Nefertari's Tarot...opinions anyone

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 15 May 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

MystiqueMoonlight	15 May 2002
I just received this deck from Amazon.com My partner bought it for me as a gift. Frightfully expensive at US$45. I must say the "wow" factor is there, mainly because of it's gold leaf background. Being a Thoth deck user I am not sure whether I really like this deck or not. It really is very simple if you can draw your eyes away from all that gold for long enough. In fact it is the Tarot of the Sphinx, but with gold rendering. I suppose in some ways I do like it as it seems more "special" because of the added detail (the artwork has an aged effect to it) as opposed to other decks of this type which seem to be kind of naive to me. What are your thoughts of this deck and have you done any readings with it? What purposes do you use this deck for? Do you think it is just too pretty to be used? What should I do with it.....*aarrgh* I love new things, but I hate deserting the other deck.

faunabay	15 May 2002
truthsayer started a thread about this deck not too long ago. I'll see if I can find it and bump it up for you. She really loves it!!

truthsayer	16 May 2002
yep! i do love it! it might seem simple but something about doing a reading w/ it--WOW! i haven't felt excited by the visual effects of a reading before. you definitely need sunglasses unless you do the reading in dim lighting. imho, well worth the $45 i spent for it. i really wrestled w/ buying it b/c it is so expensive but i'm glad i did. in fact, i haven't admired it for a few days... i don't think the thoth deck will hold it against you to like this deck. thoth seems more masculine and neferteri is more feminine. this deck was made to be admired maybe even worshipped like an egyptian pharoah's wife. i think thoth is a great everyday reading deck but if you have a special reading occasion like a party this one would be ideal.

MystiqueMoonlight	17 May 2002
Well I have to say that the Nefertari's Tarot has influenced me in more ways than I imagined. For some reason I feel more connected to this deck than I have of any other deck. I just can't put it away. I am carrying it every where I go (which is something I never felt compelled to do with a deck before) and when it is with me I feel brighter, more centred and some how more in touch with myself. I absolutely love this deck and it will be my one and only for a long long time I think. From the very moment I opened it I could communicate with every single card and the minors (which have never really impressed me in other decks) speak out to me. The other thing is that I received this deck as a gift from my partner and it arrived to me on the New Moon and just at a time when I am about to re-launch my business. This deck is the one for me...yet I have always thought that I should be using one which is more complex. Well when it's right, it's right..

truthsayer	17 May 2002
believe me, i truly understand what you are feeling about this deck. this deck really excites my emotions like no other deck. since i feel so emotionally connected, my reading is better. it's something about the deck's beauty i think. i feel it calling me even now. i still adore my other decks but i know i will never part w/ this one. i'm glad i took a risk and bought it.

Lee	17 May 2002
I like the Nefertari too... but could somebody explain to me what's going on on the Hanged Man card? Thanks -- Lee

Scorpion	17 May 2002
Hi, MysticMoonlight! Glad to hear you're delighted with your new acquisition: it's always rewarding when you "click"! I know from our previous "discussions" on this deck that Truth's a great fan too, but somehow I just can't get to grips with it: even took it out to do a public session about a month ago and put it back in my bag before any clients arrived (don't worry - I'd taken others!). I'm wondering if I would have been happier with the plain version. That said, it is my most expensive "stand-alone" deck so far and I probably shouldn't be letting it collect dust. As far as I can tell from the (appallingly written) LWB, it runs along RW lines so I ought to be able to get something out of it. But I know my luck, produce it and everybody will be dazzled by the gold and demand to have their reading done with it! And I really can't see things in the imagery the way I can with other decks. I've just got the Lo Scarebo Celtic and it's full of mists and fires and faces. Perhaps Truth's got the best idea - not too bright lighting. Unfortunately, you can't go round public venues demandig they turn down the lighting!

Scorpion	17 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Lee I like the Nefertari too... but could somebody explain to me what's going on on the Hanged Man card? Thanks -- Lee Hi, Lee! I am going to stick my neck out here (but am perfectly happy to be corrected by the experts cos I could be horribly wrong!) and say that I think (from what I've read) that this is the "punishment" aspect of the card mentioned in the LWB. From what I can remember, I think we're looking at a pharoah of Upper Egypt (ie the southern part) which was symbolised by the red crown until the two were unified. Lower (or northern) Egypt was the white one as shown in 9 Pentacles: OK I've probably got it the wrong way round in all respects! RAMSES where are you when we need you? He'll know, he's heavily into Egyptian art: I know, I'll put a post out for him. I guess the figure on the ground is a slave who has upset him - probably the bath water was 1 degree too hot! Presumably he's on his way to the executioner next - although I don't know if the Egyptians used hanging.

truthsayer	17 May 2002
i agree that's a strange one but i think if i research my egyptian mythology some i can find out a definitive answer. i just looked at the card again and the only thing that comes to me is that the egyptian ppl were expected to sacrifice themselves in the name of pharoah who was considered a living God. pharoah is standing authoratively over the man who is in a subservient position. pharoah has him by the hair and a whip in the other hand. there is no suggestion what the man has done but there was a tendency if one person in a family broke pharoah's law then the whole family was punished in some way. the hanged man is generally seen as the card of self-sacrifice or giving oneself up to a higher authority or cause. i can definitely see those elements in this card. does that help? Quote: Originally posted by Lee I like the Nefertari too... but could somebody explain to me what's going on on the Hanged Man card? Thanks -- Lee louiq, if neferteri doesn't work for you then don't stress over it. this is a perfect example of how some decks work for others and some don't. i can see so much in this deck. my heart just skips a beat when i look at it but that's me. i agree that if you had taken it out, everyone would have wanted the pretty shiny one. ppl are also fascinated by ancient egypt and that would have added to the interest. why not let it rest? what you do w/ the deck will come to you eventually. who knows? it might be a trade for a rare deck you really want. happens to me all the time. i get a deck i don't click w/ but if i hold on to it long enough i find out where the deck goes.

Lee	17 May 2002
Thanks, LouiQ and truthsayer, you've helped a lot. I'll have to dig it out and take another look at it... it did strike me when I got it that it would be a good deck to read with, but I never did. I'll give it a whirl. -- Lee

Ramses	19 May 2002
Hey Folks... How are you?...Hope you´re all fine ! Well, I´m sorry LouiQ and Lee, but I don´t have those two decks, YET. ...lol...I´ll buy them , for sure...just don´t know when...gotta save some money for that... I have three or four Egyptian decks, but, for what I could see on this site, these two decks are quite different from the ones I got... in mine, the 56 minor arcana cards aren´t divided by suits...they start with the number 22 and go straight to the 78... I also have some books on Egyptian decks, but I´m not so sure they apply for the mentioned decks on this thread...but I´ll check it out, and then I post something back... I just hope I may find something usefull here....ehhe....oh, and talking about being a major Egyptian culture fan...well, I just bought two other fantastic books about Egypt for my collection...lol....one of them entirely dedicated on Ramses II...hehe

Scorpion	20 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer louiq, if neferteri doesn't work for you then don't stress over it. this is a perfect example of how some decks work for others and some don't. i can see so much in this deck. my heart just skips a beat when i look at it but that's me. i agree that if you had taken it out, everyone would have wanted the pretty shiny one. ppl are also fascinated by ancient egypt and that would have added to the interest. why not let it rest? what you do w/ the deck will come to you eventually. who knows? it might be a trade for a rare deck you really want. happens to me all the time. i get a deck i don't click w/ but if i hold on to it long enough i find out where the deck goes. Truth, I'm sure you're right, it's just frustrating to have this as my only Egyptian deck when I love Egyptian art so much and normally feel like I've "come home" when I see it. I think I was lured by all the gold - serves me right! Still, I've spent the last couple of days with the Nefertari and will probably take it out with me tonight, to accompany the Goddess, the Celtic (Lo Scarebo version) and the Bosch - the last two haven't had public outings yet, so it should be interesting! Don't worry - I'll have the UW too in case I suddenly freak and forget everything (I thought I had last time until I got started)! I can aways "retire" it if I'm not happy - or send it home with a client!!! I just feel I'll be relying on the standard meanings, rather than what I can actually see in the card. Oh well, got to start somewhere!

truthsayer	20 May 2002
while passing time at amazon, i happened to come across a book by silvana alasia and lo scarabeo called "tarots of the sphynx". it's supposed to be a book about that deck but there's so little description that i'm not sure if this is something i want or not. if it is based on the deck tarot of the sphynx and nefertari then it would be worth having. i believe some of you have asked if there is a book based on these decks to make reading the decks easier. well, this may be it if i can find more info. the cost was $19.95.

Lee	20 May 2002
Hi truthsayer, my guess would be that that entry at Amazon was actually referring to the deck "Tarot of the Sphynx." It's sometimes confusing at Amazon, it's hard to tell what they're talking about with their categories. I've seen Voyager listed there as Calendar. :P -- Lee

truthsayer	20 May 2002
it is strange b/c i thought tarot of the sphyinx was OOP. you are so right about amazon sometimes being confusing in how they differentiate b/t decks and books. the voyager deck is a calendar, huh? i wonder if they got it mixed up w/ the star trek series voyager calendar.

truthsayer	22 May 2002
i just did my first reading w/ neferteri tonight and i am just on cloud 9!!!!!!! out of all my decks this is the MOST dead on the nail accurate i have. i couldn't believe and neither could the querent what the deck plainly stated. btw, she is heavy into egyptology so neferteri may be particularly partial to my friend for that reason. ;) i wrote down the reading and will post it later in the reading section. i'm really curious what aditional things others see in the cards i threw. she was also able to tell me what a few of the egyptian symbols i didn't recognize were b4 we did the reading. i think that put her right in nefertari's good graces! anyhow, just wanted to share my joy. i never believed that a deck could truly be THE DECK until now. :)

MystiqueMoonlight	22 May 2002
I get that same kind of vibe from this deck too. I have carried it with me for a week now because I just can't let it go. I know that it will read well for me, but I am leaning on the idea of keeping it specifically for Tarot spells. I like to read with cards that are more abstract as they seem to inspire me more somehow... I always feel that if I can really relate to every card in the deck (as I can with this deck) then that means the querent can as well and I am not sharing anything with them they don't already know. Does that makes sense?

The Nefertari's Tarot...opinions anyone thread was originally posted on 15 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.