Gay Tarot - Where is the Book?

[BS6Robin]

Hi, I'm new to Tarot, having bought the Gay Tarot by Lee Bursten. I emailed him, and was disappointed to find out that the publishers "Lo Scarabeo" didn’t commission a full book to go with the deck. Trying to use others to extract sufficient meaningful similarities creates work, which I believe is unnecessary if there was a full book to go with this Deck. I got a reply from the publishers, which essentially said 'if we feel the interest and the attention to the deck is high enough, we would surely change our mind.' "Riccardo Minetti"

Do others feel that there is sufficient demand for a full book. If there is, can you email info@loscarabeo.com, and add your voice to the single one I used.

I'd be very interested in knowing how many people use Lee's Deck. What spreads are there out there that I can use for gay people, and which ones bring more focus on their lives..

Quite a lot for a newbie, I know, but all thoughts appreciated.

Robin

 

[spoonbender]

Hi Robin, welcome to the Forum !

Lo Scarabeo publishes hundreds of decks, but only a small percentage has a book to go with it (for example the Fey Tarot), so this is really not exceptional. Actually, I think getting to know your deck over time is a very rewarding journey, more so than being handed everything on a plate right away.

And even then I feel there are other decks that deserve a book more than the Gay Tarot (such as the Secret Tarots, the Dürer Tarot or the Tarot of the Imagination), because the Gay Tarot is targeted to a VERY selective group (gay male tarot readers) and is pretty much based on the meanings of the (unfortunately) standard Rider-Waite Tarot anyway.

I don't own the Gay Tarot, but hopefully someone who does will chip in. There's a Study Group going on in the Study Groups Subforum, by the way!

Spoon

 

[tarotbear]

I believe that every deck should have its own book, and vice versa, particularly when it is a very strong deck and a very 'different' deck, for which I think Lee's Gay Tarot qualifies on both counts.

At the moment, Lee is "tarot'd-out" and is taking a rest, particularly with finishing up 'Tarot of Dreams.' I don't expect thim to write a book any time soon. I also wouldn't expect him to write on on speculations, either. So, if people wish to write to Lo Scarabeo and ask for one, it may the the best route to get one, but it is a long, long route. Publishing a deck of cards and publishing a book are two different worlds.

There is a Study Group for the Gay Tarot and each card is discussed, some with Lee's clarifications. Small potatoes, but it's a start!

 

[Lee]

Thanks Robin and tarotbear for the kind words. The decision whether to publish the book is entirely Lo Scarabeo's, and if they ask me, I would be delighted to write it. As tarotbear suggests, I don't have the luxury of free time to write an entire book on spec.

I agree with spoonbender that there are several Lo Scarabeo decks that deserve their own books. I don't think I agree, however, that the Gay Tarot is "targeted to a VERY selective group." The deck focuses on a certain group of people as a theme, but I'm sure Lo Scarabeo would be happy for anyone to buy it, and as far as I know they are not "targeting" a gay male audience, such as for instance if they took out ads in gay publications or the like. There are lots of people who aren't Celtic but who buy Celtic decks anyway. To say that the Gay Tarot is targeting gay men is like saying the Gothic Tarot of Vampires is targeting vampires.

-- Lee

 

[BlueLotus]

I agree with Lee that The Gay Tarot is not just for gay people. It is a deck that I, as straight female can use and enjoy; it has provided me with lots of insight into the cards and allowed me to see them in different angles, just as any other deck with a different twist than the RWS will do.

But I also would like to see a book that will work as a companion to this deck in order to go deeper into the mind of the author, and learn much more from him in relation to this particular deck and probably his overviews on tarot in general, being a renowned tarot expert himself .

 

[BS6Robin]

Gosh - multiple replies

Thanks for picking up this thread, and many thanks for the welcome to the forum! I do appreciate that Lee needs to rest from the past work. I'm perhaps storing up a request for perhap next or the year after ;-)

Having picked up his deck and felt it relevant to me, and therefore very usable, I thought it would be nice to have a companion book. I'm reading as much as I can and using other sources to help interpret the spreads I'm trying out.

I guess that a book will come along when its ready, for which I'm prepared to wait. The Gay Tarot forum is meanwhile an invaluable source for me. I will also look into the appropriate forum for more spreads.

Many thanks for all responses!

Robin

 

[Little Baron]

Some interesting ideas here. I do own the Gay Tarot, but it is not one I use recently.

I bought the Buddha tarot some time ago, and I must admit, that I have not worked with that either. After purchasing the deck, I realised there was a book and thought 'I've got to have that'. I thought that it would be the bible for that deck and all I would need to know would be in it. There is a lot of valuable information in there, but I do agree with Spoonbender when he says that 'getting to know the deck and spending time with it' is a great way to find out what it has to say - journaling what it means to you, recording the experiences you have with it. In terms of the Gay Tarot, there are so many different characters and possibilities surrounding them - the ones that come together in a said card and also how they may interact with the characters and situations on other cards. For example (forgive me Lee, but my memory of the deck is a little sketchy at this late hour), what assistance or wisdom could the mature guy gardening in one illustration give to the young man who is coming out to his parents in another? It is nice to have a book as a resourse to the deck and to see the ideas and inspiration of the author, but it can be limiting to think that, as I did, it stops there and the companion book will give you everything you need to know.

If a book for this deck is really needed, then I hope it will one day be available. Otherwise, I think the Gay Tarot deck is a very attractive picture book that has a 'million and one' stories to tell unaided.

Best,
LB

 

[Lee]

Very well put, LittleBuddha, and I agree with every word.

-- Lee

 

[little]

. To say that the Gay Tarot is targeting gay men is like saying the Gothic Tarot of Vampires is targeting vampires.

When in fact, everyone knows that vampires prefer the Hello Kitty deck.

 

[Clau]

When in fact, everyone knows that vampires prefer the Hello Kitty deck.

Or, the Glow in the Dark deck....LOL