Sometimes the way that a Tarot deck comes into our hands is absolutely incredible! It ends up being a story in and of itself. I just had that experience – and not for the first time. I am sure that others of you have had the same thing happen. I decided to share my story about three of my decks that were adventures in and of themselves. The deck that I am going to start out with is the deck that I just received – the “Deviant Moon Tarot”.

The Deviant Moon Tarot

The “Deviant Moon Tarot”, by Patrick Valenza, has been out since 2008. I already have one copy of it, so why did I have to get another one?  When this deck first came out, I was really not interested in it. The artwork was so non-traditional that I didn’t think that I could connect with it. I kept hearing about the deck, and seeing it, so I bought it. And I did connect with it. I don’t use it often, but I love taking it out to stretch myself, to get past some self-imposed boundaries.

We recently had what is called a “Super Moon” … a very powerful moon that had not occurred in twenty years. I saw on Facebook that Patrick had taken eight decks out with him into the full light of the moon, to charge them for special work. He was offering seven of those decks for sale to the Tarot public. I went straight to his site and purchased one. Patrick not only charged the decks, he signed the cover card and inner flap, and wrapped the box in black paper with silver markings.

I was so excited when this deck arrived! I very, very carefully cut the tape that was holding the wrapping paper together, and folded the paper to be kept for future use. The charged deck (which has strong lunar associations on its own) will only be used for personal readings and ritual work … this is how intently I feel about Patrick’s work. I don’t know where this deck will take me, but I am amazed at the journey so far!

Patrick – thank you for being you!

The Gaian Tarot

There are two versions of the “Gaian Tarot”, by Joanna Powell Colbert. The version that I am referring to here is her initial Majors only deck. I had followed the progress of that deck closely, and was one of the first to purchase it. One of the reasons that the deck drew me in was that it is nature based, and the scenes depicted struck home with me, as they are from here in my own state of Washington.

Looking forward to receiving this deck was an experience in and of itself. Putting the decks together, packaging them up and sending them out took a village, and all of their energy was evident when I opened it. The cards came in a royal purple velvet bag, lined with green and purple patterned silk, and a gold drawstring – handmade by Joanna’s friend Elaine Nichols. In the bag with the cards was a small sachet of mixed herbs (sage, sweetgrass, cedar, and lavender), all grown on Lummi Island, where Joanna lived at the time. I cannot tell you how many of us commented on the Internet about having our noses in those bags quite frequently! The fragrance was magickal – just as it was mean to be! Also included in the bag were a shell, stone and beach glass that were hand picked from local beaches. My contribution was to add a small rose quartz crystal.

This is another deck that I set aside for personal readings, and for ritual/ceremonial work. The deck is very earth-centered, and the plants and animals depicted are all local to me. This gives me a connection that often takes me far beyond what would normally be expected – if indeed we should have, or do have, expectations of our decks. It is comfort food in deck form. One last thought here is that the animals in this deck have a dual nature – they are who they are (i.e. an owl is an owl), but they also hold the mythological aspects of their species. The human figures also hold a dual nature – they are of this world and of the Otherworld. No wonder I have such an easy time journeying with them!

Thank you, Joanna, for blessing us with this deck, and your incredible visions!

Tarot of Dreams

The “Tarot of Dreams” is a joint effort between artist/author Ciro Marchetti, the incredible author/artist Lee Bursten, and the extremely talented Carlos Andres Rodriguez, who did much of the digital work. This is yet another deck where I was able to follow the progress from the very beginning. (This deck grew out of Ciro’s first deck, the “Gilded Tarot”. As with the other two decks that I mentioned here, I watched my mailbox like a hawk, waiting for its arrival!

This is an 80 card deck – the two extra cards being a stunning graphic of the Tree of Life, along with a front card signed and numbered by Ciro. In place of a LWB there is a CD, which was a first for me – I had never seen this done before. This is not your mother’s CD, people! It is totally interactive, The intro is very “Star Wars”, and totally awesome! One of the things that Ciro did was to include an extra 40 cards in this deck – the Minor Arcana Pips (numbered cards) done in Marseilles-style.

The Major Arcana, Minor Arcana and Court card interpretations are provided by Lee Bursten. Aside from the card interpretations, there is a section explaining the esoteric symbols used in the “Tarot of Dreams”, the Story Spread, and a selected bibliography.

There is quite the list of extra’s included with this deck: wall paper, screen savers, letterheads, and a link to the download for the “Orphalese Tarot”, to name a few.

It was, and still is, an incredible experience to read with this deck, and to work with the CD. Ciro and Joanna (author/artist for the “Gaian Tarot” were two of the first people that really showed me what an Indie can do – and they did it up proud!

Ciro, Lee, Carlos … my everlasting thank you for gifting the Tarot world with this incredible deck and CD!

Conclusion

These are not meant to be mini-reviews, although they read like they are. My intent was to share my experiences with some absolutely incredible decks. This won’t happen with every deck – if this were so, the sparkle would certainly wear off very fast. Open yourself to experiencing your decks to the deepet level that you can. They will bring you joy, comfort, peace and solitude. They will make you happy!

Tarot on!

by Annastacia Simon

[blockquote]” I am beginning to understand the Transparent Oracle! Which can only mean, I am beginning to understand myself…”[/blockquote]

[dropcap1]T[/dropcap1]his was a recent status update of mine, and even in it’s simplicity it sums up a period of rumination which I certainly haven’t finished – but I’ve definitely graduated to the next level. Shortly after I finished reviewing Emily Carding’s Transparent Tarot – I was given the opportunity to review her newly released oracle deck, and of course I wanted to dive in and give it my all. However, from the very moment I received the cards, it was clear to me that I was being ambitious. As I eased them out of their packaging and spent some time acquainting myself with my new divination tool, I think I expected them to feel comfortably familiar.

The Transparent Oracle is just as gorgeous and carefully designed as the Transparent Tarot. You would think, with a feast of visual stimulation, that you would get messages from the start, thick and fast as they say. I am sure that there are individuals out there whose minds are built for just this sort of divination – but I’m afraid to say that I was completely lost. My early notes were full of ”failed” readings. I found the combinations in front of me too confusing, the messages too expansive and even with Emily’s lovingly constructed companion book – just too much for my beginner’s mind.

But I have to point out that this is in no way a slight on either the oracle itself or Emily’s style. Let’s put this in perspective, shall we? Take your average oracle, as illustrated or mentioned in mythology, or media. Whether they are baking cookies whilst speaking in riddles or writhing, enraptured in the act of prophecy – the seeker of knowledge is almost always stood there slack jawed and drooling reverence. So was I, and so might many of you be should you decide to try these cards out.

[image img="http://www.tarotelements.com/images/TransOracle27-34.jpg" rounded="all" alt="Transparent Oracle"/]

I also have to take into consideration my personal experience. When I do tarot readings I feel I am touching base with the surface layers of my life experience. The day to day activity which may tip me in this way or that but stays pretty fluid. But when I work with an oracle deck, it feels more like I’m tapping into those aspects of myself that don’t see much sunshine, the shadowed unknown where the first seeds of the self are sown and hopefully given enough nourishment and patience to grow into our dreams, ambitions and eventual actions. An oracle takes you down the twisted path, because you know that you have to get lost to find yourself, but this can often be a frustrating or even frightening experience. For me, I was very close to accepting defeat entirely and passing on this review – when it dawned on me that my real issue was that I needed to prepare for what the oracle was clearly ready to deliver, to give it some room to lay down those important seeds which would later grow to be understanding. You wouldn’t start a herb garden by throwing a handful of seeds over your shoulder unto a messy lawn and just hope that they would take root. You would clear a space, turn the turf and give them the best possible start. This is what I needed to do, and once I did…well that road to self awareness still lies in front of me and I have a lot of walking to do, but the Transparent Oracle has given me much inspiration, and I’m grateful for it.

Not everyone is going to have this experience, a lot of people are just going to ”get it” from day one. But one of the best things about these decks, regardless of which one you use, is that what you will experience will be true to you. It will be an individually crafted journey, and there may be many junctions which the universe offers you. Sometimes you may be tempted to believe that happenings in your life , or people you interact with, carve the road ahead of you. There are folk who think that we are all passengers in life, riding the mutual universal experience. But I feel that what we need to realise is that we are the captains of our human voyages, each and every one of us. We need to take back our individuality and tap into our soul sources. Tools such as the Transparent Tarot and Oracle – help us to reclaim that personal power and to also respect our need to go at a bit of a pace – for me, it meant waiting months and experimenting with the cards to be able to complete this review, but it’s been worth it to be able to say ”I get it now” and have the opportunity to continue to explore this deck.

In my previous review, I included a bit of a reading I did with the tarot cards but I’m not going to do that this time. This is because the oracle doesn’t give me direct answers to my queries, but instead sends me on intriguing soul searches to enable me to find the truth myself. So showing you my readings would be like showing someone who has never seen a sunflower it’s seed and trying to explain, spiritually, the journey that seed is about to make. It’s magical and personal. What I will do is try to answer some common questions you might have, as someone interested in possibly trying this oracle deck yourself.

[image img="http://www.tarotelements.com/images/TransOracleBeesDragons.jpg" rounded="all" alt="Transparent Oracle" align="center" lightbox="true" /]

How do I do it?

Get into your preferred head space, undertake whatever preparation you feel necessary – this is your journey so take joy in making it personal to you. The best possible thing you can do to guarantee results is to think outside of the box and try not to rely on any preconception of how to utilise an oracle – except – that you should always be respectful to said oracle and be prepared to do some heart work. But how or when you should do it? That’s for your to decide and the more comfortable you are, the better the results. So take it to the beach, spread it out in your kitchen window, talk to them and most importantly – listen to them and yourself. There is no real way to do it wrong – so long as your aim is true, just remember that if we were given all the answers with no murkiness, we would be very boring people indeed.

Can I combine the Transparent Oracle cards with the Transparent Tarot deck?

Simply, yes, and I hope you will do so whenever you get the urge! For me, combining the two decks is still a bit too much for my novice noggin, but I hope to give it a proper go in the future – I may even do a second review focusing on this method.

What does the Transparent Oracle look like?

Pretty! Emily’s distinct style rings true in this sister deck, though where the Transparent Tarot was rather minimalist the Transparent Oracle is more generous – this is a circular deck, and so the designs are equally so, often spreading out into multiple facets like gorgeous snowflakes. They stack up in a lush, soul provoking way and create mandalas worth getting lost in. As for the images themselves, this is a very shamanic oracle indeed, and so the pictures relate to the souls experience – drawing on aspects of celestial and elemental inspiration and utilising guides to walk with us and atmospheres to set the scene.

I’m a collector of tarot and oracle decks, can I just buy the Transparent Oracle and keep it on a shelf with the rest of my collection?

Sure! But you should get it out and have a play with it at least to absorb the gorgeousness. Enjoy!

I’m sold! Where can I get one?

Those of you in the US of A can can mosey on down to Schiffer Books, and those of you in the UK and Europe can set sail for for Bushwood Books.

I am not the first to review this wonderful tool, and I am quite sure I wont be the last – but I hope that I have inspired you to try the Transparent Oracle yourself, as well as to push yourselves to take a different approach to personal divination. As I set my compass for due Self, Id like to thank you for walking with me for a short while, and I hope to see you somewhere down the line.

Annastacia Simon

Tarotpedia is a wonderful online site, a collaborative effort initiated by Jean-Michel David and the Association For Tarot Studies. It serves as a literal encyclopedia of Tarot for the Tarot community, and is an excellent resource. Anyone can become a member and assist in the growth of this site. Participation is encouraged, whether it is simply noting an omission, making suggestions or contributing directly to the page. All of us in the Tarot world together can do so much more than one or two of us alone, IMHO.

I want to add a personal note here – I have followed the Association For Tarot Studies site and work for some time now, and have become a member. I am in the U.S., they are based in Australia, but the twain does meet! I have a great deal of respect for the Association’s work, and the high quality of material on this site.

Topics covered include Tarot History, Tarot Decks, Tarot Usage, Tarot Books, Tarot Cards and Tarot links. A good place to start is on their featured Tarot History page, which actually starts out in the 1400′s – before Tarot existed. Here we learn about playing cards, and how they migrated to Europe by way of the Mamluk Empire.

Tarot History

There is a detailed timeline on the history of Tarot, beginning in the 1400′s, including some beautiful scans of older decks. This is a good place to start looking at the sequence of the Trumps, where the imagery began, and who was comissioning the decks. We follow the movement of the Tarot from Italy, to France, Germany and Switzerland and beyond, and the importance of the game of tarocchi.

We read about the Tarot de Marseilles style decks, the development of modern Tarot decks, and the invention of occult Tarot. Traditional medeival allegory was replaced with thematic decorative images and the inclusion of numerals on the cards.

Included at the end of the Tarot History page are links to other theories on the development of the Tarot (theories that are generally not taken seriously by Tarot historians, but which may still be worth looking into). These theories include the Bardic origin of the Tarot, the Tarot of the Skull, the Astrological origin of the Tarot, the 5 X 14 Theory and the Medieval French Benedictine Theory of Origin.

Other external links of interest are to the Association’s site, their newsletter archives, their calendar of Tarot events (which is a world wide calendar), and the Tarot History forum.

Tarot Decks

The section on Tarot decks is a virtual treasure trove of material! There is an alphabetical list of Tarot decks, as well as an alphabetical list by artist. Most helpful! Site visitors can also search historical decks by date, by pattern (i.e. Bolognese, Sicilian, Minchiate, Marseille, Besancon, Belgian, Ettiella, Falconnier, Papus and Wirth, Golden Dawn, Waite-Smith and Crowley-Harris Thoth). The section on decks by characteristic include black and white, borderless, collage, photo collafe, digital, decks in development, Trumps only, mixed media, round and self-published.

Decks by theme include Animals, Plant and Minerals; Art, Anime, Manga; Esoterica (Alchemy, Astrology, Egyptian, Enochian Magic, Kabbalah, Occult and Hermetic, and Secret Societies (i.e. Freemasons, Templars and Rosicrucians).

Other categories include Mythological and Supernatural Beings (Angels, Devils & Demons, Dragons, Elves, Fairies and Gnomes, Monsters, Wizards and Witches), People and Places (Asia and Middle Eastern, Aboriginal, Celtic, Egyptian and more), Perspectives (Children friendly, Erotica, Gender and Sexuality, Gothis, Humous, Primal, Primitive and Primal, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Stories, Tales and Literature, Surrealistic), Religions and Mythology (Afro-American, Buddhist, Christian, Pagan and Shamanistic, Mythology).

Tarot Usage

Tarot Usage covers Tarot reading as counseling, Tarot reading as a divinatory practice, Tarot reading for the purposes of brain-storming, Tarot and Meditation, Tarot and Ritual, Tarot Games and Tarot reading as a profession.

Tarot Books

I adore the section on Tarot books! Of course, I adore books of all kinds, but I love the way that this section is organized (my memory is slipping as I get older, so I remember part but not all of something). The site visitor can look up Tarot books by title, author, date of publication or subject (Classics, Deck Companions, Disciplines, Fiction, History & Theory, Introductions, Reference, Secular, Special Topics, Study Guides, and Youth. There is also an external link for Tarot books in languages other than English.

For anyone wanting to begin research on Tarot history, to research Tarot decks (or deck illustrators), or Tarot books (or authors), Taropedia is a wonderful place to begin. If you are looking for a specific category of deck or book, here is the place to find it. One stop shopping at its best!

I hope that you stop and browse this site – it is well worth your time!

Bonnie Cehovet