Tarot Thrones | The Court Card Blog

Tag: tarot court cards

  • Page of Swords | Holly Sierra | Chrysalis Tarot

    The Pilgrim of Scrolls
     Colours SO delicious, you could EAT them!

    Mentors, Messengers, Mystics and Muses – meet the Troupe of the Chrysalis Tarot.  Holly Sierra, the artist behind this soon-to-be released Tarot, chats about the deck.  Pull up a throne and feast your eyes, people!

    Hi Holly and thanks for agreeing to answer my questions! First of all, can you tell me a little about where you are – just to help set the scene a little?

    ‘I live and work in beautiful and rural Stowe, Vermont. Entering our little village is like taking a step back in time! I used to work in an art gallery here in town and on my way home, I often found myself stopping to take photographs…Can you imagine that after living in a place for 5 years? Stowe is like a picture postcard come to life and this is very important to me as an artist. So much of America is being turned over to strip malls and developments, which I detest.’

    Now then, tell me a little bit about your Tarot background – just how you got into Tarot?

    ‘I have always been drawn to that which is decorative, mystical and obscure in nature so when I first happened on a Tarot Card deck as a child, I was fascinated. My parents had a lovely old Italian deck in their attic which I took possession of…Later I had a high school friend, Danny, who took a Tarot course with Rolla Nordic and he shared what he learned with me. Danny and I worked on perfecting our ‘Tarot’ skills for months…’

    And what made you decide to create THIS Tarot deck?

    ‘The Chrysalis Tarot Deck is the first I have created but will certainly not be the last…It took me two and a half years to complete all the paintings for this deck and doing so, I was really realising a dream!

    ‘My co-worker and author is Toney Brooks, by the way! I met Toney through Facebook and when I did a little research, I found he was a retired broadcast executive, journalist and author of the Mystic Rose trilogy (A Celtic mythology). Toney writes on the theory of cycles, metaphysics, mythology, spirituality, and occasionally on financial markets and politics. He was delighted to join me in creating a new, holistic approach to Tarot entitled ‘Chrysalis Tarot.’

    ‘The wonderful thing about creating a deck and recording the process through social media is that I have gained so many lovely followers from all over the world. Chrysalis has been just that – An awakening for my spirit! It has helped me make friends all over the world!!!

    What’s the theme or ethos behind this deck? I’ve only seen the court cards and it looks wonderfully romantic and fairytale like!

    ‘Chrysalis Tarot is wonderfully romantic and magical… This is exactly the feeling I like in other deck’s art and wanted to achieve in my own. Our deck is about achieving your destiny through a life filled with chance, chicanery and choice. The pursuit of personal destiny is a struggle to find inner peace, to find balance between an ego that wants and takes and a psyche that allows and gives. By your side on your quest for self-fulfillment is an unseen force. It’s an energy field known by many names and recognized by many masks; a force that informs your psyche and nudges you forward. At Chrysalis, we refer to this force as the Otherworld. It’s also known as The Ground of All Being, the Collective Unconscious and the Universal Mind.


    ‘In modern times, as tarot became associated with mysticism, divination and magic, users noticed the cards’ uncanny ability to flesh out future possibilities. Tarot’s illumination of your psyche is a vital component in the art of listening to your internal voice, raising self-awareness and informing decisions. Our Court Cards are actually a Medieval Troupe or cast of Characters who help the querent on his path. As an artist and a reader I was very pleased with this alteration because I always felt at odds with the traditional court cards. These folks seem more accessible and relatable to me.’

    I find the colours vibrant and quite delicious – which seems to run through all your work! How would you describe your cards to someone that hasn’t seen your work before?

    ‘Although I don’t feel ‘especially’ colourful when I work on one particular piece of art, I do find that when seen altogether, my paintings are quite vibrant and very colourful!! I love the range that’s possible when creating a ‘series of work’ and I was very interested in colour-coding this deck for easier use.

    ‘If I were to describe my art to someone who has yet to see it…I would say it’s mystical and magical in content and vibrant and colourful in nature. My focus is the stuff of legends and fairytales with a mix of multicultural diversity thrown in for spice. I love uniting the world’s myriad of artistic styles and making them my own.’

    Tell me about the composition of your deck. For example – what’s the Strength/Justice positions? Have you renamed any of the Major Arcana? Do you have 22 Majors? Anything about your Major Arcana that’s a bit different to other decks out there?

    The Chrysalis Tarot does have the same number of cards as a traditional Tarot Deck. Many of our Majors differ but when it came to the Sun and Moon, we followed the traditional path, though with slightly altered meanings.

    The Major Arcana is as follows…

    0. Merlin
    1. Ravens
    2. Sorceress
    3. Gaia
    4. Green Man
    5. Divine Child
    6. Lovers
    7. Herne The Hunter
    8. Ma’at
    9. Storyteller
    10. Wheel
    11. Papa Legba
    12. Celtic Owl
    13. Ariadne
    14. Golden Flower
    15. Bella Rosa
    16. Kali
    17. Elpi
    18. Moon
    19. Sun
    20. Phoenix
    21.Psyche

    Sadly, US Games only provides a small booklet with most of their decks so it was hard for the author Toney Brooks to expound much on his creations.

    Will you create a larger accompanying book to allow Toney to wax lyrical?

    ‘I wish we could but as neither of us can afford to self publish
    and the deck is under contract with US Games, I fear we might be at
    cross purposes with them…


    Tell me about the Minor Arcana cards and the associations that you have created for them? And about the Courts, of course!

    ‘So here is how the colour associations fall out for the Minor Arcana (Pips). The 16 card Troupe also follows this pattern. Four of the Troupe members are of the Mirror Suit, Four are of the Spiral Suit, Four of the Scrolls Suit and Four of the Stone Suit.

    COLOURS and MEANINGS:
    The Stones Suit: Greens – Nature
    The Spirals Suit: Gold and Reds
    The Mirrors Suit: Blues
    The Scrolls Suit: Lavender

    The Suit of Stones ~ Traditional Names: Pentacles or Coins
    Values: Happiness | Prosperity
    Stones represent the element of Earth, matter and material consciousness. The suit’s highest values are material happiness and prosperity. Stone pips help you identify specific material or physical values exerting influence upon your reading – values that can be desirable or undesirable.

    The Suit of Mirrors ~ Traditional Name: Cups
    Values: Nourishment | Love
    Mirrors represent the element of Water and introspective consciousness. The specific
    attributes of Mirrors are feelings and emotions. The suit’s highest values are nourishment and love. The Mirror pips accentuate the values of self-examination and self-awareness.

    The Suit of Spirals ~ Traditional Name: Wands
    Values: Passion | Personal Growth
    The Chrysalis Tarot Spirals represent the element of Fire and rational thinking. The specific attribute of the Suit of Spirals is Energy. The suit’s highest values are passion and personal growth.

    Suit of Scrolls ~ Traditional Name: Swords
    Values: Clarity | Intuition
    Scrolls represent the element of Air and the intellect. The specific attribute of the Suit of Scrolls is Intuition, which is the suit’s highest value. Scrolls are truth-bearing cards pointing to clarity of thought.

    The sixteen court cards (The Troupe) look wonderful – tell me about them! What are the ranks that you have chosen for them? How do they relate to each other within the suit and across the other suits? I see that each character has an animal with them in their card – tell me about these animals!

    Without going into too much detail, I will relay what Toney Brooks says about the Troupe, for it is his creation and I LOVE it. As the artist, I interpreted each character visually and decided which animal companion would be accompanying each on his (or her) journey. I made this judgment based on what I felt from each and if position in life or trade, legend or history allowed, such as in the Pirate’s case, I acted accordingly!


    The Troupe!

    ‘The Chrysalis Troupe is a delightful ensemble of medieval merrymakers. Unlike archetypes, the Troupe’s characters stand in for real-world people and personality types from your past, present or future. They may be family, friends, acquaintances, or even total strangers. You attract them naturally via compatible energy signatures. Using synchronicity, the Otherworld places these characters in your path to be mentors, messengers, mystics and muses.

    ‘This much is true with all spiritual quests: you never walk alone. We humans are interdependent; you meet those you are destined to meet. Our Troupe corresponds to traditional tarot court cards like King of Pentacles, Queen of Cups, and so forth. There’s an equal number of male and female characters in the Troupe. However, in real life these characters can appear as men or women of any age. To avoid confusion, card descriptions refer to the gender of the character portrayed.

    Tell me about your deck’s equivalent of the Page of Swords, Holly? 

    Our Deck’s Page Of Swords is the Pilgrim whose attributes are perseverance and endurance. His role is that of the messenger.

    The Pilgrim’s llama symbolizes inner peace that comes from waving goodbye to creature comforts and the security of home, at least for awhile. The distance a pilgrim travels matters not – the essence of the pilgrim’s true journey is interior self-discovery. The Pilgrim symbolizes ascendancy, the primary benefit of pilgrimage. The word ascendancy combines the essence of spiritual transformation with self-fulfillment. It’s the castle you leave behind to pursue the exotic butterfly. This card foretells very positive changes taking place in your life.

    Tell me about your creative process!

    I painted the cards proportionally according to standards I’d researched for Tarot Card publishing companies. Each original painting is 6 x 9 inches and is painted in acrylics on Arches 300 lb test watercolour board. I use the acrylics much as one would watercolours with a lot of water and thin layers. The difference with acrylics is that the previous layer doesn’t ‘pick up’ so I can continue layering effects. They Troupe paintings are quite lovely when lain out altogether on my bed…Unfortunately I can only fit about 16 pieces at a showing. I have included a photo of them all.
    (see above)

    How will people be able to get a hold of your new deck and when will it be available?!

    The Chrysalis Tarot deck is with US Games right now, undergoing editing and layout processes. Upon our approval, it will then be sent to Asia (most likely) for printing and is expected to be available to the public next spring!!! I hope Chrysalis will bring a little magic and beauty to all who have awaited its arrival!! I know I get so excited when a deck that I have been anxious for finally materializes. And for all those who are interested~ I will be selling special autographed copies of the deck when it’s ready. I must say it will be a very exciting and rewarding time when we finally see Chrysalis in print!!!

    You can find out more about Holly’s and Toney’s Chrysalis Tarot on Holly’s website
    Explore Holly’s Courtly Troupe here  and keep up to speed with what she’s creating via her facebook page 

  • Review | Lenormand de Marseilles | Edmund Zebrowski

    Lenormand de Marseilles (and Mini Me)

    *theme from Love Story plays in background*

    Like so many love stories for the social-networking age, I fell hook, line and sinker for the Lenormand de Marseilles when I saw her photo on Facebook.

    It really was luff at first sight.  But with none of that why-he-hasn’t-called-me-in-three-days nonsense.

    I bought the Illuminated version (limited and signed) and the mini version too, just as soon as a kind hearted fellow addict friend sent me a link to Edmund’s shop.  I don’t have a compulsion to buy decks.  I DON’T.

    *eyelid twitches*.

    Once you click through to Edmund’s shop, you’ll see the clutch of Lenormand decks that he has created – try not to give in to temptation and buy all of them.   *looks guilty face*


    As you may have guessed by the deck’s name, the imagery is inspired by the artwork of the Marseilles Tarot.

    The Illuminated version measures 3.5″ x 2.25″(9cm by 5.5cm for you new-fangled and modern types)  and is made from wonderful card stock that has a linen-effect surface.  The cards slide over each other wonderfully well, which is handy when you want to start shuffling as soon as you’ve slipped the cards from their smart little cotton draw-string bag!

    Happy Day! The arrival of the Lenormands!

    Card numbering is in Roman Numerals, paying tribute to the numbering method of the Marseilles Tarot itself.

    The card names are in French (again, homage to the Marseilles!) and I adore the antique font that Edmund has used – that has the old long ‘s’ that looks to our eyes like an ‘f’. The net result is that Les Poissons (Fish) looks as if it’s called Lef Poiffonf.  Thank goodness there isn’t a card called The Sucker *gives her reader a moment to work that one out*.

    Cards are unfussy white, providing a perfect foil for the images and punchy colours.  The card backs are decorated with tiny black and white pattern on rear.  Since one doesn’t use Lenormands in reversed positions (generally speaking!) it doesn’t have to be a mirroring image, and it’s not.

    The playing card inserts are also inspired by the Marseilles Tarot’s Minor Arcana – and the overall effect is classy and in keeping with the whole ethos of the Lenormand oracle.  Please note that card four is shown as IIII, not IV,  as you might expect.  That’s because in the Marseilles, the four is shown as IIII.

    There IS an error, and Edmund is now on the case to rectify it, but if you look closely at XXXVI above, you will see that the large card has 6 of Wands illustrating the playing card inset, but the tiny roman numerals at the side show ‘IV’.  The mini version of the same card also has an error, the 4 of Clubs is the insert, and it should be the 6 of Clubs.  Yes, these are errors, but I can honestly say that it doesn’t impinge on my use of these Lennies at all *whispers* because I’m not good enough to bring in the playing card inserts to my interpretations yet 😀

    Looking more closely at the Mini  (which also comes in its own teeny tiny bag).  It measures 2.5″ x 1.75″ (6cm x 4.5cm) we can see that the playing card inserts are standard, the titles are in English and the Roman numerals of the large illuminated version have been replaced by the more familiar Arabic numerals.

    So it’s been a week or so that we’ve been together and things are going well.  She’s just as beautiful in the flesh card than she was in the first picture that I saw of her.  And you can’t say THAT about many things on Facebook.  I think we’re going to be very happy together…..

    You can explore Edmund’s work here:

    http://delphischamber.bigcartel.com/

    What have Lenormand cards got to do with Court Cards?!  See earlier posts by Andybc and Helen Riding

  • Litha Blog Hop | Spread | Embracing Your Gifts

    TADAAAAAH! Welcome
    to This Game of Thrones Litha Blog Hop for Midsummer 2013!!  You may have happened along here from the last blogger in the train, the lovely Joanna Ash or be working your way back through the list (because you’re a REBEL!) and have alighted here from Cher’s site.  Heck, you might even be here because you are already familiar with the rose-strewn path that leads to Throne Towers 🙂


    If you’ve not been across the draw-bridge before, you are very welcome.  Here at Tarot Thrones I focus on those pesky critturs the Court Cards and hope to persuade you that they are excellent allies in all your Tarot work and that they are nothing to get into a hyperventilating fug about 🙂

    Please, take a seat!  *beckons towards an empty Throne*.  Just let me fluff up the cushions…….. A poorly fluffed cushion can lead to discomfort on even the loveliest throne. Just ask The Queen of Pentacles. She’s always crocheting us comfy stuff to sit on*

    There, now that you’re comfortable, let me explain this Litha Blog Hop theme.  Our
    challenge seemed quite straightforward – shed some light on something
    that we are good at.

    I sat and stared at the blank screen for quite a long time with this one.  I struggled to accept that I was good at anything!  Well, certainly good enough at anything that I wanted to toot my own trumpet about in public 🙂

    That got me thinking – why is it difficult for some people to accept – and promote – that they’re good at things?



    It can take a lot of courage to say aloud (or in pixels!) that you want to achieve something, that you have a goal, a skill, and that you want to take that skill to the next level.  And I think that’s because to admit that you are GOOD at something is to invite criticism that you’re simply NOT good at it!

    Thinking of publishing a book, a deck…launching a teaching package…. creating tap dancing tutorials on youtube!?  You can bet your bottom dollar that there is someone out there sniggering into their coffee at the very IDEA of YOU doing this – just who do you think you are?!  They will be gleefully messaging their friends and together they will privately mock and deride you for your efforts.  Have you heard of Tall Poppy Syndrome?  Yeah? That’s it at its worst!   

    I think that we are all guilty of Tall Poppy Syndrome, in some way or another.  It might be nothing more than a slight green-tinged pang when a friend makes an announcement – quickly scorched and replaced by genuine delight at her success……or it can be something much more insidious – a resentment that grows and festers, sending out deep, irrational roots and poisoning you from within.

    And do you know who is the worst person for it? That’s right – YOU!  How often do you come up with something that you’d love to do, but you immediately talk yourself out of it because inside your head is a little voice that says ‘How DARE you think that YOU might succeed at this! People will totally laugh in your face!’ yada, yada, yada….. 

    Now, one
    of the things that *I’m* good at is helping other people make the most
    of their ideas and opportunities. I get REALLY enthusiastic about
    people’s ideas and can see so many ways to help them along the
    road that they want to be on…. Honestly, I get as excited as Kim Kardashian with new shoes!


    I say: Don’t let that irrational stuff poison your dreams from within!


    I
    LOVE it when people feel that they can trust me enough to say ‘this
    is my Big Idea’ and I can help them work out those first little steps to working towards it! I get such a kick out
    of it, I can’t tell you!  I get to over-ride the little How Dare You voice inside that person’s head AND be part of their journey (squeak! did I really just use the word ‘journey lol!?’

    So, today, I decided to come up with a spread that might help you embrace your
    qualities and admit that you are good at stuff and that you have not only a RIGHT to pursue it, but a duty to the WORLD to pursue it!

    SHINING YOUR LIGHT IN THE WORLD SPREAD

    I’m taking my inspiration from the Queen of Wands (this is a Court Card blog, after all!).  The Queen of Wands is the epitome of enthusiasm and the fire in
    your belly that you need to engender to make your dream a reality. She’s also got nurturing Queenly energy to help things progress.


    In the RWS, the other queens focus on their suit symbol, not the Queen of Wands,
    she looks out at you – daring you to look back at her and get
    engaged!  Are you ready to engage?!  Don’t expect a lot of emotional sympathy from this Queen when you are pummelling yourself with self-doubt and listening to the Witch of the Tall Poppies that lives inside your head.  Her message is:  Get. On. With. It.






    Card 1:            I am a Queen:  In what way do I manifest mastery?

    I hold my Wand, like a walking support:

    Card 2:          What
    supports me in developing this mastery?

    I offer you my sunflower totem:

    Card 3:          How
    will this gift of mine shine light in the world?

    Here is my little companion animal:

    Card 4:          This is untapped energy, make use of it – it’s here to help.


    I’d love to hear how this spread turns out for you in the comments!  And now on to the next blog in the hop!! Hope you come back to visit me and the Courts soon!!  We always have biscuits and fancy tea……..


    To visit the next blog in the train, Tarot by Cher, click here.
    To visit the previous blog in the train, Sun Goddess Tarot, by Joanna, click here.

    Broken links?  Here’s the master link

  • Spreads | James Wells – Regret to Authentic

    The man has GLOWING HANDS!!! What’s not to like?!

    I’m a big fan of Canadian Tarot author James Wells.  If you’ve not read his blog, you should mosey on over there tout-suite to find out what he’s up to.  You can go now if you like.  Honestly, I’ll wait here for you.

    *calls out* I’m just putting the kettle on, so come back when you’re done and tell me what you found!

    James recently posted this spread – about taking steps to ensure that you don’t leave this world burdened with regret.  Something that far too many people do.

    And, with his permission, I’m sharing that spread with you.

    1. How can I remain true to myself?
    2. How can I remember to set work aside for other important things?
    3. How can I develop and maintain the courage to express my feelings?
    4. How can I remember to stay in touch with people whom I love and value?
    5. How can I demonstrate my choice to be happy?

    I used the RWS. Here’s mine:
    1 How can I remain true to myself?
    7 of Cups – A figure in silhouette stands before 7 Cups that float on clouds, like dreams.  Each cup offers a different wonder – riches, beauty, mystery, victory etc.  I am minded that this card is called ‘Debauch’ in the Thoth.   All the things that lie in the Cups SEEM to be valuable, but really, they’re not worth anything once we are Past The Gate.  I remain true to myself by reminding myself that although these things seem fabulous, these are not the goals worth pursuing in life.
    How can I remember to set work aside for other important things?
    The Queen of Cups –  The Queen sits on the seashore, admiring an elaborate cup as the tide laps around her feet.  As Water of Water, this queen governs and is governed by her relationships.  She’s about empathy and understanding and being able to truly SEE the other person. So when I am seated before the flickering screen in the corner of the room that threatens to consume my very soul, I shall call upon her energies to help me focus on what matters: relationships.
    How can I develop and maintain the courage to express my feelings
    6 of Cups – The scene is a domestic courtyard with a home or town buildings in the background.  A young person hands a cup containing a white-starred flower to a smaller person.  The message is simple – By giving and sharing what is beautiful and important to me, I will develop and maintain the courage to express my feelings.  
    How can I remember to stay in touch with poeople whom I love and value?
    VII Swords – I am shockingly bad at staying in touch with people that I love and value.  Really.  Embarrassingly bad.  In the 7 of Swords a character tip toes out of camp in an exaggerated fashion.  He holds 5 unsheathed swords in his bare hands and over his shoulders.  He leaves two behind.    Maybe it’s about admitting that I AM really bad at keeping in touch with people – and by admitting it, I disarm my enemies (well, at least those people who are hurt that I have not been in touch).  However, just like the character in the card, simply disarming the opposition doesn’t actually protect you – those swords need to be sheathed. I need a practical reminder to keep in touch with folk – maybe ical or something? Google must have something that can remind me to phone people on a regular basis?!
    How can I demonstrate my choice to be happy?
    2 Cups – Love – A man and woman face each other and toast each other with their golden cups.  Behind them hangs the caduceus. This is a card about love and peace.  I demonstrate my choice to be happy by being loving and acting as an equal, not subservient, nor superior, but equal and worthy.

    In a five-card reading, I drew four cups cards – the answers are, therefore, in the realm of the Cups energies – emotion and relationship.  And the number seven showed up twice – I am a seeker after truth 🙂  But number symbolism changes from person to person – what does a seven mean for you in your system, I’d love it if you shared that with me – help me create a more rounded picture?

    Find out more about James Wells here at Circle Ways .

    ‘Like’ James on facebook too

  • Page of Swords | Sola-Busca Tarot | Giordano Berti

    The Page of Swords – Sola-Busca Tarot
    If you have a passion for classical Tarot decks, you will know that the Wolfgang Mayer version of the 15th century Sola-Busca Tarot is enjoying a resurgence in popularity.  


    Giordano Berti, Tarot author and scholar, is the man behind this work and he has very kindly agreed to answer some questions about the deck, and, more specifically, the Court Cards.


    First of all, Giordano, tell me how you came to reprint the
    Sola-Busca Tarot?



    The version of
    the Sola-Busca Tarot     I’m promoting is not my
    work. As you know I’m writer, not Tarot producer.     This is the deck realised by
    Wolfgang Mayer in 1998 in Germany, faithfully reprinted from the
    original deck of 1491.

    Mayer made an edition limited to 700
    copies.  Each of these decks has a Warranty card numbered and
    hand-signed by Mayer.

    In 2012 the Mayer family decided to
    sell the warehouse stocks, the printer having died, and I have bought
    about 300 decks.
    What is your involvement with the
    artwork – has it been edited or recoloured?

    Mayer’s version is really
    extraordinary because it respects both the measurements and the original
    colours of the fifteenth century deck.

    Since the decks that I bought from
    the family Mayer had no packaging, I asked an Italian craftsman to
    manufacture two types of box. A book-shaped box, with marbled paper
    in Florentine style (DeLuxe box), and a box with sturdy golden
    cardstock (Golden box).

    Then, I added the
    deck’s 8-page booklet where I summarise the story of this deck.      I also give the meanings of  the 78 cards taken from the book ‘Sola-Busca
    Tarot’     by Sofia Di Vincenzo (US Games
    Systems, Stamford, 1998) and a simple method to use these cards.
    Is is quite a large
    format deck?

    Each cards measure exactly 150 x 82
    mm, i.e. 5.9 x 3.2 inches.      Wolfgang Mayer used a cardstock
    slightly larger so you can see exactly the boundaries of the paper in
    its original size.
    The Sola Busca is the first Tarot to
    show fully illustrated Minor Arcana cards, is that correct?
    We must remember
    that     the Sola-Busca is the only Tarot deck
    that came up to our day complete with all 78 cards. But this deck is
    very important historically because is the first fully-illustrated deck.     It was necessary to wait for the
    Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, printed in 1909, to find a new deck
    illustrated in the Minor Arcana.     In fact,
    some of the Sola-Busca served as inspiration for the Arthur Edward
    Waite and Pamela Colman Smith.
    This is, of course, not your first
    Tarot deck – which other decks have you been involved with, Giordano?

    I started to study the Tarot around
    1974 and afterwards I studied at the University the relationship
    between art and esotericism … but the Tarot are my first love and I
    have devoted a lot of effort both in the historical study and the
    design of new decks.

    I have created many
    h    istorical exhibits about Tarot in
    important places such as the Castello Estense in Ferrara (1987), the
    Archaeological Museum of Bologna (1983) and the Museum of Castel
    Sant’Angelo in Rome (1985).

    On Tarot I also wrote several books
    and exhibition catalogues, but one of my biggest satisfaction has
    been the design of new Tarot decks.

    Since 1994 I have
    created eleven new decks, all illustrated by great artists.     The
    complete list can be found on the website Tarotpedia, at the page dedicated to Giordano Berti.

    I couldn’t say which of these is
    most important, because each deck requires a great effort and
    each one almost becomes a child to you.
    • Celtic
      Tarot       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 1994), 78 illustrations by Giacinto Gaudenzi and Saverio
      Tenuta.
    • Tarot
      of Druids       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 1994), with Bepi Vigna, 78 illustrations by Antonio
      Lupatelli and Severino Baraldi.
    • Enchanted
      Tarot       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 1995), 78 illustrations by Giacinto Gaudenzi.
    • Dante’s
      Tarot       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 2001), 78 illustrations by Andrea Serio       Dante_Tarot.
    • Ramses.
      Tarot of Eternity       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 2003), 78 illustrations by Severino Baraldi.
    • Golden
      Tarot of Renaissance – Estensi Tarot       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 2003), 78 illustrations by Jo Dworkin.
    • Bacchus
      Tarot       (Dal
      Negro, 2005), 78 illustrations by Luigi Scapini.
    • Venice
      Tarot       (Dal
      Negro, 2007), 78 illustrations by       Davide
      Tonato       ([8]).
    • Angels
      Tarot       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 2007), 78 illustrations by Arturo Picca.
    • Universal
      Wirth Tarot       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 2007), 78 illustrations by Stefano Palumbo.
    • Initiatory
      Tarot of the Golden Dawn       (Lo
      Scarabeo, 2008), 78 illustrations by Patrizio Evangelisti.
    I think that the
    artwork is beautiful and I have been looking at the Court Card
    images.     Why are the Pages the only
    rank who do not have names?

    I suppose
    the inventor of these cards have not given a name to the Pages
    because there are few references to famous servants in ancient
    literature.
    What significance
    are the names of the remaining Court members?     Are
    they characters from classical literature?

    Some
    famous Knights, Queens and Kings are included in the Sola-Busca Tarot with the
    clear intent to put them in relation with the life of the Alexander
    the Great, represented in the King of Swords.
    Tell me about the Major
    Arcana of this Tarot, how is it different to other Tarots?

    The Major
    Arcana of the Sola-Busca Tarot portray characters from Greek and Roman history,
    except for     Nenbroto
    (Trump XX) and     Nabuchodenasor
    (Trump XXI), who are Biblical characters, and the     Fool
    (Trump 0), which has no name.

    I suppose the
    intent of the inventor was not to create a gallery of ancient
    celebrities, because many of the names of the     Major
    Arcana are not famous for anything. Probably there is a profound
    mystery in choosing these characters: they could refer to friends of
    the author of the deck, who shared philosophical interests with him.

    In any case, the
    iconography of the     Major Arcana in
    the Sola-Busca Tarot is very different from the traditional one. In many figures
    there are torches and altars with fires: a detail that, according to
    Sofia Di Vincenzo, alludes to the practice of Alchemy.

    Apparently the
    supposed inventor of the     Sola-BuscaT, the
    painter Nicola di Maestro Antonio, was a friend of alchemists.
    The Page of
    Swords is a wonderful image – he seems to be strumming a tune on his
    lute to the sword in front of him!     Tell me about his
    character and how he is interpreted in the Sola Busca Tarot.

    This image, in my opinion, show in
    allegorical way the ambiguity of feelings that animate the immature
    people, not just those who are young. The contrast is given by the lute,
    an instrument of peace and poetry, near the sword, instrument of war
    and death.

    The proximity of the sword means
    that at any moment the Page could take it in his hand with menacing
    intent, both defensively and offensively.
    How is your Sola Busca edition
    different to other issues of the deck?

    I am convinced, along with Sofia Di
    Vincenzo, that the Sola-Busca Tarot is the first deck to be designed
    with non-gaming purposes, but this is purely speculative.  It is evident in
    many cards references to Alchemic tradition, which must be
    interpreted not as a way to make gold but as practice for improving
    the individual.

    I hope to
    publish    , before the end of 2013, a
    book I’m working on, entitled     Sola-Busca
    Tarot. Secret Code of Alchemy.


    If you would like to buy the Sola-Busca Tarot,  write to: giordano.berti@gmail.com

    Many thanks to Giordano Berti for taking the time to answer my questions about the Sola-Busca Tarot.  You can explore the deck here.

    Giordano provided his answers in English, which I edited in one or two places to read more smoothly.  Any translated errors are, therefore, entirely of my own making 🙂

    ‘like’ the Sola-Busca Facebook page!

    Visit Giordano’s website to explore the deck in greater depth.  Read other articles about the Sola Busca Tarot here 

  • AnnaK Tarot | Deck Review

    Oh this is loooooovely!

    Originally self-published in 2009, the
    AnnaK tarot has now been taken up by Llewellyn – thank goodness,
    because it’s a charming little deck that deserves to be widely
    seen.

    It arrives in a nice presentation box
    along with a chunky little accompanying book of 230 pages. Not every page of the 230 is filled with writing – some are blank (well, they are lined for you to write on)  and 78 of them are the card illustrations themselves. Each
    card is illustrated in B&W with the
    interpretations on the facing page, sometimes including a little tip from Anna. 
    The deck measures 7cm x 11.5cm (3″ x 4.5″ in
    old money!) and is of thin – but beautifully slippy – card stock
    which ensures the deck shuffles like a dream from the start. 
    With an her World tree motif on the
    back (see scan below), the cards can easily be used for reversals.
    Anna K touches on reversed meanings in her accompanying book, but they are not integral to her
    use of the deck.
    Having the cards bordered in black
    really makes the colours of the deck really pop – golds contrast
    magnificently and dark cards are, erm, darker. 

    As far as card names go, no great
    changes here – suits are Swords, Rods, Pentacles and Cups with the
    Majors as you would expect (note: Strength is XI and Justice is
    VIII)
    The book also contains hints on how to read, as well as some of Anna’s own insights into using Tarot – and some spreads for you to play with too, of course!

    *rubs hands together*  Let’s dive in!
    The deck is based on the Rider Waite
    Smith and if you can read with the RWS, then you can read with the
    Anna K. It’s not a simple clone though, there ARE cards that Anna
    has depicted in a different way to the RWS – the 2 of Swords for
    example (see above).

    Despite this rooting in The Golden Dawn, Anna has
    pared back the occult symbolism. For example, there is no mention
    made of any astrological associations for the cards. However, the suits ARE
    accorded elemental associations (eg Rods are related to Fire) and the
    ranks of the courts are Page, Knight, Queen and King.  

    Each Page is depicted as a very
    young person involved in recreational activity that one might
    associate with the suit.  For example, the Page of Swords is
    practising with his Sword (literally, striking at a straw man!)
    and the Page of Wands gazes longingly over the restraining wall of his compound.
    Anna says that the Pages are ‘invitations to cultivate certain
    attitudes’.
    The Knights are interesting because
    they are not on horses (or creatures of any kind!) Anna does
    provide sufficient symbolism that you can quite easily read what the
    Courts are about. Our Knight of Rods for example, is running (just
    as he would be on his horse) with a cloudy sky behind (perfectly
    fitting the Knight’s blustery ‘rush-in’ attitude) with a banner in
    hand – a banner that obscures the perilous path that he is running
    along!
    The Queens, like the Kings, are not
    depicted on thrones. Intriguingly, the Queens are all depicted
    outside, in nature – representing ‘values or habits’. Conversely,
    the Kings are all depicted indoors (with the active King of Wands
    striding towards the outdoors!) and show outer life or actions.
    ‘Well, this is all GREAT’ you might be thinking, ‘but whaddya REALLY think of
    the deck?’
    Truthfully, I really like it. It’s perfect for a
    beginner, freeing you from the confines of Golden Dawn inspired ‘bolt ons’ such as astrological associations and complex
    alchemical/hermetical symbolism which are often not needed in a Tarot
    reading.
    Anna works from her imagination, the
    figures are not taken from life and while most of the illustrations
    are attractive (especially Death – he’s totally smokin’ hot btw!)
    her emphasis is on the card’s character’s emotion and expression, so
    if you like all your figures to be pretty and serene, this lively
    little collection might not be for you.
    To find out more about the deck, visit Anna K’s site:  This is the English language version site (Anna K is Austrian) 

  • Tarot Blog Hop | Beltane

    You say Tomato, I say Tomato
    You spell it Judgment, I spell it Judgement
    Does it matter?! 🙂

    Welcome, welcome, welcome!

    If you’re here because you have hopped upon the Tarot Blog Hop and alighted here from either Stella or Cher’s place – I’m really pleased to see you!  If you are a regular reader and are wondering about this Tarot Blog Hop thing,  here’s the facebook details so that YOU can take part in the next one! And, of course, I’m really pleased to see YOU here again too!

    The question set to us by the Beltane Tarot blog wrangler, Arwen Lynch, is:  What traditions are important to you in how you read Tarot?

    Initially, I just stared at the question blankly:  I didn’t have any traditions, did I?  But, of course, I DO have traditions

    Here are some of mine:

    1  Rider Waite Smith tradition – yes, I like to use decks based on the iconography of the RWS.  I much prefer my Strength to be Major VIII and my Justice to be up there as Major XI.

    2  Golden Dawn attributes – everything from astrological associations, right through to the Opening Of The Key Spread, this is a whole smorgasbord of traditions that I adore dipping into with the same delight as I might  raid your jewellery box.  Or your biscuit barrel.

    3  Tarot bags and reading cloths – I like to keep my decks in bags and I like to use a reading cloth.  There’s maybe a bit of the gypsy fortune-teller in me after all – or maybe even a novice Golden Dawner – they liked a bit of shwbiz with their Tarot.  Well, what do you expect from a group comprising of theatre designers, poets and playwrights?!

    4  Getting in the Zone – I do this lots of different ways.  Maybe with a scented candle or incense.  Maybe with some unobtrusive music playing gently in the background…..ritual washing, ritual clothing. I even have ritual SOAP!  I don’t do this ALL the time, you understand, but whenever I need to bring my head away from Facebook and Syria and Bombings and Budget Cuts, I like to go through some of these little routines to get into the Zone for reading.

    And they don’t do any harm, do they?

    Or do they?

    Maybe they encourage me to become set in my ways?

    I have now pulled out some decks where Strength is in her original setting of Major XI and Justice sits at VIII and I promise *gives girl guide salute* to use these until I am comfortable with either card in either position.

    Do I really need to stick to the Golden Dawn’s impositions on the Tarot? Will the world fall down if I start to use an older deck, one that doesn’t easily fit the constraints of the GD’s systems?

    What happens if I start thinking of Wands as Air, not Fire?

    Or Knights as Fire and not Air?!

    *looks around – the world still spins on its axis!*

    Let’s challenge ourselves and our beliefs – welcome the new and embrace it if it is a truth to YOU.    There is no one ‘right’ way to work with the Tarot – so you use it for fortune-telling, someone else uses it as a writer’s prompt, yet another uses it as a tool for self-development, someone else uses it to build fabulous card towers!

    Tarot is a mongrel puppy – hailing from Europe and North Africa. At every turn it has been modified and changed – let’s not ruin that fluidity of growth by letting our traditions solidify into dogma.

    Of course, the whole shebang needs to end with a spot of theatre……. altogether now! ‘Traaaaaadition!!!!!!’

    Now, shoulder-shimmmy your way to the next blog and, if you’ve a mind to do a bit of work with the Court Cards, come back and see us here!

    Previous blog – Stella  at US Games Ltd 
    Next blog – Cher at Tarot by Cher

    Broken links?  Here’s the master list

  • Protecting Artists’ Work – can WE help?

    When I’m creating a blog post here at Thrones Towers, I like to illustrate it with one or two card images.

    Sometimes it’s the image that’s important, rather than the card.  For example, if I am blogging about masks, I might search for a Tarot card that shows a mask: I’m not concerned whether it’s the 10 of Swords or The Magician.

    Other times, I might be talking about a specific card or even a specific card in a specific deck: Would any Page of Wands card would do? Let’s pick some nice ones!  Or maybe I need the Page of Wands from Alexander Daniloff’s Tarot specifically. So, let’s go get him!

    What do I do?

    I would like to tell you that I go to every artist and ask for their permission to use their cards in my blog posts, but I don’t.

    That’s not because I don’t respect the artists that have created this work, but if I asked for permission for everything, I stand the risk of being refused or (worse?!) ignored and then unsure about whether I ought to proceed or not.  Should I ask EVERY time I want to use a card from that artist’s deck? Sheesh, Alexander Daniloff is going to get really sick of seeing my name pop up in his inbox!

    There has been some discussion on other platforms about what constitutes ‘fair use’ and I regard my blog as ‘fair use’:  I am not selling the images.  I am not passing them off as my own work.  I am commenting on the artwork or I am (I hope!) using the artworks to help with understanding the Court Cards – so they are a sort of learning tool.

    On the other hand, if I wanted to create, for example, an e-book, I wouldn’t DREAM of using an artist’s work without their permission and would expect to pay them (and possibly also the publisher) for the privilege of being associated with their artwork.

    Yet artists are finding their work popping up in unexpected places.  It can be entire copies of their hard-crafted decks, such as happens with sad regularity to the creative powers at +Baba Studios.  Will Worthington’s work, for example, has been found on giant-sized poster artworks.

    Taking someone’s work, their livelihood and making money from it without paying the genius behind the paintbrush?  That’s not on.

    There are grey areas though – what about when you sell a reading to someone and want to include a scan of the cards used in the layout?  What about if you want to use an artist’s work in the header of your blog?  *cough* Or your avatar on facebook?  Or pin an image in Pinterest?

    I think that both artist and admirer have a role to play in protecting the artist’s work.  Artists could create FAQ pages on their websites or blogs which outline what uses of their work they deem acceptable for free use (eg blog headers, avatars, newsletter header images etc)  and that for all other uses, admirers should expect to pay a fee (on business cards, in training materials etc)  And those FAQ pages would grow as more innovative uses for their artworks are put forward to them (would it be free to use a card’s image as the basis for your new tattoo, for example?!)

    We, as admirers of an artist’s work, can play a part in protecting our artists by watermarking every image that we use.  And when I say ‘watermark’ I mean any marking directly to the card image with the artist’s name, source and website. Take a look at Nimue, illustrating this blog post.  She’s gorgeous, isn’t she? She’s by Will Worthington and anyone using this image will see that.

    Marking artworks in this way will:

    1  Prevent unauthorised use of YOUR scanned card image by an unscrupulous downloader.
    2  Act as an advert for the artist if the image IS used (eg pinned on Pinterest) or shared on another blog
        because any viewer will immediately know who the artist is, where the card comes from and the url
        for the artist’s site.

    Adding a caption beneath the image on your blog is not enough, it’s not protecting that piece of art.  It doesn’t travel WITH the artwork to any another site.

    We LOVE these artists, let’s do what we can to protect their work 🙂

  • Boston

    So, there I was last night, plinky-plonking away on the ipad’s tiny keyboard with my eyes smarting from squinting in the darkness when I noticed that the TV seemed to be showing rather a lot of footage of people from Boston.  I was working with the sound turned down.  Why I didn’t just turn the damned telly off, I don’t know. I like the company.  Even if it is Jeremy Paxman.  I turned the sound up and the full horror seeped through the screen and into my living room.

    How strange to be working away diligently on a blog post about the history of Tarot cards when some person (I use that term very loosely) was blowing up a whole crowd of cheering, happy people who were simply raising funds for charity.

    Who would do such a thing?  The media speculation begins.  So I decided to speculate myself.  I reached for my RWS deck, shuffled and drew a card: 8 Cups.

    This is my take:  Whomever is behind the bombing seems to be someone who is disenchanted with how life is for them – those cups are artfully arranged to look like there is one missing.  But, of course, there ISN’T one missing (otherwise it would be the 9 of Cups!).

    Lots of people would be happy with 8 golden Cups, but not this person.  They have turned their back on their (comfortable? happy-looking?) life and headed off to seek for truth.  But what truth are they finding?  There’s no objective truth in an ideology – whatever ideology it might be.  Heck, sometimes it’s hard to find a definitive truth about ANYTHING – the sky isn’t blue, mountains aren’t solid, there are sounds and colours that are beyond our capacity to experience, Justin Bieber isn’t that good a singer.

    Does the red cloak have any significance here, for this question? Matadors have red cloaks.  Men who goad bulls to anger and violence? Little Red Riding Hood had a red cloak. She outwitted a big bad wolf.

    Maybe the only difference between a terrorist (a matador) and a freedom fighter (Little Red Riding Hood) is where you find yourself when he acts out his ideology?

    My second question was direct – Foreign or Domestic?

    The card drawn is the Queen of Pentacles.  She sits in a lush setting and is well-dressed – someone who is not short of a dollar or two.

    The Queen is not a character that you would associate with any kind of violence.  But Pentacles IS the suit of home and hearth.  Does this signify a home-grown terrorist?  Or does it just mean that the bomber is someone who feels that their hearth and home needs defended against ‘American Imperialism’?

    Or is it simply to do with money? She’s totally focussed on that Pentacle….

    How would you interpret these two cards for my questions? And have you drawn cards about this horrific act to see what the cards have to say?

    All thoughts are with the people of Boston.

  • Inner Ring of Hell: imac hard drive failure

    Oh dear reader, it has  not been a good couple of weeks technology-wise.

    We had a power cut two weeks ago and the imac refused to boot up afterwards.  I accidentally reloaded Snow Leopard (the Apple OS) onto the imac when all I really wanted it to do was boot up.  But, unfazed, I attempted a ‘restore’ from the Time Machine facility.

    It meant that I would lose files back to 1 February, but that’s not the end of the world, right?

    How wrong can you be?!

    Woe! Woe! and Thrice Woe!

    Whatever it was that I did, the system backed up – but not to the hard drive as it should – but to a blummin’ FILE in the darkest, deepest recesses of the hard drive.  Not only could I not access anything from the end of February, but I could not find nor access any of the photos that I’d taken from 2008.

    Mostly of my son.  And a very ancient pain au chocolate called Kevin who lives in my bread bin.  Long story.  But you can read about him here.

    I was devastated.  Honestly, I cried more last Monday morning when I thought that I’d lost all my son’s photographs than when my dad died.

    BUT to the rescue came the most wonderful man in the world, Uth. Not his real name.  Top bloke.  Clever, good at communicating with Homer Simpson luddites like m’self, patient and kind.

    Today he spent an hour and a half on the telephone guiding me through the intricacies of getting my files back to where they should be.

    I was completely out of my depth, working in Terminal (for fellow pc fans – that’s the equivalent of out at the c prompt!) typing commands that were entirely alien to me.  Sweaty-palmed and churny of stomach, that was me.

    But he has managed to restore my files to me!!!!  And if he wasn’t married, I would be down on one knee to procure him for myself.

    Sadly, all the 2-hour Tarot shows are gone as is a lot of music…… but I might be able to get the shows (and the music) back from Radio Bute in mp3 form.  Keep your fingers crossed.

    So, here’s my question to you today – which Tarot Court card best exemplifies Ian (and me!) in our exchange today?

    Uth and me, hamming it up for the camera
    Glastonbury – many years ago!
    Jeez, my roots REALLY needed doing….