Sunday, June 20, 2010

The return of the Tarot round-up

So many new lovelies for my collection! I know I shouldn't be buying more, but I'm going to do some whittling (eventually). Anyway, I've had a busy few months, so here's what I have to tell you about...

Arcus Arcanum – An interesting deck, visually it has a very 70s comic book feel to it. Graphic meanings are pretty straightforward and traditional to my eye. Nice stock, they slide well in the hands, a little bigger than a playing card deck but not too big to use. They don't really speak to me though. The LWB is pretty thick – and entirely in French. So of no help to me. Cheapish from BMV Edward.

Tarot de Paris – What a gorgeous set! Photographic in nature, the artist took his inspiration from sculpture and the result is truly beautiful. He has reinterpreted the major arcana into new ideas (The Fool becomes The Source for example, and Death becomes The Crossing); the Court cards eschew Pages and Knights for Spirits and Stallions; and the suits are now named for their corresponding elements – Matter (Earth), Water, Fire and Air. The Accompanying book is substantial, hardbound and printed one-colour, and its explanations are nice – going by number for the minors ("Threes are generative...", "Eights represent the challenges of maturity..."). The kit also comes with a beautiful rose-window reading cloth. Large cards, nice texture. Discount at BMV Edward.

Truth-Seeker's Tarot – These are really pretty gilded cards, with colourful illustrations that aren't the typical imagery – number cards show backgrounds and landscapes rather than the expected tableaus. A good size, with a smooth plastic-y feel to them (good if you like that but not my cup of tea). The book isn't bad, goes into detail to make the minors make more sense. Discounted from BMV Edward. [UPDATE: I passed this set on to Xognya so she would have something pretty to practice with.]

Complete Tarot Pack (including a complete Sharman-Caselli deck plus 'My Tarot,' the same deck but in outline form on matte stock, ready to be coloured in) – Nice kit! The two decks are the same size, just slightly larger than playing cards, and it comes with a one-colour book with full interpretations and exercises, plus a little pamphlet with hints on colour interpretation and how to use this in personalizing the outlined deck. As for the complete deck, the illustration style is not quite my cup of tea, but it's nice all the same. Another discounted deck from BMV Bloor.

Druid Craft Tarot – Not sure what to say about these, they're completely gorgeous but a bit large for my liking, and the more I look at the imagery the less I feel it speaks to me. They're really beautifully illustrated in coloured pencil, following Wicca and Druidic imagery. A few of these cards (The Magician card, for example) have a definite aura to them, certainly. With book! Another BMV Bloor find. [UPDATE: This deck has found a new home, with someone who will, I think, give them lots of exercise and love.]

Fan-Tel, The Fan That Tells Your Fortune – Proving that you never know what you'll find, these were a surprise at the Clothing Show last month! The tube case is pretty beat up, as is the instruction sheet, but the peg and all the sticks are still there and I think that's pretty good for something from 1937. I think I paid $6, I recently saw a non-beat up set auctioning for over $120 so that's alright. They're delightfully kitschy!

Tarot Deck (reprint of Tarot de Marseille) – Large, with a gorgeous feel, but a super-abbreviated LWB. And I really don't think I can read with them, but the historical graphics make me happy. A surprise find at BMV Queen.

Nice? I like. My favourite thing from this last bunch is definitely the Fan-Tel set, such a great find! What do you think?

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