IMO. Anyway there's my two cents on that. LOL But I tend to agree with Liliana. The very narrow focused theme decks are pretty hard to read with. They're great for my collection, but I usually can't read with them. Now nobody shoot me, but for example I absolutely love my Rock and Roll deck but I couldn't do a reading with it at all. If I remember right, there are some poeple who love using it for readings, but it's definitely only a collectors deck for me. Liliana - 10 flamingos????? Which deck is that? ROFL

truthsayer	17 May 2002
i'm getting the baseball tarot but i'm not getting it b/c i think it's a wonderful deck. i want to pull a joke on my husband since he is such a baseball freak. i'm going to offer to do a reading for him one night while he's ignoring me watching the atlanta braves. then whip out my trusty dusty baseball deck and see what happens. probably nothing but it would be nice if he took an interest in that deck instead of the game! LOL i think a soap opera tarot would be terrible or beanie babies or tarot of chocolate or any sports or an anne geddes baby photographs tarot...i'm sure there's more. the halloween tarot works but what about other holidays like christmas or easter? santa as the magician, emperor and hierphant? the sleigh and reindeer--the chariot? mrs. claus as the HP and empress? santa and mrs claus as the lovers? boggles the mind! pentacles would be the elves suit. reindeer swords. beverages and foods like eggnog(spiked) or cookies and milk the cups suit. cups also might be christmas tree ornaments. wands would be be the living toys like babes in toyland. on second thought, maybe this isn't such a great idea! LOL

Liliana	17 May 2002
Id buy a Tarot of Chocolate and an Anne Geddes deck ;) In fact, lets make a Tarot made of chocolate yummy ;) The Wonderland Tarot has flamingos for the swords suit, so the 10 of swords has 10 flamingos sticking out of a body. I believe cups are teacups, pentacles are oysters, and wands are peppermills. I lost the deck when i moved but should get another copy since it was the only deck anyone gave me as a gift (my husband) :THP

truthsayer	17 May 2002
what would make a tarot of chocolate not work is that i could not rest until i had sampled every card. uuummmm the chariot is delicious. which one am i eating next? the 9 of cups looks good...how are you going to read a deck that you eat? i guess i could do a reading and eat all the cards that show up until there are no more left? "hmmmm the death card...yep, that's about right! never really liked you anyhow. chomp! smack! now there's an ending for you!" :D LOL

Kiama	17 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Geenius at Wrok NASCAR. I don't understand... What's NASCAR?

Liliana	17 May 2002
American Automobile Racing

amyel	17 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama I don't understand... What's NASCAR? Stock Car racing. I'm sure GaW can explain better. This is not Forumla 1 racing...I *think* the acronyom stands for North American Stock Car Assoc something or other..... *Now* can you tell I grew up in Detroit??????? LOL....

Jimilyn	17 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer "hmmmm the death card...yep, that's about right! never really liked you anyhow. chomp! smack! now there's an ending for you!" :D LOL When I read this, all I could think of was that dessert called "Death by Chocolate". LOL!!! I don't know which restaurant it is that has that dessert (I'm not big on sweets), but the name of the dessert just popped into my head for some strange reason. :P And if you are ever so inclined...the dessert is luscious! Nothing but chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. I'm not a big sweet eater, and I loved this dessert. Maybe they could use the chocolate death card as decoration on the dessert? Jimilyn

Jimilyn	17 May 2002
Yep, a hockey tarot with all my favorite players. :) I might never read with it, but I'd most *certainly* buy it! :D It's gotta have Brett Hull in it, tho. (at least once) ;) Jimilyn

Jimilyn	17 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by amyel *Now* can you tell I grew up in Detroit??????? LOL.... Goooooo, Wings!!! :D Jimilyn

cricket	17 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Jimilyn Yep, a hockey tarot with all my favorite players. :) I might never read with it, but I'd most *certainly* buy it! :D Jimilyn hehe... Another one after my own heart. ;) ummm.... Go 'Hawks!

Phoenix	17 May 2002
I don't care for hocky(well, I only like Olympic hocky, and BOTH CANADIAN TEAMS ONE GOLD!!!) Sorry, don't know what came over me there.

Jimilyn	17 May 2002
LOL! Sometimes hockey just takes over even when we don't want it to. ;) Don't worry, you'll be back to normal in no time at all. :D Jimilyn ...who is wondering which major arcana card Wayne Gretzky would be...

Zhritza	18 May 2002
(sigh) well, it's better than an American football tarot, I guess... Okay, what I'm about to say will probably annoy several of you, but (getting back to the literal intent of this thread -- sorry to be a killjoy :) ) I have never liked Egyptian-themed decks and I don't think I could ever use one. I know full well that there is a tradition of tying tarot in with Egyptian decks that goes back for more than 100 years, and I have no problem with the Isis crown that frequently shows up on the High Priestess; but these decks' art never clicks with me no matter how well done. I think it's because Egyptian mythology's use in tarot was brought about by some very heavy speculation -- I'm forgetting the details, but it was Etteila's fault, right? or was it the Golden Dawn folks? OK, back to our regularly scheduled light, fun conversation :D

Geenius at Wrok	18 May 2002
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Tarot. "60 Minutes." Dangerous sea creatures. Brenda Starr. Third World bus accidents. Hazardous materials. (Three suits: flammability, corrosiveness, volatility.) The Hardy Boys. Ham radio. Pokémon.

kayne	18 May 2002
GaW: LOL I'm with you Qolus, not a fan of Egyption themed decks either... perhaps any deck that you look at and think "I could never read with it" doesn't really work but there are many reasons why that deck doesn't speak to you, as well as the theme.

HudsonGray	18 May 2002
There IS that new teddy bear deck (Ursus Tarot?) out now, and don't forget that totally bizarre one called the Terrestrial Tarot...that has GOT to be the strangest deck I've seen, very disturbing in fact. But I heard it gives powerful readings. The pet tarots don't do a thing for me, ditto that dog tarot which is just pictures of people's dogs sitting there. Themes seem better, at least there's a connection to the cards.

Violet Gargoyle	18 May 2002
The "Lint from your Washer" Tarot? The BattleBots Tarot? Trading Spaces Tarot (Or for those on the other side of the sea: The Changing Rooms Tarot)? The Amish Tarot - all Blank Cards! (For those not familiar with Amish traditions: The Amish are not allowed to try to reproduce a likeness of a face or voice.)

Geenius at Wrok	18 May 2002
Come to think of it, Hello Kitty. Except that the Hello Kitty deck rocks.

truthsayer	18 May 2002
tarot of cat litter boxes " dirty dishes " compost heaps roadkill tarot

The Irrelevant Themes? thread was originally posted on 17 May 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.