The Mary-El Tarot: A whole new level of Tarot?

[Endorphine]

I can not resist of impression that some of the cards were well-done, but others were left as a sketches. Or even.. like this deck was drawn by two or even three people.

[RunningWild]

Originally Posted by Mi-Shell

You are never away from the Divine.
You are never further away from the divine as anywhere else. the Divine is inside you, You are a part of the divine.

erm...I didn't say it, the artist/author, Marie White, did.

Pg. 98 (Paragraph 3) in Landscapes of the Abyss by Marie White

"All of the 5s carry with them an element of challenge and suffering as, in a spectrum of 1-10 they are the furthest you will be from the divine, locked into the pit of your body, your own hell...into which you will have to go to retrieve the core of yourself so that you can turn and move back toward that source in the 10."

[RunningWild]

Originally Posted by Endorphine

I can not resist of impression that some of the cards were well-done, but others were left as a sketches. Or even.. like this deck was drawn by two or even three people.

*sputter

I almost snorted my coffee. That would have hurt!

[Mi-Shell]

Originally Posted by RunningWild

erm...I didn't say it, the artist/author, Marie White, did.

Pg. 98 (Paragraph 3) in Landscapes of the Abyss by Marie White

"All of the 5s carry with them an element of challenge and suffering as, in a spectrum of 1-10 they are the furthest you will be from the divine, locked into the pit of your body, your own hell...into which you will have to go to retrieve the core of yourself so that you can turn and move back toward that source in the 10."

I know!
That is, how Mary sees it.
But really - is your body your own hell?
ARE you ever away from the divine?
Or have we- or at least some of us, to here rise above the limited and limiting vision of the artist?

[RunningWild]

Originally Posted by Mi-Shell

I know!
That is, how Mary sees it.
But really - is your body your own hell?
ARE you ever away from the divine?
Or have we- or at least some of us, to here rise above the limited and limiting vision of the artist?

Sort of? I actually understand her vision as she's expressed it and don't find it so limiting as I believe it's a challenge the individual encounters that permits them to grow. As, for my personal divine nature...let's just leave it alone, shall we? I don't typically use tarot for spirituality. In fact, to date, I have NEVER used tarot for spirituality.

[Sulis]

Just to let everyone studying this deck know that the Mary El study group now has it's own sub-forum: http://www.tarotforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=162

[Debra]

Originally Posted by Mi-Shell

I know!
That is, how Mary sees it.
But really - is your body your own hell?
ARE you ever away from the divine?
Or have we- or at least some of us, to here rise above the limited and limiting vision of the artist?

I think it reflects a very dualistic Christian view. The body is temporary, stained by original sin; the soul is eternal. The body leads you into sin with its urges and needs. Damn the body! so to speak. The overall feeling I get from this deck is that it is a battle cry against Christianity. For example, the Devil isn't "wildness and temptation" like in a traditional deck--it's constraint and order.

[Alta]

Originally Posted by Endorphine

I can not resist of impression that some of the cards were well-done, but others were left as a sketches. Or even.. like this deck was drawn by two or even three people.

Yes, I also find the art uneven in completeness.

[Mi-Shell]

Originally Posted by Endorphine

I can not resist of impression that some of the cards were well-done, but others were left as a sketches.

Yes, I am with you and Alta here. Today I drew the 3 of cups and - it is sooo - un-MaryEl- ??
Beautiful simple image, but it could be from any deck and reminds me of the Vision Quest.

[Mi-Shell]

Originally Posted by Debra

I think it reflects a very dualistic Christian view. The body is temporary, stained by original sin; the soul is eternal. The body leads you into sin with its urges and needs. Damn the body! so to speak. The overall feeling I get from this deck is that it is a battle cry against Christianity. For example, the Devil isn't "wildness and temptation" like in a traditional deck--it's constraint and order.

Thanks for writing that, Debra!
Exactly that is, what I see as limiting in how I personally can work with this deck...