Blue Rose Tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 Mar 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

tmgrl2	12 Mar 2004
Does anybody work with Paula Gibby's Blue Rose Tarot? I just saw it as a link in a thread. I think it is really beautiful...appreciate any feedback..terri tarotpassages.com/pgtar 1.htm hope I got the link right....terri

mj07	12 Mar 2004
I was looking at that earlier this week... I dunno, it looks a little TOO photographic for me, if that makes any sense?

EarthAngel2911	12 Mar 2004
Terri, I have this deck, and it is one of my very favorite decks. (See my avatar? ;) ) Here's an older thread that talks about this deck. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=766&highlight=blue+rose I think that the Blue Rose is probably one of those decks that either speaks to you or it doesn't. You can probably grow to appreciate it, especially in light of Paula's new companion book, but I think it probably has a very strong effect on most people upon first glance. I was never a collage sort of girl, but then I was fortunate to get my hands on a Transformational Tarot, and that changed everything for me. Whenever I buy a new deck, if I haven't read the reviews already, I read them after I buy. After I bought the Transformational, I reread Paula's review on Tarot Passages. And I started to appreciate her view of Tarot much more. So when all the hoopla came out months ago about "When is Paula's book for the Blue Rose ever going to be done??" I started looking at this deck again. And of course, curiosity got the better of me, and I purchased the large size deck. And from the moment I took it out of the packaging, I fell in love with it. (I'm actually in the process of writing a review for this deck.) When you look into the images, there are just layers of meanings, and different images will speak to you in different readings. It's just one of those reactions that I can't explain. THEN I read her companion book. Wow! Paula's writing is pure poetry. But this book is not just a tour through the Blue Rose Tarot, it's a tour through the Fool's journey, from the Fool all the way through to the King of Pentacles. No matter what deck you use, Paula's book will give you a new way to look at the cards. Of course, when the smaller size came out, I had to buy that too. (I'm a small size kind of gal.) And the beauty is that the smaller size is a bit more affordable. Plus, it's published by Soul Guidance, and the card stock is top notch! Well, I don't know if this has helped you any; everybody has very different tastes in decks. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them. :) Blessings, Karen

tmgrl2	12 Mar 2004
Thanks, Karen, I will check out that thread...I e-mailed Paula for info re ordering since I didn't see it on any usual lists...I didn't think I would like it at first...but as I looked through the cards, I could feel things happening. Tks again, will read thread. t

tmgrl2	12 Mar 2004
[quote]Originally posted by EarthAngel2911 [b]Terri, I have this deck, and it is one of my very favorite decks. (See my avatar? ;) ) Here's an older thread that talks about this deck. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=766&highlight=blue+rose I read the entire thread...since it seems the publication process is just finished, I have e-mailed Paula from her website on my link above as well as on the hotmail e-mail ....thanks...I will follow up on it..since I think I will like it..a bit concerned about the cards having rough edges needing to be cut...has that changed I wonder since anyone has ordered recently? t

EarthAngel2911	12 Mar 2004
I don't know of Paula having her own personal website... The only website I know of that USED to have Paula's decks listed is www.soul-guidance.com, but that is the publisher. The best email address to contact Paula directly is bluerosetarot@hotmail.com, but expect it to take a little time for her to get back to you as she is very busy in her "real" life. Also, when I mentioned trimming the edges, that is just something that I'm very particular about. It's very common on self-published decks to have rough edges, not like mass produced decks. Not all of course have this, but many do. Depending on your method of shuffling, you may not want to do this at all. I'm just very particular on how my deck will flow. (I shuffle poker-style when I can.) The edges are not off by more than a millimeter usually, but for me that makes a difference. I'm sure most people never trim their decks. Well, let me know what you decide! :) Blessings, Karen

Gardener	14 Mar 2004
Terri, I have this deck and I love it inordinately. It is so very, very beautiful. Like you, I was also worried that photo-collage is an overdone art, but Paula really takes it to a new level. Not in terms of photoshop mastery, like the Tarot of Prague, but in terms of the photographs being incredibly meaningful as well as beautiful. There are some cards that I "got" right away, but also a large number that confused me (all of the swords suit, for example). Fortunately, I didn't discover the deck until the book was already written, so I got them together. The book is unbelievable. I know that there is not a single "true" meaning for any card, but I think the closest I've come to finding them is these philosophical musings by Paula. This woman is a very deep and thoughtful being. Also, the cards are a delight to handle, physically. They are very different from mass-produced decks, thinner but sturdy, smooth in a non-slick way, and easier to shuffle than other cards their size. There are some lovely reviews and card images on www.tarotpassages.com. I think my favorite of the cards is the Sun, a young girl offering a pineapple with a joyous and peaceful smile. There's an image on the tarotpassages website - that was the card that made the deck irresistable to me. Enjoy your exploration!

tmgrl2	14 Mar 2004
Thanks! Loved that review. I definitely want the deck . Am waiting to hear back form Paula...she e-mailed me on Friday...so we shall see...terri

SongDeva	13 Apr 2004
I had the lovely opportunity to read for Gardener with her Blue Rose deck this past saturday. My favorite thing about the deck at first was the texture...sort of laminated and very flexible. The images are neat, and I'll probably order one. What amazed me most was that even though I think it's lovely, I didn't have one of those instant "oh, this deck is for *me* reactions...and yet I was able to have Laura shuffle and immediately do what seemed to be a pretty accurate reading. It's for that "ease" value alone that it's worth it to me. I'm not referring to the phenomenon where tarot is universal and easily provides accurate readings quickly, esp. w/book...I'm referring to throwing down some cards and doing an accurate intuitive image based reading. Esp. in a deck that does not have expected imagery. I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one to have this experience with this deck. And it probably helped that it was Gardener's deck with her own lovely energy all over it! Sd

Gardener	14 Apr 2004
Thanks for the compliment, SongDeva, and of course for the reading! I find that every time I do use these cards, for myself or a friend, the meanings are immediately clear. I've noticed a lot of discussion about pips, decorated pips, illustrated minors, and so forth. As far as I can tell, many of us like the illustrations on the minors, because they are fun to look at and help to tell the story. What I love about the Blue Rose minors is that while they work beautifully with the standard Rider-Waite meanings, they have very little in common with the Rider-Waite images. New stories, new characters. Some modern, some from earlier eras. There are many images of dancers, and of Manhattan, two of my favorite things. The King of Wands is a conductor at Carnegie Hall, with Pavarotti performing. How perfect! Although we can find out how the pictures in the deck relate to the Rider-Waite system (there is a 300 page book), I've discovered it is more fun just to work with the pictures, to let them stand on their own. They are up to it - colorful and complex, they provide multiple miniature springboards for our readings. Can you tell I love this deck? My only sorrow is that my boyfriend and I are going our separate ways, and I think he needs the Blue Rose more than I do...

SongDeva	14 Apr 2004
Good god woman, then he can buy one!

Mimers	14 Apr 2004
Don't let go of it! If he needs it, it will come to him! Terri, this is an expensive deck, so definitely be sure. I am so glad I got it. Like EarthAngel, I was never into collage decks, but when I picked this deck up in the store, I knew it was a treasure. It is a matter of personal preference. It is not for everyone. Mimi

SongDeva	14 Apr 2004
Gardener, Mimer's copy was actually the first time I saw it, a couple of weeks ago. It's like old home week! hehehe Really, we know you're grown up enough to decide whether to keep a deck or not....I think we're just playing the obligatory and instinctual "girl friend" roles.

The Blue Rose Tarot thread was originally posted on 12 Mar 2004 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.