New Tarot De Paris Website

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Aug 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Cerulean	27 Aug 2002
http://www.tarotdeparis.com/ Just found this by doing a net search and finding J.Phillip Thomas is a designer living in Hawaii, Maui to be exact. I've ordered the deck on Amazon.com. Enjoy! Mari H.

Sullanciri2002	27 Aug 2002
for the link. I didn't know about this deck, but have to admit it's a terrific looking piece of work, very "apart". Some cards are admitedly a tad chauvenistic, but then that's the French, right ? Might have to give this one some consideration. At this rate, with everyone sharing links to new decks, I'll become a collector yet.

jema	27 Aug 2002
it is really pretty. i am hesitant though. i am in the process of once again making my wishlist (two versions have already been destroyed in the crash/hacking) i think i might put this one up on the long list:) which means that even if i won't buy it this year i'll keep my eyes open for it.

blue_fusion	27 Aug 2002
what a very beautiful deck! thanks for posting alink! :)

Gerbear	27 Aug 2002
Thank you very much !!! Excellent artwork - must have. Will buy now. Thank you again.

Starfish	27 Aug 2002
Mari - Thanks for sharing the link! Beautiful deck. :D :TJUST Starfish

Keslynn	27 Aug 2002
Hi Mari, I'll add to the thanks for sharing this link. What a gorgeous deck! Oh no! One more on my wishlist. *sigh* I wish I had money. Why do I read this board anymore? ;) :) Kes

Starfish	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Keslynn Why do I read this board anymore? ;) Because you are a Tarot Siren and need to stay in the know ;) How else can you tempt tarotholics with new treasures??? :TJUST Starfish

Keslynn	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Starfish Because you are a Tarot Siren and need to stay in the know ;) How else can you tempt tarotholics with new treasures??? :TJUST Starfish Great excuse... er, point, Starfish! ;) Kes

Starfish	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Keslynn Great excuse... er, point, Starfish! We sister Sirens need to stick together }) :TJUST Starfish

Kyrielle	27 Aug 2002
Statues! Gargoyles! Architecture! I love it! Gotta get paid though, first... -- Kyrielle

Keslynn	27 Aug 2002
I just checked Amazon and this deck will be published in September. Yay! I'm thinking that I need a back to school present for myself. :) Kes

Starfish	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Keslynn I just checked Amazon and this deck will be published in September. Yay! I'm thinking that I need a back to school present for myself. Bwahahahaha....}) Spoken like a true Tarotholic! :TJUST Starfish

Maan	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Keslynn I just checked Amazon and this deck will be published in September. Yay! I'm thinking that I need a back to school present for myself. :) Kes Great idea...a back to school present...i think i need one too ;)

Violet Gargoyle	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kyrielle Statues! Gargoyles! Architecture! I love it! Gotta get paid though, first... -- Kyrielle Gargoyles? Gargoyles?!?!? I want it. I want it now.

Phoenix	27 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Keslynn I just checked Amazon and this deck will be published in September. Yay! I'm thinking that I need a back to school present for myself. I think I might need one of those too......

HudsonGray	27 Aug 2002
While I REALLY liked some of the cards, the statues just seemed to be a bit too much after a while (being on 90% of the cards)--guess it's not for me. Though the Moon & the Hermit were fantastic.

Pollux	29 Aug 2002
Well, I honestly added this too my LONG wishlist, but unfortunately there are so many I must get before this... I like the keywords, and the designs and artwork. In truth, they reminded me of Joya's Star Card for the FACT Project. :) Now I have a question: am I dumber and dumber than I suspect, or isn't there a Fool card? I think I have seen them all, but the Fool... How odd... --- Errata corridge... I FOUND the Fool, "The Source". And I gave a better look to the Air suit. I definitely love it. And I'll definitely get this deck. But probably, I won't use it, and keep it for collection only - should I ever get it. No, I WILL get it. I am just curious about the format and the cardboard...

Page	30 Aug 2002
Thanks for the link! A lot of time has been spent on research and it's worth it as the cards speak for themselves. I really like this deck :) Delia

truthsayer	30 Aug 2002
i have been thinking for a site about this deck but couldn't find anything. then yesterday i was in a bookstore and it leaped into my arms and said,"you must have me!!" what else could i do? the whole story of this deck is fascinating. the idea came to the author in a vision during a trip to paris. he spent a year photograhing the statues and landscapes of paris. he ended up w/ about 3,500 pictures. he created the major arcana and got an offer to publish if he did the minors, too. he didn't have time or the money to spend another year doing the minors so he put the deck on the back burner for around 20 years. married. raised a family. by then he had discovered what computers could do w/ pictures so he started the deck again. got an offer to publish when finished so he could take the time to create the deck. i love reading the stories of what happened behind the scenes to a deck being created. i really didn't notice that the deck was too masculine. i think i can deal w/ that (1)b/c it's beautiful and (2)the object of the deck isn't gender. women have plenty of female based decks. why should we complain? to my knowledge there are few statues or monuments to women. most statues are about heroics in battle or some greek god. i don't know if i'll be able to read this deck but it definitely called me. there are lots of name changes but the changes make sense to me. for example, all the knight cards are called stallions. evidently, there are lots of statues of stallions and he thought they suited the archetype better than the statues w/ horses and knights. i like his writing style, too. it's a unique deck and definitely one that jewel really needs. ;) actually any true collector. there's a timelessness about the images b/c of the history and archetypes behind the statues. i can't think of any deck i could compare it against.

Phoenix	30 Aug 2002
Truth, is this just a deck, or does it come with more than just the deck?? On the website, it looks as if it comes with a book, and spread cloth???

truthsayer	30 Aug 2002
the deck comes in a set: well made box for storage, lovely silk spread cloth, and a hard cover book. the cards aren't as sturdy as say the celtic wisdom or glastonbury but not as thin as the vertigo. i'd say the cards are larger than average--about the size of the large thoth. since they are large, they would be difficult for ppl who prefer shuffling smaller decks. it goes for around $29.95 but worth it i think. i would have prefered a bag like the victoria regina instead of a spread cloth but i didn't get a vote. i checked the website and it's the same one. hudsongray is right about statues being on 90% or better of the cards but they aren't all the same type of statues. it depends on the statue(not deck) but some statues are truly awe inspiring and then there are those i've seen in person that were just gawdy. a few in the deck are on the gawdy side but quite a few are awesome. i think thomas had good tastes in the statues he chose considering the monumental task he set upon himself(pun intended). the ace of swords is an incredible shot of the eiffel tower. i won't forget that image anytime soon. just think how often statues are chosen around myths and archetypal situations. i'm surprized someone didn't come up w/ this idea before. i wish i had... truth daydreams about all the monuments and statues in washington, d.c. tarot of washington?????? NNNNNNAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!!!! though the giant statue of lincoln would make a great emporer and the washington monument would work as the tower. the supreme court--justice. temperance or art--the national gallery of art? potential, maybe? ;) :D :p hhhhmmmmm............................................

Cerulean	31 Aug 2002
Why Truth, you've got a great idea. You could title it Tarot de La Revolution or Republic. The ideals and heroic statuary in Washington D.C. are all mythical outgrowths of the ideas that came out of the French Revolution and other significant historical events in the U.S. I think everything from the Washington Monument to the Vietnam Memorial has tarot archetypes written all over them! Let the Library of Congress be the Hierophant and maybe add Philly and Boston and something from each of the 13 colonies. I don't know if Plymouth Rock would be a good or kooky card---depending on who your audience is. Amazon.com is starting to ship Tarot de Paris---my sis' early Xmas present. Truthsayer, if you are in the U.S., what store had Tarot de Paris? Mari H.

truthsayer	31 Aug 2002
i do live in the US. i found it at a books-a-millian. never expected to find it there! i haven't made a decision on readability yet. i've got to get past that eeeeeewwwwwwwwwing and aaaaaaaawwwwwwwwing stage. i don't think this deck is for everyone b/c it is so unique. ppl who prefer conservative more to the early roots of tarot decks probably wouldn't like this one b/c so much is changed. i've read a few of his explanations of why he changed what he did. it makes sense to me so we'll see!!!!!

Lee	31 Aug 2002
I don't like it when they change all the titles, but the idea of a masculine deck is impossible for me to resist. I'll be ordering this one! Judging from the scans, the style looks kind of like the Cosmic Tribe, but not as trippy. -- Lee

truthsayer	31 Aug 2002
lee, the paris doesn't remind me of cosmic tribe. it reminds me more of the rohrig. it's a photographic collage deck. i don't know how to explain it but the photos of the cosmic tribe are brighter and more intense. the film used looks somehow different than that used in the paris. maybe it has something to do w/ the speed of the camera and light exposure. the CT was exposed to more light. the paris was exposed to different lighting settings and times of day statues were shot. i'm taking a photography class and i find myself analyzing photos now!!!!! as far as photographed tarots go like the sacred circle, CT, and gendron--this one is the best i've seen hands down. sometimes the scenes a statue are in look so real that it's hard to believe how he put it together. some cards do look like statues but i think some cards are very difficult to get a perfect statement of imagery across. the skies in the cards are imho the best images used in the whole deck. the way the light falls from the sky on the image is what makes or breaks a card's symbolism and/or belonging in the collage in a realistic way. the creator in extremely talkented imho and the fact the deck was "aged and cured" over 20 years, it has the freshness of youth and the wisdom of an older person. can you tell i really like this deck? ;)

Cerulean	31 Aug 2002
Thanks for the photography insights! I'm trying to photograph certain pieces of art in dim/natural settings of the Stanford Museum---a Boniface Bembo alterpiece, for instance---and just learned from other photo students about using the slower speed film and such. So perhaps this tarot will help me focus on 'what things should look like'. I'm delighted that you're getting such wonderful reflections from the deck. Thanks for sharing, because I do learn from every comment. It also makes me happy that I just finished classes and will have time for this tarot next week after work...hopefully I'll get it in the mail with fast shipments. Mari H.

Lee	31 Aug 2002
I just ordered it. This is really awful. This month alone I've ordered: Tarot of the Sephiroth, Chicken Qabalah (book), Glastonbury Tarot, Jungian Tarot (two copies), new Jungian Tarot book, used copy of old Jungian Tarot book, Qabalistic Tarot (book), and now Tarot de Paris. Next month I will buy NOTHING, I PROMISE. -- Lee

truthsayer	31 Aug 2002
i am posting a disclaimer for this deck and any other deck that i recommend: if you buy it b/c i like it and recommend it but it doesn't float your boat--I WILL NO LONGER BE HELD RESPONSIBLE!!!!!!! BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA! :) :D ;) :* but it really is a very kool deck if i say so myself. ;) tarot-holics seem to fall off to the depths of tarot madness just like lemmings stampeding over a cliff at the first whiff of a new deck!! ;) LOL tarot fever has hit aeclectic! run, Run, RUN to your nearest bookstore or online shops to buy, Buy, BUY to feed the fever!!!! stay away from me w/ that anti-tarot vaccination...!!!

Phoenix	31 Aug 2002
Grr! I really want this deck, but canna afford it at the moment! Stupid bank account!!!

Lee	01 Sep 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer tarot-holics seem to fall off to the depths of tarot madness just like lemmings stampeding over a cliff at the first whiff of a new deck!! ;) HA! I like that, lemmings over the cliff. That's what it is, all right! :D -- Lee

Violet Gargoyle	01 Sep 2002
Lemmings- That was one of my favorite video games about 7 years back....

Cerulean	03 Sep 2002
Just got this deck. I think if you like Western Humanities, this is a rich deck. I oddly found it to be romantic. It actually also has many beautiful mergings of ancient and modern images, done in a tone-on-tone style. Paris has many beautiful collections and this art deck takes advantage of their presence. Since some of my favorite photographs and paintings to study were actually handpainted prints of Meiji Japan and other images before 1930, I fell into a nostalgic mood right away. There's a wonderful and clear attribution of the images. The card (normally Devil in a Marseilles deck) titled Energy, number 15 is interesting to me. On the right is the Devil figure and the chained lovers, then my favorite pilgrim, Dante, is on the left, observing the figures. This particular Dante is an 18th century reproduction---I took a photo of this for my Stanford-educated teacher two days before I discovered the Tarot de Paris website. And I've spent many hours trying to do justice to the Rodin sculpture garden, which include the famous Gates images--they're in this tarot as well. Years ago, I thought the oversize Lovers Tarot from Jane Lyle was the best photomontage for me. I know that the Voyager is incredible, just not my style. I changed my opinion of the Lovers Tarot after taking classes of Renaissance art, because I preferred the originals. I'm still reading through the stories and ideas. If others have other impressions, I'm very interested. Perhaps it was just a fortunate guess when I first ordered this deck---but I'm glad that I did.

Liliana	04 Sep 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer lee, the paris doesn't remind me of cosmic tribe. it reminds me more of the rohrig. Now why'd you have to go and say that, I already wanted this deck and you had to go say that hehe, has to wait awhile tho, have another extremely important deck purchase for this month :) :THP

Kyrielle	08 Sep 2002
If you order direct from the artist through the website, he will sign the book and send a print of any card you choose. I would bite in an instant, except that when you add shipping from Hawaii to the mainland US it bumps the cost up to $38.95! I don't know -- I'm definitely getting this deck, but can't make up my mind whether the extras plus supporting the artist and not a megabookstore makes up for the extra money, time and trouble. Has anyone gone this route with this deck, or have you all ordered off Amazon or from Borders? -- Kyrielle

Cerulean	08 Sep 2002
My sis' copy is from Amazon--I bought it and had it shipped to her. My copy is from the author and I bought it in my next pay period, budgeting for it. Best wishes, Mari H.

truthsayer	08 Sep 2002
mine was $29.95 + 6% sales tax from books a million. for $6.95 more i could have had a cool print of the deck and the signature of the author. i was so blown away when i first laid eyes on the deck that i had to buy it then. i didn't know about the author's site offer until now. what's a few $$ more for something that may grow in value both emotionally and monetarily? who knows? i may eventually spring for the signed edition and not use it if a windfall comes my way. }) :) one of the pride and joys of my collection is my personally signed copy by both authors of the victoria regina book. i also have a signed copy of the rock-n-roll tarot but it's a generic signature--not personalized. doing things like that makes collecting even more fun and interesting.

catlin	09 Sep 2002
After I stumbled across this thread (can you imagine catlin, a fervent taroholic and lover of Paris to miss such a beauty?!?), I sent an e-mail to the webmaster of the site and asked for the terms and conditons to Germany (the deck was not on German amazon).

The New Tarot De Paris Website thread was originally posted on 27 Aug 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.