Tarot Sighting In Wired Magazine

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Aug 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Shoshin	28 Aug 2003
This is getting a little weird. There is a Nike ad in September's Wired magazine featuring Universal Waite Tarot cards! The Magician, The Sun, Strength and Wheel of Fortune all around their new sunglasses. First the HBO thing and now this. Is Tarot going mainstream?

Inana	28 Aug 2003
Mmmmh... call me idiot but whats the HBO? Is there any place where we can see that Nike advert on the net? Seems like if they are calling Fortune with those cards... I dont know if tarot is going mainstream, dont think so. But I was thinking about if there are other propagandas showing tarot cards or making references to it. Cant remember any now...

full deck	29 Aug 2003
Ignorance is *pretty* mainstream, i.e., ". . .the price of everything but the value of nothing". HBO = "Home Box Office" a popular movie channel that is subscribed to by those that buy cable TV. (Thanks Oscar.)

Kiama	29 Aug 2003
I think that Tarot is going mainstream in certain sub-cultures of society, at least in the UK. (I have no experience of American culture.) When I first started using Tarot, 10 (GASP! I feel old...) years ago, not that many people knew about Tarot. Now though, despite their age, religion, etc most people I talk to do know about Tarot, although I have noticed a huge predominance of this amongst teenagers. (Especially girls.) I think it's because so many teenagers these days are 'getting into' or 'dabbling in' alternative religions, magick, the occult, etc... If you talk to teenagers, most of them will know about or at least have heard of, Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism. (In fact, last time I checked, around 40% of the people I went to school with were either Pagan, etc, or knew alot about it.) I think this renewed interest in the occult also includes Tarot, since it is so predominant on the bookshelves of shops in the New Age section... There is so much out there offered about Tarot, that it is very very easy to get hold of information on it, books, decks, courses, etc. The internet has also helped I think. (Places like Aeclectic for instance!) Magazines that cater for teenage girls have picked up on this, as have programmes aimed at young people. Call me a trainspotter, but I make a point of quickly skimming through all teenage magazines to see what they have about Tarot and other occult-related topics. Magazines such as Sugar, Bliss, J17, 19, Mizz, etc have published articles on the occult or alternative religions, many of them including Tarot. The Mizz magazine recently did a Tarot-card-an-issue, cut out and keep style. (I'm in the process of getting all the back orders of this, cuz the deck was pretty good actually!). Sugar have also published two Tarot decks which they gave away free with their magazine, the first one being in 1996, which was the best one by far, and the second one being in 2002. New Woman have also published a deck of Tarot cards, and More! published a deck called 'Position of the Fortnight Tarot cards' a couple of years ago. (Don't ask. Just guess. })) I saw an article in one of these magazines not too long ago about different forms of divination, and the magazine got S Club 7 (I think) to use different divination tools and rate them. They used the Chinese Tarot deck at one point and rated Tarot quite highly. Now, let's not forget the proliferation of magazines that are dedicated to the occult and alternative: Prediction, Chat's Fate and Fortune, TakeaBreak's Fate, Spirit and Destiny, Know Your Destiny... These are all widely available from corner shops, bookstores, and newagents around the UK, and all very regularly have something to do with Tarot in them. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has also used Tarot in many of their episodes, firstly with Spike's sire (I've forgotten her name... Dahlah?) and secondly with Willow and Tara. The children's cartoon, Card Captor Sakura I am absolutely convinced is based on Tarot... It's not said, but one can't help but notice the striking similarities between the programme's deck and the Tarot deck. }) Does anybody remember the KitKat advert with the Tarot reader? It's another example of the media picking up on these things... It is amazing to know how many people have owned, or own, a deck of cards now. Even people who aren't interested in it will think nothing of buying a friend one of those cheap gift sets from a bookshop. I am constantly amazed at how many people confess to owning a deck: I was giving a talk on Paganism to an A-level Sociology class, and talked a bit about Tarot. The teacher suddenly exclaimed "I've got a set of those!" The X-men comics had a character who's codename was 'Tarot', and who used Tarot cards. I would say that Tarot is getting quite popular all of a sudden. With so much information about it out there, and with so many references to it in so many medias, it's bound to happen... Kiama

Alissa	29 Aug 2003
My opinion only : Tarot is just one of many supernatural/spiritual things that will come more to the forefront in the coming age of this world.

Inana	31 Aug 2003
Quote: Originally posted by full deck HBO = "Home Box Office" a popular movie channel that is subscribed to by those that buy cable TV. Thanks for the explanation. :) Kiama, Im surprised with all those "girl"magazines giving tarot information and decks... I dont think here we have that proliferation, but i dont know for sure. Specialized magazines in occult or alternative are only a few, but probably growing. These days on tv i've seen an advertisment of a collectible of tarot decks and a guide on how to throw tarot cards. You now, every september the collectibles are overpopulating the kiosks. As i can remember is the second year with one about tarot. I dont think tarot is going mainstream, but more out of the shadows. I mean people dont see it so odd now if we compare with some years ago. What is more popular for sure is alternative medicine, meditation, reiki and this kind of things.A nd I agree with you, Kiama, its mainly young females who have more interest about this. Alissa: Why are you so sure spiritual and "supernatural" things will come to forefront in the coming years?

Alissa	31 Aug 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Inana Alissa: Why are you so sure spiritual and "supernatural" things will come to forefront in the coming years? Umm, just my opinion only ... based on what my Guides (or Inner Teachers) have told me about the state of this world we are in. Alissa believes, this world is under "spritual quarantine". And, a flood of people are coming back with less and less of their "spiritual blinders" in place ... giving rise to more and more who need to know how to use the gifts they are born into. For a more articulate view of the same concepts, you may wish to read some of Dorine Virtue's works. She gets a little "airy-fairy" for me at times, but in a nutshell, I agree with the material that she presents.

Little Baron	31 Aug 2003
I am not sure that Tarot is mainstream or becoming mainstream yet. Like so many other 'fads', the less dedicated will move on to something else soon enough. However, it is nice that people view the art differently and I think that a lot, that I have come accross anyway in the uk, respect the tarot even if they know little about it. There seems to be far less cynics these days. I remember back in 1987 or something that Madonna used them in one of her videos; the cards were of herself in a film. There was also Prince in 'Under the Cherry Moon'. Some of you know that I am a menswear designer. Only last month, there was a one page artical on the tarot in 'L'uomo Vogue'. I kept the artical but it is in italian so I cannot read it. I suppose that tarot can now be considered mainstream or fashionable if it is in a magazine such as Vogue. I am also pleased about this since there are always so many threads talking about how tarot is mainly for women, and here is an artical on tarot aimed purely at men. Best wishes Yaboot

catti	31 Aug 2003
inana, do you get Tu magazine in Spain? I think it is mexican but it is for young girls and this summer had a not very informative 3 page bit on tarot with Scapini pictures. so in a way it is more "out there" but i dont know alot of people who are serious about card reading here, i dont even know where i would buy a deck. There is still alot of stigma and supersticion attached to witchcraft as well as religion frowning on that sort of stuff.

Inana	01 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by catti inana, do you get Tu magazine in Spain? I think it is mexican but it is for young girls and this summer had a not very informative 3 page bit on tarot with Scapini pictures. so in a way it is more "out there" but i dont know alot of people who are serious about card reading here, i dont even know where i would buy a deck. There is still alot of stigma and supersticion attached to witchcraft as well as religion frowning on that sort of stuff. ¡Hola Catti! Im not sure if that magazine is in Spain too, since i dont use to buy magazines, but im not aware of it. I agree, tarot is more "out there" but i dont know until wich point is in a serious or way or with good information on it. Anyways, what is more sad is when on some tv programs the ones who go talk about tarot are the ones who give the bad name to it. I mean, bizarre people who only cares for gaining money, giving obscure explanations or even menacing with putting curses on someone... And for knowing where to buy decks... i have the same problem here. Only easy to find is RWS or some Marseille type. Doesnt seem to be many people around interested on it. Alissa: I really hope people starts to be more open on future to all this subjects and less material oriented. Will try to take a look on some book of Dorian Virtue. Thanks for the suggestion.

The Tarot Sighting In Wired Magazine thread was originally posted on 28 Aug 2003 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.