Tarot of Prague in the NEWS

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 Oct 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Ruby Red Slippers	12 Oct 2003
As a new lover of this deck I was checking google for "prague" The first hit was this article.........Way to go Karen & Alex!!!!! Check it out for yourself......page down to the articel "All Decked Out" http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2003/Art/1009/featu1.php We need to get the study group going....... RRS

baba-prague	13 Oct 2003
Oh - you found this! Well, we were keeping quiet about it for now (blush) but isn't it a nice article? The journalist is interested and informed about tarot so he gave a very positive and sensible/sensitive write-up. He didn't exactly quote everything we said - well, journalists need to make a "story", which is fair enough - so take one or two things with a pinch of salt please. Still - we are SO pleased that the deck is being received so well here :-)

Astraea	13 Oct 2003
You and Alex richly merit the praise your wonderful tarot and book are receiving. This article will no doubt be one of many, many excellent notices -- while not everyone will be attuned to the subtleties, depth and nuances of your work, its coherent beauty will assure an esteemed place in the history and lore of tarot.

baba-prague	15 Oct 2003
Thank-you again for all your support. The deck has just made it to shops in Japan (courtesy of a very charming and knowledgeable Japanese tarot distributor who has shops in Osake, Kobe and Kyoto among other places). We are really pleased! So - I have one favour to ask - more for tarot than for our deck. The journalist who wrote this article in Prague Post has said to me in an email that it was a new departure for the paper to treat an esoteric area in such a serious manner. It is indeed a very sensible and intelligent article, and he wants to know if people read it - and approved of this approach. So please (please please) - if you enjoy this article write a note (it doesn't have to be long) to say that you liked it - and liked seeing tarot in the news in this way. He says he could do with some back-up in encouraging the paper to continue to report these areas with seriousness. I'd be ever so grateful if you could find a few minutes to do this. You can find all details on the article. http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2003/Art/1009/featu1.php You can send any comments to Raymond Johnston himself, or better still to letters@praguepost.com I do think we want to encourage the papers to treat our areas of interest with as much seriousness as other areas of art/design/therapy/society/belief (or any other categories you would put tarot into) - so all enthused feedback to Prague Post would be hugely appreciated!

fairyhedgehog	15 Oct 2003
I've sent a brief email to the address you provided. It was a really good article - congratulations baba-prague :)

baba-prague	15 Oct 2003
Thanks ever so much for doing this. It's just that it turns out that Raymond is really interested - and well informed (as you can tell from the article). It will be just great if he gets support to write more about Magic Prague (not our deck - but everything else). I know he would like to if the paper will let him. Thanks again!

Astraea	15 Oct 2003
Thank you for Mr. Johnston's e-mail address. How wonderful that the Tarot of Prague is now offered in Japan! Congratulations to you and Alex.

Astra	16 Oct 2003
I've also replied - the article was one of the most balanced I've ever seen about an item in this area. And very congrats on Japan!

baba-prague	17 Oct 2003
Thank you Astraea and Astra. I now hope these letters will be published! That would be great. I think it is really good to encourage balanced journalism in this area. It's made a difference to us certainly - we've had some really great responses from people here - I think it gives the deck an aura of respectability LOL. Well, you know what I mean. It helps to cut through any prejudice or doubts that people have about tarot. One of the high-end intellectual design mags has been talking about doing an article. Oddly enough, I think that really might be a hard step for the design establishment (in a funny way it is really quite conservative - I think Astra may know what I mean) but if we can achieve a bit of a break-through there eventually it would be great. Still, don't hold your breath, I think it will take at least a year before anything like that happens. Anyway, step by step I think taroists are continuing to break down some of the prejudice :-)

MeeWah	17 Oct 2003
RRS: Thanks very much for posting this link--I enjoyed reading the article very much!

MeeWah	17 Oct 2003
baba-prague: Sorry I am so late to this, but congratulations to ye & Alex on the publication of your deck!! Tarot of Prague is truly an inspired achievement both as a Tarot deck & for its artistry. I acquired a copy through a dear friend (thanks, MM). I e-mailed The Prague Post in appreciation for the article. Its author makes an intelligent & informative representative for not only Tarot of Prague but for the subject of Tarot. We at Aeclectic Tarot have been privileged to see your deck's progress.

Astra	18 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by baba-prague Thank you Astraea and Astra. I now hope these letters will be published! That would be great. Well, I had an email requesting permission to publish it, so it looks as though you're in luck. Quote: One of the high-end intellectual design mags has been talking about doing an article. Oddly enough, I think that really might be a hard step for the design establishment (in a funny way it is really quite conservative - I think Astra may know what I mean) Actually, I'm just getting into the design phase - from engineering and programming of all things. But my guess is that so many people in the design area are off into odd things that there's a strong defensive reaction to actually TALKING about them in connection with design. Y'know, we have to prove we're not some of them wierdos, yes?

Astraea	18 Oct 2003
Baba-Prague, I've been at a workshop and haven't had time to compose a proper e-mail to Mr. Johnston; the seminar runs through Wednesday, and I'll send him a message as soon as that wraps up. It is just wonderful that your tarot is reaching such a broad and discerning audience!

Cocobird55	18 Oct 2003
I enjoyed the article, and sent an e-mail, too. I think his review was very balanced, and had lots of good information about your wonderful deck. Congrats on Japan -- should be cool. Sue

baba-prague	29 Oct 2003
http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2003/letters/ I'm not sure that all are from AT - and I have edited out the names here in case you would rather not have them too obvious - but this is really great. Big thanks to all who wrote! We will make tarot mainstream yet (oh, maybe we don't want to, it's kind of nice that it is a bit special :-) ) ________________ Card party I was pleased to see the very informative article on the Prague Tarot ["all decked out," tempo, oct. 8-14]. I enjoyed reading about the creation of this unusual tarot and found the tone of the article as pleasing as the content. It made for very good reading. Thank you. Epsom, England -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just want to express my overwhelming satisfaction at seeing a balanced write-up on an area that is usually treated either not at all or rather scornfully. Aside from its possibilities as a set of divination cards (however they may be seen by your audience), the deck is a substantial piece of excellent artwork and was well worth a write-up. As both an engineer and a tarot reader, it was enjoyable for me to see an article that neither gushed New Age nor hinted at satanic connections but treated the deck, and its main audience, as aspects of the real world. Chicago -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your review of the Tarot of Prague. It is indeed a wonderful deck. It's always nice to see a good review in a mainstream paper. I think yours was very balanced and didn't have a lot of the whoo-whoo stuff that scares people away. I have had the deck for a month or so, and I'm enjoying it a lot. California

Astraea	29 Oct 2003
Thank you for posting those letters. I have just written to Mr. Johnston, myself, thanking him for his feature on the Tarot of Prague, and his even-handedness in interviewing you. Best wishes always!

Cocobird55	29 Oct 2003
Thank you for posting. I wrote the 'California' one. I'm glad to know that all the letters were published. I think this is my 100th post. I've enjoyed these forums a lot -- thank you Solandia for a great website, and all the rest of you for being here. Sue

fairyhedgehog	30 Oct 2003
Nice to see so many letters published! And I'm really glad you're getting such good reviews for your deck, too.

zagone	25 Dec 2003
Speaking of news (sort of) -- I saw The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen two nights ago... The libraries in that film (filmed in Prague) looked very familiar. I THINK I saw a ceiling picture in the Tarot of Prague deck. Can anyone confirm if this film used the same libraries as the deck? If so, you all might want to rent the film for a better feel for what the libraries look like that some of the card images came from. -- Zagone

Le_Corsair	25 Dec 2003
Zagone, Baba Prague is on holiday right now, she'll be back after the first of the year and will probably answer your question then. Bob :THERM

Cocobird55	27 Dec 2003
Yesterday I received a holiday postcard from Karen and Alex. The front was the Chariot card from the deck. Thank you so much! It was an unexpected treat. Sue

baba-prague	29 Dec 2003
Hi - yes, I'm not at home so only able to get online from time to time (thanks Bob). However, just to say that yes, the film was shot in Prague,and partly at the Strahov and I haven't seen it yet (but want to of course). We have a great little vegetarian oriental restaurant near the Strahov library - a gorgeous place and one of our absolute favourites, but very unpretentious and inexpensive. I was really pleased to see that they have a photo of Sean Connery on display - good to see he can just go in and eat in somewhere nice and un-starry. Oh - here is the quote I found on a website: Having offered his full commitment to the League, Quatermain meets M and three of his fellow League recruits in a secret chamber deep in the depths of London's Albion Museum. In a tense, uncertain encounter, he, the taciturn Captain Nemo, the alluring Mina Harker and the caustic Rodney Skinner take measure of each other and the mission. This scene was shot in four days in the gorgeous Strahov Library, a 900-year-old structure located on monastery grounds at the historic Prague Castle. (btw, not exactly accurate - the Strahov is NOT really at Prague Castle, it's ten minutes walk away). Oh - and glad you enjoyed the card! You can see the wand a little better at this size. That is SUCH a gorgeous painting and yes, it is on the ceiling at the Strahov so you probably did spot it (I just HAVE to see the film). - oh, and if you ever see the film "Amadeus" you will see some more glimpses of places we based cards on. LOTS is shot in Prague - it's such a great location.

The Tarot of Prague in the NEWS thread was originally posted on 12 Oct 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.