feminist approaches to Tarot?

[prosewitch]

I'm researching the impact of the goddess movement and feminist spirituality on Tarot, and I'm wondering whether anyone has any books or articles to recommend. I've got Barbara Walker's _The Secrets of the Tarot_ and I've been reading up on a number of goddess-related decks (Motherpeace, Triple Goddess, and so on).

However, I'm not seeing a lot of applications of feminist theory to Tarot, as in, deconstructing gender roles, looking at power and sexuality, and so on. I think a lot of the goddess-related decks and books are wonderfully empowering, but in more of a practical-feminist way, less of a theoretical-feminist way.

Maybe something will come out of the Popular Culture Association's meeting this year, where I hear there are a few organized panels on Tarot (I can't attend, sadly)...

 

[jmd]

There is someone currently undertaking her PhD Dissertation on the historical relation between women and Tarot (within a Gender Studies department), though I remain totally unsure as to the approach taken.

There are also various more psychologically oriented papers that, though a more psycho-semiotic approach, may be relevant - from Inna Semetsky.

One other person that comes to mind also did her MA thesis in Women's Studies (though not on tarot), and since makes her living from tarot.

Apart from Inna's papers (some of which are online - her MA was on a more psychological aspect of Tarot readings), the others remain by private contact (unforunately).

I also wonder at what level you are researching this?

 

[prosewitch]

Hi jmd--

Sorry for not specifying--I am a Ph.D. student in folklore with a minor in gender studies. The class for which I'm writing this paper is taught by an archaeologist, and we use a lot of anthropological approaches to studying ancient women. I had to talk my prof into letting me do this topic because she wasn't sure that there was a connection between archaeological scholarship and representations of goddesses in Tarot, but lo, there is.

In this paper, I trace the influences of scholarship like Marija Gimbutas's work on "Old Europe" on the goddess movement which in turn influenced (and is still influencing) the creation of Tarot decks. Recent Tarot iconography has shifted to include more goddess figures, often based on ancient figurines of goddesses, and Tarot interpretation has also shifted to signify more female figures as goddesses rather than females of other types--for example, The Empress held secular symbols in many older (eg: Marseilles) decks, whereas now she is depicted like an Earth Mother. These changes, of course, have ideological implications, especially as many archaeologists do not support the thesis that there used to be an egalitarian goddess-worshipping culture in prehistoric Europe.

Thank you for the references--I will look up Inna Semetsky's work and see whether I can track down anyone else working in women's/gender studies working on Tarot...

 

[linabeet]

Hi,

Well you've got the two main decks there. Another I use is the World Spirit Tarot - created by 2 women in new york and has a very multicultural/gendered/body types view of humanity. I find it accessible and feminist minded.

A book I would recommend is Choice Centered Tarot by Gail Fairfield. She has an egalitarian psychological approach to tarot that fits very well with feminism and grassroots politics.

I think there are some articles in ReclaimingQuarterly.com about Tarot that would likely have a feminist approach to Tarot as it is an ecofeminist pagan tradition.

 

[bogiesan]

Rachel Pollack's 1989 book "the New Tarot," long out of print, contained descriptions and interviews, new decks from women designers and artists.
I had it in my collection, a terrific score from Powell's in Portland OR. I stupidly loaned it out. Never saw it again.
You can spend a few hours looking for it on used books Web sites.
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/rachel-pollack/new-tarot.htm
http://www.rachelpollack.com/writing/booklistindex.html


Rachel's works may not be what you're looking for in deconstructing gender roles but she's a fabulous, distinctly feminist, I think, writer.

david boise ID