Please help me identify deck I bought on eBay

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Alta	21 Jan 2005
I was feeling rather silly but bid for a deck that was just described as a 'complete tarot deck'. Apparently no one else bid and to my surprise my (very low) bid won. It arrived, no box, no LWB, no title card. Looks vaguely familiar but I can't place it. Backs: White border, then thin blue border. Inside that split diagonally with lower diagonal half red and upper diagonal half black and white checker board. In the centre, pointed oval, yellow background, picture of a rose. Some distinctive cards: Magician accoutred like Hermes (winged hat, cadeceus); looking at the Chariot from behind; Justice quite dramatic apparently with her hair on fire; Wheel of Fortune with two dragons eating others' tails. Enough? I would like to know the name, if anyone could tell me. Thanks!

Scion	21 Jan 2005
That's the , you lucky wench!! I would know those descriptions anywhere... Images here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/alchemical/index.shtml That is Robert Place's famous, now-OOP, extremely hard to find deck that everyone's been seeking ardently. LOL The only drag is that you don't have the accompanying book which is chockablock with superb information on Alchemy and Place's mode of connecting it to Tarot... That said, it's a superb deck. You can find reviews of it here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/alchemical/review.shtml http://www.tarotpassages.com/alchem.html http://www.tarotpassages.com/bursten26.htm http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/alchem.html http://www.tarotpassages.com/cj1.htm You might want to check out Place's website for more info: http://thealchemicalegg.com Congratulation. This is one of my favorite decks, and extremely hard to find. :) Scion

LadyMedusa	21 Jan 2005
Marion, I think I saw a copy of the book at a discount bookstore I visit regularly. If your interested let me know and I'll see if it is still there when I go this weekend. LadyMedusa

Alta	21 Jan 2005
Scion, LadyMedusa, was just starting to answer this when I started to get error messages from ATF. Wow! I had no idea! Literally, the eBay auction had NO picture and just said Full Deck Of Tarot Cards - Brand New for the title, and underneath in the description box the entire text was 'these cards are beautifully designed" lol, seriously, I thought I was an idiot and would get a second copy of Caring Psychic Family. Scion, thanks for identifying it and also thanks for the links. Lady Medusa, sure if you can get a cheap copy of the book, I would love to have it. Please PM me the details, including shipping! wow

Ruby7	21 Jan 2005
Congratulations Marion! Sounds like you got a great deal. Another nice new deck for us all to look at when we have our next meeting :) All the best, Ruby7

tmgrl2	21 Jan 2005
Way to go, Marion!! That's a deck I would love to own... Happy for you.. terri

LadyMedusa	22 Jan 2005
I hope to go tomorrow, as long as I can get out...we are supposed to get more :eek: of that white stuff. I'll let you know:).

Rusty Neon	22 Jan 2005
Congratulations, Marion! It shows that calculated risks are sometimes worth taking! Please be sure to bring the Alchemical (and the vintage Thoth) to the next meeting! :)

Alta	22 Jan 2005
Lady M... no biggie... if you can, that's great, if you can't, I'll hunt it down on the 'net. Thanks! Rusty, Ruby7, tmgrl, thanks! Yes, we'll have some interesting decks to compare next weekend. Marion

tmgrl2	22 Jan 2005
Marion, your getting the deck on eBay reminded me to check in at AmazonMarketplace. They had one used book and deck of Place/Guile Alchemical Tarot! I ordered it. It was $44 for both. So thank you for posting about your purchase, since it reminded me to check in at Amazon. terri

Alta	22 Jan 2005
You are quite welcome! It strikes me as a very interesting deck. I have been through it a cuple of times. All I know about alchemy comes from some vaguely remembered stuff I read in the 80's.

Kiama	22 Jan 2005
I recently found a mint copy of the Alchemical in a used bookstore for £4. It was still in its shrinkwrap, with book and everything! Needless to say, I squeeled, jumped up and down, and grinned like a Cheshire cat until my fiancé rescued me by reaching to get it down from the top shelf (I'm short... :( ) I love this deck. Beyond words. Beyond comprehension is some cases! Alchemy is something I've recently become very interested in, and to see it included so well in a Tarot deck is a joy to behold. Enjoy your new deck, Marion! Blessings, Kiama

Alta	22 Jan 2005
Kiama, what is the name of that unusual 6 pointed star on the Queen of Pentacles' coin?

LadyMedusa	22 Jan 2005
Marion, It's gone:(. The young lady who arranges that section of the store said it sold around mid week. If I see another I will let you know. LadyMedusa

Alta	22 Jan 2005
Hi Lady M! Thanks you very much for your generous offer. I will work on tracking it down on the Internet. And the cards are wonderful as they are. Thanks again, Marion

tmgrl2	22 Jan 2005
Marion, Amazon.ca has the book and the book and deck ..I think they are used....but looks available. Just do a search for Alchemical Tarot and up will pop the available prices. terri

Kiama	23 Jan 2005
Marion wrote: Kiama, what is the name of that unusual 6 pointed star on the Queen of Pentacles' coin? The only place I know it from is Crowley - he called it the Unicursal Hexagram, and you sometimes get a Thoth deck with an extra card with it on. All I know about it is that it can be drawn endlessly, without taking pen from paper. I'll ask my Thelemite friends when I see them next, and hopefully they'll be able to give me more information. :D Blessings, Kiama PS - silly me, just looked in the accompanying book. Acc. to Place the star means balance, harmony, and well-being. I'm still going to ask what Crowley thought it meant though.

Alta	23 Jan 2005
Thanks! And, yes, I would be interested in any other information you happened to find. I do have a Thoth with the Unicursal hexagram, I just didn't recognize it out of context.

Kiama	25 Jan 2005
Spoke to somebody about this last night, who said that to Crowley the Unicursal Hexagram was just another version of the trad. hexagram, and so it represented (as well as everything already said) the union of Heaven and Earth... It is Matter rising up to meet Spirit, and Spirit descending to meet Matter, both meeting in the middle. Hope it helps! Kiama

SongDeva	25 Jan 2005
Heartfelt congratulations, Marion. What a lovely thing to have happen!

Annabelle	25 Jan 2005
Interesting. I didn't realize that the Alchemical deck was OOP. I got lucky, then...I picked up a like-new, unopened copy of the deck/book set at Goodwill for $2.00 several months ago, and it has quickly become one of my favorite decks.

SongDeva	25 Jan 2005
Annabelle4 wrote: Interesting. I didn't realize that the Alchemical deck was OOP. I got lucky, then...I picked up a like-new, unopened copy of the deck/book set at Goodwill for $2.00 several months ago, and it has quickly become one of my favorite decks. They are going for $US 80-120 on eBay right now. You got quite lucky!

tmgrl2	25 Jan 2005
SongDeva wrote: They are going for $US 80-120 on eBay right now. You got quite lucky! I just got book and deck for $44 on Amazon.com...I kept searching and a used one popped up. terri

Scion	28 Jan 2005
Hey Marion, You have a PM re: a copy of the Alchemical's Companion Book.

Alta	28 Jan 2005
Hi all, I have been away for the last 5 days and just saw these comments. btw, I saw that the amazon resellers market now has a deck/book combo for $149US. I paid 3 pounds for the book plus 2 pounds shipping. Came to about 10 or 11 dollars Cdn. I took Scion's hint though and got myself a used copy of the book so my total for the deck is a bit higher than that. Marion Thanks Kiama, I appreciate it. From what you say, that symbol is very relevant for the Queen of Coins.

Scion	28 Jan 2005
Excellent!

tmgrl2	30 Jan 2005
Just had to add on here...I have been reading the book and looking at the deck...I think the book is amazing and the deck reflects the entire alchemical process (or multiple processes within the bigger one) so well. What a marvelous book and deck! Maybe we can do some readings with this deck here at AT, once we have had a chance to spend a bit more time with the cards. terri BTW....Amazon.com just listed another NEW set of book and deck at $44.00. I ordered one for a friend!

The Please help me identify deck I bought on eBay thread was originally posted on 21 Jan 2005 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.