~ Tarot in 150 years...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 24 May 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

kayne	24 May 2002
Kiama and I were chatting and she suggested that she would love to pass her deck collection on to her grand kids so that in 150 years they would have a remarkable and valuable collection of OOP decks to marville at. This lead me to think about what tarot would/could possibly be like in 150 years! There has been such a boom in the publication of new decks in the past 30 or 40 years or so and many decks still draw upon rider-waite smith, thoth or marselles traditions... What do you think tarot could be like in the future?

Kiama	24 May 2002
I think the type of deck available would probaby include themes which are much wider ranging and 'weird'... Given the way our world has change drasticlly in the last 150 years, I am guessing it'll change just as drastically in the next 150 years, and thus the world's views and experinces would change too... You never know... In 150 years, people may be cryogenically freezing themselves (4 Swords), creating Designer Babies (Tower, according to many ethicists of today!) and flying in cars which rely on carrots or something for fuel! (Chariot) I'm not sure if the images we use now would be applicable or understandable in 150 years time. I mean, even now, some of the images from older Tarot decks are not appliacble to us nowadays.... Maybe somebody will have created mechanical Tarot decks, which are holographic and play interactive videos of each card, so that you could, for example, have a nice chat over tea and crumpets with the Queen of Cups, or join the Knight of Swords on another spiritual rampage... I want one of those decks... *Sniff* Gonna get me some cryogenic equipment! Kiama

Geenius at Wrok	24 May 2002
In the future, the decks will not have words on them, because everyone will be illiterate, and all the pictures will be animated.

Original Destiny	24 May 2002
In a 150 years time they could be BANNED..burned at the stake even!! just for possesing a deck...All it needs is an intolerant society...but i don't really think that will happen...maybe it will be tought at school...maybe everyone will own decks...nice to think so:TFOOL

Phoenix	24 May 2002
I think that there will me a lot more Cosmic Tribe like decks, as well as the old favorites, like the Marsailles, Waite, and Thoth decks.

kayne	24 May 2002
I agree Darryn, the old favourites will probably still be around. We (nearly) all agree that the 'feel' of an actual deck is important (compared to a CD-ROM tarot program...) so I wonder if these animated, cryogenic decks will feel right? Many of the new decks are still inspired by an aspect of the past... I wonder if one day a brand new '2000 themed' deck will be published in the year 2150?

jmd	25 May 2002
The International Times 28 February 2152 Quote: The International Journal of Esoteric Studies has only recently published a study which shows that back in the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st, an large number of Tarot clones were designed and printed! The report also mentioned that, around the turn of the century, the 119 year-old Kiama was reported to have had to move house for the third consecutive time due to her passion for these cards. Since the close of last century, the New Universal Aeclectic Tarot has of course replaced the search for various renditions of the True and Correct One deck. The report did not have to mention the obvious similarity this deck has with the Marseilles!

Diana	25 May 2002
edited

Malachite	25 May 2002
Multi-dimensional projections!... Cards that tell you what they mean..! so...that'll be no physical contact, and mechanical readers in place of fleshbloodandmind people...hmmmm Oh well...I might hang around to see the 2100s, if I can be bothered, so I'll bring the news when I catch up with you all!...except kiama...as long as there are decks she hasn't got, she cannot die...

MystiqueMoonlight	25 May 2002
I believe in this "new world" of materialisation that the tried and trued Tarot decks will remain and some which inspire the intuition more frequently and accurately such as the I Am One Tarot will emerge. During the 20th Century the Emperor ruled. The natural disasters which we have experienced over the last few years of that century IMO is the Empress struggling to reaffirm her position in this world. I have observed ppl trying to "get in touch with their spiritual nature" in recent years, be that through meditation or yoga classes, studies in Eastern Religion and/or philosophy and attending retreats that offer natural remedies and homeopathic care. Just take a look at the new marketing methods of brands these days. Now we have herbal essences in shampoos, plug in oils to relax to, and sounds of nature to play on our CD players. (take a walk in the country ppl!) My point is I believe that the cards will not evolve, but more likely devolve to what they really are meant to be and the intuitive minds out there will become the mainstream in using this system instead of the children's fair "gypsy in a tent" who has a copy of the LWB to help his/her interpretations.

Kiama	26 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Malachite except kiama...as long as there are decks she hasn't got, she cannot die... Gosh, I wish this was true...! I would, effectively, end up owning every single Tarot deck in the world... As long as they were stopped being created, otherwise I'd live forever, and we can't have that now, can we? ;) Kiama

Zhritza	27 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by MystiqueMoonlight I have observed ppl trying to "get in touch with their spiritual nature" in recent years, be that through meditation or yoga classes, studies in Eastern Religion and/or philosophy and attending retreats that offer natural remedies and homeopathic care. [...] My point is I believe that the cards will not evolve, but more likely devolve to what they really are meant to be and the intuitive minds out there will become the mainstream in using this system instead of the children's fair "gypsy in a tent" who has a copy of the LWB to help his/her interpretations. Rachel Pollack wrote a novel called "Temporary Agency" a few years back, and I'm kicking myself because I think I may have lost it; I haven't come across it in all my junk for at least a couple of years. Hopefully I'll find it after I move in July. Anyway it's in print, and I highly recommend it. It takes place maybe a hundred years in the future, and the society it's in -- I think it's the US -- is extremely shamanistic and polytheistic. Everyone has their own deities and spirits that they have personal relationships with. Also, ideas that have frequently been written off in the past century but are becoming more respected now, such as divination, power of intuition and other "supernatural" things, are the norm in this future. All things are believed to be possible, basically, although everyone has their own opinion. I remember being really impressed with how hopeful and wide-open the book's world felt to read about. It was like an affirmation that we will not necessarily become more jaded and desensitized, as many seem to think; we will become more and more awake. I adore Rachel Pollack. I want to have Rachel Pollack's children. :D

Major Tom	27 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama Maybe somebody will have created mechanical Tarot decks, which are holographic and play interactive videos of each card, so that you could, for example, have a nice chat over tea and crumpets with the Queen of Cups, or join the Knight of Swords on another spiritual rampage... I want one of those decks... *Sniff* Gonna get me some cryogenic equipment! Kiama I don't think we'll have to wait that long - the technology exists for this in the video game market. Someone just needs to write it. You need to have all the cards looking and behaving as they should. You could sell different decks as modules. Collector's are going to love this. :) Tarot decks for your x-box or game cube. Imagine having the Devil in for tea! Or playing tennis with Death? How about the Tower in for drinks and canapes? })

wavebreaker	27 May 2002
Sounds like a Tarot Holodeck (as in Star Trek). I love that idea! :D

catlin	27 May 2002
Me too, although I think having tea with the Tower might be a bit dangerous because of the tumbling bricks (I do not like the idea of having such a thing in my fine bone china teacup).

Faerie Lin	27 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Geenius at Wrok In the future, the decks will not have words on them, because everyone will be illiterate, and all the pictures will be animated. LOL, there it goes again, someone put me in my "giggling like a schoolgirl" mode. Lin

The ~ Tarot in 150 years... thread was originally posted on 24 May 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.