The wierdest deck ever done (or close to it)... Who here has used it?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Sep 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

blackroseivy	17 Sep 2004
I'm talking (of course! :D ) about The Baphomet Tarot. I have become oddly obsessed with this pornographic-filth monstrosity (going so far as to bid on it on eBay!!), & I am wondering like crazy right now if *anyone* reads with it, & what their impressions on it are. I would think you could only give pornographic readings with it - erk!! :| Well, any thoughts, people?

noby	17 Sep 2004
I haven't read with it, but I've seen scans of it and am very interested in it. I'm not planning on trying to get it, simply because I'm currently not interested in acquiring new decks. But from what I've seen of it, it seems readable to me - I've liked Giger's art for years, and think it has a lot of allegorical and metaphorical heft. If you look past the somewhat shocking sexual aspect of naked women being penetrated by machines, I think you can see a powerful metaphor for our culture - the fleshly and human submitting to and being overpowered by technology. It's interesting to note that the fleshly women in Giger's art have this beautiful, spiritual glow to them, this ethereal quality, while the machines are dark, drab, and hard. The battle of the natural expression of the life force with the societal and technological machines that repress it is one of the things that jumps out to me in Giger's art. I think if one could get beyond a squeamish initial reaction to the graphic aspects of it, Giger's art has a lot to say that seems it would carry well into a tarot deck, IMO. I would think it would be a deck that would be good at exploring the forces seeking to be expressed in a person and what is holding those forces back, one's internal and external blocks, and the effects of social and cultural conditioning, just to begin with.

HudsonGray	17 Sep 2004
I got the same feeling sort of with the Tarot of the Origins, it's for raw, human readings that tear away a lot of the cultural conditioning. But as for a deck with bizaar pics, try the Terrestrial Tarot, the learning curve on that one is pretty steep, but I do hear it gives some powerful readings.

Alta	17 Sep 2004
Hi all, I moved this to Decks, since it at least started with one specific deck.

Alissa	17 Sep 2004
I just bought this deck very recently after seeing them once upon a long time ago, when Umbrae came to visit. And... wow. The artwork both fascinates and disturbs me on a very deep level. There are images that once you see in their totality, I just cringe inside. The Fool immediately comes to mind. Others. Many others. I've never read with the deck. In fact, I admit at this point, I can't even imagine reading with them. For one, they are so pristine I can't bear the thought of a scratch upon them. I have never had a deck I was so "anal" about, and normally love wear and tear as a sign of deck affection. Not this deck! For another, I have no idea what I might see in these cards. I just don't feel ready to look into that Mirror yet, somehow. I'll be curious what others have to say.... })

Umbrae	18 Sep 2004
I’ve read with the Giger – a lot. I’ve never confused dark decks with dark readings, and so, readings can be fluffy bunny… However (and you may call me sick if you choose to judge), I do not find the images pornographic. I find them beyond human…extra terrestrial…alien. Ever notice that Human built space ships etc. are sharp pointy and angular? Alien built craft are smooth and curved – it’s an archetype of sorts that dates back to Flash Gordon (perhaps earlier). Reading with this deck is wonderful (if you ‘let go’). Please remember here…if you want to take light into the darkness – you must be comfortable to walk into the darkness…alone…with your little dim hermit’s lamp. If the dark scares the hell out of you – stay in the light. And if you choose to follow another into the darkness…best keep up… Now…The Fool…one of them is about to go off…I wonder which? ROLMAO

blackroseivy	18 Sep 2004
Thanks, these insights are all very useful! I find that a dark deck speaks of the dark, & usefully so; not "confusing", but rather "aligning". I have decided to get this deck, & I would only use it under special circumstances.For one thing, it is, of course, "Majors only"; to me, that means only readings & subjects of really great impact & import.I will treat it carefully, however; there are easily offended sensibilities out there!

Logiatrix	18 Sep 2004
Umbrae makes a good point: let go...let go of judgements and labels. When it was gifted to me, I was initially shocked by the images. It was my Mom, an artist, who gave it to me; she encouraged me to release judgement and to take in the images purely as art. Essentially, I learned to follow the artist into the darkness of his art. I tried to explain this to a friend, and his immediate response was, 'Oh, so you just desensitize yourself, the more you look at the pictures.' I don't believe that has to happen when you choose to surrender judgement; it is entirely possible to feel all that the image inspires, without labeling those feelings as 'good' or 'bad'. The deck became more and more fascinating to me, and I became quite comfortable using it. Ultimately, the only reason I had difficulty reading with this deck was because it was majors-only, so it got traded away. The Giger Tarot was actually a great teaching deck for me, hehe. :)

blackroseivy	18 Sep 2004
I see what you mean. As to "majors-only", my little "Glow-in-the-Dark" is also Majors-only & special; I have learned to use Majors-only in a particular way. I use them only for the most intense of subjects. The GITD was last used to help me to profile a serial killer. *That's* the kind of intense I mean! I'm sure that the Giger would be of help for exactly this kind of thing. Or, for intensely *personal* kinds of questions that are usually too difficult to ask a reader about... Just thinking ahead for my website! Thanks for the insights!! :cool:

The 78th Fool	20 Sep 2004
Can't handle the Giger at all - It does my head in !! However, its encouraging to see from this that not everyone's like me in this respect. It goes to prove that there's someone for everything and something for everyone! My particular something is the Tarot of the Witches which most people loathe yet I get really good readings from it ! Chris. xx

Umbrae	20 Sep 2004
Example of reading with Baphomet deck…. Non-dark reading…dark deck.

nyx*	21 Sep 2004
I just saw three of these decks on eBay and thought I'd post a link here if anyone's interested in the deck following this discussion. This thread has piqued my curiousity, but not enough to dip into my tarot funds just yet! ;)

blackroseivy	21 Sep 2004
I see that there has been one added... I'm "cuirlemochroidhe", incidentally! :D (41.00...)

blackroseivy	21 Sep 2004
Incidentally, I wish I could get Umbrae to read *my* cards after reading that! Go to the readings board & offer REAL soon, willya??!! :D BTW... For me, the cards are all about setting a certain mood. I'd have to have this match one in order to read with it.

nyx*	21 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by danubhe I see that there has been one added... I'm "cuirlemochroidhe", incidentally! :D (41.00...) Woo! Good Luck!

yve	21 Sep 2004
I wish I really could appreciate these cards for their art value, but I just can't seem to find anything appealing in them, and it has nothing to do with the content of them...i've just never been a fan or appreciated such art....obviously, the artist is recognized and appreciated or he wouldn't have created such a deck. To each his own...that is what makes this world unique...

blackroseivy	21 Sep 2004
The fact that *I* actually have picked *this* deck, of all decks, to fasten on amazes me. This is *not* what normally appeals to me. But I'm an artist myself, & find inspiration all over the place, even in really *strange* places at times.

yve	21 Sep 2004
I guess i'm strange, not the true artistic type that I can't see and value it for it's artistic worth....

blackroseivy	21 Sep 2004
I think *I'm* the strange one, not you at *all* - I mean, after all, *look* at it!!! :|

blackroseivy	23 Sep 2004
Well, I didn't get it from eBay - someone bid nearly as much as it would cost from Tarot Garden, so Tarot Garden it is!!

The The wierdest deck ever done (or close to it)... Who here has used it? thread was originally posted on 17 Sep 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.