The Dark Grimoire Tarot

F.M. Tarot

teomat said:
Thanks for the heads up Le Fanu!

I'm currently studying this deck and I'm sure I'll get this book at some stage, but at the moment I'm just gonna go by my own feelings about what each card means. Like you say the images in this deck are very suggestive and readable without the Lovecraft knowledge.
I'm a little bit worried that if I start reading into his work (and learn about the monsters in the deck and what the artist intended to portray), it'll 'kill' the mystery of the deck for me...
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Reading Lovecraft would kill the mystery? Never happen! He is the master of mystery, horror and the deeps. Reading him or about the mythos would only deepen the mystery and depth of the deck.
 

teomat

F.M. Tarot said:
Reading Lovecraft would kill the mystery? Never happen! He is the master of mystery, horror and the deeps. Reading him or about the mythos would only deepen the mystery and depth of the deck.
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I hear ya :D

I know I will get curious at some point and will want to look up the Lovecraft references, but at the moment I just want to let the images sink in and get my own impressions down first.

I just like the open-ended feel of the imagery at the moment - I can come up with my own stories for them. My own 'mythos' perhaps :D. But once I know the real intent behind them (by looking up the Lovecraft refs), I kinda feel they'll confuse my meanings.

Hard to explain I know, but it would kill the mysteriousness (and thrill) of the deck for me.
 

Cactus Dahlia

I came across this deck when Le Fanu referred to it in another thread. :) I am definitely not into dark decks and don't know the background stories to the Dark Grimoire at all. I think it was The Chariot that first got me interested in this deck. I loved the action and the 'rawness' of the image. Not sure if that is the right description, but it's the closest I can get right now.

Sooo, do I buy this deck and get the greatest, straight-to-the-point readings I've ever had; or do I buy this deck and find it so repulsive that I have to get it out of the house asap; or do I not buy it, noting it's interesting but not for me?? ...

If I bought it I wonder if I would I feel like Mimers does as alot of this resonates with me?

Mimers said:
Well, I got mine and went through the whole deck twice so far. Do I like it? I don't know!?!?! I mean, yes, I love it, but yuck! Ewww, but WOW! Does this make sense? Let me explain that I am not in to this dark stuff, or magic for that matter, so really, I am surprised I even bought the deck. My first go through I really thought I would be trading it away, however, after looking through it again, I am intrigued. I looked at all the cards and really appreciated how the meanings are depicted in such an interesting way.

Let's just start with the Fool. I look at this card and I say, who here is the crazy one? Is it the man in the suit or everyone else? Is this what's going on in his head? If so, does that really mean he is crazy or is it all real?

I also love the 4 of pentacles. That guy would just not let go would he? Took the book to the grave with him literally. And the knowledge too. Notice the mouth is sewn shut. He wanted to keep it all to himself.

There are only subtle hints of color in this deck, yet the artist was able to show details. The Gothic Tarot is another darkly colored deck where this obscures a lot of the picture which is a shame. Not so in this deck. The artist used their colors and shadows beautifully.

So what is my beef? Well I am just not into all this creepy stuff. Those creatures are just icky. It is just too much for me. I like bright stuff, like my Fey deck. I also don't know what a lot of it means because I am not familiar with this theme. What do all those books mean? I don't know what they are or why they are so important. Who is this woman that is often depicted in cards like Empress, The World, and 9 of Wands? Who are these guys in the suits and why are those nasty creatures after them. Why did the guy in the Hanged Man hang himself? Did he have too? Did he find something out in that book that he had to make sure was never repeated?

Gosh the deck is so intriguing! Yet, I don't want to like it. I think, however, I am not going to have a choice. I want to find out more so I can understand all the wonderful twists and themes in this deck.

Another amazing deck from Lo Scarabeo!
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So, now that many of you have had the Dark Grimoire for a while now how do you feel about it? Do you use it often? What does it read like? Do you still like it? Are you glad you bought it?

I'm not a tarot deck collector. I only buy a deck that I will use. So I would dearly love to hear how everybody is getting on with their Dark Grimoire so I can make a decision about whether to buy this interesting deck.

Thanks.
Dahlia :)
 

teomat

I think Mimers post sums up my initial feelings about the deck too, though it's not as grim as it seems.

It's an intriguing deck. I studied it for a while (there's a study group for it in the forums) and found it an immensely thought-provoking deck. It challenges you on a deeper level. I saw all the monsters and weird creatures as the inner demons we all have and therefore the deck is like a lesson in developing your courage.

As a reading deck, I don't know. I don't actually read with it, but the imagery is certainly evocative and atmospheric enough for your imagination to run wild.
 

Pagan X

One of Lovecraft's best-known and loved tropos is the "forbidden book". The one that make you go mad, but that's better than reading it aloud, 'cause that makes you go dead.

So, I think that for those readers who have not yet yet been....properly traumatized through the enlightening experience of reading Lovecraft...to encounter the deck and absorb it sanity destroying insights in their own mental timelines is entirely apropriate!
 

Cactus Dahlia

teomat said:
As a reading deck, I don't know. I don't actually read with it, but the imagery is certainly evocative and atmospheric enough for your imagination to run wild.
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Pagan X said:
..I think that for those readers who have not yet yet been....properly traumatized through the enlightening experience of reading Lovecraft...to encounter the deck and absorb it sanity destroying insights in their own mental timelines is entirely apropriate!
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Thanks for your comments teomat :) and Pagan X. :) It's an interesting deck, but may be not for me after all, at least for now!

Dahlia
 

Freddie

I must say that I cannot quite believe how good this deck is. I don't find it to be all that scary and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy the Victorian-Edwardian Horror genre. Any others here under the spell of this enchanting deck? I feel I could keep this with my two trusty Oswald Wirth decks and never miss the others.

I will post more later as I have a lot to share about this Tarot masterpiece. I would like to read how other feel about this deck.



Freddie
 

jema

I used this deck as my reading deck for a week recently and it flowed just perfectly, it is a beautiful and workable deck, not hard at all to get into.
Right now I am gonna use the 'sister deck' the 2012 ascension :-D by the same artist but quite different. To be honest I do prefer the Dark Grimoire one...
 

Freddie

jema said:
I used this deck as my reading deck for a week recently and it flowed just perfectly, it is a beautiful and workable deck, not hard at all to get into.
Right now I am gonna use the 'sister deck' the 2012 ascension :-D by the same artist but quite different. To be honest I do prefer the Dark Grimoire one...
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Me too Jema, both are attractive decks, but D.G. would be my choice of the two.




Freddie
 
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