H.P. Lovecraft Tarot - Input Appreciated

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 06 Nov 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Jeannette	06 Nov 2002
Hi, Gang! I've just received word that the H. P. Lovecraft Tarot is back in print. This deck had been out of print for a few years, and I'd subsequently seen copies on the secondary market selling for as much as $500. This is not a limited edition deck, although it is printed by an independent publishing house, so it probably isn't being produced in mass quantities. I understand that the image quality of the second edition is supposed to be superior to the first. We're planning on stocking this title at Tarot Garden, which we will be able to offer for the current retail price of $40 USD. However, we've been stocking up on new titles particularly at a particularly rapid rate over the past few months, so our cash flow is tight. Therefore, before I place our reseller order, I'd be interested in hearing feedback from folks about this deck, so I can get an idea of how popular it might be, and subsequently figure out the right number to order. (BTW - any positive comments posted here will not be taken as a commitment to purchase!) I'd like to place the order within 48 hours, but I'd welcome people's continued feedback on this thread as long as anyone has an opinion they'd like to share. Thanks! -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Jewel	06 Nov 2002
I am ignorant and do not know much about H.P Lovecraft but from the images this looks like quite a "dark" deck. Is it black & white? does it come with a book that would help understand it better?

truthsayer	06 Nov 2002
the lovecraft name sounds familiar but i'm not sure where i heard it. i like dark decks but i don't really feel strongly about this one. they remind me a little of a black and white version of the templar deck. knowing the deck's background would help me decide better.

Umbrae	06 Nov 2002
Put me down for one! When they come in, PM me as a reminder...please. Thank you. These look good for those...special readings.

Jeannette	06 Nov 2002
Jewel: H. P. Lovecraft's work is indeed very dark; he is considered one of the early 20th-century masters of the horror genre. The deck is black-and-white; the first edition came with a booklet that explained the sources of the images on each card -- most depict characters, places, and objects from Lovecraft's stories. But there were no interpretational/reading instructions included. I rather doubt it was intended for that sort of use, although I expect that anyone interested in shadow work with tarot could find a way to apply the Lovercraft deck in a reading situation. IMO, the deck was created as a collectible for enthusiasts of the horror genre, and Lovecraft's work in particular -- and, of course, for eclectic tarot-heads such as myself. The publisher specializes in items for the horror market, not the tarot market. But of course, there's always potential for "crossover" with this type of item. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Jeannette	06 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae When they come in, PM me as a reminder...please. Will do, Umbrae -- thanks! -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Jeannette	06 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer the lovecraft name sounds familiar but i'm not sure where i heard it. i like dark decks but i don't really feel strongly about this one. they remind me a little of a black and white version of the templar deck. knowing the deck's background would help me decide better. Truth: You can read a brief biography of Lovecraft here. He is the author of the stories from which sprung the well-known Cthulu mythos. The famous "evil artifact" known as the Necronomicon was, in fact, created wholecloth by Lovecraft for those tales, despite the current popular trend of representing the tome as having actually existed in antiquity. More information about Lovecraft's writings can be found here. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

rota	06 Nov 2002
Personally, I *love* Lovecraft! I've read his work backward and forward many times, as well as similar tales by other writers, and I love all the movies built around his Old Ones mythos. I eat that fiction up with a spoon. But using a Tarot deck based on all that? Not a chance. I wouldn't touch it with a fork.

StargazerLily	06 Nov 2002
I would definitely get that deck!! My boyfriend is probably the biggest H.P. Lovecraft fan in the world and he would probably cry with happiness if I gave him that :)

truthsayer	06 Nov 2002
thanks for the info, jeannette. what i read about him is indeed intriguing. i am fanatical about babylon 5 mostly due to the original and thought provoking episodes. i grew up with dark shadows. it was years before i could sleep with my neck exposed! LOL i saw alien and the thing. omg but they both scared the *&%$ out of me. i also read the story on the thing in a scifi as lit class. it didn't scare me as much as the movie did thankfully. if alien and the thing were the only shows influenced by him, i'm sure i wouldn't be interested in the deck. however, if his work resembles edgar allen poe and influenced my all time fav scifi series then i may be interested in the deck. i love to collect stuff that has a long history like this deck. it creates a strong mythological/archetypal basis for potential readings. i think i'll try to read some more about his work and try to rent some of the movies or read one of his books. i find myself wondering if the writing of laurell k. hamilton, author of the anita blake the vampire slayer books, was influenced by lovecraft. the stories that seem particularly interested in necromicron(sp?). anita blake is an animator. i'm a member of a group about her. i may post an inquirey.

StargazerLily	06 Nov 2002
I don't think any of those shows you mentioned were inspired by H.P. And even the movies that were influenced by him sucked big time and didn't follow his stories very well because the director threw a bunch of sex stuff in there. H.P. LOVED Poe and weas greatly influenced by him. He never wrote about vampires, though. I haven't read the Necrinomicon but I don't think there's anything about vampires in that, either. (He wrote the Necrinomicon by the way)

Demonesse	06 Nov 2002
I don't know whether the Necronomicon was really written by Lovecraft or not, but the myth was that it was written by the "mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred in blood on human skin and a curse was placed on it :) I do think Lovecraft wrote it, though. Anyhow, I love Lovecraft's stuff and I like the deck, but I still like the Baphomet even more! :P P.S. How did Lovecraft die? Poe kicked the bucket thanks to rabies...

StargazerLily	06 Nov 2002
H.P. also made up the mad Arab--he's mentioned in other stories :) He was a cool guy, huh? He died of cancer...stomach cancer, I think. He was about 40. There's a Baphomet deck?

Lee	06 Nov 2002
I believe the Necronomicon is a fictional, i.e. nonexistent, book which is mentioned by Lovecraft in some of his work. So while Lovecrafted created the concept of it, he didn't actually write a book called the Necronomicon. Truthsayer, I heartily suggest you get a book of short stories by Lovecraft. They're fairly short, easy to read, you can read them one at a time, and they're wonderfully creepy. -- Lee

midnightmerry	06 Nov 2002
Correction: Is there any where to see this deck before purchasing?

StargazerLily	06 Nov 2002
I don't know if this is allowed to turn into an H.P. Lovecraft post, but Lee, you are right. I thought I had recalled letters H.P. Lovecraft wrote about creating the Necronomicon, but I was obviously confused and not remembering correctly. He was possibly just saying that it is fictional. :|

Strange2	06 Nov 2002
H.P. Lovecraft is one of my all-time favorite writers. Although the Lovecraft deck does seem a bit obscure and nontraditional, so was Lovecraft, and so am I }) ! So I would definitely get the Lovecraft deck for a reasonable cost. A PM message would be mot appreciated once it arrives. Thanks, Jeannette!

Jeannette	06 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Lee I believe the Necronomicon is a fictional, i.e. nonexistent, book which is mentioned by Lovecraft in some of his work. So while Lovecrafted created the concept of it, he didn't actually write a book called the Necronomicon. Therein lies the source of the confusion, I think. Not only have many other writers in the horror genre adopted the Necronomicon into their stories as if it really existed (which I doubt that the writers themselves actually believe or espouse; it just makes for a good plot device), but there actually has been a Necronomicon published. Actually more than one, if I'm not mistaken. But Lovecraft didn't write it (or them), nor can one take seriously any claims that it is an actual translation of the "Mad Arab's" supposedly "real" document. Any such books have been created purely to cater to a market of people who would like to fantasize -- or even actually believe -- that such a book really exists. For what it's worth, the Necronomicon is aligned with the "One of Tomes" (=Ace of Swords) in the Lovecraft Tarot. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Jeannette	06 Nov 2002
I probably should have combined my comments on these two paragraphs into one post: Quote: Originally posted by Lee Truthsayer, I heartily suggest you get a book of short stories by Lovecraft. They're fairly short, easy to read, you can read them one at a time, and they're wonderfully creepy. The Lovecraft short stories are indeed worthwhile and painstakingly brief reads. I second Lee's recommendation, Truth. Not to get too far afield from the subject thread of tarot, however, I might also recommend renting or buying the video of a movie called Cast a Deadly Spell. It was made a number of years ago as an HBO original movie, and my husband still haul out the tape from time-to-time and rewatch it. It is not based on a story by Lovecraft, but instead, is a fictional story about Lovecraft that manages to capture the flavor of Lovecraft's own work. In the movie, hard-boiled private detective Howard Phillip Lovecraft is hired by a rather eccentric and suspicious mage to find a stolen but cherished personal treasure called, coincidentally, The Necronomicon. The story is set in a post WWII America, and works off the premise that as part of their search for weapons and techniques to aid them in their war effort, the Nazis discovered that magic was real. Subsequently, magic use has become widespread and commonplace. Everyone in the story uses magic casually, much the way we use technology today. Everyone, that is, but a certain jaded detective named Lovecraft... Just to keep this post a bit on-topic, I'll mention that Lovecraft himself is assigned to the "One of Man" (=Ace of Cups) in the Lovecraft Tarot. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Keslynn	06 Nov 2002
Lovecraft's personal papers, I believe, are in the possession of the Brown University special collections. I got to handle some of his nephew's work when I worked in the Archives over the summer. I got really intrigued and have been looking for a good way to get into his works. I think I'll take Lee's suggestion to go with the short stories. :) Kes

Demonesse	06 Nov 2002
Actually, Jeanette is right. The "Necronomicon" is for sale at a bookstore here.

truthsayer	06 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Demonesse P.S. How did Lovecraft die? Poe kicked the bucket thanks to rabies... sorry to get off topic here but i've never heard he had rabies. everything i've ever read indicated it was a combination of alcoholism, malnutrition and maybe TB. where did you learn this info? i'm just curious. i know lovecraft didn't write any of the movies or tv programs i mentioned in a prior post. my point was that i didn't know ppl like michael stryzinski(sp?) the creator of babylon 5 read his works and was probably influenced by him. now that it's pointed out i can see in the stories how he was prob influenced. plus i don't know or care whether lovecraft wrote about vampires. laurell k. hamilton's novels have such a shadow side that i can see the possibility she has read his works. she could be influenced by him and still write about vampires. i will try to find a copy of lovecraft's short stories. when i bought the blake deck it was helpful to buy a book of his poems in order to understand the deck better. when i bought the vertigo deck, i bought some the sandman graphic novels and other books by neil gaimon to put me in the right mood. i think this would be true of the lovecraft deck, too.

Demonesse	06 Nov 2002
There are a few recent documentaries on Poe's death - for example, on the Discovery Channel, and they pointed out the symptoms of his death were very much indicative of rabies, for example, hallucinations.

zander770	07 Nov 2002
that IS news!!! thx! ~Z~770

truthsayer	11 Nov 2002
i found a copy of lovecraft's short stories this weekend. looking forward to digging in to it. neil gaimon did the introduction where he admits the sandman series was influenced by gaimon. that means that the vertigo deck was probably was influenced some by lovecraft. the more i explore lovecraft the more interconnected i find he is in literature and programs that have long interested me. i read a little of the book and found myself getting really interested. jeannette, count me in as being interested in a copy of this deck. you guys could probably talk me into buying a deck about real estate bargains in the florida swamplands! ;) LOL demonesse: i plan to go to the discovery website and see if there's any info there. often they have stories about their shows on the websites. the story i've always heard about his hallucinations is that they were due to delirium tremors.

Jeannette	11 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer ...jeannette, count me in as being interested in a copy of this deck. you guys could probably talk me into buying a deck about real estate bargains in the florida swamplands! ;) LOL LOL, Truth... I think... ;) The decks have been ordered. With luck, I'll have them "in hand" by the end of the week. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Solandia	11 Nov 2002
Images of the new Lovecraft deck are up on Aeclectic Tarot. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/lovecraft/ ~ Solandia

Jeannette	15 Nov 2002
The decks are in, and I'm quite pleased. For those who don't like "dark" or "weird" decks, this new edition isn't going to win over any converts. But for those who were already predisposed to giving a Lovecraft tarot the once-over, I'd say this one might be a winner. This new edition is definitely an improvement over the older one. The sepia tones of the new release make the images much easier to see than was possible with the earlier edition (which was printed in sort of a dark slate-blue color), without subsequently sacrificing much of the "creepiness" of the original. The ordering of the majors has been reshuffled to more closely follow the "standard" tarot sequencing. Some of the illustrations have been enhanced or replaced, for improved results. The accompanying LWB is vastly superior to the old one, going into much more detail about the card symbolism, and how to actually employ the deck effectively for readings. I'll be posting some scans of the new edition in the Tarot Garden database shortly, although as noted above, Solandia already has some in the Aeclectic files. The fact that there are a number of substantial differences between the old and new editions probably means that the older edition will retain a good deal of its collector's value. But if I had to choose only one to own for personal enjoyment reasons, I'd definitely go with the newer one. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

truthsayer	02 Mar 2003
thought i'd update this thread on lovecraft. i got the deck about a month ago. while i haven't studied it in depth, it seems to be a well done deck and book. last night on the scifi channel, they aired a movie based on a h.p. lovecraft called "dagon". talk about right down bizarre. it's classified as horror and while it was pulse quickening, i didn't think it was too bad. he seems to be hung up on ancient cities and the clash b/t ancient esoterica coming back to bite humans in the a** and other prized parts. ;) there seemed to be a cult that worshipped something like a squid or octupus. then there were lots of frankenstein like creatures with genetic or other deformities. just totally weird. i hope to check thru the cards today and see what rings a bell with them now. i'll report back later if i find anything interesting. i've read a short story or 2 but nothing compares to what visuals do to his work. there is a literary magazine called "rosebud" that has had graphic artists do a graphic novel on some of his stories. i'm thinking about ordering it. when i was a child, my father used to buy me horror comic books. this was in the seventies. i can remember now that lovecraft wrote many of those stories.

Demonesse	02 Mar 2003
The squid thing - was it Ctulhu (or something like that)?

truthsayer	02 Mar 2003
that's what i'm trying to figure out. my sister called during the movie so i didn't hear everything that was going on. i mostly watched it.

rota	10 Oct 2003
Hi, all. I'm bumping this thread partly because it's Halloween (a perfect time to read some Lovecraftian fiction and mess with your Lovecraft deck), and partly because I ran across another Lovecraft/tarot tie-in. This would be specifically for those folks who think Lovecraftian writing is fun; the rest should go back to their regularly-scheduled Aeclecticism. :D HPL fans: next time you're in the horror-fantasy corner of your local book haunt, check out "Children of Cthulhu II". In this new Chaosium anthology, tucked in toward the back, is a story titled 'The Eldridge Collection', by Will Murray. The basic premise has to do with the earliest origins of the tarot, and a series of Majors that were painted by a psychotic wizard. These cards are being fought over by warring magickal factions, and the whole affair is being investigated by the Cryptic Events Evaluation Section of the CIA. Just thought I'd mention it, Chthulhuvians!

The H.P. Lovecraft Tarot - Input Appreciated thread was originally posted on 06 Nov 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.