I just got Nefertari's Tarots
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Nov 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| wolfen045 |
20 Nov 2003 |
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I have aquired several new decks recently including the Ramses Tarot of eternity but the Nefertari's deck blows them all away. It is very beautiful. It also seems to be a deck I will be able to read with... I am very excited about this deck. Blessings,wolfen
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| HudsonGray |
20 Nov 2003 |
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That's the one with all the gold leaf, isn't it--does the metallic flashiness get in the way when you use the deck?
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| Cerulean |
21 Nov 2003 |
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If you were on a desert island, the flash of gold in the sun could save you!
One bright Spring day last year, when I was on a trip to Redondo Beach with my sis, their local new age store had sunlight streaming in and I held this deck up--the swirly gold leaf flashed brightly.
You could get mesmerized...well, I was. I don't use it much, but when I do, it seems to be a New Year or birthday brightness...probably symbolic for holiday glories.
Hope you enjoy it. It's impressive.
Mari H.
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| Demonesse |
21 Nov 2003 |
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Wow, I'm so envious! When you get more familiar with the deck, do post and tell us how you feel about it. :)
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| lark |
21 Nov 2003 |
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Got his deck this summer. I was sitting on the back porch when the UPS man dropped the deck in my lap. I opened them right there in full sun light . MY EYES! MY EYES!
They are stunning but wear sun glasses if you're going to open them on the back porch.
The web site pictures do not do them justice.
I ordered them because I wanted one nice Egyptian deck in my collection. Glad I spent the extra money and got these.
When you read with them the gold foil tones down and behaves itself when you lay them flat on a surface. But I wouldn't read with them at the beach! :D
The minors are all illustrated and if you can read with Rider you could read with these. The LWB is dismal. There is so much Egyptian symbolizm in this deck it would have been wonderful if it would have come with a good book that expained some of it. But once again we are left to dig up that information for ourselves. Maybe, I need to look at the researching as part of the challenge and fun of this deck. Anyway I love it and if you're interested in Egypt or collecting decks with gold foil this is a must have. Nameste
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| truthsayer |
22 Nov 2003 |
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i have had this wonderful deck for a year and a half but it is my fav deck. i have to use mine behind closed doors b/c my kitties find the shininess alluring and want to attack it! i find it highly readable and accurate. the egyptian symbolism is interesting and i would like to understand it one day. i bought a book on egyptian symbolism for this purpose but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. i think the meanings i've learned over the years plus how i interpret a spread when spread out with other cards is good enough that i don't require the egyptian meanings to read the deck.
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| dolphingirl |
22 Nov 2003 |
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This deck is really outstanding and makes me hope that more decks will come out with different papers I love gold foil, holigram and other unique cards in the playing card fields and would love to see some of the tarot companies follow the examples of the playing card fields and start putting out some decks with unusual finishes. That was actually one of the reasons tha I created my deck the way I did was to do something totally different.
I say YEAH to the gold foil and other unusual decks!! :)
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| wolfen045 |
22 Nov 2003 |
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The more I look at the cards, the more I like this deck. I've only had it for 3 days, so it's too soon to read with it yet, but the symolism looks similar to the RWS so I think I'll try it soon. I like just handling the cards and watching the play of light upon them.Blessings, wolfen
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| contrascarpe |
21 May 2004 |
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Just purchased this deck this past week and wasn't sure which thread to resurrect - figured this was a good one!
Wow, this deck is wonderful. I am sure it is going to achieve top 5 status for me. I did one reading with it already and got lost in it. The gold background is stunning, but the imagery is so interesting - face value is a sense of simplicity but that really belies the complexity it possesses. I have a feeling this deck is connecting with me.
Dan
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| yve |
21 May 2004 |
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I too own and love this deck. Even my significant other, who knows nothing about tarot and tarot cards said "Wow, those are nice" when he saw them. Unfortunately, i'm afraid to use them as I keep thinking that the gold foil is delicate and may wear off. Perhaps someone who has had their deck for a while can comment on this.
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| crystal dawn |
24 May 2004 |
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I also have this deck its a very glamouress deck, and never fails to impress when reading for others. I have found it very easy to use.
blessings
crystal dawn
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| truthsayer |
24 May 2004 |
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i'm in the process of getting a second copy of this deck. hopefully, i'll feel safe enough to use it more often if i have a spare! LOL
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| Frank Hall |
28 May 2004 |
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I recently got this deck at a cat-fanatic shop in Alexandria,Virginia,USA.Good price for another artistic wonder.The imagery really is symbolically striking,with the gold.The pamphlet is a disappointment-- not enough on the symbols,alas.
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| yve |
28 May 2004 |
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Originally posted by Frank Hall
I recently got this deck at a cat-fanatic shop in Alexandria,Virginia,USA.Good price for another artistic wonder.The imagery really is symbolically striking,with the gold.The pamphlet is a disappointment-- not enough on the symbols,alas.
Fortunately, you can find an unlimited supply of resources on the Net about Egyptian tarot symbology...unlike some other decks out there!
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| contrascarpe |
28 May 2004 |
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Originally posted by Frank Hall
The pamphlet is a disappointment-- not enough on the symbols,alas.
Alas, that is a problem with most/all LS decks. The LWB is lacking. In a few case though, I am finding that to be a godsend. The reading I did with this deck thus far was so deep, even for a three card spread, because I wasn't predisposed. My ultimate reading deck is currently the Imagination, which is an LS deck, and I refuse to read the LWB because the cards surprise me everytime. I had been a critic of the LS deck books in the past, but I have backed off recently.
Dan
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| BlueLotus |
29 May 2004 |
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I own and enjoy very much reading with the twin sister of this deck, namely, the Tarots of the Sphynx
TOS is cheaper because it lacks the gold foil . But it has given me many accurate and amazing readings, although I rarely use it nowadays.
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| yve |
29 May 2004 |
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Originally posted by contrascarpe96
Alas, that is a problem with most/all LS decks. The LWB is lacking. In a few case though, I am finding that to be a godsend. The reading I did with this deck thus far was so deep, even for a three card spread, because I wasn't predisposed. My ultimate reading deck is currently the Imagination, which is an LS deck, and I refuse to read the LWB because the cards surprise me everytime. I had been a critic of the LS deck books in the past, but I have backed off recently.
Dan
So how do you do a reading with such a deck without having knowledge of the particular symbolism (is that what you mean by being predisposed?)...if I misunderstood, please enlighten me.
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| contrascarpe |
29 May 2004 |
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Originally posted by yve
So how do you do a reading with such a deck without having knowledge of the particular symbolism (is that what you mean by being predisposed?)...if I misunderstood, please enlighten me.
I guess it depends on how one uses the symbolism. In the case of the Nefartari, there are tons of Egyptian symbols. If I were "studying" this deck completely, I may want to have some knowledge of them. However, when I use a deck for reading, I try to do it intuitively, based less on the overt symbols and more on the depiction of the card (that is why certain decks with too much symbolism turn me off).
I find the Nefartari to be a beautifully subtle deck, highly readable even without knowledge of the symbolism. I do appreciate the need to know what some symbols mean, but for me it is more in the interest of historical knowledge than it is for use with reading.
I do know what you are saying though, yve. When I first bought the LS Bruegel, I was upset at the book. There is so much going on in those cards and I felt like I was cheated. However, my reading style has changed. I feel like every card and every spread is a blank canvas waiting for me to paint on.
Dan
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| Rusty Neon |
29 May 2004 |
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I have the twin sister of the LS Neferatari, i.e., the LS Sphynx (mirror-reversed, no metal foil at all, blue colours instead of gold colours). I like looking at it, but I find the deck frustrating to use because I don't know the symbolism, nor the 'grammar' of the hand and body positions of the human figures in the images. I have yet to find a book on Egyptian art that explains the grammar of hand and body positions.
It's a shame there's no study group for the Nefertari/Syphyx that I could lurk on. I'm clueless on Egyptian art and mythology, especially as it could relate to the images in the deck.
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| Cerulean |
31 May 2004 |
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I've taken a stab at looking at a few images and then adding some online link. I may add another about Egyptian color symbology, but below is a link to some cards from the deck, my take, and then some interesting image and discussion links of Egyptian symbology to help:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/mysticdreams/taofspca.html
Blue magician - Blue is usually deceased or godlike being. Has all the elements with him, the staff, cup, pentacle with ankh (sacred symbol of life) and straight sword. Master of magic tools
Two of Swords - instead of a blindfolded woman with two swords, you have two women tugging at each other. Stalemate, crossroads. I think this more of a humorous take by the editor and painter.
Queen of Pentacles - Golden ornaments, ankh of life. Other beautiful symbols of life (snake--also cup and staff). Might be Ra symbolism in the small seated figure (check below, the links.)
Ace of Cups - Lo Scarabeo. The sacred bug of Egyptians and insigna of the publisher. I think it is both for good luck and humor, probably depicts emotional or spiritual matters.
Ace of Wands - sacred bull. Hey, is there a Taurus-fire association with the elements?
9 of Wands - This is a cat, not a rabbit, battling a serpent. Sometimes I've seen this on a relief. It was painted on tombs to depict the allies of the dead soul, protected by a sacred cat.
10 of Swords - The women are from a funeral depiction for a great man or woman. They are professional mourners.
Moon - the light and dark pyramid are from the light and dark pillars of the High Priestess and light and dark towers we might find in some tarots. The light and dark dogs can be similar to the wolf and dog we see in Rider Waite style decks.
If I were to recommend links, it would be look for Egyptian Book of the Dead--there are books that also collect many recipes and rituals and many of the illustrations are similar to the Alaysia decks.
Color symbolism:
http://www.egyptianmyths.net/colors.htm
Nice visual and text:
http://www.usu.edu/anthro/origins_of_writing/hieroglyph_aesthetics/
Excellent virtual tour, describes and shows illustrations:
http://www.gallica.co.uk/Egypt/
Book recommendations:
http://members.aol.com/egyptart/book.html
Symbology such as what hieroglyphic looks like Ra:
http://www.africawithin.com/kmt/ra.html
An 'alphabet'
http://members.aol.com/egyptart/symlst.html
Hope this helps---a good start? I have been browsing books and looking at related things ever since I reviewed the Etruscan Tarot a few years ago, so I've become a fan of Egyptian symbols and a very casual student...
Regards,
Cerulean Mari
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| Frank Hall |
31 May 2004 |
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Thank you for your generous and insightful research,Cerulean.I found an interesting reference to the scarab in Roob's Alchemy and Mysticism (Taschen,1997):"The Egyptians held this to be a symbol of the rising sun,the 'aurora'." In Whitman's Song of Myself" it's a smbol of reincarnation.How do you see/vision the World arcanum?
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| Dakota |
31 May 2004 |
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Ooooooo, great start, Cerulean!! I copied the whole post into a Word file for future reference. THANK YOU!
:D
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| starsongs |
31 May 2004 |
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What a beautiful deckI I enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts and searching for images online... :D Love the links on Egyptian symbolism too!
starsongs
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The I just got Nefertari's Tarots thread was originally posted on 20 Nov 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.
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