The Tarot of Dreams

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Aug 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

cirom	23 Aug 2004
The Tarot of Dreams is my follow up project to the Gilded. I feel we are at a very productive point in the history of tarot, with so many decks being produced and currently under development. Readers and collectors are spoilt for choice. From the standard decks of past generations to the abundant selection on offer in more recent years. Beautiful decks, novelty decks, special editions, oversized, miniature, round, reversable. Every conceivable variation......but with one basic common denominator. They are static. The ability to provide a different message, the very essence of tarot, was achieved via the reader's input and interpretation of the cards and their configuration. By utilizing todays technology to the tarot I hope to give the genre a new element that is'nt merely a novelty or variation on a theme. The core is still going to be a physical deck that hopefully you will find both attractive and readable. However the package will also include a CD, thus providing additional optional dimensions of narrative and background music, offering a richer reading experience. Furthermore, all you Marsailles fans out there, you will have the option of selecting lesser illustrated minors to view on screen. For those who like to see more detail in the images than would be viable on standard sized decks, once again the one screen images will be considerably larger. Last but not least, the on screen Major Arcana cards will be animated. No... not Harry Potter, or Finding Nemo, I'm not Pixar Studios. But movement nevertheless and variations in the image details. I realize animated cards already exist on few web sites, but they are really little looped novelties which don't really serve a purpose other than entertainment. My objective is that the use of animation will randomly change a number or symbol here, a colour there, etc etc, that will vary from one play to another. This will offer those who use the cards for personal study and meditation a slightley different take from one occasion to another. I believe Lee Bursten will be adding some additional thoughts and comments in another thread. I'd like to thank everyone for their e-mails regarding the Gilded, I hope this new project can enjoy a similar response.

cirom	23 Aug 2004
I guess it would help if it you could actually see something. http://www.ciromarchetti.com Select the first thumbnail icon.

Lee	23 Aug 2004
Actually I'll ask the moderators to merge the threads so that we don't have two threads where we could have one. :) -- Lee

Mimers	23 Aug 2004
Hello Gentlemen. I must say that I like the Gilded Tarot. It is not one of my favorites, but I admire it and am happy to have it in my collection. The Tarot of Dreams for me will be a deck that I would use for readings. This is not a small statement coming from someone with over 80 decks. The artistic merrit is amazing, which I would expect after seeing the Gilded Tarot. What makes the Tarot of Dreams stand out for me is the symbolism you have used. I can see a significant improvement in the depth of meaning the cards hold. We can see how you, Ciro, have grown in you knowledge of Tarot. I first glimpsed the Empress and my first thought was, "Now that speaks to me!" I am VERY much looking forward to having this deck. From the few cards I have seen, I would say this will be a big step forward! I am very excited. Lee is an excellent writer, and I am sure will provide invaluable advise and an excellent book to accompany the deck. As for the CD, pure genius! What a great idea. I don't know of anydeck out there that has offered something like this. The extra pips is a wonderful idea too. This is the bomb! Thanks Ciro and Lee! I can't wait to see more cards! Mimi

OakDragon	23 Aug 2004
Oh, wow! And I never thought any tarot deck could be as wonderful as the Gilded! The sample pictures you have on your site are fantastic! I can't wait to purchase this deck either! The CD-ROM and extra Marseilles cards sound like a great idea too. I hope the CD will be fully Macintosh compatible.

tmgrl2	23 Aug 2004
I'm totally in awe of the idea and loved the sample! Oh dear...this is a must have. I agree with Mimers, the CD is inpsired....and I look forward to the collaborative result with Lee.... terri A Limited Edition in the works??

Frank Hall	23 Aug 2004
Exciting, excellent continuation of Tarot images. The Tower is amazing, along with the others. I like the use of technology in artistic ways, with Tarot interwoven. Such pioneering originality deserves gratitude and awe.

Alta	23 Aug 2004
Okay, well, maybe. I'll wait and see more.

dolphinprincess	23 Aug 2004
LOL - I *just* get the Gilded in my hands and now I'm going to have to start pining for this deck... It is so beautiful. The Empress is amazing... and I love the little kitten (I think) in the Fool card, swatting at the butterfly... You are so talented!

Summerdream	23 Aug 2004
This is definately a must have deck!!!! Is this one going to be a limited edition too?? When is this one expected to be done? I LOVE it!!!!!

Chronata	23 Aug 2004
I am seriously in AWE. Absolutely speechless...

rabble	24 Aug 2004
I am also in awe. These are extremely beautiful!

Cerulean	24 Aug 2004
Lee's link to the initial page of the new upcoming deck works fine. When I click on Ciro's link to his home page, my browser cames falling back into the old thumbnail link, when the first thumbnail pointed to the Gilded Tarot. Oddnesses are in the first image I saw, the Empress. The light image around the baby is delicate and glorious and the idea of a green-woman emerging from the roots of the earth is lovely. But my eyes run first to the attention on her photographically perfect face, then my odd slant toward figure-drawing proportion has me wincing as I see her waist is buried in the earth...or in the trunk of the tree... I see the purple oddity of the apples and it's fantastical nature makes me shrug. Of course, it's a dream. All the other images may have fantasy and magical elements that delight me. The Green Woman will probably be one of those that I'd have to look for further explanation to understand. This is my opinion only and I realize my odd reaction is just a personal thing. Regards, Cerulean P.S. Also, the intent of the artist may be to force visual observation and introduce unusual elements for creative interaction with the deck. If there is a surrealistic nature to the deck, the idea of it being related to dreams is quite fitting.

cundi	24 Aug 2004
Wonderful, amazing! This is the must have deck!

WolfSpirit	24 Aug 2004
Hey my post got lost in the merger ! I remember writing something like...beautiful cards...especially empress and ace of wands...interesting idea having moving cards. I read on the site the moving cards could also be used for meditation. I like that idea. I thought the cards may be moving a bit too fast for that, but maybe I am wrong. Have to check again now that I am more awake than last night (am I ?)

cundi	24 Aug 2004
One more thing, I think the eyes should also be animated to give the characters more 'live'.

Savoyali	24 Aug 2004
You know, so much talent in the hands of one person is actually a bit unfair ;) I am in love with this Knight of Cups. I've always been a Knight of Cups kinda girl, and this one...well, wow, hello! Is that a fleur de lis on the cup on his shield? Are all the cups going to look like this, with the mermaids? I think it's fabulous. It looks like a cool dream, the kind one would wish for on a hot summer night. There's a strong Sci-Fi vibe to what we're seeing so far, that appeals to me very much, as well. The Ace of Swords made me think of Anne McCaffrey's The Rowan. The lizard in the Ace of Wands reminded me of the LS Pagan Elemental of Wands, which is a good thing, mind you :D I also love the idea of a supplemental/enhancing cd--especially since it's not just a gimmick. Great idea. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to edit my wishlist...:D

Majecot	24 Aug 2004
Interesting concept, animated cards on a cd. I thought maybe it moved a bit fast too, or maybe it needed to be a bit more of a fade rather than a flashing. I would find that distracting in meditation. The cards are beautiful, the Empress was just a taste.. I was bit disapointed the other cards were not animated also :( Ciro your artwork just screams borderless display! It is stunning and it is such a shame to lock it up in a little card in a little frame. (mind you no frame makes the card seem bigger ) I love it... a tarot dream..**sighs** yet another to add to my wishlist. (can you think about a borderless edition :D?)

ferrous	24 Aug 2004
Hmm, I can't see any animations on the site. Am I missing flash or something? I thought I had all that on this computer ..

Savoyali	24 Aug 2004
ferrous, click on the link above the Empress card that says "Play animated card"; that opens a new window with the Shockwave animation :)

ferrous	24 Aug 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Savoyali ferrous, click on the link above the Empress card that says "Play animated card"; that opens a new window with the Shockwave animation :) Oh my goodness. How embarrassing. lolol! :D Thank you, Savoyali. I guess i just scrolled down too quickly & scrolled past the button. rotfl! *ferrous blushes furiously* :D

cirom	24 Aug 2004
I think I need to clarify a few points, especially one of the animation that may have been misunderstood, as some have quite rightly pointed out that the speed may be distracting for its intended purpose of meditation etc. While the sample of the Empress on my web site is a constantly repeating sequence, this is for demo purposes only. The actual animations on the CD will last only for a short while, a few seconds, after which the movement will stop, leaving of course a still image that can be studied at leasure. But the main point is that the still image that remains at the end of the animated sequence will vary randomly each time, resulting in a slightly different final card thats left for study. In other cards these changes would be even more significant. i.e. where numbers symbols and written messages have been incorporated, and once again would vary from one occasion to another. Regarding the suggestion of no borders. I really do see them as part of the overall balance. However, don't forget the detail of the images will be adequately displayed on the screen as well, where they will be much bigger than actual card size. In regard to the technical problems Cerulean refered to. If anyone visting my site does'nt see the updated version, its because your browser is displaying a stored version (cashed). You simply need to refresh the page. As for the purple oddity of the apples she also refered to. No intended surrealism there, your computer monitor is simply too blue. The apples are deep red. Sorry to dissapoint some of you by only showing the one animation, but I don't want to give too much away too soon:-) But half the Majors are done (barring of course the endless tweakings) and I will be e-mailing extra images to those who have requested to be kept updated)

dolphinprincess	24 Aug 2004
It may be too soon to tell.... but any anticipated timeframe for when the deck will be available? You know we'll all start marking our calendars now !!! :D :D

Savoyali	24 Aug 2004
Ciro, will there be an option with the animated cards to save the final image to the hard drive or print it? I'm just thinking that for journalling purposes it would be really nice to have a paper copy to paste into the journal next to your meditation, or more importantly a permanent record of what exactly the card looked like at the time. Alternatively, might you put in a sort of gallery that has all the different final versions? It could be locked and only display the ones the user already had come up in a meditation. Oh, and I like the borders. :D

tmgrl2	24 Aug 2004
Just a comment...In case anyone dowloads the Macromedia flash to see the cards, it is linked with a Yahoo Pop-up stopper and you need to take both. The pop-up stopper stops you from opening a page in a new window and then closing it and keeping the previous page...or from using page back feature....at least on my computer. I just went into add/remove programs in the Control Panel and removed the Yahoo pop-up stopper, kept the MM Flash and all went back to normal. terri It was worth downloading to see the card!

rabble	24 Aug 2004
I had trouble downloading the shockwave plugin - it kept going in a loop... In the end, I went to the macromedia site, found the download and installed it that way. You can untick the box for the yahoo toolbar during installation, and it won't affect how shockwave works. The installation this time was a little odd - in that there was no apparent end to it, but I simply closed the browser, reopened it, and went back to play the Empress animation, and it worked first time! I think macromedia need to work on their install packaging ;) (for windows xp, anyway!)

The 78th Fool	24 Aug 2004
Seeing these cards was one of those rare instances where I truly caught my breath. I never thought I would see the Gilded Tarot surpassed in a hurry but it seems this new deck is if anything richer and more profound. I impatiently anticipate its completion. Chris. xx PS. I really love the borders, and the variations within them from card to card. xx

Lianne	27 Aug 2004
I really hope this gets published one day, I much prefer dealing with cards I can hold in my hand as opposed to tarot deck software. And the images are so beautiful, this would be an incredible deck to add to my collection (not that I need an excuse). ;)

Tarot Galadriel	27 Aug 2004
This deck is going to be published. Ciro is making a real deck with a CD which has extras on it, including the animations. We will still get a 78 card tarot deck to play with

Ellie	27 Aug 2004
Quote: Originally posted by cirom The Tarot of Dreams is my follow up project to the Gilded. Ciro, Yet again, lovely work ~ I especially like the Aces you show in your sample cards...the salamander is grand! The addition of a CD with extra features is something long overdue to be included with a Tarot deck set. The animation of the Empress card is quite beautiful. Thank you for sharing and a toast to your success! Slàinte! Ellie

Lianne	27 Aug 2004
Tarot Galadriel, thanks for clearing that up for me, you (and Ciro!) have just made that day! Now the waiting begins...

Tarot Galadriel	28 Aug 2004
HI Lianne Your welcome... tell me about it, I am dying to get this deck, it is amazingly beautiful. That Empress is just about the most wonderful thing I have ever seen.................

Savoyali	31 Aug 2004
Ooh, look, Solandia has a card up that isn't in the samples of Ciro's website: See here. Lovely Knight of Swords. This must be an unfinished version, the card title is still missing! Ach, can't wait to see more! :)

Gerbear	31 Aug 2004
If you join the interest list for the Tarot of Dreams, Ciro will send regular updates on the deck. His last update had the Magician, Temperance, and the Ace of Pentacles, plus some detail from the Ace.

Savoyali	31 Aug 2004
Oh, how very cool! Thank you for the heads-up, Gerbear :)

Thea Lynx	01 Sep 2004
Once again, I'm totally hooked! I have been spending quite at bit of time on the website looking at both the new project and the Gilded - I just never get tired of looking at and making comparisons between my decks and the display - especially since I keep finding more of those little subtle differences! The new touches of the CD and interactive cards i ssuch a great next step - just goes to prove that high tech and the Tarot are quite good companions. Thank you! Thea

oceanpoetry	01 Sep 2004
I love what is being done with this deck - the animation on the Empress card really seens to draw you in. I can't wait to see the finished deck.

cirom	07 Sep 2004
Three more work in progress cards from this new project have been added to my web site www.ciromarchetti.com If you're intersted in seeing more, then drop me a line and ask to be added to the Tarot of Dreams list. I send everyone on it periodic updates and previews of new cards, including some that won't be shown on my web site.

OakDragon	07 Sep 2004
Ciro, you shouldn't top yourself so quickly! No one's going to want to play with the Gilded anymore! ;)

rabble	07 Sep 2004
oh my! Judgement is magical! Absolutely gorgeous!!

Melvis	07 Sep 2004
Okay, I want someone to throw a Tarot-themed costume party so I can dress up like the Queen of Wands! :D Also, my heart skips a beat every time I see that Fool card! I must get a print of that one someday! Thanks for the sneak peak, Ciro! Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

Solandia	08 Sep 2004
The Tarot of Dreams is now on display on Aeclectic Tarot, along with a page of extra closeup detail of the cards :) http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-of-dreams/ ~ Solandia

Leleii	19 Sep 2004
The Queen of Wands is beautiful...I love the kitten under the Fool's feet. I am in awe, they are beautiful cards. I want them..... I can't wait...

cirom	20 Sep 2004
I've added some additional card images from this project. http://www.ciromarchetti.com Please note that all these previews as well as the extra ones I send to everyone who has requested to be included on my Tarot of Dreams mailing list, are work in progress. In almost all cases the images will be modified prior to final publication, mainly to include more esoteric symbolism.

The 78th Fool	20 Sep 2004
Incredible new samples - paricularly the Star and the Sun. Justice is pretty awesome as well, not blindfolded but blind. For me this makes me look at the card in a new way. The blindfold suggests the possibility of seeing whereas this card means that there could never be any other way apart from the sword and the scales. Chris. xx

The The Tarot of Dreams thread was originally posted on 23 Aug 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.