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[gracelessiv.livejournal.com]

This week...The Tarot!



Okay, so what is it?
The Tarot Deck started out as a game. No, seriously! Much likes runes, these cards started out as somewhat mundane things. Though not a means of communication like runes, they were a way to pass long hours in winter. The first tarot deck, as far as history can tell us, originated in Northern Italy in the fifteenth century. The earliest names for the tarot come from Italy, not Egypt or India, as many suspect. Gypsies did not invent the tarot, nor did they spread it through Europe. Their fortune telling occured mostly through palmistry and and ordinary playing cards. Ordinary playing cards originated about 50 years before the Tarot did. Seriously. The Inquisition and the church never forbade Tarot. In fact, the Tarot often escaped gambling bans on ordinary cards because it was associated with the upper class. Cool, eh?


Getting Somewhat Technical
The complete tarot deck of seventy eight cards is divided into two sections; twenty two Major Arcana and fifty-six Minor Arcana. The twenty two Major Arcana cards are numbered from I to XXI plus a normally unnumbered card, called The Fool. Generally speaking, the following cards compose the Major Arcana:

0 The Fool
I The Magician
II The High Priestess
III The Empress
IV The Emperor
V The High Priest
VI The Lovers
VII The Chariot
XIII Justice
IX The Hermit
X Wheel of Fortune
XI Strength
XII The Hanged Man
XIII Death
XIV Temperance
XV The Devil
XVI The Tower
XVII The Star
XVIII The Moon
XIX The Sun
XX Rejuvenation
XXI The World

However, this is not always the case. Different decks may name cards differently, though most follow the Rider-Waite system of naming. The Rider-Waite wasn't the first tarot deck ever made, not by a long shot, but it is the 'standard' in North America and what many books use as a reference. [Heh, yes, that was my half-assed disclaimer. Shush.] The Major Arcana, no matter what names a deck gives them, represent the physical and spiritual forces affecting humanity- illness, death, storms, strenth, power, love and religion.
The Minor Arcana are divided in four suits, much like an ordinary deck of cards. These suits, once again depending on the deck you own, are generally called swords, wands, cups and pentacles. These correspond to spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds, respectively. There is a King, Queen and Page of every suit. The Minor Arcana represent occupations, social positions and status.

Meanings? Layouts? What?
See the links, guys! I'm sorry! But this, again, is all up to deliberation and opinion and I don't want to steer anyone wrong.

My deck?
Oooh, chance to brag. My first deck was the Hanson-Roberts deck, and I was head over heels in love with it. I still am. I was still in Junior High when I bought it, and I loved it to pieces. Eventually, it suffered some losses and I was deckless thanks to the Second Clarinet in our band. A friend bought me a cheap little set, and I used that one for a while. A few months ago, though, I found my perfect deck, The Tarot of the Cat People, at a tiny new age store. I love it. It's perfect for me.
I can't reccomend a deck to anyone, honestly, just pick one that feels right. The rest comes later.

Rune of the Week

Also called As, Oz, Ansuz.
This rune represents communication, ocial ability,poetry, and passing exams. (The last of which I think we all need!) It's also the 'Shaman's Rune'
Generally, when this rune shows up in a cast it means you need to take things slow, and listen to advice. Trying to speed things along will only hurt. Sometimes, it means a journey will take place.

Wanna know more?
Aeclectic Tarot Generally the only site I use. It's amazing. The resources they offer are astounding. That's why it's this week's only link.


Thanks again to esso for our amazing banner. *chirp!*


This Week's Discussion: Do you have a tarot deck? If so, which? If not, what interests you most about tarot?

Comments

[emilie-rainbow.livejournal.com]

I have two, but I took one apart...it was a goddess deck, I was making a shrine and the pictures were so pretty. That was the first one I bought, the Goddess deck, and I like it better than the new one, but it's missing a few cards and some are messed up from taping them to the walls. So sad. I also have a Thoth deck that my new age aunt bought me; she bought that and the accompanying book, so they are nice to use but I still like my old deck better. I rarely use the new one for some reason.

Overall, I find Tarot interesting for basically the same reason I find all forms of divination interesting: it's always fascinating to know the possibilities of what the future brings. Also, and I'm not sure why this is, but they seem more reliable to me than many forms of fortune telling. You have to put energy into the cards, and the universe really helps it along, so it seems less hokey than, say, crystal balls. Not to insult crystal balls, don't really know much about them, but it just seems like it would be harder to fake tarot.

~Chelsea, Ravenclaw

[shimmertwist.livejournal.com]

i actually collect tarot decks. :)

however, i only use two different decks; one being crow's magick by londa marks and the other being the faery oracle by brian froud and jessica macbeth.

both decks are very different from one another, but both vibe very well with me -- which is what i primarily look for in a deck when it comes to usage.

some of the other decks in my collection are the halloween tarot by kipling west -- a wimsical and fun deck. the dragon tarot by terry donaldson -- which was purchased based on artwork more than anything. i too, have the tarot for cat people -- as well as tarot for cats another of kipling west's wimsical decks. the russian tarot of st. petersburg is a traditional tarot deck that i enjoy very much -- purchased for it's artwork as well as it's vibe. i also have the druid animal oracle which, i think, is one of the better "animal" based decks out there.

and i have an assortment of "wisdom cards" that cater to animal wisdoms, goddess wisdoms and herbal wisdoms.

am i a tarot geek? yes. i admit it. :)

the thing i like about the tarot is that you can interpret the cards through your own filters. what i mean by that is this; everyone *sees* things in their own special way -- and sometimes the death card will totally freak someone out, whereas others will take it to mean nothing more than change in the current events of their life. it all depends on situation and individual -- so the rules for tarot are more like guidelines due to their flexability and ever changing faces.

[shimmertwist.livejournal.com]

i meant to post this link as well -- for anyone who might be interested.

the faery oracle is a great deck for anyone who doesn't feel comfortable with traditional decks.

you can use it online! :)

(http://www.worldoffroud.com/faeries/online/oracle/oracle/index.html)

[dear-prudence.livejournal.com]

This (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/renaissance/index.shtml) is my deck. It is very beautiful. I got it for christmas last year from my girl.
I haven't broken it in properly yet, but it has been in my bedside drawer for the last 6 months.
I love all the different decks. It's amazing how beautiful some of them are.
I have to say mine is the most beautiful one I have ever seen.

[wondergal23.livejournal.com]

i must admit that i love tarot and have always been drawn to it but because of lack of money and time i haven't been able to find myself a proper deck. for now i have the mega mini kit tarot. its one of those cheap things you find by the registers at borders. i'm still looking and this has actually given me some insight as to what to look into.

[mmulberry.livejournal.com]

I have a Lord of the Rings deck, which is interesting. I haven't actually used it to do a layout or anything, but I have used it (and the book that came with it) to study the tarot. I haven't done that for a while, I hope to get back into it. I don't think I'll ever be able to use it because of the characters, I feel I know LotR too well, and the drawings of some of the people really bother me (am an uber-picky LotR fan).
My grandma was very into tarot and palmistry, and I remember her giving me an old deck that had been hers. My mum took that away from me though, because I was about 9, she said I was too young for it. I'm 21 now, and I still haven't found it anywhere in our house, so I think she got rid of it, which is sad because I imagine an older, used deck, used by someone very close to you would have totally different qualities than a shiny new store-bought one.

[tangerinesidhe.livejournal.com]

I have the Tarot of the Ages (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-of-the-ages/) deck. I've had it since I was in 6th grade, and have found that it still speaks to me, in some ways that I would never have anticipated. At the time I simply thought it was "cool". Now, I really enjoy the art depicting such important civilizations, and find that the art really helps me to interpret the meaning of the cards.

Sadly, I have also realized that I think the deck is in Maine at my mom's house with all the other stuff I couldn't move. I, on the other hand, am about 8 hours drive away in Brooklyn.