Recent deck purchases!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Jun 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

HearthCricket	14 Jun 2005
Well, I have basically gone nuts with purchasing, so I think I have officially become a Tarot Deck addict. My collection is still small, but seems to be growing quite a bit, lately! Just came back from a trip to Borders with my arms full. Also had a nice talk with the salesperson and told them about Aeclectic Tarot. Now they can't wait to get off of work and check out the website! Anyhow, here is what I got. DruidCraft-Totally loving it. This will be my Autumn/Halloween deck that I have been looking for. Only complaint is the white borders-the colours should spill over the edges, and without the border it would have been a bit smaller and easier to figure out how to shuffle. This will be an interesting challenge. But this deck is enough to turn this Catholic into a Wiccan! Drooling over the DruidCraft.... Voices of the Saints-Interesting deck, fun to see the various Saints, some popular, some obscure, looks like old fashioned Holy Cards, which is nicely done. A little disappointed that some of my favourite Saints, also very popular ones, are not here. Nice collection piece, but not sure I will actually read from it. You never know. Medieval Scapini-I already have a history with this deck. (See some of my other posts!) Let's see if I can keep it, this time, and not toss it in the trash. A very nice deck that gave me very accurate readings, if I had only listened. Now I am just desperate for more. It is never-ending!

FireRaven	14 Jun 2005
HearthCricket, you really picked up some interesting decks! I came from a Catholic background and am bridging the gap between my religious heritage and the Earth-based heart with a deep study of the Celtic Avalonian Mysteries. My most recent deck is the Celtic Wisdom Deck. The cards are a bit large, and the artwork is almost Shamanic, but they resonnate with me very deeply. Since the Trumps and Suits are non-traditional, I use it with my newer "Revelations" R-W-S deck for additional insights. Your opinion about the Voices of the Saints Tarot is interesting to me. I had looked into decks featuring the Saints but had decided against them because they add one more layer of religious dogma to cards that already freak some people out. Of course, if you were reading for a Catholic they might go over well! LOL! Enjoy your new "addiction" and the SoulJourney that goes with it. Blue skies and blessings, -FireRaven

HearthCricket	15 Jun 2005
Thanks, Fire! I expect my Revelations to arrive, today, from Amazon! I can't wait! I really did pick up a mix, didn't I? LOL Well, that is how I feel today, much like you. Tapping into all corners. I think lots of people are. We are definitely missing something in our Patriarchial (?) faith and I want to explore that missing link. Druidcraft is great. Fabulous artwork. I wish US games or someone had picked it up to give it better paper stock. But I still love it and see why others are addicted to it. As for the Voices of the Saints, again, I won't be using it for reading, even though I have no problems with my Russian/St. Petersburg or my Golden Tarot for readings. This one just is made more for art. An interesting collection, indeed!

FireRaven	16 Jun 2005
HearthCricket wrote: As for the Voices of the Saints, again, I won't be using it for reading, even though I have no problems with my Russian/St. Petersburg or my Golden Tarot for readings. This one just is made more for art. An interesting collection, indeed! Hi HearthCricket! My Mom just got this deck after look with something that could brigde the gap between the Earth-based/Catholic faiths we've been straddling ever since I was a small child. She's Russian and Polish...and the deck makes her feel connected to her heritage as well. She's just learning the Tarot, and is a bit intimidated by the cards at times. I tell her to just play with them, and don't get too involved with the esoteric aspects while she's learning. Do you know if there's an extra companion book other than the LWB that came with her deck of cards. She would love the folklore, and I think it would help her understand her cards on a different level. Thanks for any help you might be able to give! PM me and/or add me to your buddy list if you'd like. -FireRaven

Little Baron	16 Jun 2005
There is an accompanying book to the 'Russian Tarot of StPetersburg' - by Cynthia Giles- ISBN 0-88079-196-9 LB

HearthCricket	16 Jun 2005
FireRaven-I really don't know if there is a book to go with the Voices of the Saints. I have never seen one. But, as Buddha pointed out, there is one to go with the Russian St. Petersburg Deck. I have that and I think your Mom would absolutely love it. I do, and I am not even Russian, but it is one of my favourite decks to read from. The cards look like the black lacquer boxes that are hand painted in Russia. There are other decks out there, like the Golden, the Golden Renaissance, and the Golden Tarot of the Tsar that she would love, too. All with Christian connections and gorgeous artwork-nothing offensive to her sensibilities. The St. Petersburg may just be the connection she is looking for.

NightWing	18 Jun 2005
HearthCricket and FireRaven: Just a few points that may be of assistance. Regarding the Voices of the Saints deck, though I've searched, there apparently isn't any book for it, and frankly, I doubt there will be. I too was hoping this might be a good "bridge" deck for Catholic friends, but it has limits. One limitation is that it isn't really a tarot at all, with no Majors, and so on. As an oracle deck however, it can be useful. A pious Catholic might also find it useful for devotional prayers, as a set of Saints' images. I'm not sorry to have it as part of my collection. I have a certain passion for slavic and byzantine art, and the Golden Tarot of the Tsar and the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg are both wonderful in that regard. There is also the Egorov Tarot, if you can get it. You might also want to check the Tarot Garden website for examples of less well-known but lovely Russian and Polish tarot decks. Best Wishes!

FireRaven	18 Jun 2005
Nightwing, I did find the book for the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg thanks to the help of Little Buddha. I got it for my Mom from Powell's.com, and know she'll love it. The Russian cards connect her to that part of her ethnic background, and as she's been playing with them, I can see how much she enjoys them. I may get her a Polish deck from the Tarot Garden for her birthday in November in honor of her Polish side. My Mom raised my two brothers and I as "Green Catholics" as I like to call it. We went to Mass and went through all of the sacramental rites, but also celebrated the Festivals of the Great Wheel, and the changing faces of the Moon in quirky family rituals. Our house altar may have had an icon of the Black Madonna on it, but there was no doubt that She was The Great Mother in her Christian guise. I grew up thinking this way of experiencing the Divine in both the Green World, and in more traditional church setting was completely normal. What a rude awakening to find out that was incorrect! Anyway, the above paragraph was just an aside to say that I'm not interested in "Catholic" or "Christian" decks on the whole. The Byzantine art is incredible, and I've thought about merely collecting the Tarot of the Tsars, but couldn't imagine reading from it. Oracle decks are a good idea for friends who would have a heart attack if they knew I was in an Avalonian Mystery School and read anything but the Bible -LOL- but I don't have too many of those folks around. Those close to me know that I am a student of life, love comparative religion, friendly debates, and cherish open-mined curiousity. Thanks for your input. I'm so glad to be in a place where someone just might have an answer to any question put forth without pretense! What a blessing! :D -FireRaven

NightWing	20 Jun 2005
FireRaven: What a lovely concept! "Green Catholicism" as a blending of the "Old Religion" and the "New" one! I hope you appreciate how special your mother was in doing that for you. Though protestant Christians have given her the heave, so to speak, from any prominent place in their belief system, I've always been attracted to the continuing role of Mary in the Catholic and Orthodox churches. There she essentially represents the "Divine Feminine" in an evolving way; appearing for example as Our Lady of the Lake (Notre Dame du Lac), Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Mercy, Star of the Sea, Queen of Peace, Queen of Heaven, and ultimately (for Catholics), -Mother of God. Mary is known by many other titles, but she has been venerated for centuries by variations of Lady-Mother-Queen. Interestingly, for many Catholics, she is present for them at the core of their devotions, and their faith and spirituality would be unimaginable without her presence. (She is essentially Maiden-Mother-Crone, and more, but in Catholic terms). In Tarot, she can be seen in the High Priestess (there are even statues of Mary that are similar), the Empress (in fertility and the bringing forth of life), the World (Queen of Heaven/Queen of the World), and possibly in the Strength and The Star cards as well. In fact, I've sometimes wondered whether American christian fundamentalists have just as much of a problem with tarot cards for their Catholic content as for their supposed satanic connections. What is true is that tarot cards as we know them originated in Italy, long a very Catholic country with a very long and deep devotion to the "Blessed Virgin Mary", in her many guises. This latter point is one reason I do not accept the notion that "Christians abhor Tarot". Most of the world's Christians are Catholic, and most Catholics are comfortable with cards, at least as games. It is not a great stretch to the Tarot, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, the "older" Catholic countries. I'm not talking about church officialdom here, but rather the faith and practice of the common people. So the Lady-Mother-Queen lives on, and will, I suppose, into a distant future where she will likely be known by yet more and different titles. Perhaps one day there will be Catholic devotions to "The Green Lady" or "Mary, Mother of the Earth"!

FireRaven	20 Jun 2005
Dear Nightwing, Without totally changing the focus of this thread, I wanted to thank you for your beautiful and sensitive reply to my posting regarding my background. Funny what evolved from HearthCricket's fascinating collection of "new" deck purchases! I'd love to chat more, and am sending you a PM. Answer if you'd like, and when you can. I'll see you around the boards! Blue skies and blessings, -FireRaven

FireRaven	20 Jun 2005
HearthCricket wrote: Fire! I expect my Revelations to arrive, today, from Amazon! I can't wait! HearthCricket, Did you get your Revelations deck from Amazon? If so, what do you think of it? I'm mesmerized by the Majors, and while it took a bit of time to get into some of the Minors, I'm finding myself enchanted by them as well. So many decks...so little time to acquire them...all! ;) Cheers! -FireRaven

HearthCricket	20 Jun 2005
Funny you should say that, as I just grabbed my Revelations Deck to spend some time with, and as it was right next to the computer, I decided to hop online to see what was going on in the world of AT! It can get pretty chaotic when you buy lots of neat decks all at the same time, with each one demanding your attention. Right how we have a study group for the Russian St. Petersburg on the other board, and all are welcome. Revelations is gorgeous...this is going to be a fun deck! It is definitely one of the most unique decks I have ever come across and just love the reversals. The whole deck has a nice balance to it-major and minor arcana flow nicely. I haven't even shuffled this deck, yet. I am still in the bonding and staring/drooling stage!

The Recent deck purchases! thread was originally posted on 14 Jun 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.