what would be a good chrismtas tarot ?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

HOLMES	07 Dec 2002
i was thinking of christmas and thinking of the tarot and one tarot where i saw actual christmas scenes. THE INNER CHILD TAROT :o) if i recall two scenes from christmas was in the minor suit and actual father christmas as a court card . now if you take the actual scenes. bad christmas card would tower ( house catches fire on christmas , but famiily outside holding hands hugging eachother ) death card (old person who is about to die surrounded by his family while he looks at the christmas tree with a smile ) hermit card ( person (scrooge ?) going way from singing people to remianst of christmas pasts ) fool card ( child dress in baby clothes looking at a christmas tree) five of pentalces ( people on the streets trying to get by , yet besides him is an angel beaming love at him ) (angel believer here ) any ideas ,,

Pollux	07 Dec 2002
The Star is THAT Star... ;) And the Three if cups could be the three Mages with Gold, Frankincense and Mhyrr High Priestess to me is LA BEFANA The Hierophant is Father Christmas Ten of Cups the big holiday dinner Ten of Pentacles the fake Santa at the Mall, with people ignoring him... In the Whimsical, isn't there Santa as the Emperor?

allibee	07 Dec 2002
Hi Holmes Four Pentacles sounds more like Scrooge to me, miserly, selfish, stubborn. You've actually sent me off down another train of thought here Holmes: The Victoria Regina and Retrokats Golden Tarot....hmmmm.....what about a Charles Dickens Tarot? allibee

truthsayer	07 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Pollux In the Whimsical, isn't there Santa as the Emperor? yes, that's correct. would mrs. claus be the empress? the chariot could be mary being carried by mule with joseph beside her to bethlehem or chariot could be santa claus in his rein deer driven sleigh. the judgement could be santa checking over his list to see who's been naughty or nice. the world could be earth with an image of santa driving his sleigh around it or santa surrounded by children of many different nationalities. eight of pentacles could be an elf creating a toy. this is fun!

Pollux	07 Dec 2002
Truthsayer, that would be SANTA TAROT and quite not Christmas tarot! :P *LOL* :D Ten of Wands - the Yule Log :D Ace of Wands - The first dawn of the season, a smily face of a blond baby Knight of Cups - Anchangel Gabriel Oh no, WAIT! The Archangel Gabriel giviong the evangelium, (How do you translate it? "Merry News?") to Mary would make quite a wondrous and marvellous Judgement card!

Khatruman	08 Dec 2002
Hmmm, how about a whole Scrooge Major Arcana with Scrooge on a Fool's Journey? The Ghosts could be different cards, Xmas future is Death, His journey into the underworld is the Devil, hmmm, thinking out Fezziwig, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchet (sp) etc. might fit in. Any ideas here?

HudsonGray	08 Dec 2002
Hmm, then you've got that whole sleigh journey, the reindeer, St. Nick versus the Father Christmas aspect, the cookies & milk on the table, the fireplace, the sack, the opening of the presents, the 'unsuitable' present everyone always gets, the outdoor decorations, the garbage can with the wrapping paper & boxes and the dead tree..................... There's a lot to work with.

Scorpion	08 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Pollux Oh no, WAIT! The Archangel Gabriel giviong the evangelium, (How do you translate it? "Merry News?") to Mary would make quite a wondrous and marvellous Judgement card! Pollux, I think the phrase you're looking for is the Annunciation (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). Allibee, You mention the Victoria Regina - I agree with you there: I've got it at the back of my mind that I read somewhere that the Victorians actually invented Christmas as we know it. Just can't think where I picked that up from. Again, I'm sure someone else on the site will have more idea. Generally, people are coming up with terrific ideas here and I'm not sure I can match any of them: let's see.........how about.....ummmmm....a shepherd as the Hermit, all alone out on the hills with only his lantern for light? Or bad old Herod as Death? The flight to Egypt as the Tower (everything crashing down around Mary and Joseph)?

truthsayer	08 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Pollux Truthsayer, that would be SANTA TAROT and quite not Christmas tarot! :P *LOL* :D :rolleyes: uh, perhaps i'm mistaken but i thought christmas must be when santa comes or could you be thinking about the little town of bethlehem tarot... :p LOL but seriously, i think christmas has enough legend and mythology surrounding it that it should be able to suit the birth of christ, santa claus/st. nick, scrooger or other things we associate with christmas just like the halloween deck does such a fine job of melding a lot of halloween stories into one deck.

RedWood	08 Dec 2002
I dont know much Christmas myth..but from what tiny bit i know..these would be my choices.. Devil=Santa Lovers=Mary and Joseph Hanged Man=Christ World=God in general Fool=would be us, society..fitting in where needed..

HudsonGray	09 Dec 2002
Hmm................how would the Muppet Christmas fit in? Kermit & Fonzie Bear? You DO have 78 cards to fill in ya know. As for 'our' Xmas celebrations, I think it's a blend of German & English. Old England had the trees they borrowed from German celebration, and added lots of ribbons & fancy stuff (and those inverted cones filled with nuts) whereas Germans used tiny candles (can we say fire hazard!!!) and heavy presents usually hand made. English started out with fruits & baked goods as presents, then expanded when the German way started being popular. T he Yule log I THINK is English. Not sure on that one. The old style pictures of Santa are based on Europe's St. Nick who was skinny & carried a bag, but went around on foot. The 8 tiny reindeer and sleigh were an American addition as well as the fat Santa in the modern red suit--that was done by some NY newspaper in either late 1890's or early 1900's & got EXTREMELY popular (I think it was based on the book Night Before Christmas that came out at the same time). So the whole event has been evolving from the 1800's to present day. I know in Holland they still use a Santa Claus with Black Peter (or two Black Peters) as helpers, not elves.

Jewel	09 Dec 2002
I think you need to leave the religious and the commercial both in to have a representative X-Mas deck. I love many of the ideas already propsed so I am trying to not repeat cards already addressed unless my idea is different. My cards would include: - Devil should be people chained to a shopping mall. - Strength would be Santa taming the Grinch who Stole X-Mas (the green furry one) ~giggles~ - The Hierophant could be a priest in the right colored vestments with two alterboys (or girls or one of each). The suits I would use would be: - Stockings - cups - water - Candy Canes - swords - air - X-Mas Trees - wands - fire - Presents - pentacles - earth

The what would be a good chrismtas tarot ? thread was originally posted on 07 Dec 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.