Useless Tarots and Undiscovered Splendors...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 24 Jun 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Cerulean	24 Jun 2004
...I saw a review recently that posed a question about useless tarots, which might in my eyes, be translated to used-less tarots with undiscovered splendors. I'll add links tonight of the decks that I noted--will you also post your picks and maybe art samples if you can? In my own way, I decided the weekend or perhaps the summer will be about my used-less tarot themes--such as my Japanese art tarots that talk to me about lovely brushstrokes, themes of East and West in color and tarot symbology...and Fairy Tarots with odd histories. Have a useless or used less pick? Something that means nothing might feel useless...or is there a deck worth everything to you for no reasons but your own? The Ukiyoe Tarot adds nothing yet seems to me to mirror a bridge between playing cards and decks that evolved into a Japanese gambling game and Marseilles gaming decks, with the Ukiyoe touches and an offbeat humor... The Gen Enishi Urainai 22 majors found at a used bookstore site for little dollars and the Inner Pathways to the Divine seemed a meditative find right for the summer...especially with art/collaging encouragement! Longmoment is my bow to ancient Chinese wisdoms...and lovely brushstrokes...this has been a beautiful example of me artwise. It adds value to me... I'm reading John LaFarge's An Artists Letters to Japan and looking at his impressions of an ancient world through his fresh, delighted eyes. And just to throw in a new used-less discovery, the Fairy Tarot book is surprisingly delicate, touching and enlightening about European stories and the two artists' (Lupatelli and Richard Doyle)'s designs and how they relate to Italian divinatory meanings that Lo Scarabeo favors in many decks.

cartarum	24 Jun 2004
i find the used-less tarot, is such because the greatest knowledge /power is always misunderstood and left to collect dust, because we simply do not understand it until we are exposed to it in experience. i have always favored the underdogs, anyways. japanese art is so expressive, and compelling, i am amazed that it is not given greater treatment in tarot circles. say, are there celtic crosses in the lwbs for those decks? im collecting them, so i am curious. thanks oh! forgot to mention my own personal pick for used less tarot, the tarot of the vampires. i like the art, but i really like the cross variation! ~A~

Cerulean	24 Jun 2004
The book for the Fairy Tarot has spreads and card pick samples from the deck...Longmoment has a few samples and Ukiyoe has one spread, the Celtic Cross, but it's not modified for the deck. I believe the Japanese book for the Gen Enishi Urainai shows a celtic cross and since its a 22 majors only deck, I'll also check the book...but likely the variation is only that you can do a celtic cross with majors. However the Diane Toland book Inner Pathways might have a majors only celtic spread, so I'll check there as well. Thanks for adding another point for me to look for...will post spread samples later after I link to decks.

lionette	24 Jun 2004
Great thread, Cerulean-Mari! I'll be back with my pick, but in the meantime, just wanted to say that I'm looking forward to seeing your choices and watching this thread develop!

cartarum	24 Jun 2004
ya know, its funny, but the tarot of the vampires has a majors only cross too! lol.

Cerulean	24 Jun 2004
Uranai by Enishi Gen (available at Sasugabooks.com)-22 cards only: http://www.themysticeye.com/pics/uranai.htm http://www.tarotpassages.com/uranai1.htm ----------------------------------------------- Longmoment--all cards according to suit: http://www.hoose.com/sumi.html Lee Bursten's review: http://www.tarotpassages.com/longmoment-lb.htm I only found this at tarotgarden.com ------------------------------------------------ Ukiyoe Tarot, all cards: http://www.tarot.com/about-tarot/decks/browsedecks.php? newdeck=59 Nice review: http://www.wicce.com/ukiyoe.jpg Best found now through abebooks.com site Happy looking! Regards, Cerulean Mari

Satori	24 Jun 2004
Well, many of you know by now I love the Whimsical Tarot. I gave up being embarassed by it anymore, I love it that much. I originally bought it for my daughter, and then I started using the Whimsical to get to know it, and I can't put it down! My daughter will sometimes look at the pictures, but I know she isn't ready for it yet, so I've accepted that the deck was always for me. I long for the Fairy Tarot you are talking about Cerulean, and I will have it soon, but there are so many decks calling to me.... But, getting back to the Whimsical, as an English major the deck appeals to me. Fairy tales are not always all that whimsical, and the themes in Fairy tales are already fairly archetypal, and most of us are familiar with the stories. So, for me, this deck is very rich and very accessible. Couldn't find any online images of the Whimsical and don't have a scanner, sorry. But check out Sleeping Beauty as Death, Humpty Dumpty as the 10 of Swords and Santa Claus as the Emporer...Oh and the Empress is the Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe....just a very fun deck. And, the Hanged Man becomes the Hanged One in the Whimsical and is a very beautiful card. Can't wait to see what else gets recommended... edited to add: Aeclectic has images of the deck, of course!

Cerulean	24 Jun 2004
This interesting review had scans of the deck known as the Whimsical: http://www.tarotwisdomreadings.com/TarotDecks/Whimsical.html

hedgecub	25 Jun 2004
Not sure if this quite qualifies.. I have a copy of Tarot of the Animal Lords which I adore (being a cub and all). I just can't bring myself to read with it. The 'darker' cards in the deck, such as :T3S, :T10S, :T5P make me feel incredibly sad when I look at them, and I just don't want to read with the deck for fear of drawing one of those cards. For some reason, this problem is not at all present with any other deck. While I find it relatively easy to be objective about cards portraying human darkness and suffering, animal suffering really makes it hit home. Maybe one day when I feel up to a honest, blunt deck, it'll be TotAL for me :)

WooMonkey	25 Jun 2004
I recently got the Dante Tarot. The art is beautiful and provocative, and I felt it was worth the money. However it is pretty much useless for me for readings. The suit assignments are counter intuitive, and some individual cards are baffling! But this is a deck that I truly got for the art, and it can be used in meditation excercises (especially with the cards representing the various sins!). :D

Jewel-ry	25 Jun 2004
The Sante Fe - came to me from a car boot sale in Majorca, it was in excellent condition and was only 2euros so I just couldn't resist a bargain. Its artwork is ... different but I just don't get it. I would never part with it because it is so different but on the other hand I could never read with it. I honestly cant tell one card from another but I feel sure that maybe one day I will pick it up and it'll all slot into place (I wish!) http://www.tarot.com/about-tarot/decks/browsedecks.php? :)

tao51	30 Jun 2004
I love my Cary-Yale Visconti deck. Up to now I simply behold its beauty. I have done little with it for readings. It is on my list of things to do.--Tao

The Useless Tarots and Undiscovered Splendors... thread was originally posted on 24 Jun 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.