Tarot de Paris by J. Phillip Thomas

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 31 May 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

SingingTarot	31 May 2003
I just purchased the Tarot de Paris, the one by J. Phillip Thomas. I bought it at Barnes and Nobles, which really is not a Tarot buyer friendly place. But I found what I wanted anyway. This is a nice deck, it comes with a book and a silk scarf representing one of te windows of Notre Dame de Paris. The cards are large, they feel a little bit more like paper than my other decks, but I really enjoy the pictures. I will have to learn the correspondances. Again, the pictures are gorgeous. And did I mention how beautiful the pictures are? Let me know what you think of that deck, I am a beginner, it would be nice to have the experts' opinion on it! Alice

Astraea	31 May 2003
I'm not an expert reader, but I collect decks and think that this one is so beautiful. I've read with it a few times for myself, and found it to be easy to work with. And the artist is a member of Aeclectic! How lucky are we? :)

SingingTarot	31 May 2003
Is he???? Get out! I mean, don't get out, seriously!?

Astraea	31 May 2003
Yes, he truly is a member -- here's a link to another thread about the deck in which he participated. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9839&highlight=tarot+de+paris

Sobeknofret	01 Jun 2003
Nice deck that sits in my collection instead of ever being used. Pretty scarf, nice hardbound book, and cheap cards. The cardstock is so cheap and flimsy that shuffling is a major problem, I've nearly torn them while shuffling, and they still have the extra little points on the sides where they were pressed out of the cardstock. At first I thought that the art was ugly, but I really have grown to love it. Paris, sculpture, tarot, does it get any better, lol? :D I was so disappointed in the cards themselves though that I could have cried. I love Paris so very much that I really wanted to love these cards, but I can't even use them. I have heard rumors that there is a second edition coming out which will correct this problem, but at nearly $40 I can't afford to replace them with the new edition. Too bad, since it's such a great deck otherwise. --Sobe

Astraea	01 Jun 2003
Sobeknofret, the link posted above leads to a thread that was begun about this very issue. The present card stock is flimsy, and the corners of the cards are sharp. The artist did not have a lot to say about the manufacture of the deck, as is so often the case. I had not heard about there being a new edition with sturdier card stock on the horizon -- I'd be tempted to get it, since one is reluctant even to shuffle the present set (they can be mixed or "stirred," but I like a bridge shuffle).

SingingTarot	01 Jun 2003
I just did a reading with the deck, I loooove it. Thanks Astraea for the link, it was very helpful, and it is nice to read from the actual artist. Gosh, I cannot imagine how it must feel to work for so long on a deck, and when getting an end product that is not ALL that you hoped... I think the pictures are very insightful, and it has been so nice to discover a city I know in such a different way! Paris is such a wealth of art. Thank you all for your feedback, if anyone actually reads with this deck, let me know how you like it! Alice

JPT	01 Jun 2003
To the Forum: I've not yet received a release date but I'd like to announce that there will soon be a special edition of the Tarot de Paris (cards only in a tuck box) available for buyers who were dissatisfied with the initial quality of the cards. NONE of your comments and disappointments have gone unnoticed. Neither did I give my packager/printer (in UK) any relief from my relentless complaints that they had not produced the cards in accordance with my contractual guidelines specifying the card stock, cut, color separations, etc. At this time, my best guess is that the cards will be available in August - September. I will certainly post the details of HOW and WHEN they may be attained as soon as I receive information from the printer. At best they will be free to anyone who already purchased the deck. At the very worst there will be a a small surcharge to cover shipping but this represents a concerted effort to revive interest in the Tarot de Paris and remedy the less-than-desirable card quality. Sincere apologies, J.Philip Thomas Tarot de Paris

Astraea	02 Jun 2003
What a generous solution to the problem. Thank you so much for letting us know about the forthcoming edition, and for keeping us posted. I deeply appreciate your professionalism and thoughtfulness.

SingingTarot	02 Jun 2003
Thank you so much for this solution. I am so pleased about this and it makes the deck all the more valuable to me to know that the author cares so much about it. Alice

Keslynn	03 Jun 2003
I pretty much concur with the others that this is a gorgeous deck, but I haven't been able to use it much because of the cardstock. I'm very excited to hear that there's a new edition coming out. :) I've done a few readings with this deck, and they're always spot on and insightful. :) Kes

Sobeknofret	03 Jun 2003
Fantastic! I look forward to having the new edition to read with! Thank you so much for your attention to this. --Sobe :D

truthsayer	03 Jun 2003
isn't jpt great? i love this deck but treat it with a light hand because i don't want to damage the lovely cards. this is such great news about getting new sturdier cards! do we have to do something to prove we have a TOP to be eligible for the reprint?

JPT	04 Jun 2003
Hi Truthsayer, I am trying to sort out those exact details with my packager in London. jpt

Hedera	04 Jun 2003
JPT, Perhaps we could send you the scarf that came with the deck? It doesn't weigh much, and is unlikely to get damaged. You could send the new deck back, along with the scarf. And also, for some reason, sending silk scarfs back and forth has a certain romantic appeal.... ;)

JPT	08 Jun 2003
Hi Hedera, I actually wrote a reply 2 days ago but it never appeared in the thread - just vanished? In any case, while sailing scarves through the postal service has a definite poetic appeal, a one way solution would be much more efficient for everyone. Ideally an email inquiry with a page quote from the book should be sufficient to identify current owners of the deck. The final decision is up to the UK editors but I have no intentions of becoming the paper boy who handles all of the reissues. I'm just mediating the process. Of course everyone who bought the deck from my site will be sent a deck soon after I receive them. Will keep you all posted... jpt

SingingTarot	08 Jun 2003
I cannot wait! I love my deck as it is, but would probably be in tears if I tore it or anything. A sturdier one will be so perfect! Thanks for keeping us posted JPT, it so nice to deal with someone who really cares about his artwork. Again, this makes the deck all the more valuable to me. Alice

oceanpoetry	08 Jun 2003
JPT, Thanks so much for letting us know about the reissue of your gorgeous deck! I haven't ordered the Tarot de Paris, but will certainly do so after I know that a sturdier version of this deck has been released by your publisher. Thanks so much for keeping us updated! :)

Le_Corsair	11 Jun 2003
Spoken like a true gentleman, JPT. I am only sorry that corporate bean counters put your hard work and good name at risk by putting out a less-than-satisfactory product. When artists and craftsmen are subject to the whims of businessmen, everyone suffers.

Darkness Light	28 Jun 2003
JPT - I just got my deck today, and I was all over the artwork when I first handled the cards... and yeah. I was also disappointed by the quality of the cards themselves, not the artwork... but then I was reading this thread and wow... It's really nice how you are being considerate enough to let us know all of this and helping us.. thank you ^_^ I really can't wait to get a sturdier version of the deck, closer to your standards rather than the businessmen...

SingingTarot	28 Jun 2003
I am taking a trip back to France soon :D I cannot wait, I am going to stop in Paris a couple of days before going to my cathar land. I really dislike the stress and the traffic in Paris, and usually tend to avoid this city, but the deck has just rekindled my love and desire to see the beautiful architecture. The info about each statue is in the book that comes with the deck. Shouldn't be too hard to track some of these gorgeous work of art. I am just too excited to tell! And I cannot wait for the sturdier deck to come out, I actually use my deck quite a bit for readings. It has a depth to it that I really like. Alice

JPT	29 Jun 2003
Hi, >Try to walk the l'Axe Historique as soon as you arrive in Paris (at least from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre in one spirited stride). Consciously project your highest aspirations as you go. There's much more to 'see' there than just the shops and tres chic posers! >As you enter the Cour Napoleon pass by the Pyramide and continue on into the Cour Carree. Stop at the Fountain in the center and look up above the passage (Perrault) of the eastern facade. There you'll find an amazing confirmation, like an advertisement in stone, of where that line continues to — almost 2000 miles away. >Then as you turn around to go back to the Pyramide you'll realize Isis was watching you all the time! As you enter the Pyramide (from the Cour Napoleon entrance) it might be a good idea to walk straight forward (before checking your bags for inspection on the right near the escalator) to the niche where the glass railing meets. That is the center of the Pyramide. Actually if you look just over the side of that niche you will see a small hole on the top of the pillar that holds up the platform you will be standing on. That is the true center. That is the spot to release every thought that you had while walking there and maybe even from your whole life while you're at it! > The only other suggestion is to descend to the Inverted Pyramide and circle it a few times to reorient yourself. Hey what can it hurt? Bonne Journee, jpt

Cerulean	29 Jun 2003
..and definitely we'd love to see it in thicker cards. I'll be curious about the lamination...I actually found it a treat when the cards aren't too glossy that they slide all over the place. But of course, with some wear, the cards are less likely to be so slick. I'm going to save the walking suggestions when we try to do Europe next year or so. Mari H.

Darkness Light	01 Jul 2003
Actually... I'm a bit curious on the size of the cards. Will the size remain the same or will they be a bit smaller? Me with small hands, I can barely get my hands around the cards, much less shuffle them by bridging them o.o;

JPT	02 Jul 2003
Hi, The Tarot de Paris cards will remain the same size in the reissue. In order to change the size each image would have to be color proofed again, adding a rather large expense. I would really suggest trying a different shuffling system. The poker style is a rather brutal way of creating a random pattern in a stack of cut paper. It is also a rather impractical to invest in a deck of tarot cards, merited by the images, and then proceed to use them in a manner that was developed for an entirely different card system. The 52 card deck and the games developed around it have been standardized over several hundred years. A principal factor in the evolution of the size was, of course, the ergonomics of the hand made all the more important by the frequent shuffling required in many of the games. The modern answer for such strenuous operational demands is plastic, preferred for its flexing and recoiling abilities. You may also notice that the sizes of the earlier hand painted tarots in museum collections are also not comparable to contemporary playing cards. It seems the cards became smaller with the advent of the woodblock printers in Marseilles (and elsewhere in Europe) for example. Hand painting simply required a slightly larger canvas, an artistic feature that was apparently prized by the buyer. Graphically speaking smaller cards are best rendered as bold numbers or as stylized images, darkly outlined and filled with a limited palette of bright colors making them easy to read at arms length. On the other hand; tarot is about the art and yet, it is at the same, intended to be functional. When I considered the card size appropriate for 'gazing' at the TdP images I experimented with several popular decks held at arms length. The RWS deck worked well at almost any size because it conformed to the 'outline' format, whereas the Thoth deck required a larger surface due to the watercolors textures, brushstrokes, etc. As a result I set the TdP slightly shorter than the classic antique decks and a bit narrower than the Thoth. Then I fixed the final rectangle to the proportions of the golden mean. The TdP had to have its own cutting knives made to produce that size. It is not generic. I would suggest a different means of randomizing the cards that is less destructive to the card stock. Personally I ask the client to spread the cards on a table, swirling them around before 'gathering' them into a smaller pile. Then I spread the Rose Window scarf over the pile and ask that the querent place their hand under the scarf to draw their cards, also deciding the orientation (up or down) before exposing it. best, jpt

Myrrha	02 Jul 2003
with large and/or not very sturdy cards you can also cut the deck a few times and then deal it into seven piles cutting a few times in between, then gather them up into one pile. If you like you can do this more than once to make sure the cards are randomized. It takes longer than bridge shuffling but is meditative especially if the backs of the cards are as hypnotic as the rose window on the TdP Myrrha

Darkness Light	02 Jul 2003
Thanks! ^_^ I really needed those suggestions. Thank you once again.

Mimers	18 Nov 2003
I have recently lost my III Nature (Empress) card!! I can not find it anywhere. Does anyone have an extra??? By some small chance? Mimi

truthsayer	22 Nov 2003
why not write the publisher of the deck or j. philip thomas and ask for another if you can't find it? mr. thomas has posted here and is a very nice guy.

Mimers	22 Nov 2003
Truthsayer, thanks! I found it. Mimi

Moonbow*	22 Nov 2003
THAT'S IT. I'm definately getting this deck. I didn't know about the card stock but I just love the art. I'm gonna wait now for the new print. When will the new print be out in the Uk? I'm almost afraid to say that's where I am! Moonbow*

tao51	02 Jul 2004
The information is very helpful. This is a lovely deck with appeal to a wide range of collectors.--Tao

The Tarot de Paris by J. Phillip Thomas thread was originally posted on 31 May 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.