Seeking a Dark Deck. . .

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

magick_bob	08 Sep 2003
I am haunted by a memory of the most incredible cards I have ever seen. The year was 1987, and I saw them in, of all places, a Halloween display at a Spencer's Gifts store! (Oakdale Mall, Johnson City, NY, USA) There were only 3 cards in the display, so I went in the store and asked about them. They did not stock tarot cards, had no idea where they came from, and could not sell them without a manager's approval. After several visits back to the store, I found out that the three cards on display had been found in a supply closet in their office, and no-one knew where they had come from. The manager I spoke with refused to sell them, and the display was removed shortly thereafter. I have looked for this deck many times over the years, and have yet to see anything which even comes close. Here are the details as I recall them: First and formost, these were obviously a published deck. They were printed on high quality card stock and professionally laminated. They were also oversized and rectangular (if I recall correctly, they were approximately 3.5" X 6"). The backs were unremarkable (I believe they had a blue background with a white filligree-type design common to many decks of playing cards -- there was no indication as to the company's name or any other unique identifying mark). The fronts of the cards were something else, indeed. I must state that the tone of these cards was very dark. Not necessarily in a "sinister" way, but in more of a artsy, depressive, "Goth" way. However, negative impressions aside, the artwork was extraordinary! I have never seen anything else like them. As stated previously, I only had the opportunity to examine the three cards, as the rest of the deck, apparently, had been lost. I recall very little about what was on the front of the cards. I believe that they all were Major Arcana cards, but believe that the names had been changed. The Names were at the base of the cards, and I do not recall seeing any numbers. They were rendered in full color, and the artwork was incredibly detailed, to near-photographic realism. If I remember correctly, they all appeared to be still-lifes, with no people in the pictures. The images were very dark, yet somehow beautiful. It was a very strange deck, which I believe was created more for aesthetic purposes than for actual divination or meditation. One card I remember. It disturbed me. The name given to the card was DESPAIR, and it depicted a white bathtub in a mid-sized urban apartment. There was a razor blade resting on the edge of the tub, with blood dripping down the side. Has anyone ever heard of a deck like this? I am assuming that this deck was printed and distributed sometime in the mid-1980s. Any information about this deck, or the artist, would be greatly appreciated.

Little Baron	08 Sep 2003
I sympathise Bob. Isn't it awful when you are looking for something and you just don't know where to start? I imagine you have done all of the searches on DESPAIR via the net. Some of those image searches, like the one on google, would probably go on for hours but maybe it is worth the time spent looking. Maybe it was an oracle deck and not tarot - have you searched in that avenue. I hope that you find the deck. I am sure you will. If you see something once, you are more than likely to see it again one day when you least expect it. I'll keep my eyes open. Best wishes with your search. Yaboot

The Seeking a Dark Deck. . . thread was originally posted on 08 Sep 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.