21 Trumps and a Fool

For God's Will or Money: The Long History of the Lowly Pip

2010-07-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

In recent years it has become quite widely accepted that tarot cards were not invented for divination, but were in fact added to the standard deck of cards for the purpose of playing a game. The game of Trionfo (or similar) was most certainly played for money when it first appeared in the 14th Century Italy as were card games in general. The use of tarot for fortune telling did not come about

Saturnalia

2009-11-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

As the holidays approach I see more and more Jesus yard signs in my neighborhood. That always gets me. I mean, who do these people think they are? People were celebrating the holidays in December long before this upstart Jesus appeared on the scene. If, like me, you espouse truly conservative and traditional religious values, and by that I mean, pagan values, maybe you should remind your friends

Cuddly Tarot?

2009-04-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck | Illustrated by Mary Hanson-Roberts. Published by US Games, 1985.RatingsHistorical Significance: NilArtistic Appeal: HighSymbolic Resonance: ModerateEvocative Potential: HighI have a fondness for this deck because it was the first deck I ever bought and used. Without any knowledge of Tarot, in 1986, I wandered into Perelandra Bookstore (now defunct) in Eugene, and

Campy Gloom

2009-03-31T10:19:00.001-07:00

The Bohemian Gothic Tarot। Designed by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov. Published by Magic Realist Press, 2008.RatingsHistorical Significance: NilArtistic Appeal: Most HighSymbolic Resonance: HighEvocative Potential: Most HighThis is my all time favorite Tarot deck to use. It's evocative, mesmerizing, and moody. It gives (or allows for) nuanced readings. Its images are meaningful as well as

Occult Collage

2008-09-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

The Archeon Tarot, by Timothy Lantz. Published by U. S. Games Systems, Inc., 2005.RatingsHistorical Significance: NilArtistic Appeal: HighSymbolic Resonance: ModerateEvocative Potential: ModerateWhat drew me to this deck was the art graphics which are quite unique as far as Tarot decks go. The style is more along the lines of graphic illustration used in magazines than the more common

Remains from a Celtoid-Hippy Dark Ages

2008-09-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Complete Merlin Tarot: Images, Insight and Wisdom from the Age of MerlinRatingsHistorical Significance: LowArtistic Appeal: ModerateSymbolic Resonance: ModerateEvocative Potential: ModerateThis was one of my first decks. It appears to be out of print at this time. Overall I liked it and used if for quite awhile. I was drawn to it out of an old interest in the Arthurian tales--after reading

Spider cartomancy in Central Africa

2008-09-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

There is a small body of literature on this subject, mostly written by anthropologists. Anthropologists tend to explore the social, political, and healing implications of divination, but they are also pretty good at providing basic description of practices. This particular practice is usually referred to as "spider divination" but might be seen as a form of cartomancy and has also been referred

Fortune-telling, freedom of religion, and fraud

2008-09-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Fortune-telling-as-fraud has been in the news recently. There is some political push and pull around local anti-fortune-telling ordinances and laws around the country right now. The political pressures are complex and do not always fall into the typical pattern of Left versus Right or religious versus secular. The implications of these laws strike at some fundamentals of the American political

Tarot Symbolism

2008-09-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tarot Symbolism, by Robert V. O'Neill, Fairway Press: Lima, Ohio, 1986, 392pp. This book was published by a small press in what was most certainly a limited printing. It does not appear to have been widely distributed but for years was offered by a small mail order book seller specializing in New Age titles. Interestingly, Dr. O'Neill is a research biologist by trade who is primarily known for

Milan under Galeazzo Maria Sforza

2008-09-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

A Renaissance Court: Milan under Galleazzo Maria Sforza by Gregory Lubkin, published by University of California Press, Berkley, 1994.If you want to know more about the Italian court that produced some of the earliest and the most beautiful tarot decks in history, this book is the best place to go for a well rounded view of daily life, politics, intrigue, relationships, philosophy, and just about

Knapp Tarot, 1929

2008-09-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is an important early modern deck designed by J. Augustus Knapp and published 1929. Knapp was an illustrator. The original deck was published under his name only, and usually referred to as the Knapp Tarot. The title on the front of the box reads: Tarot, Revised Cards, New Art and Copyright, 1929, by J A Knapp, Los Angeles, Calif. However, it is assumed that even this original deck was a

Tarot Timeline

2008-09-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

This is my comprehensive timeline of the Tarot and related history. I put this together over several years mostly for myself to assist in my own research. It is heavy on the early history and contextual history especially connecting the development of the tarot in relation to the Milanese court.Topical areas listed here include the following:History of paper making and printingContextual

Welcome

2008-09-04T22:55:00.001-07:00

Just getting started on this, more to come.About this siteThis site will be dedicated to discussion of the history and analysis of the Tarot cards. It will also include reviews of Tarot decks and books.The Tarot remain a mystery amidst a profusion of texts and theories. Anyone looking for a book on the Tarot in a bookstore these days is bewildered by myriad books treating Tarot origins, artwork,