Margarete Petersen Study -How are you liking it so far?

Looking through the table of contents I can see that I am not fond at all of the suit of swords (feathers) except for the ace (which is a beautiful bright peacock feather), the snowy four, and the dreamy two.

I did most of the cups right away, indeed I adore these sky and seascapes, in particular the surging equine waves of the six, the pearl of the nine, the calming waves of the ten, and the lotus ace, (though I can hardly abide the stripey jaggedy ethnicky cups courts).

I adore also most of the wands (flames) especially the princess! and the ten, with its doves. I like the big cats and the colour of fire in this suit.

I am not that thrilled with the muddy suit of coins and all those foot-prints, (not big on mud colours) except for the eight with the beautiful gold-leaf leaf. (hahah) (But I like them better than the swords).

As for the Majors, I think the Empress card with its gaping vagina dentata is the most hideous thing I have ever seen. But I simply love the Star, Death, the Chariot, the Hanged Man, Temperance, and the Fool.

Looking over the whole deck, I find I by far perfer the painted images to the collaged ones, and that I don't actually love the artwork so much as I love studying the artwork, and deciphering the text and its relation to the artwork. I find her text very difficult to understand, as though she writes in riddles.

What do you like about the deck so far, and dislike? Are you getting anything out of these threads? How do you like her text?

hi firemaiden ... I've just begun to join in the discussions, having accessed the website deck images just recently for the first time. I appreciate your enthusiasm, efforts and German and operatic inputs. (I wouldn't have known about the German story about the diamonds. MP is really assuming a lot from us from North Americans if she wanted us to get that analogy on our own. However, it IS a German book we're working from. Perhaps an English translation by the publisher would have filled in the German cultural background.)

The website images make it easy to understand and join in on the discussions. I'm not sure if I'd buy the deck. Past experience shows me that my enthusiasm is greater before than after a purchase. Thus, ironically, maybe I can keep my interest in the deck fresher by not buying.

The art itself is not my cup of tea. However, I agree with you that it's interesting to study the artwork.

Ah well, Rusty --
-- If the reference is indeed there (and it may just have been me seeing it) I don't think it is more obscure than the operatic and literary references in the Thoth -- Tristan, Parzifal, etc. Moreover, there will be many more references which go far over my Westernly civilized head: I know nothing of the eastern traditions she incorporates, the Tao, Yoga, Shaminism, etc, and whatever else I don't even know enough about to name... But it would be lovely for there to one day be an English language book on this deck (and of course I would love to write it!!!)

( I'm an American --although my roots in Berkeley, California -- a city which intends one day seceed from the union -- or at least the state -- mean that might change...hee hee hee)

http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/german.htm

Darn, it's only an urban legend, and all these years I thought it was true.

Plaît-il?

Well in all of this I forgot to mention... my favorite card out of the whole bunch!!! It is the Eight of Cups, in which I see all sorts of things probably nobody else will see, but it reminds me of something I find very moving about Berlin-- the thinly buried history.

I have been fascinated by this deck since I first saw pictures of it in the Encyclopedia of Tarot Vol. # 3. And those were just in black and white! Then I found your thread and have read all your posts with interest. I go to the picture (thank you for posting the web site) and read your post and look, compare and mull over the picture and text. Sometimes I even post a little thought or two. I haven't been able to scrape together the money to buy the deck yet. But I just wanted to post and tell you how much I appreciate you translations, and your dedication to this thread and this deck. Nameste.

Thanks Lark! I am so glad you do! please continue.

i love the look of this deck and its true originality and freshness. i am seriously considering buying it but my practical side tells me that this is a lot of money to spend on a deck i may get in my hands and find opaque or too difficult to read with. so firemaiden and all other MP faithfuls, how do you feel about this deck now? its been over 3 years since you all answered this question, have your feelings changed? has it grown on you? or begun to bore or even repel you? do you use it for readings or just to look at the art once in a while? is it useful or just pretty? im dying to get an insider's perspective...

-Nick

Well, I don't use it much. But I am fond of it.

if you dont mind my asking, why not? did you two have a falling out?