jolandas tarot - or swedish witch tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Feb 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

jema	14 Feb 2003
http://www.tarotpassages.com/swedishwitch.htm review so you can read and see some images. this is a lovely deck, in swedish. the thing ithat really irked me though is the really high price that is mentioned there. the deck is a cheap deck, it cost me no more then $16 or $17 depending on where i buy it from and how many. to take more then $33 for it is close to robbery. i think jenny-li bought this one for some of the dutch girls? how did you like it? i love the funny animals in it:)

faunabay	14 Feb 2003
ohhhhhhhh How could you Jema?? Now I really really want this deck!! *LOL* I love animals and hadn't seen this deck yet. Even after all the time I spend on tarot passages!!! How did I miss it? I really do want it. :) Can we work something out since you seem to beable to get it cheaply??

Rhiannon	14 Feb 2003
Just went looking for it and it looks like a re-done version of the Haxens tarot. I found that one on Tarotgarden.com by looking under "witch" or "swedish". I wonder if Jeanette and Lori might consider making it available if that's possible.... }) R :)

jema	14 Feb 2003
yep, it is the same that was on tarotgarden, only now in colour and with 78 cards and not just the majors. there is a shop here: www.saxo.com that might be able to order from even if you are foreign. the trick is the find it and read the instructions i guess:( 9170549478 this is the ISBN number for it. i am terribly broke right now or i would get a few decks from there and ship them out to those who want it in trades. but perhaps lori and jeanette can write a mail to saxo and buy from them? the e-mail is: kundservice@saxo.com i wish i could be of more help:( perhaps later on...

wavebreaker	14 Feb 2003
Quote: Originally posted by jema i think jenny-li bought this one for some of the dutch girls? how did you like it? Yep. So that's another way of getting it: invite jenny-li over... :D ;) I really like it! I haven't used it yet though, just browsed through it several times. But it certainly appeals to me!

Maan	14 Feb 2003
I have got his deck too :) Thanks to Jenny lee :* Its a great deck..its feels so light without being superficial. Its has A LOT of details and i'm at the moment studying the major arcana. After that i'm going to bug the hell out of Jenny with the little Swedisch key words on the minor arcana ;)

jema	14 Feb 2003
i once traded this deck to catlin and translated all the keywords for her. but i think jenny-li will do a lot better then my poor attempts and i lost the file anyway. there is a big book to the deck, but only in swedish. and the book is really kind of strange. the author is rosie björkman and she is somewhat famous as a white witch in sweden. mixing witchcraft with many new age things, a touch of native american faith and some shamanism. still, the book does has it's charm. i'll see about translating a few passages from it this weekend. just to give you all a taste of what you are missing. however, it is not a book that goes into details about the cards, more a book about rosies specific way to read the cards. a way i often disagre with myself.

Maan	14 Feb 2003
Sounds quite intriguing...i would love to here some more

Jeannette	14 Feb 2003
[quote]Originally posted by Rhiannon [b]Just went looking for it and it looks like a re-done version of the Haxens tarot. I found that one on Tarotgarden.com by looking under "witch" or "swedish". I wonder if Jeanette and Lori might consider making it available if that's possible.... }) Hi! Thanks for thinking of us! Yes,that's the same deck,but in color. Jeannette will be replying to this topic (and many others) soon..she's just in the middle of a zillion things at the moment (contest entries, website update, and preparing for an upcoming appointment with the accountant for the taxes) However, I know this is one of the many tarots she's hoping to be able to offer over the coming months, and we always appreciate any information about titles you'd like us to offer (it's ok to email us directly anytime about anything, just please don't worry if you don't get an immediate response to non-sale inquiries) We're really trying to expand the number of tarots we sell, but working out agreements & arrangements with all the suppliers can often take months. But Jeannette will check about this one again and post more information as soon as possible. Lori www.tarotgarden.com PS I'm glad you found the database helpful..we're up to over 850 entries now and Jeannette still has LOTS more to put in.

genna	20 Feb 2003
Really love this deck.Just bought the new version of the book Rosie Björkman has written about it with more excercises,and with relationship meanings for the Minor Arcana too. I feel it easy to connect with,and love Hans Arnolds illustrations with all the animals included.

jema	21 Feb 2003
Quote: Originally posted by genna Really love this deck.Just bought the new version of the book Rosie Björkman has written about it with more excercises,and with relationship meanings for the Minor Arcana too. hi genna, could you check and see what ISBN it is on the new book? it sounds interesting. i know that jolandas book is perhaps not the best tarot-book there is, but as with the deck, it has a lot of charm.

jema	21 Feb 2003
oh and i almost forgot i promised to try and translate just a page from the book you can buy with the deck. the book is in swedish and i am a bad translator but will give it a try: i picked the 7 of wands since it is one of the cards you can see over at tarotpassages in the review there. "this card talks about increased quality of life. Du have succeeded in finding balance both at home and at work. The card tells about a raise, your carreer taking a step forward. Even if not everybody around you seems to like what you do, you should stand up for what you do. Deep inside you know you are right even when things seem to be otherwise. The 7 of wands can also describe a heroic act, someone getting recognition. Reversed the card means bullying. Someone around you walks around and gets annoyed at you, saying mean things about you. It could even be so that the person is repeatedly attacking you and questioning you way of life, your friends etc. Or you can be the bully... Witch medicine: Let your anger be inspired by a clear, golden light that you visualize around your head. Feel that you have a yellow shining nimbus and give yourself time to gather your strength for what will come. Rise above your present passitivity and act. Speak up. say that you feel violated and that if the person don't quit with his/her negative comments you will take precautions, whatever it takes to make the bullying stop. Don't give up! *** hope you pardon my less then perfect english. at least it will give you a hint about what she writes about one of the minors. the majors do get a lot more space but i don't feel up to translating that much text.

Maan	21 Feb 2003
Thanks Jema this certainly gives me a good idea about the book. oh and the enlish loos good to me..but that is not saying much i guess ;)

genna	21 Feb 2003
Hi Jema! The ISBN is 91 7054 905 2,it also says ISBN STJÄRNDIST vG 1206. Some of the cards are better explained now,like 5 of Swords,and there is extra and/or new text on all the cards.

jema	21 Feb 2003
thanks genna. one card i just don't get at all is the 3 of wands (or was it 4) the one with the kids sitting on high poles/tree trunks.

genna	21 Feb 2003
I didn´t get it eather,until I read about in the new book.I will try to translate too.Your English is much better than mine,though. Three of Wands Virtue,trust,honour,purity. Nuns can be said to possess the virtues of Three of Wands,because they follow their spiritual and loving wish to be at one with the divine energy. In sweet-medicine they also speak about the virtue of the spiritual warrior,in following the way of the heart.The Three of Wands describes an inner dicipline,a centered will when idea and action merge as one. You are wholeheartedly one with what you do,and you really do it,you don´t just think about doing it. The intent is in innocense and trust,in honour and virtue.You have a sense of timing,an inner rythm.The Three of Wands shows that you have a circle of good friends around you,who can take their different roles,without too much questioning of their positions,people who are easy to cooperate with.Pure telepahy may occur. For relationships the Three of Wands shows that you and your partner share ideas about life and how it should be lived.Your communication is straightforward,and honest.You can give eachother a lot of freedom and dare to trust the love that is there,and that you feel.It is open for loving energies to flow,not only to your partner,but in all your relationships.Can you love yourself,you can love others too,that is holy law. (Then follows a description of the meaning of the reversed Three of Wands.) Witchmedicine The Joan of Arc-meditation Joan´s intent to go to war was the best and most honourable of intents;freedom for the French folk-spirit,freedom from tyranny and oppression. Sit or lie down,the impotant thing is that you are comfortable.Relax.Imagine that you,like Joan,have a heart of gold,and the bestand most honourable intent,freedom for your soul,freedom from tyranny and oppression.Feel how you,like her,put on an armour of pure gold,with the sun engraved on the breast-plate,and the moon on the back-plate.Feel how just you are in your goal to create these conditions in your own life.Stay in that feeling as long as you think you need to.The rest of the day you can feel how your armour protects you from enemy arrows;psychic or emotional attacks on you as a person,like suspicion from those around you,for example.It is done! On my only picture of Rosie Björkman,she sits before the lithography of this card!It was from a newspaper article on the deck.

Xarokys	22 Feb 2003
I like her meanings for the cards, especially the witch-medicine part. Those would be good for when you pull a daily card, you could do the meditation/ visualization that goes with it. I hope it comes out in English someday. My brain is too old to learn Swedish.

genna	22 Feb 2003
Glad you liked it,Becky :) The book is called;" Jolanda den Tredjes bok om Tarot och Häxkonst"("Jolanda the Third´s book about Tarot and Witchcraft") by Rosie Björkman.She suggests you use the exercises the way you said,one each day. Jema;I was not clear in how I understand the picture for Three of Wands(it might be all wrong).On the first birch pillar two elder siblings sit(the ideals of the little brother at the foot of the tree pillar).On the second tree pillar sits a monkey and a little girl hugs the stem.(not very clear;Pippi Longstocking and her pet Mr Nilsson?You get the idea Pippi´s ideal is the active and curious monkey).On the third birch pillar sits a lion and the stem is hugged by a very tiny girl(is the lion her ideal?The books about Narnia come to mind too). I think birch stands for purity,and the pillars for ideals.Children for innocence. What do you think?

WolfSpirit	22 Feb 2003
Quote: Originally posted by jema [url] this is a lovely deck, in swedish. the thing ithat really irked me though is the really high price that is mentioned there. the deck is a cheap deck, it cost me no more then $16 or $17 depending on where i buy it from and how many. to take more then $33 for it is close to robbery. Talking about robbery...I was just browsing ebay and I saw a copy of Jolanda's Tarot described as "very rare", opening bid $39, but that's ebay for you...when the seller adds rare or oop I get very careful. I think I could go for the challenge to order it from a Swedish site :D I guess basically all on-line shops use the same method for ordering.

faunabay	22 Feb 2003
I've emailed the site from the link jema gave in her earlier post (since I can't read a bit of swedish LOL), but haven't heard back from them. :( If there is a few of us here in the US, maybe we can have one person place the order for all of us and then mail them out ?????? Jewel and I have already talked about doing that so we can always add more decks! What does everyone think about that?

Rhiannon	23 Feb 2003
I think that's a great idea! Let me know when you're going to do it and I'll jump right on the bandwagon! R :)

faunabay	24 Feb 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Rhiannon I think that's a great idea! Let me know when you're going to do it and I'll jump right on the bandwagon! R :) Rhiannon, You have a PM!!! ROFL

Melvis	24 Feb 2003
Me! Me! Me! I'm in, too! :D Count me in for the 'group buy' for this verrry cool deck. Just a little nudge from Faunabay is all it takes for me to start craaaaaving such an interesting deck! (Thanks for the PM, FB! ;) ) Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

WolfSpirit	07 Mar 2003
I just received this deck today, I ordered it directly from saxo. I am a frequent online buyer :D so it was not too difficult to find out how to order thanks to jema who gave the ISBN somewhere in this thread. So far I'm really happy with it, it is original, it's cute but not to sweet, looks like it really has a mind of its own ;) There is no lwb with the deck which is probably just as well because it would only be frustrating if you don't understand anything in it. So I can explore it all on my own and there is a lot to explore, there is so much on the cards, lots of animals too. Some details are really funny like in the hierophant there is a little devil and an angel both tugging at the crown he wears LOL Although the deck looks light-hearted I think I can do readings with it but I first have to get used to it a bit more.

jema	07 Mar 2003
yay! i am glad you like it. and i think i said it before - but i am willing to help you out if anyone here needs some help with buying from saxo. they are really a good on-line shop and i can recommend them. their shopping-cart system is easy to understand.

Hedera	16 Mar 2003
So have more of you managed to get hold of this deck? If so, do you like it? Is it al all Thothy?

moon_mermaid	27 Mar 2003
Hi, I am new to this forum. However I can't wait to share my excitement with this friendly tarot community. After reading the review in Tarot Passages and the thread in the forum, I was hypnotized and ordered the deck from Saxo.com (despite the fact that I don't know Swedish). I have received the deck today but not yet open it. I must say the customer services of Saxo.com is helpful and nice. Cheers!

Astraea	27 Mar 2003
Welcome to the forum, moon_mermaid! And thank you for your information about Saxo. I just love the pictures I've seen online of the Swedish Witch Tarot and have really been wanting a deck -- you've just given me the courage to order from an unfamiliar vendor. Let us know how you like the deck, after you've had a chance to look it over. Enjoy! :)

Pollux	27 Mar 2003
HI moon_mermaid, I thought I should merge the threads since the old thread is *just* one week old. This way you can look it up, and keep the discussion going on from there if you like. I hope it will give you plenty of insights and inspiration, and new info as regards this very interesting deck. Enjoy. ;) POLLUX - Moderator in Tarot Decks

moon_mermaid	29 Mar 2003
I finally have time to look at the cards. Yes I like this deck, the pics are soft and nice, also rich in symbols. What I like most is that many characters / animals have smiling faces. However, some symbols really puzzles me, I envy those who can read swedish. For example I don't understand the camel in the high priestness. This is the first deck that I need to do all the discovery myself, but fun! Cheers! moon_mermaid

jema	30 Mar 2003
hi actually Jolanda does not explain the camel in the priestess card in her book either. but the hebrew letter for the high priestess is "Gimel" that means camel so in a way it makes perfect sense that it is there. it is a reminder of where she is located on the tree of life.

WolfSpirit	30 Mar 2003
I know a bit of animal symbolism but I still find lots of animals on the cards that make me think: hmmmm what is that animal doing there ? And then there are those little creatures that I can best describe as balls or eggs with faces and legs that reappear on many cards (for example on the two of pents). I have used the deck for readings and I find it easy to read, even though I haven't understood all these symbols yet. It is fun to find a meaning for them but not really necessary to be able to use the deck, IMO.

Ellie	31 Mar 2003
WolfSpirit says: And then there are those little creatures that I can best describe as balls or eggs with faces and legs that reappear on many cards (for example on the two of pents) I love these little creatures! I've taken to calling them 'Mome Raths', such as Lewis Carroll wrote in _Jabberwocky_: "Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe." It just fits somehow...I'm really not sure why. They first caught my attention on The Star card, but they also seem to be at home with several of the Coins suite as well. This is a great deck...my newest favorite! Be well, Ellie

galadrial	31 Mar 2003
Hi, I'm also new:-) I visited tarotpassages, got interested in this deck, typed "Swedish Witch tarot" into Google and this thread came up. Reading of your successes in ordering from Saxo gave me the courage to do so myself (surely they are surprised but pleased by all the out of country Swedish Witch deck orders!). As to the camel, Angeles Arrien's "Tarot Handbook" (which is entirely based on the Thoth deck) says that the camel in the Thoth High Priestess card "represents self-resourcefulness in its capacity to go long distances, yet always find the oasis".

The jolandas tarot - or swedish witch tarot thread was originally posted on 14 Feb 2003 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.