Tarot des Femmes (Tarot de Mujeres) -- the effrontery

Chiriku

In another thread, I was asked to identify decks I regret buying. I described the
Tarot des Femmes by Peter Enghelhardt (2007; AG Muller) as an "insult."

Chiriku said:
The Majors aren't half bad for what they are--swishy, swirly soft focus New Agey paintings--but the Minors are the biggest slap in a tarotist's face I've possibly ever encountered.

The same 5-6 paintings--most of them plucked directly from the Major Arcana--are recycled throughout the Minors, and sometimes not even with sufficient "space" between them. For instance, the Page of Cups and the Queen of Cups, and the Ace of Wands and the Two of Wands, are all essentially the Justice painting with different titles and background colors.

The Lovers--a pair of demure line drawings holding hands-- pop up everywhere, such as on the Six of Swords. And I don't mean the same characters doing something Six of Swordsy...I mean the Lovers, on the Six of Swords.

I am never one to anthropomorphize decks. But the effrontery here feels less like Engelhardt's and more like the deck's; it makes this deck seem almost human in its expressions.

They are the expressions of no one you'd want to know. They're those of an impudent trickster thumbing their nose at the reader. "You think you're special, do you? Deserving of 78 reasonably differentiated arcana? Here, try on this identical Knight and King of Cups--slightly less feminine facsimiles of the twin Page and Queen--for size. Enjoy!"
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See attached photos--fuzzy/poorly lit as they are-- for a few examples of the impudence. I didn't bother showing any of the utterly forgettable non-scenic pips cards that compose most of the Minors. If the Majors and Courts are this uninspired, surely you didn't expect the Seven of Pentacles to be appealing?

I usually think approvingly of AG Muller; they make very quality tarot decks, and their cardstock and card size are probably my favorite among mass-produced decks/publishing houses.


But this one has sat there in a plastic bin, surrounded by other, useful decks...constantly passed over yet smugly indifferent to my antipathy towards it.


I can't help but be intrigued by the bald effrontery, here.

I can't help but wonder if there's some quirky, niche use to which I can put these cards that appear designed for maximum uselessness.


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Padma

um....Use them as coasters...?

I can see why you didn't love them...
 

Chiriku

Lotus Padma said:
um....Use them as coasters...?

I can see why you didn't love them...
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I posted the best of the best, too. 90% of the Minors are soulless, endlessly recycled (across the four suits) pips. Even the most ardent lover of non-scenic pips--and I enjoy pips as a rule !-- would experience stomach cramps from perusing these.
 

vee

Hah, I always see a ton of these at Half Priced Books, but even just the packaging is enough to make me go "ugggh" and walk on. Don't think they're popular with anyone!
 

Chiriku

vee said:
Don't think they're popular with anyone!
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I believe no tarot collection is complete *with* this deck.

I wish I had a Half Price Books.
 

Masa

Can you build a little house with them?
 

Masa

Spend a few evenings learning how to do that little wrist-flick and get them in a hat from across the room? You won't have to clean them up as often as with playing cards.

Go to a used bookstore and stick individual cards randomly into books, providing some whimsy and a mini-fortune for whomever goes in and buys something.

For that matter, a professional tarotist could slap business-address labels on the backs of each of them and offer free one-card readings on a street corner, then give the card to their querants to keep when it was done. They look a lot better on their own than in a group, and a non-enthusiast won't care about the deck.
 

Chiriku

Masa said:
Go to a used bookstore and stick individual cards randomly into books, providing some whimsy and a mini-fortune for whomever goes in and buys something.

For that matter, a professional tarotist could slap business-address labels on the backs of each of them and offer free one-card readings on a street corner, then give the card to their querants to keep when it was done.
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The ideas have merit. See below...

Masa said:
[They look a lot better on their own than in a group, and a non-enthusiast won't care about the deck.
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Just so. This is why the ideas have merit; no one will be the wiser to the systemic problems. All they will see is the card I give them. Each card can become a mini-reading unto itself.

I also choose these ideas because I have little hand-eye coordination and cannot successfully throw cards into a hat.
 

magpie9

The laziness of the Artist/designer is appalling. It's a one-trick pony, only worse. They'd make ok bookmarks if they didn't enrage you. Possibly good for dull textbook use....your adrenalin would keep you awake? Might be handy for long-haul truck driving on the same grounds. ;)
 
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