Thoughts on The Ghetto Tarot?

[WolfSpirit]

I would love to see a real vodou deck in all its complicated and syncretic glory, but that probably ain't happening any time soon, so this deck will have to do. Still, I probably just could have bought a poster of the Death/Ghede/Baron Samedi card and been happy...

Have you seen the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot?
I think that is considered pretty serious in the subject matter:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=229775&highlight=orleans+voodoo

 

[gregory]

mainstream press coverage!.

Now this is interesting to see. For all the bickering in the tarot community, this is perhaps the only recent deck to get this sort of reference in serious mainstream media, so that has to be good sign. Tarot is not portrayed here as silly New Age magic but as a vehicle for something interesting.

I personally get nothing from this deck. This kind of photographic restaging doesn't interest me at all, but I'm glad to see this article.

Wow. Way to go Guardian.

What an absolute poor choice in the name.
The problem I have with this is that the creator is NOT the one who should be "taking back" the word "ghetto."

The local ghetto dwellers are working with her on this. Just a reminder.

 

[Zephyros]

The local ghetto dwellers are working with her on this. Just a reminder.

This amusing exchange between you and newcomers to the thread do raise an interesting question. It is obvious that peoples' immediate reaction is that there is something condescending going on, with a white woman lording it over the natives. Even if that isn't the case, if it did happen to be a situation where the artist held all the reigns and actually did do the project on her own, would that be that bad? Cannot a culturally respectful work of art be made by a foreigner? After all, this isn't a deck that seems to deal with traditional Haitian culture that much but with its poverty, which may very well be similar everywhere.

This deck could have been made in an American ghetto or a Palestinian refugee camp or the slums of Calcutta. Would the prevailing attitude towards the supposed imperialism going on mean that any Western works dealing with "plight" in other places are always bad? Were I to paint a picture of Ukraine filled with Russian tanks and call it "new order," would I be accused of profiting off tragedy?

My point is is that even if all responsibility is laid on the shoulders of the artist, that still wouldn't make the deck bad.

 

[NadaJ]

That is so racist to say that ghettos are for minorities. I'm white, from an upper middle class background (boarding school for a while even, some private schools, bachelor's degree, no drug or alcohol issues, and a high IQ) but I'm totally in the ghetto (not a Haitian one though) and have been here for a while. Hope to get out soon, but we all do. Life happens sometimes.

I'd want that deck, if it were drawn or painted (I'm not into photographed decks). I'd think it could show images of poverty that the people around me who want advice could relate to. Also, to me when I say "ghetto", it feels like I'm admitting a truth. That's what Tarot is to me, facing truth even when it makes you feel uncomfortable, or you'd like to use a white-washed filter to view the world, avoiding words that make you cringe.

By the way, living in the ghetto means that you are resourceful, level headed in crisis, and likely very creative when it comes to solving day-to-day problems. I can "mend, make do, or do without" like a freaking champion. Not everything about ghetto life is negative, it's only an insult if you look down on it.

I agree a lot with this. I'm a black American (my father's family also includes Haitian ancestry); the name of the deck took me by surprise, but I get the idea of "owning" the name. My frame of reference for the word is based on being from the south side of Chicago (IL, USA) combined with my social work perspective and married to a Jewish man. The bateyes of Haiti--the ghetto--is a dominant culture forgotten community, based on a marginalized identity, usually due to ethnicity, but also on religion, political, and socioeconomic status. By calling it the "ghetto", one is acknowledging the juxtaposition of poverty and oppression with community and ideas of self-worth.

After just returning from Kenya, seeing similar if not worst slums and rural poverty; wanting to be a westerner savior to a people and culture I am not apart of, and instead working together to empower and build capacity, I have a greater appreciation for this deck and can't wait to receive it in December.

 

[bonebeach]

Have you seen the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot?
I think that is considered pretty serious in the subject matter:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=229775&highlight=orleans+voodoo

I haven't seen all the cards--I looked at it once a while back and I think didn't love the art but I was mostly miffed about the Death card somehow? I think it wasn't a Baron and that was my issue. But then I followed your linked thread and eventually ended up at the study group and saw that the deck has an extra card...

http://tarotforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=29351&d=1214367805

Ooooh...and the deck is back in the running. Thank you for reminding me of this deck!

I think the Death card is important to me in any deck, but in a vodou type/inspired deck it's critical. The super accurate (and imho, stylish) Baron/Ghede depiction in The Ghetto Tarot was what made me really go for it.

 

[gregory]

I have just discovered (from the Guardian link) that the locals use the term as one of affection and community....

“For them, ghetto means community, family, union,” Smeets says. “So when Haitians say ghetto, they say it very proudly.”

I believe her actually though I'm sure someone will say white woman has it WRONG in a minute

 

[DarkYarns]

Group order?

Hi there,
If anyone is planning to pick up this deck, but hasn't done so yet, would you consider a group order? One of the indiegogo perks for take two is 5 decks for $125, with free shipping. I'd like two of these, maybe even three, but I certainly don't need 5. If anyone would like to pitch in with me, please PM me. Thanks.

 

[DesertDream]

This is one of the most beautiful decks i have ever seen and while im not crazy for close clone of the rwd in this moment of my life id buy this in deck in a heart beat. Black culture is not the only ones with the ghetto name attributed to them. And i am 100% sure she ment no offence and her intentions were not to harm.

But do I care? No! Honestly, when we are all dead and gone is it going to matter that a white middle class woman used the word ghetto for her tarot? Nope. I agree the name could of been better but im picky about tarot deck titles anyway. I dont think for one bit that this tarot should be knocked for its name. Kind of like dont judge a book by its cover. I read that she wanted to take back the name and change the outlook of this word according to her tarot, regardless of wether shes right or wrong, nothing she states is in anyway really offensive to me. And in retrospect I dont see the big deal. She helps these people out for god sakes doing much more for the people of Haiti than most would ever consider doing.

Being a person of mixed race i love this deck and despite the "big deal" over its name in which it does not matter at all, im going to buy it anyway. Both my sides of my family are from the ghetto and from upperclass but i would never let a name deter me from a deck when its this matter. It is not like shes a kkk member. I hope this deck gets really popular.