There are a number of tarot decks I absolutely love - mostly because of the art. One of those, for example, is Charissa Drengsen's Steampunk Tarot, a prized member of my growing deck collection. Beautiful pearled paper, very interesting photo-collage artwork, all together a wonderful trip through 78 pieces of art. There is one observation I must make, however - many of the cards in my estimation don't really express any meaning, period. They're pretty/interesting to look at, but really don't say much. Of course, if you're an experienced tarot reader, this shouldn't/wouldn't matter as  you know your cards; but if you're a novice, or a mostly intuitive reader relying on imagery, the lack of well expressed meanings is a shortfall of the deck. 

I wrestle with this in my own deck creations - the decorative and pretty vs clear proscribed meaning. Sure you can and should have both in the cards, and many decks do deliver both of these. But what of the ones which don't? Even the famed Baba Studio decks sometimes have this shortfall - at least in some of the cards in a particular deck. Those cards will carry the deck's theme well, but not, in my opinion express a clear point of view - or at least not one which I recognize.

I still treasure beautiful art decks, though I don't find myself reaching as often for the ones which do not express clear interpretations in the imagery. Sure, I can read with any deck, but most often use the ones which deliver both beautiful form and imaginative, but clear, meanings.

Yes, it's been awhile since I've posted, I know. I've been busy creating a new oracle deck - The White Rabbit Oracle! You can view the entire deck right here on my site on its own page The White Rabbit Oracle and there's also a link to my Etsy shop there too.
Now to business - and the theme of this post - Off the beaten track tarot decks. By that I mean decks that are very different in their art and/or take than the usual - that is, decks not following Rider Waite Smith distinctly. I happen to love a lot of these decks - my appetite has grown for them as my immersion in tarot and tarot/oracle art has lengthened. I just love differences and originality - and usually these are found in independently produced decks. I have a number of them: Tarot of the Zirkus Magi (an old-fashioned circus theme); Tarot de St. Croix (bright visionary art); The Silent Tarot (printed from original paper collage cards); Frau Grand Duchess Tarot (also printed from original paper collage with a 50's kitsch theme); Pearls of Wisdom Tarot (new printing, very bright original artwork in a "primitive" style); Alice Tarot (from fabulous Baba Studios), and the piece de resistance - The Twin Peaks Tarot (yes, drawings based on the cult TV series from the early 90's which I loved!). These are all unique unto themselves and entirely different from one another, but one thing they all have in common is their uniqueness and lack of commercial feel.
I'm planning to start a new page to feature these unusual (and often beautiful) decks, as they deserve some air time, lacking the big PR machine a mass-market publisher can offer its authors and creators. These are fascinating decks with really interesting interpretations beyond the traditional. Now, sometimes the renderings seem to be in left field, but hey - maybe it means the user (me, for example) needs to concentrate more on unlocking that artist's particular slant, which could open up a whole new filed of viewpoint. It can only enrich our understanding of tarot to add new views to our toolboxes, don't you think? Stay tuned for the new page, coming up very soon!

It's that time again - with Fall here, summer frenzy winding down, it's stock-taking time. That is - many of us find ourselves in thoughtful mode, like The Hermit walking down the contemplative road with the High Priestess on his arm. As the leaves fall from the once green trees, it's time to look backwards and forward. This time of year is a reminder of our mortality, of time passing, of change ahead, of goals met and unmet, of forks in our roads. It's time to see what's working and what isn't, what's fulfilling us and what we may need to release or change. With the day and night in equal balance tonight, you may too be thinking on how to reflect that balance in your own life. I know I am. Today's card is The Wheel of Fortune, a perfect card for the Equinox.

Now, The Wheel often indicates a winning ticket - success, good fortune, positive turn of events. But in the context of the Equinox, its expanded meaning applies. What goes up, must come down, what goes around comes around. That's the message and reminder the Equinox and The Wheel bring us today. Be passionate, be intense, love life, love all you do, feel deeply - but keep the balance. Having that third drink at that great party might not be the best choice even if you think you're having the best time of your life. Giving into those urges that we know may not be healthy or right may feel ecstatic at the moment, but there's always the later. Even things that are healthy, when overdone, turn into their opposite. Commitment to work is usually a good thing - unless we overdo it and pay the price in other areas of our lives - our health, our relationships, etc. Passionate intensity in anything can be good, or bad. Balance is the key. The Wheel tells us: What goes around, comes around. What I do today for good or bad will come back in one way or another. A balanced present leads to a balanced future; a good act leads to good feelings and in one way or another, it's paid forward. So, let's reach for balance, like the day and night, light and dark. Too easily light can become dark unless we consciously hold it steady. (Image below from the gorgeous Tarot de St. Croix)