Monday is Tarot Day: Revisiting a Deck - The Fairytale Tarot

Maybe it's because I've been helping out with set painting for a local production of "Into the Woods", a play which takes fairytale archetypes and builds a thought-provoking musical around them.  Maybe it's because it's been three months since I've walked the hallowed paths of Disneyland.  Whatever it is, I've been drawn to my Fairytale Tarot deck once again.  It's been a long while since I've worked with it; I'm enjoying the reunion.

The deck, published in 2005, is the handiwork of the incredible folks at Magic Realist Press, the immensely-talented Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov (aided by Irena Triskova, illustrator) who are responsible for me purchasing all sorts of magical, beautiful items from Prague, Czech Republic.  I'm on tenterhooks about their upcoming Alice in Wonderland deck - but that's a story for another day.

The deck follows the classic Rider-Waite "template", and each card has the same relevance as its RW counterpart.  But what sets this deck apart is gorgeous artwork and the way the authors have taken famous tales, like Cinderella and Puss and Boots, as well as lesser-known stories from around the world and deftly fit them to each card's inherent meaning.

Here's a sample, so you can see some of the cards for yourself.  A quick, three-card, past-present-future reading.  I'll keep the topic to myself, but I'll show you the spread:

So, what we have here is the Four of Cups in the recent past position.  The fairytale for the card is "The Boy Who Wanted to Learn Fear".  It's a Brothers Grimm tale about a boy who feels ... nothing.  He's disconnected from emotion.  And, yes, this applies to my query.

The card in the present position is The Tower, here represented by the tale, Deirdre of the Sorrows, an old Celtic fairytale, which you can read about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deirdre.  It's wickedly sad.  It's also about necessity of shaking things up.  And, yes, after having dealt with a flood in our house and having to re-evaluate much, this definitely applies to my situation.  It's a no-brainer, actually, a "well, DUH."

Finally, the Nine of Wands takes its place in the near future position.  It tells the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, a Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm "household tale".  And, yes, it's definitely ringing true: I'm battle-weary, but know that better things are just ahead, waiting for me to seize them.  I've been through a lot, and there's even more to deal with, but I'm persistent!

The Fairytale tarot deck's accompanying book is a "must" if you're planning on getting the deck itself.  I've spent many an hour just sitting back and relaxing with it, learning tale after tale from all over the world.  As for picking up your own Fairytale Tarot - it's going to be a tad difficult: when visiting the Baba Studio website (http://baba-store.com/tarot-books/out-of-print-decks/fairytale-tarot.html), I noticed the book is still for sale, but the cards and card/book set are out-of-print.  If you stop by Amazon, you can still find them, but for a pretty penny.  You can also try your luck on Ebay, but, again, it'll cost you.  But is the hunt worth it?  Most definitely!

My favorite versions of "Alice in Wonderland"

While I'm enjoying a fine meritage, absorbing the scents of a heady patchouli incense, and thrilling to Jonathan Miller's exquisitely trippy 60s version of "Alice in Wonderland", I realize that, as a life-long Alice aficionado, it's about time to list my Top Three versions of the story, in order.  Because they all have something to do with my Mid-Century heritage and my penchant for the sense of experimentation inherent in the era:

Number One Version: the one in my head when I read the original text.  The classic Tenniel drawings come to life.  And the voices in my head are, truly, more mystical and vibrant than any other interpretation.



Number Two Version: Hands down, the 1951 Disney animated version.  Because this one has songs and, even more importantly,the incredible artwork of the supreme and sublime Mary Blair.Pay close attention to the film next time you watch: the backgrounds are almost ALL Blair.

Beyond-wonderful Mary Blair concept art for the Disney version.

And, newly realized, as of 8 PM today:

Number Three Version: the 1966 Jonathan Miller BBC TV play.

Sitar music.  Peter Cook as the Mad Hatter.  And an Alice who tumbles through her own world, no animal caricatures in sight, but real adults showing up as the mad, stressed-out caricatures themselves, trying to make sense out of the nonsensical Victorian world they're a part of.  As Miller put it himself, "Once you take the animal heads off, you begin to see what it's all about. A small child, surrounded by hurrying, worried people, thinking 'Is that what being grown up is like?'"

What could possibly hedge out these Top Three?  That would be the much-anticipated tarot version, as interpreted by Baba Studio of Prague, the launch date (hopefully) this autumn.

Monday is Tarot Day: I shall pick a random card!

Okay, kiddies.  Go pour yourself some nice, comforting tea, sit in your cozy chair and get ready.  I'm going to pull a card at random and tell you what I glean from it.  I actually have a specific question in mind, but I will refrain from sharing that (it's a secret).  Still, I think you'll learn something from this little lesson nonetheless.

I find a one-card reading to be very powerful.  the onus of the situation is seated in the interpretation of the one, single card.  It's quite "in your face" and clear. You get no help from neighboring cards and you don't pick an additional card for clarity or anything like that.  It's a tarot highwire act.

First of all, I'm using the Victorian romantic Tarot from Baba Studio, Prague: http://magic-realist.com/victorian-romantic-tarot/  I have the second edition of the deck; Magic Realist Press decks quite often sell out and become collector's items, so I'm very fortunate to own this one, as well as a few other from these groovy Czechs.

Ready for the magic? I know I am, and I'm certainly ready to get inspired and gain a little wisdom about something that's been nagging at me for a bit.  So, I open the beautiful presentation box up, remove the cards, and start to shuffling, all the while focusing on the matter at hand.  Asking my angels and guides to grant me wisdom and clarity.  What energies are surrounding this situation?

(oh, and just so you know - I'm a lousy shuffler, and you'd think I'd have gotten better after doing tarot for about one-third of this lifetime, but I haven't.)

Anyway, I just used my ring finger on my left hand, which seems to be the most psychic and sensitive, to sense which card wishes to jump out and aid me today and ... here goes...

The Three of Cups!

Interesting!  I wrote a recent blog post about this very card, in reference to my wonderful Disney birthday celebration and how I'm looking at this whole year as an extension of that Party Atmosphere.  2013: One Big Party!

Hmmm... very curious, timely, and fitting (and POSITIVE) for the situation I'm inquiring about.

Take a look at these girls!  It's like "Hello Dolly" meets "Can-Can" meets "Phantom of the Opera" (but the light-hearted parts of that show only).  It's about celebration and camaraderie and girl power (although the man pictured in the card seems to have had SO much fun, he's passed out with a bucket of champagne at his side).  Festivity surrounds this situation.  Sharing and goodness and creativity and wonderful emotional connection.

Thanks, Magic Realist Victorian Romantic Tarot for my one-card reading for the day.

In answer to my query: Yes.  I think I will.

Monday is Tarot Day once again! Looking forward to SO much!!

I was just playing today with my new Victorian Romantic deck from Baba Studio (the second edition with even more breathtaking imagery!) and thought about the three of wands card, and Advent, and looking forward to something miraculous.

I'll write about the tumultuous year of 2012 later this month; right now,let's focus upon Advent, the time of preparation for moving forward, of looking ahead, of all miracles that are possible.  

The three of wands usually depicts a man with three staffs and he's looking toward the horizon, ready to go forth and tackle, travel, and trust that the road ahead is true.  In the new version of the Victorian Romantic tarot, this card depicts a man with some sort of horn with a dragon head where the sound comes out.  It's almost as if he's signalling whoever's in his way, "Hey!  Coming through!  Big plans ahead!!!"

And that brought to mind Advent time, one of my most favorite times in the typical Christian calendar year, when we look forward to the birth of the Baby Jesus.  But it's more than that: it's the time we renew those feelings of anticipation of wonder and miracles.  We anxiously await hearing the retelling of the Christmas story (sometimes the one that Linus recites is the best, if you ask me), about the miracles therein.  And I always think, "Hey - if that miracle happened, what kinds of miracles are in store for me?"

They ARE there, just beyond the horizon ...